Community Engagement as Health Promotion

1. Community Engagement as Health Promotion Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse June, 2004

2. Community Engagement as Health Promotion • This presentation was developed by the • Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse. You may copy and use it • for non-commercial purposes only. • This was made possible with funding support from • the Government of Ontario • June, 2004

3. Defining “Health” • Health is: • a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (WHO, 1948) • created and lived by people within the settings of their everyday life; where they learn, work, play and love” (Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, 1986)

4. Defining “Health Promotion” • Health Promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over the determinants of health, and thereby improve their health. (Western Pacific Region Office’s Regional Framework for Health Promotion, WHO 2002)

5. Health Health Services Income and Social Status Education Physical Environments Employment and Working Conditions Social Support Networks Biology and Genetic Endowment Healthy Child Development Social Environments Gender BELIEFS VALUES Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills Culture ASSUMPTIONS

6. Health Promotion: Values • Health • Social Justice • Power Sharing • Ecology • Social Inclusion

7. What Is Inclusion? An inclusive society creates both the feeling and reality of belonging and helps all members reach their full potential. Michael Fay, Social and Economic Inclusion Project, Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse

8. What Does Inclusion Mean? • The feeling of belonging emerges through caring, cooperation, and trust. • The reality of belonging emerges through equity and fairness, social and economic justice, and cultural as well as spiritual respect. • People build the feeling and reality of belonging by engaging their society to ensure it.

9. Different Terms, Similar Processes • Community engagement • Citizen engagement • Civic engagement • Community mobilization • Community empowerment • Capacity building • Creating social capital • Social inclusion

10. How Community Engagement Promotes Health Health Promotion actively engages people in processes that influence and affect the conditions that make them healthy or not.

11. Engagement: An Essential Process Of Health Promotion • Encourages people to come together to create social change. • Builds grassroots capacity for individuals and communities to have more control over the factors that influence health • Increases amount of social capital available to communities

12. Different Ways to Engage Communities Populations Action Areas Settings Strategies Issues Determinants Values / Principles Rita Corbin

14. Essential Dynamics of Engaged Communities • Shared vision • Diverse relationships • Abundant information (Meg Wheatley-Leadership and the New Science)

15. 3 Examples of Community Engagement • Citizens for Mental Health • E-dialogue on Foreign Policy • Vibrant Communities

16. Citizens for Mental Health CMHA National Community Mobilization Effort2002-2004

17. Citizens For Mental Health Shared Vision To strengthen the capacity of voluntary sector organizations for meaningful participation in national level policy processes. Diverse Relationships Engaged approx. 400 citizens in the process of building a vision for a national mental health policy framework. Abundant Information Local forums, and regional synthesis forums held in five regions. National forum used this information to shape recommendations into a policy framework.

18. Electronic Community Engagement A national electronic dialogue about the values Canadians want to influence foreign policy. Jan. 22 – May 1, 2003

19. Electronic Engagement Shared Vision A bilingual, moderated discussion forum allowing citizens to talk to each other and to the government Diverse Relationships Direct email postings across Canada to the site in both official languages. Abundant Information Ministerial discussion paper; 12 questions on three pillars- security, prosperity, values and culture; Town Hall meetings, consultations, outreach, expert meetings.

20. Vibrant Communities National Anti-Poverty Initiative in 15 Communities Across Canada 2002-2004 • McConnell Family Foundation • Caledon Institute of Social Policy • Tamarack- An Institute for Community Engagement.

21. Vibrant Communities Shared Vision To test the most effective ways to reduce poverty in Canada at the grassroots level. Diverse Relationships Multi-sectoral, including grassroots people, organizations, business and governments. Abundant Information Grassroots collaboration, Pan-Canadian Learning Community, Teleconferences, regional and national forums.

22. Community Engagement: What Are We Learning? • The process takes time to implement and develop locally. Requires long-term commitment. • Program supports and resources should be in place and available before any program is implemented. • To enhance engagement, pay attention to individual needs such as transportation, daycare, meeting set-up, refreshments to increase community participation. • A multi-dimensional approach is stronger, more resilient and creative. • Process builds on assets, rather than deficits.

23. Electronic Engagement: What Are We Learning? • On-line consultation design should facilitate participation of culturally diverse groups (francophones, youth, interest groups, etc.) • Politics and events can be managed, never controlled, discussions reflect current reality • Need active moderation with civil rules, manage expectations, state outcomes • Government and civil society partnerships in e-consultation can encourage citizen engagement

24. Iceberg

25. Resources Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse www.opc.on.ca Ontario Health Promotion Resource System www.ohprs.ca Association of Ontario Health Centres http://www.aohc.org/ Canadian Mental Health Association http://www.cmha.ca/ Tamarack: An Institute for Community Engagementhttp://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/

26. More Resources GPI Atlantic - Genuine Progress Index for Atlantic Canada: www.gpiatlantic.org/ Isuma, Canadian Journal of Policy Research (Issue on Social Capital): www.isuma.net/v02n01/index_e.shtml Social Capital as a Public Policy Toolhttp://policyresearch.gc.ca/page.asp?pagenm=rp_sc_index World Bank, PovertyNet site dedicated to social capital worldbank.org/poverty/scapital/index.htm