The Scottish Community Alliance have published an article by Linda Somerville concerning the success of her Save Leith Walk campaign, with lessons for us all.
Running as a constant thread through many aspects of government policy is the assumption that communities will somehow find the capacity to respond appropriately. Two things seem wrong with this. Firstly, evidence suggests that the most active communities over time are those with the most resources. So there is an issue of equality. The other concern is that communities are constantly forced into a reactive mode rather than being free to set their own agenda. The experience gained from the very popular Save Leith Walk campaign has led one of the organisers to argue for a national programme of community organising. Read more here.
