Society for Community Research and Action

Is your community collaborative effort making a difference? To answer this question, you now have access to an array of tools and resources that can help you prove that it is.

Collaboration Multiplier is an interactive framework and tool for analyzing collaborative efforts across fields. It is designed to guide an organization to a better understanding of which partners it needs and how to engage them, or to facilitate organizations that already work together in identifying activities to achieve a common goal, identify missing sectors that can contribute to a solution, delineate partner perspectives and contributions, and leverage expertise and resources.

The National Prevention Strategy makes clear, prevention can save lives, reduce the demand on health care services, build equity and save money.

This learning community is a place where Canadians can learn, share expertise, advance common goals, and connect with one another about reducing poverty in their cities. Together let's end poverty! 

Far more attention needed indeed!

A deep well of resources on PAR

The New Organizing Institute just released the Organizing Toolbox - aresource of training materials for organizing

Many of the recommendations in Fair society, healthy lives have been made in previous reports on health inequalities. I was part of the Marmot review team for a few months and we made a conscious decision not to make a long list of recommendations addressing every single aspect of health inequalities. Instead what the report seeks to do differently is to present health inequalities as a question of fairness and encourage all parts of society to play their part. Health inequalities are traditionally regarded as a problem for the NHS but as this report argues (reflecting the 1998 Acheson report) the NHS is but one player in this task. Tackling health inequalities means addressing the social determinants of health - those factors that shape health and wellbeing such as social environments, the housing and neighbourhoods where people live, education, income, standard of living, occupation and working conditions. Clearly the NHS cannot tackle these issues alone, central and local government departments, the third and private sectors as well as individuals themselves have a role to play. The report makes six wide-ranging recommendations. The primary recommendation is to give every child the best start in life. This means supporting Sure Start programmes, maternity services and parenting programmes so they can better deliver their services to those most in need. A great deal of evidence demonstrates that these programmes lead to long-term improvements in health and education outcomes - cutting these programmes would reverse the progress made in the last 10-15 years. Another recommendation is to create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities. Those working in planning, transport, housing or environment departments need to work with their colleagues in public health to plan and develop joint strategies and outcomes. The quality of parks, the number of take-aways in an area, road safety - all of these decisions influence how we live our lives and

In communities around the nation, youth organizing groups have become outspoken, effective, and powerful partners in school reform - and, in the process, are preparing to be empowered, educated, and engaged adults and citizens.

The participatory media learning materials on this site are meant to help people learn and teach the new literacies by inquiring into their significance as well as by learning their use through direct practice