Module 8

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

Lesson 1 The Core Method of Community Development

Lesson 2 Steps in Community Organizing
Lesson 3 Area-Based Organizing
Lesson 4 Sectoral Organizing
Lesson 5 Alliance and Coalition Building

(Reference material/s :
Luna, Emmanuel “Rethinking Community Development Indigenizing and Regaining
Grounds” in
Manalili, A. (1990). Community Organizing for People’s Empowerment. Manila: Kapatiran-
Kanluran
Third World Studies Center (TWSC). (1990). The Language of Organizing: a guidebook for
Filipino Organizers. Quezon City
Interview/s University of Santo Tomas Simbahayan

RATIONALE
Community development deals with the growth and sustenance, conflict resolution,
rehabilitation and transformation of marginalized communities through people’s participation
and collective actions to ensure the holistic and corporate well-being of the people. It means
recognizing and building up the people’s innate potentials and capabilities, enabling them to
define their direction, and participate in the process of change through collective actions to
ensure the well-being or welfare of the people. Any structural change should lead to greater
fulfillment of these goals (Luna, 1998).
In a broad and general sense, the ultimate goals of Community Development can be
grouped into three main categories: the enhancement of people’s potentials and capabilities,
the active participation of the people through collective actions in the process of change and
transformation, and the promotion of the people’s well-being and welfare. Corollary to this,
there are three interrelated fields of Community Development practice that could correspond
to the goals, namely community education (CE), community organizing (CO) and community
resource and disaster risk management (CRDRM). These interrelated fields of CD practice
emerged from the need to respond to the complex and multi- needs of people and

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communities by themselves, with or without the facilitation, assistance and support of those
who decide to take side with them.
Community Organizing (CO) is the core method in community development. Without it, one
cannot conceive or engage in developing communities. CO is the process of development
from the people, by the people, and for the people. The Steps and activities are community
entry, community integration, social analysis, spotting and developing indigenous community
leaders, core group building, recruitment of member, setting up of the organization and
working with other organizations for development. (Manalili,1990:62-77). The language of
organizing defines “CO as a common needs and aspirations in a given locality. CO
processes involve the following activities, which may overlap and repeated at a new level
during the process for organizing integration with the community, social evaluation, reflection
and setting up of the organization.” (TWSC, 1990:5-6).
This framework suggests three areas of CO namely area-based organizing, sectoral or
issue-based organizing, and networks, alliances and coalitions building, (Figure 2) These
community organizations, also known as people’s organizations, and supra-organization in
the forms of networks, alliances and coalitions are the people’s instrument in expressing their
will and effecting changes in their communities through collective actions and participation in
decision making. Area based mass organizing is done within a given geographic space such
as villages, or groups of adjacent communities. The sectoral or issue-based organizing is
‘”the building of organizations, not by class, but by sectors such as those of farmers, fishers
folks, urban poor, tribal (indigenous people) sectors who are usually confronted with common
issues or a common enemy..” (TWSC, 1990:6). The area-based and issue based organizing
ca overlap. It is possible that community residents are organized through area based and
sectoral organizing. Both the types of people’s organizations can unite and group together to
form alliances, networks and coalitions with horizontal relationship. Similarly, groupings with
vertical relationship can be formed also through federations and confederations. Essentially,
the formation of these supra-organizations is for mutual support and for strengthening
position with respect to some issues, tactically and strategically. (TWSC, 1990:6).

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STEPS IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

Community organizing is a process that revolves around the lives, experiences and
aspirations of the people. It is a process that is a people-centered and geared towards their
continuing capability building, self -reliance and empowerment.
Taking the lead role in development, the people analyze their own problems and needs,
decide on their own future, and ultimately, make their own history. As a process, community
organizing consists of steps or activities that will instill and reinforce the people’s self-
confidence on their own collective strenght and capabilities.
Although there are cases where an outside community organizer helps in the organizing
process, community organizing itself, to become more relevant, should be initiated and
sustained by the people themselves. The organizer can help, but the people in community
must do the organizing themselves. The people are the principal actors in the process. The
external community organizer serves only as facilitator.

Community Entry
There are case when community organizing is enhanced with the assistance of an outside
community organizer. He may be a government worker or an organizer from a non-
governmental institution. He/she can also be an organizer of a people’s organization
recruiting more members or doing chapter building. Or. He/she may be simply a person who
finds meaning in life by serving the poor. For an organizer, work starts even before entering
the community.
Since he/she believes in integrating hmself with the people to become an effective facilitator
in community organizing, he/she deems it necessary to gather first any important data about
the villagebefore entering it. He tries to know as much as possible about the people’s way of
life, including their customs and traditions, religion, sources of livelihodd and primary
problems. He/she, therefore, conducts a preliminary social analysis of the community to be
able to plan the most effective way of entering the community.
In his/her entry, he/she keeps in mind not to create false hopes. The people should not be
made to look up to him. He has to maintain a low profile. His clothing must be simple. Based
on the information that he has gathered about the community, he tries to adapt his clothings
and manners to the people’s way of life. Thus, he enters the barrio without any fanfare or
grandastanding, without the people treating him as their “saviour.”.

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Integrating with the People
The organizer also knows that he cannot become effective in helping the people organize
themselves if he just visits the barrio ocassionally. So he tries to look for a place to stay in
the barrio. His integration with the barriofolk starts with the family of his host. He tries to be
close to them.
His knowledge about the barrio is becoming more substantive. He thunks of participating
even in the production work in the community. Now he will wotk on the fields with the
farmers. In his actual participation in the barrio’s production work, his grasp about the
people’s problems has become more firm – problems which he used to know obly as
abstract ideas. Now he is actually grappling with those problems. And he is with the people
who are the very victims of an unjust system. The organizer can now feel the hidden colors in
the barrio’s life. He asks questions about the barrio life and what can the people do about it.
He wants the people to answer those questions for themselves. So he continues his stay and
integration with the people. He would join the community social activities so that he may
understand their customs and beleifs. He would even join the traditional drinking bouts
usually spent to while away the after work hours in the barrio. Each day for hint is a new
opportunity to learn from the people. Now he is beginning to identify himself with the people.
Now he is one among them. Their problems are already his problems.

Social Analysis.
The two preceding steps and activities are concentrated mainly on the organizer. Naturally,
because it is the organizer who enters the community and integrates with the people in a
situation where an outside community organizer goes to the community to help in the
organizing process. This is not always the case because the peoplethemselves are capable
of doing the organizing. But at this stage of social analysis, it should already be the people
that should play the main role. The organizer only helps in the process. Social analysis now
revolves on the people’s lives, experiences and aspirations.
More often than not, the people’s only participation in the investigation of their conditions is in
anwering “survey questionnaires”. We must put an end to this practice. Social analysis
should be done by the people themselves, for in the first place, they have been analyzing
their situation ever since. What the organizer should do is simply help the people be more
systematic in the analysis of their situation. In the process, he can probably help in making
the process collective and continuing so that social analysis becomes a tool for
conscientization for action.
It should be borne in mind that social analysis is an activity that helps raise the level of
consciousness of the people and the organizer. With his continuing dialogue with the people,
the organizer gradually learns the way of life in the barrio. He knows that he has a lot to learn
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from the people. The people know their problems. They know their needs. Now, he also
learns to identify with the people, fully appreciating their problems and needs. His knowledge
of the people’s experiences deepens. And in the continuing process of social analysis, the
organizer and the people work hand in hand in relating the barrio’s problems to the deep-
seated problems of society and the nation. The conscientization process goes on with the
people gradually developing a collective consciousness.
We want social analysisto lead to the continuing development of the people’s critical
awareness and their ability to relate their problems to national and global realities. This is of
utmost importance because community organizing does not end with the solution of local
problems which in most cases are but manifestations of the fundamental problems which we
ultimately have to confront. And we must reiterate: the people themselves should take the
lead role in this analytical task. Social analysis is a continuing and dynamic process which
leads to the development of a collective consciousness among the people.

Spotting and Developing Indigenous Leaders in the Community.

While integrating himself with the people and developing with them a critical awareness of
their situation, the organizer helps the people to have always on the lookout for these:
individuals who have the ability to lead the community. In talking with the people and by
sharpening his observations, he can pinpoint two outstanding characteristics of potential
leaders; those who can have a firm grasp of the community situation and problems, and
those who are also willing to act and be committed to the cause of the poor.
Although the people’s confidence in their own ability to leadis often eroded, the organizer
strives hard to motivate the people and to see that their leaders will necessarily come from
among themselves. That is why the organizer endears himself to these potential leaders. He
will be discussing with them more often, and by informal means of education , help enrich
their knowledge and skills for leadership and community organizing. This will be a continuing
process. Not only will the consciousness of the leaders be consistently raised, but also their
corresponding ability to lead shall likewise be developed. There are a lot of avenues for
leadership development which the organizer can help tap for their leaders.
One of the major tasks of the organizer is to help reinforce the people’s confidence in their
own ability to lead. That is why the organizer will devote a significant part of his time to this
task. He wants the community organizing process to be people-centered. The continuous
spotting and development of indigenous leaders make this possible.
Core Group Building. Among the potential leaders, a core group for organizing is formed.
Usually they are the ones who have already internalized the need for the people to be united.
They will discuss and study regularly until they are able to face up to the challenge of
organizing wwork. Soon, a core group for the organizing of the farmers is formed. Later core
groups for the women, youth and farm workers emerge.
We want to show here that organizing is systematic. From the core group, we can gradually
reach the people in the community. From the initial core group, organizing then progresses
geometrically. Each one will invite three, and three more, and three more… until their

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organization has covered the whole community. In the process, community organizing
becomes people-centered not leader-centered.

Setting up the Organization.

At his stage in community organizing, the people are now ready to formally set up their
organization. It is not even necessary to explain to them the need to unite, for all along, they
have been convinced of the need to get organized. In their general assembly, they will
formally declare their unity and elect their leaders. And because the organizing process was
not made overnight, the basis of their unity is clear to everyone. They have already agreed,
even before hand, that their leaders should be democratically selected. The members should
have full confidence in the organization that they are forming. They have to see in the
organization that they are setting up the embodiment of their collective dreams and
aspirations. They must be active in making the organization alive. Tasking must be based on
the capability of everyone.
If the organizing process is made alive and done by the people themselves, the organization
that will be established is really of, by and for the people. The bases of setting up their
organization is fully understood by all its members, the basic principles that they live by, fully
grasped and their collective strength, well appreciated and geared towards a concrete
program of action.
The organization is already strong even at the outset because the bases of the people’s unity
is well founded. Even their leaders have already undersone the rigors of selection. Even so,
the organizing process does not end here. The organization that they have built together
should be consolidated, expanded and further strengthened for bigger and bigger tasks
ahead.

Strengthening the Organization.

Community organizing does not end with the formal establishment of the organization.
The organization has to be continously strengthened. It has to developits own initiative and
dynamism. The mass membership need to do social analysis together. Issues and problems
confronting their community should be analyzed. They have to plan sustained activities that
will give meaning to their collective strength.
Strengthening the organization helps reinforce the people’s confidence in their collective
power. They have to be given the opportunity to prove for themselves their strength in unity.
Their initiative and collective efforts should be stimulated.
We are emphasizing this because, in many cases, the organizer usually has the false notion
that the people always need his attention. He doesn’t want the people to move without him.
He who professes to have trust and confidence in people has, at times, lost this trust.

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If we want the people to learn how to row a boat, we need to give them the oar and let them
row. We need to give them the oar and let them row. At first they might have some difficulty
steering the boat but, sooner or later, they will learn how to direct the craft. Such is the
relationship of the organizer to the people.
The organizer has a role in strngthening the organization. But the people themselves should
confront the issues and problems besetting their situation. They should be the ones to plan
their activities and pave the way for community mobilization. In sustaining these actions, they
will inevitably have either successesor failures. The organization is further strengthened if
every succes serves as a challenge to succeedmore, while every failure serves as a valuable
lesson.

AREA-BASED ORGANIZING
Community Organizing (CO) is based on the principles of empowerment, community
competence, active participation, and “starting where the people are” (Nyswander, 1956). It
recognizes that, in order to change, everyone must feel a need for change, and that
everyone are more likely to do so when all are involved in a group learning and decision
making. An important element of community organizing is helping communities look at the
root causes of problems while at the same time selecting issues that are “winnable, simple,
and specific” and that can unite member of the group, involve them in achieving a solution,
and further build the community (Minkler, 1990).
One of the fields of Community Organizing (CO) is Area-Based Organizing. Area-based
Organizing or approaches provide multi-sectoral support and work with multiple
stakeholders, considering the whole population living in a specific geographic area with high
levels of need. Multi-sectoral support can include interventions in sectors such as health,
education, housing, livelihoods, social safety nets, water and sanitation. Not all needs will be
met, but all individuals in the target area will receive a level of support appropriate to their
relative needs such as access to improved public spaces, information or training. Another
characteristic of area-based approaches is the Multi-stakeholder which refers to active
engagement of numerous, diverse stakeholder groups present in the target area, including
local government, civil society, international humanitarian and development actors, the
private sector and the affected community. Area-based approaches consider the whole
population of an area, which includes all affected people regardless of their legal status, or
risk category or associated groups. The whole population also includes long-term residents
who could have been affected in different ways. Providing a degree of assistance to the
whole population in an area can be described as an ‘inclusive’ approach. Specific geographic
areas with high levels of need can be delineated by physical, social or administrative
boundaries or a combination of factors and vary in scale from neighborhoods, through wards
and districts, to the whole town or city (Area-based Approaches in Urban Setting, 2019).
Based on an article Understanding place-based approaches by QCOSS (2019), place-based
work concerns and focuses on local needs, local solutions, and the unique attributes of a
place. Several areas of policy and practice have adopted a place-based focus, including
efforts to build neighborhood cohesion; to improve facilities, the built environment, and
economic opportunities in a region; to tailor operational structures and services to center on
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regional and local perspectives; and innovative service structures that integrate services in
localized areas. Place-based approaches, also known as area-based initiatives or
interventions, are collaborative endeavors which seek to create systemic change by bringing
together efforts across the community to work towards shared long-term outcomes. These
approaches have been used to address community need by harnessing the vision, resources
and opportunities of community.

PRINCIPLES OF AREA-BASED ORGANIZING

These principles are the guiding values in area-based organizing. These are the ways of how
the community development workers and social workers successfully develop and organize
places and areas. The principles serve as the guidelines of organizations which may be able
lead in an effective operation in organizing communities.
The book entitled Organizing People for Power: Some Perspectives to Community
Organization, cites the following principles which guide community organizers:
Consciousness-raising
In organizing a community, it is needed to raise the awareness of the people of the area that
the development worker organizing. In developing their awareness, it is also may result of
how people will be motivated to act upon their own problems and evaluate what is needed to
be done. They must be aware of what issues and problems their own area or community
facing so that they can give solutions and actions about it on their own.
Participatory
People of the community must participate in addressing and solving the issues of their place.
Being a development worker is only about guiding the people towards addressing the
problems and make them realize the solutions, but the actions that should be done in
developing the place is should be done by the people of the community.
Democratic Leadership
It is should be group-centered not leader-oriented. In organizing places, there will always be
an assign leader, not because they are externally appointed or selected, but because of their
concrete actions in participating in the issues. Democratic Leadership must know how to
accept answers and depends on the people of the place he/she manages. Leader must
always also be accountable to the people.

METHODS OF AREA-BASED ORGANIZING

Community Organizing is often known as a placed-based community or the area-based
community. It is the community that used their shared common interests with the people.
Living in this type of neighborhood is not easy considering that everyone has unique
personalities. People need to know the interests of others before they decide on whether

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being in this type of neighborhood can be a good thing for them. Area-based Community is
not just built in one day for others to say it is the easiest way of bonding with people. The
following methods are the things that complete an area-based community:
Growing understanding of the place
As one former program officer described, “It is the problems of importance to people that
bring them out of their living rooms and into the meeting rooms of broader civic life: making
those improvements is the motivating factor.” Organizing a community starts from listening to
the people. It is a must to hear about people’s issues and opinions to come up with a solution
that will benefit all of them. As a community developer, listening to the people also comes
with being empathic to their situation and feeling what it is like to be in their shoes. These
similarities and differences will drive people to be united in finding solutions in their issues
and to come up with only one answer that will aid them all.
This is considered as the first phase of building an area-based community for it assess the
community as well as making a decision whether the community is ready to be part of an
area-based approach. Understanding and listening to the people can create a strong bond
that will make it easier for them to interact with each other.
Start with a carefully conceived plan
After hearing people’s voices, it is now the time to create a plan of a community that is fit for
their lifestyle and their interests. Before deciding on what is the best plan for the community,
organizers must first draft a lot of plans so if there will be suggestions from the people,
organizers are ready to present the other drafts that are being suggested. This includes
creating a shared vision that will benefit everyone and they can live a comfortable life without
worrying about their surroundings.
The purpose of this phase is to ensure even though there is a diversity in one’s community,
the shared interests that has been made will be a path for them to develop a collaborative
plan in building an area-based community.
Work with some local partners
Finding local partners to collaborate with in developing this type of community is considered
as a key feature. Before deciding on settling with locals that will help you develop the
community, it is a must to study their capacity that will deliver good results. Working with
them means sharing the responsibility or carrying the whole community. This will ensure the
people that there is a great leadership in building structures into different areas of
community.
Pay close attention to civic infrastructure
Paying close attention on the way the infrastructures are built will determine whether on how
they work well together, how they make decisions, how they negotiate, how they manage
conflicts and how they solve them. Establishing a good relationship with people will ensure
that they are part of a community that values opinions if there are mishaps that are
happening.

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The purpose of this phase is to develop and work with people that share the same interests
with you. It can be a challenge in bringing people together considering one lives in a diverse
community, but that will be a way to connect and to live as one.
Constant attention to building membership, or “base-building”
“Organizing groups depend upon the “power of numbers” to balance the power of the status
quo and moneyed interests in trying to accomplish change. Members will come and go, but
good organizing, in the words of a funder, always “rejuvenates and revitalizes” its
membership, drawing larger numbers of them into public life and rooting itself in the
community”. The importance of base-building is to observe whether or not they are effective
in the community. There may be a lot of people living in an area-based community but the
thing that matters is how these people will become the public figure that will best describe
one community.
Attention to relationships
Recruitment of people in a community begins with a leader having conversations and getting
to know them. The way a leader listens and understands the people will determine what type
of a leader they will become in the future. Establishing a relationship with the people does
not only involve getting to know them, but also creating bonds and having common interests
will be a way to create a relationship that will be good for a community.
This intention of this phase is not only to recruit people or to have a large sum of people
living in a community, but to look for the people that will best describe what the community is
going to be. To find the people that will fit and can also establish a good relationship with
others.
Engage the community
Engaging in the community allows people to build a deep understanding with the
neighborhood. It gives them time to talk and to share stories with the people that they are
comfortable with. It will also be a way for them to find the people that they feel safe with
whenever they have a problem. The best way for a community to thrive is to have a good
relationship with everyone. It may be composed of diverse people having their own
perspectives but once they overcome it, they will be part of a community that has the shared
bond and interest other communities do not have.
This phase ensures people that even though there are differences, it will not be a barrier in
understanding the people around them.
Analysis of community problems and power
Living in a community that has different opinions and perspectives can be a hard task in
building a good community. The best way to resolve issues like these, is to first find the
problem that is the root cause of it. The problems can be differences in race, gender, beliefs,
religions, etc. or it can be just a simple misunderstanding, but no matter what, a small or big
misunderstanding is considered as a problem. Analyzing the problems and looking for the
best solution out of it can also be the power of a community. Setting aside differences and
settling with the solutions that will benefit the whole community is the best way to deal with
these problems.
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There may be mishaps, problems, or even fights in the future, but knowing how to deal with it
as a community can be an advantage and a power of a community.
Find out the community’s strengths and weaknesses
A community will not be called a community if they do not have strengths and witnesses that
describe them. The strengths and weaknesses of a community can be an opportunity for
others to sabotage them but learning how to identify them and control them can give the
upper hand for the community. Just like analyzing the problems and power, the strengths
and weaknesses of one’s community can be a path for them to know how they will function
as one. It will be the basis on whether the leader is effective or not. It will measure on
whether the people shaping the community understand each other and if they are willing to
set aside their differences just to solve a problem. And it will determine if one community has
the same vision and interest with other people.
Manage towards measurable goals
In an area-based community, just like in any type of community, they are still hoping to
achieve the goals that they once hoped for. The people in the community will be the key to
attain that goal and to thrive in the next following years. They will be the main instrument for
the community to know whether the goals that they hoped for is the one for them.
This phase will not be effective if people will not do the other methods. Managing towards a
measurable goal is one of the reasons why people wanted to live in a community. Knowing
that there are others wanting to have the same goals as them can motivate them to look for
the people that will complete on who they are and who they will be in the future.
The main component of this phase is to have deep understanding with others and listening to
them. Being in a community that has these traits can be a good influence for others and it will
drive them to look for the community that will best fit them. The share goals, vision, and
interests can be the key for a community to thrive and to be successful.

ISSUE-BASED SECTORAL ORGANIZING

The issue-based community organizing refers to an organizing approach which discuss and
focuses on the issues or problems in the community. The issues or problems should be felt
by significant number of people in the community. Next is that, it can be resolved if people
inside and outside the community learn to negotiate with target groups and have a high
probability of being resolved if collective action initiated.

Problems and issues are being part of individual’s life — they exist and it’s just a normal
scenario because problems and issues make individual strong and not just only in individuals
life but also in the community. There are two more basic facts and these are: communities,
same goes like people, try to provide a concrete and suitable solution. Next, analyzing
problems or issues may help them to seek for solution. Hence, it provides a suitable solution
in the issues or problems facing by the people inside the community. Deeply and good

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analyzation to get the root of issues and problem that the community is facing also it will
provide a long last solution.

According to Center for Community Health and Development there are criteria to
determine the problems facing by the community:
1. Frequency – The problems or issues occurs oftentimes.
2. Duration – The problems or issues will last for a while.
3. Scope and range – The problems and issues affects the people.
4. Severity – The problems or issues mess up their personal and community life.
5. Equity – The problems or issues may lost their legal or moral rights.
6. Perception – The issues sees as problems.

The last (Perception) criteria is very important because among other because it will give
readiness or awareness in addressing the issues facing by the community.
Analyzing the community problems or issues is a way of thinking deeply and seeing the main
reason why community facing dilemmas that serves as their hindrance to get the
development that they want. The strategies being used in analyzing the problems or issues
requires simple logic and inquiring or collecting evidence. Each people who are in the scope
of the community where they belong must have a participation in seeing the usual problems
or issues that the community is facing.
In issue-based community organizing, you should consider if the problem was felt by
majority. Problems like poor water supply, lack of access to health services, low prices of
farm produce, unjust tenancy relations, or the existence of a land monopoly are issues can
be identified to be prioritized by the community organizers. There are some practices that we
need to do.
First, listen to the people of the community. In organizing a community related to issues,
you should be equal, neutral and unbiased. It is the first key step to gain an understanding of
what the community is up to and what is important to them. In this step, you will know who
would be willing and interested to work towards the betterment of their community.
Next, is to clarify your common goals. Distinguish what are your exact hopes and goals to
be able to resolve the problem. Talk about and articulates what are the issues that should be
given an attention and what are the issues that should be given an immediate action. Bear in
mind that what can't a person do alone, it can be done by working together to achieve your
good desires towards community.
Then, plan a purposeful strategy for an action. Make use of the action plan so that your
action will be arranged in a systematic way in order to be an organizer that is an effective
one. You have to generate and use other resources and make use of some tools like social
media to reach out to them. It is also important to increase everyone's self-sufficiency to be
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able to lessen their community issues. To be able to work on their own to fight community
issues and reduces the amount of help coming from the outside.
Fourth, communicate in your community through leadership. You should explain by
your action why are you doing this to the community and why should need to be part of it.
When people are passionate to action in an issue the greater is the chance of reaching your
objectives in a shorter amount of time.
Finally, mobilize your volunteers. Gathering people that are passionate and cares for the
community is the energy you need to create change, accomplish your mission and achieve
your set goals.

These practices can support to the development of the partnerships and participation of the
people to be a self-sufficient one. Doing something about issues towards the betterment of a
community is something should always drive. Betterment, being well-ordered community and
the common goal is something that gives people to strive more for change.

On the other hand, there are eight steps in solving the problems or issue in the community:
1. Taking action
2. Selecting problems
3. Investigating
4. Planning actions
5. Exploring community concerns
6. Assessing and developing leadership skills
7 Developing visions of a sustainable future
8. Evaluating actions and changes

ALLIANCE AND COALITION BUILDING

In the process of community organizing, people work together to build the social power that
is necessary to achieve their common goal. In the framework of Emmanuel Luna towards
Community Development, we can see that it was group into three categories, the community
education (CE), community organizing (CO) and community resource and disaster risk
management (CRDRM). Under the community organizing are the three areas, the area-
based, sectoral organizing and alliance and coalition building. It is said that alliance and
coalition building is really essential in community organizing as the both the types of people’s

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organizations (Area-based and Sectoral Building) can unite and in the form of form alliances,
networks and coalitions. This section will focus on community organizing particularly the area
of alliance and coalition building.
Alliance and coalition engage in organizing and build partnership of diverse organizations
and constituencies to address community issue or problems. Alliance refers to aggrupation of
union, association, organization or even individuals formed for mutual benefit and
relationship based on similarity of interests, nature or qualities united to confront a common
problem or issue. On other hand, Coalition refers to alliance for joint action, work and act
together to achieve their common goal.
This paper will include the types of alliance, the importance, principle methods and
advantages and disadvantages of alliance and coalition building and will discuss how
alliance and coalition building help organize community towards development.

TYPES OF ALLIANCE/COALITION

TACTICAL
This alliance/coalition is concentrated on short-term issues it may include groups that uphold
separate and usually conflicting interest and policies. Group in a tactical alliance sometimes
oppose each other or consider each other rival, but they unite for a specific purpose around
an explicit and limited basis of unity.

STRATEGIC
This alliance/coalition is focused on short-term issues. This is establishing with friendly
organization having a similar political line. The alliance/coalition takes and carries issue on a
strategic manner. They have a deeper basis of unity, members of the alliance/coalition
sometime struggles over differences methods, tactics, etc.

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