Partners linked by technology

Center for Peer-Driven Change brings residents and organizations together as peers

??A global collaborative effort of organizations and residents

?

?Bringing together “the incredible, omni-present, self-renewing power of social change that exists in everyday people, in every neighborhood, & has existed throughout history” -- Rohit Menezes, Partner at the Bridgespan Group

?

?What behavioral studies of groups have shown is that within most any grouping of everyday people there are those that take steps forward despite the barriers and oppression they face daily.?Someone is always innovating and those scattered bright spots point to solutions around barriers.?Rather than leading to just individual success, history has shown that in communities where such positive steps and resources are shared, entire communities tend to move forward together.?That is the natural force being tapped by the Center for Peer-Driven Change

?Through the Center and its affiliated online platform, the Mutuality Platform, a collaborative of organizations and everyday residents are forming a global community focused on sharing and mutuality.?Our partners already have projects in 10 countries and 15 different sites.?

Social Change that Scales

Why did the incomes of families in a refugee camp almost double in 6 months??Or the young people there suddenly pool their scarce funds and start a chicken raising business? Why did moms in Colombia use their own money and time to build concrete steps on the hillside where their children kept falling? How is it that the petty business income of families in Liberia jumped over 200% in a year and continued to rise to almost 300% within 3 years??Why were some of our families approached by an entire village for help in cleaning up their contaminated water well??

?The quick and yet lasting change that has happened in all our demonstration sites has to do with the supportive ecosystem that this peer-driven change approach provides.?In one of the papers included on our new site I wrote about the necessity of a safe haven, a supportive ecosystem, to counter the paternalism and oppression faced daily by those in and around poverty.?Our collaborative provides a new ecosystem, a safe haven, a global village, where members are respected, where they see people like them succeeding and willing to share.?Within this community we are forming you see people sharing their ideas and knowledge, pooling their funds together and these self-defined efforts are now attracting outside investments for their family and community projects.??????

?Our collaborative shares a set of values, a perspective about the innate capability of people.?The Center for Peer-driven Change is the virtual hub for this global community of sharing and mutual support.?This community does not start by providing a program or direction.?Instead, it is a place where people shape their goals and community based on their own culture and traditions, and then share best practices with one another.?It is a community that is building a movement where everyday people can shape and lead their own paths.?And it starts with the following challenge given to those seeking to join our global village.???

"We are not here to help you. Actually, we need your help. Programs come into your community wanting to provide you with advice or training.?They don’t believe you understand your own life.?Outsiders often think that they know what you need better than you.?They feel that without them you cannot set goals and make progress.?But we know you are the only expert of your life, your kids, and what you want to accomplish.?We need your help to change that negative stereotype.?So, we are here to learn what you want to do as well as what you are capable of doing so we can show the world."

?"When you join you will be part of a global community. People around the world don’t realize that you can lead your own change and that you naturally help others.?Just because you are poor most societies think you can’t change your life without a program.?But now you can prove them wrong. You will have a place online where you can set goals, track your progress and share with others.?Our role will be to feature your best efforts to others in your community and also all over the world. We will encourage others to support your efforts.?This is your chance to change your life, your way, to help your neighbors and change the stereotype that you can’t do it. If you ever wanted to improve your life this is the time to do it and show it to the country, to the world."

?This message sets the stage where the responsibility and direct access to resources are transferred to the participants.?Once started then that message of responsibility is passed on peer to peer, from the hundreds already in our collaborative to newbies just joining.??

The Center will regularly be featuring the best role models as “Featured Everyday Changemakers” that outsiders can support and invest in.?These are the bright spots that inspire change.?Almost all participants, including petty vendors like Edith, have gotten small donations from their sponsoring organizations or supporters including diaspora and they then pay it forward by helping an average of 3.5 other families.?

?What those in more privileged positions do not realize is the incredible latent capacity for change that is already embedded in people that face poverty…the power to lead, be creative and innovative is there and it is sparked by seeing others like you, peers, taking positive steps forward.?It takes being part of a supportive village.?The greatest force for social change lies in the people themselves, and it can spread naturally, peer to peer.?

? If you are a large or small community organization with constituents in most any country, consider making this approach available to your target population.?Or if you are a teacher or a doctor serving some villages that are already self-organized, join our collaborative, our PDC village.?Appy through the Do It Yourselves page of the CPDC site.?

?Open the video of the ‘Participant’s Voices’ where, Mr. Safari, a refugee participant shared:

“We are excited to see this new program that we never see before.?We saw organizations coming with different interventions around, but for sure this idea is unique”?