Phase 1 - Creating a Community Link

Phase 1: Finding the Ideal Partner

All community links start with one or more passionate people who want to make a difference through building a meaningful relationship with another community. Some start with individuals, some with schools or churches. Some of the partnerships in the pilot were initiated from Wales, some from Africa. Consciously or otherwise, there is always a selection process!

Step 1. Develop a community profile

· Reasoning: A community group looking to initiate a link should develop a clear idea of what their community can offer, their interests and motivations, and what they hope to gain from setting up a link. You could think of this akin to community ‘dating’… "middle-aged landlocked rural community with keen interests in fair trade, tourism and culture, seeks similar for lifelong mutually beneficial relationship and understanding…"!

· Evidence: A community profile should briefly document and describe what your community looks like: size, shape, geography, demographics, civil society groups, local activism, key social and development issues; and what your community may hope to gain out of a partnership with another community, considering potential benefits for both sides.

Step 2. Identify and connect to a partner community

  • Reasoning: You need to consider practical considerations in identifying a good link partner, such as language, historical or cultural ties, travel logistics and costs, specific issues or interests, impact of conflict past or present, specific knowledge or skills that could be learnt from each other, and presence of organisations or people on the ground through whom you might start the link. This helps narrow down and select a community with which to link, and which wants to link with you.
  • Evidence: A brief document outlining origins of the link should highlight how you reached your decision, and give a community profile of your agreed link partner. This will be a key document to develop your link into the future!

Useful Resources and Links for Phase 1