Asset Based Community-driven Development (ABCD) – A Paradigm that liberates

ABCD is what we learned when we were growing up as a child. But this concept of ABCD is an approach that binds the spirit of our work in the community. Asset Based Community Led Development (ABCD) is an approach and a culture that arises out of the belief systems that people have about themselves and how development happens.

Caritas India through the support of Caritas Australia organized an eight-day intensive course and field application training on ABCD from June 19-26, 2023, in Ranchi, Jharkhand. This training course in ABCD has been adapted from a Training of Trainers course initially developed by Ninnette Eliasov in March 2010 and was further tested and improved.

The main purpose of the course is to encourage development practitioners to identify and collectively grow assets. Asset-based development rests on an understanding that sustainable development comes from within. This approach:

• Stimulates citizenship and spontaneity.
• Uses minimal external stimulus to effect significant change
• Develops a self-conscious framework for understanding how change happens.

The workshop was attended by 28 participants that are part of the Caritas Australia-funded programs namely Khushhaal Bachpan, Jeevan Nirman and Gram Nirman. These are the major cluster programs that are operational in India that would reflect the principle approach of ABCD.

The workshop was inaugurated on June 19th, 2023 amidst the presence of His Grace Most Rev. Felix Toppo- Archbishop of Ranchi, Dr. Fr. Paul Moonjely- Executive Director of Caritas India, Fr. Bipin Pani- Forum Director of Ranchi and Ms. Ninnette Eliasov the official resource person for the workshop. His Grace in his message shared that there is a need to grow deeper with the community and harness their strengths to make any intervention sustainable and effective.

Fr. Paul in his message shared about the paradigm shift that is required eminently in any development intervention. He reiterated the perspective that every development practitioner should adorn, to understand the community, the purpose, and the approach towards the cause. He specifically highlighted that Safeguarding and the culture of ABCD is a practice and culture that needs to be mainstreamed in any of the programmatic operations of Caritas Australia. He specially acknowledged the support of Mr Ranmal and Mr Chanthea, who have been steering the strategic operations in India, especially for the most vulnerable communities of some of the most backward states of India.

The workshop will focus on understanding the nature of assets and how it can be an instrument of encouraging people to gain control over their lives and be proactive and also give them the power to attract and leverage resources.