Page 29 - How to run and represent a party

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7. WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY
People who engage in political parties do so because they want to change something. For
most people the challenges facing themselves, their neighbors and their community
are the things that they want to address. Therefore, the Party at local level, i.e. the Branch,
is crucial. It is on the ground – and between elections – that the voters are won. This
section focus on how you in your branch can work to become successful in your
communities.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CONSTITUENCY AND COMMUNITY PROFILE
Being politically active and a leader in the community, you probably already have a good
knowledge and understanding of people’s living conditions and challenges. But remember
that activists and leaders often tend to see the world differently from ordinary
people. It is not enough to think that because you live in the area and are aware of all the
problems you also know what the residents’ attitudes are, how they perceive the problems
and how they think the problems should be solved.
OUTREACH WORK WITH YOUR CONSTITUENCY
A political party must be serious and professional in its approach. General statements
which have no facts behind them are weak arguments and can be easy for opponents to
criticize. To do a community profile will supply you with useful and important information
and knowledge and a good foundation for arguments.
There are many ways to establish a community profile. The following pages contain an
example of a very simple community profile form. You may use this example or develop
your own format. Make it in a way that is easy to update regularly. The community profile
is a planning instrument and must be accurate to serve that purpose.
COMMUNITY PROFILE
1. Demographics
(get estimates from council or clinic statistics)
How many people live in your area?
How many of those are women/girls/men/boys?
How many people are under 18 / over 65 years?
How many of over-65s are women/ and men?