Making sense of assets: Community asset mapping and related approaches for cultivating capacities

This working paper critically reviews some main aspects from asset based approaches highlights key strengths and weaknesses for future research/development. Drawing on a large body of reports and relevant literature we draw on different theoretical traditions and critiques, as well as practices and processes embedded within a broad range of approaches including, widely acknowledged frameworks such Asset Based Community Development (ABCD), Appreciative Inquiry (AI), Sustainable Livelihood Approaches (SLA) and Community Capitals Framework (CCF). Although these are presented as distinct approaches, there is a sense of evolution through them and many of them overlap (in terms of both theories and methodologies). We also include emerging frameworks, including geographical, socio-spatial, visual and creative approaches, stemming from a number of projects within AHRC’s Connected Communities programme and additional collaborations

Modalities of solidarity in Greece: a civil society at the cross-roads

As Greece has yet again become the epicentre of the European debt crisis, with collective negotiations for a fairer deal culminating before the end of February, its plight for survival has reached a new sense of moral urgency about the future of democracy in Europe. It would seem that a fresh air of political creativity may be blowing from Greece

Impact of dependent left truncation in semiparametric competing risks methods: A simulation study

In this study, we investigated the robustness of the methods that account for independent left truncation when applied to competing risks settings with dependent left truncation. We specifically focused on the methods for the proportional cause-specific hazards model and the Fine–Gray model. Simulation experiments showed that these methods are not in general robust against dependent left truncation. The magnitude of the bias was analogous to the strength of the association between left truncation and failure times, the effect of the covariate on the competing cause of failure, and the baseline hazard of left truncation time

Alien Registration- Fakiri, Pana G. (Sanford, York County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/2707/thumbnail.jp

Valuing Community-Led Design

The ideas and practice of community-led design, participatory design or co-design have a long-standing tradition, especially in the context of urban design, planning and architecture. Community-led design goes beyond the one-dimensional process of consultation, helping involve people in decision-making throughout the design process, from visioning to implementation. There are many benefits from this approach, from improving civic participation and ensuring more democratic outcomes, to creating a strong sense of community and strengthening people’s attachment to their place and to each other, to producing more sustainable solutions. However, despite this tradition, community-led design is not a mainstream practice. An essential part of this issue is that the benefits of the approach are not thoroughly understood, measured or disseminated. The project aimed to grapple with this issue, and explore how a better case for community-led design can be made. The objective was to collate, articulate and disseminate evidence about the value of community-led design and bring the relevant stakeholders together to share good practice and form a research agenda for the future. The project team delivered a series of focus groups and creative workshops with multiple stakeholders. It also created Community Design Exchange a bespoke social network site for sharing stories and showcasing achievements of community-led design