Possibility and Accountability

After reading chapters two through four, I found "possibility" and "accountability" to be the most striking and important concepts that are necessary to changing a community. Block says that in order for us to bring about change in the community, we have to first identify the context of our community, change the thoughts and dialogues among citizens, and then produce a new context or worldview for the community to live in. At first glance, I thought this idea of changing context was daunting and improbable, but I think through the concepts of possibility and accountability, a community can change for the better.

I believe it makes a huge difference when a community focuses on possibilities rather than problems. Dealing with problems automatically sets up a negative undertone in a community and it limits our thoughts and options to create change. Solving problems is just a temporary quick-fix, and it doesn't guarantee lasting results or prevent the problem from occurring again. Therefore, if a community looks through the eyes of possibility, the horizon of opportunities widens. Citizens see that the community is working through positivity and possibility, and I think they will be more willing to be involved in the process of change. As a result, the old context of problems is eliminated and through conversation, a new context of possibility arises.

The only way for change to occur is if everyone in the community is accountable for their actions. Accountability means that citizens are motivated and responsible enough to contribute and make changes to the society. Accountability is also the idea that a community does not depend on its leader to do all the work. The leader does not have complete control over the community, and the citizens have a voice in decision making and in this process of change. They have equal importance in the community, because we want citizens who know that they can create change themselves if they are willing to put in the work.

This idea of "unromantizing leadership" reminds me of a concept in Critical Pedagogy. The CP model supports the idea that learning takes place when there is a conversation between the student and the teacher. In the same way, a leader and citizens of a community need to engage in conversations for effective changes to occur. Critical Pedagogy says that there needs to be a shift in power structure by acknowledging the fact that students come to a classroom with their own knowledge and experiences. Likewise, the shift in power also needs to happen in a community, because the citizens have thoughts, opinions, and ideas that can fuel and ignite change.

I find the ideas of possibility and accountability extremely useful, because these concepts relate to my life. As the leader of a community service organization, I want members who are not only passionate about service, but who are actively engaged to better the effectiveness of our club. Accountability occurs when members offer projects to attend, contribute to the planning and execution of events, and contribute to the whole of the group. In turn, I will value the members' gifts and ideas, so that their roles are important within the club. In the end we will all be proud of our accomplishments and have paved the way for a better future. The concepts of possibility and accountability have a great deal of influence in any community.