What is COPAR or community organizing participatory action research?

For more details about COPAR, Please visit: http://nursester.blogspot.com/2009/02/community-organizing-participatory.html

COPAR (Community Organizing Participatory Action Research) is a social development approach that aims to transform the apathetic, individualistic and voiceless poor into dynamic, participatory and politically responsive community.

IMPORTANCE OF COPAR

COPAR is an important tool for community development and people empowerment as this helps the community workers to generate community participation in development activites. COPAR prepares people to eventually take over the management of a development program in the future.

COPAR maximizes community participation and involvement: community resources are mobilized for health development services.

PRINCIPLES:

1. People especially the most oppressed, exploited and deprived sectors are open to change, have the capacity to change and are able to bring about change.

2. COPAR should be based on the interest of the poorest sector of the community.

3. COPAR should lead to a self-reliant community and society.

CRITICAL STEPS (ACTIVITIES):

1. Integration

2. Social Investigation

3. Tentative program planning

4.Groundwork

5. The meeting

6. Role Play

7. Mobilization or action

8. Evaluation

9. Reflection

10. Organization Community Organizing Participatory Action Research (HRDP III-COPAR) is developed to make healt services accesible and available for depressed and underserved communities in the Philippines.