Global Communities
One key initiative for GULL is to expand our Church and Community Mobilization (CCM) outreach in Africa and other regions. Many forward-thinking charitable organizations, such as Tearfund, seek to overcome poverty and transform lives by working in partnership with local churches. To facilitate this, GULL works actively in a process for mobilizing the wider community via the local church. Specifically, the aim of Church and Community Mobilization (CCM) is to assist church pastors and their congregations to work together with the community to bring about positive changes in the lives of those who are most vulnerable and the poorest in their communities. The approach is to build on individuals’ and communities’ own abilities and resources, enabling people to discover for themselves their potential to bring about change. GULL’s role is to recognize and certify the outcomes of CCM and to help to sustain the process by encouraging participants to cascade their learning to new participants. This is both a life-changing and lifelong journey that enables all community members to participate in active, holistic learning in the community. GULL has documented success to date in East and West Africa.
Mapping CCM outcomes criteria is possible with GULL’s professional pathways. CCM with GULL certification is implemented in three stages:
Activation: Building the confidence of the local church by helping the church to identify and utilize its own resources, so that it begins to realize that change is possible. When the CCM outcomes criteria have been met, participants are awarded GULL diplomas and learners can advance to next levels.
Mobilization: Bringing the whole community together to discuss their situation, their needs and resources, to gather and analyze information, and to decide what they as a community can do. After attaining these CCM outcomes, participants receive next level GULL professional awards.
Implementation: Taking the dream, turning it into a plan and helping the community form structures that will help them take action. At this point, the community is fully engaged in a significant, on-going change process, with additional diploma levels awarded.