the basis is education and creating employment

In circumstances where there is little to share, it is usually a case of every man for himself. As this is the destiny of many people living in the urban concentrations of developing countries, social cohesion is usually a scarce commodity. It is nevertheless one of the keys to the widespread and lasting improvement of circumstances. After all, people who make the effort to look beyond ‘tomorrow’, who forge plans in which they involve others, invariably feel committed to a joint future.

The promotion of social cohesion and development is therefore one of the crucial aspects of the integrated approach that Intervolve favours. We also promote these in a very tangible manner. We for instance support neighbourhood initiatives in the field of sports and games, in combination with the construction and maintenance of sports facilities. Or, we combine housing improvements with the creation of homework classes. This converts ‘social cohesion’ from an abstract concept to a practical matter.

Intervolve programmes and projects in the field of social cohesion distinguish the following three areas for attention:

        1.    The creation and reinforcement of social structures
                    a.    Neighbourhood construction projects
                    b.    Awareness and training

        2.    The creation of social amenities
                    a.    Sports facilities
                    b.    Homework classes
                    c.    Caretaker services

        3.    Reinforcing local self-organisation
                    a.    Promoting resident participation
                    b.    Setting up and supporting neighbourhood initiatives, such as neighbourhood wardens

A detailed description of our approach can be found in the product sheet ‘Connected to the future’, which is also available as a PDF file. Click here for our product sheet.