[Dialogue] Fifth City Model in Republic of Korea

[Bill Schlesinger]

It was good to hear Bob Griffin's comments.

 

Carol and I have roughly (translation is always betrayal, says a Spanish
proverb - traducer es traicioner) followed the Fifth City model in Project
Vida in El Paso, Texas following our experiences in Chicago, the Oyubari
Consult, Asherton and Conacaste.  Delimited geographic area (now expanded
and a second area added), deal with all age levels and all life areas
(economic, cultural and political), address the underlying contradiction,
and create new symbols. Significant program areas include health care,
housing (including homeless prevention and recovery), education,
microenterprise development and credit union links, youth activities.
Outcomes include now construction and management of about 100 units of low
and moderate housing, a licensed early childhood program with 70+ children
from six weeks to 12 years, Roots and Wings transitional living center for
homeless families, an after-school drop in program for about 100 children in
two communities (elementary and middle school), 50 member microenterprise
association with a revolving loan fund, contracted on-site credit union, and
Federally Qualified Health Center with three clinic sites and about 12,000
patients offering preventive and primary care, family planning and
behavioral health on site,   There's an annual Community Congress - about
100 folk come each year.    Awards include National Community Development
Assn's Achievement Award, HRSA's 'Models That Work,' United Way's 'Alicia
Chacon Award for Putting El Paso First,' national citation for 'Culturally
and Linguistically Appropriate Services.'  We've been providing consulting
services to others who are interested in this approach - local churches,
community groups, other Federally Qualified Health Centers.

 

Momentum has come for us from having a core of people willing to do the slow
slogging over years because they caught the vision and/or loved their
neighborhood, having solid financial and programmatic reporting integrity,
and having at least 1-2 folk who could articulate what was going on to
invite other partners to support the project.

 

Our learnings:  Need to select a community where the leadership invites you
in, where there is visible need, and where few if any other programs see you
as competition.  Build links of collaboration with other providers,
participate in networks without trying to convert folk, but retaining our
own context and offering solutions from that perspective to concrete issues.

 

Bill Schlesinger
Project Vida
3607 Rivera Ave
El Paso, TX 79905
(915) 533-7057 x 207
(915) 490-6148 mobile
(915) 533-7158 fax
pvida at sbcglobal.net

1.  What have been some of the major accomplishments of the Fifth City
Model?
3.  What factors are necessary to sustain the momentum of these projects?
4.  Are the 5 basic presuppositions still workable?
5.  What other questions should be asked and answered about the HDPs?

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