… Society encourages those in privileged positions to come up with solutions for communities they are not a part of, while those in and around poverty are depicted as less than capable of leading their own change and of not helping one another.  Those depictions are false narratives of reality. Peer-driven Change, PDC, envisions the beginning of a new field for those seeking to fundamentally change current power dynamics and decolonize our most vulnerable communities.  Our 20 years of data shows that those at the bottom of our economies are the only experts of their lives and especially when working together, they have the agency to change entire communities.

 What has been hidden is that everyday people do help themselves and each other , just as history has taught us. These efforts are hindered by societal views, often racist, sexist and classist, that hide and hamper these efforts of self-help and mutuality.  The Bridgespan Group has researched this area of work and coined this approach, this new field, as ‘Peer-driven Change’ . This naturally occurring system of social change is a blend of the following features:

 1.      Self determination & initiative: Individuals/participants define & lead for themselves the improvements they seek in their lives & communities

2.      Mutual support/Mututality: Individuals/participants, informed by the experiences of pioneering peers who have succeeded at getting around barriers, help each other by sharing knowledge and resources

3.      Financial capital: Individuals/ participants share funding from internal sources (such as savings groups), as well as from external sources, such as funders, nonprofits and diaspora

The role of non-profits, NGOs, philanthropists, business and government is to promote, encourage, and directly resource such everyday efforts without disrupting the natural leadership in these communities. CII has demonstrations role modeling how this can be done. Follow the work of the Center for Peer-driven Change. For updates send you email address to mariezernovoj@gmail.com

Coming Soon: The DIY Center for Peer-driven Change