Kate From Katesplaygound Foot

components of individual empowerment in the context of Open Government

Philosophy of Open Government, as defined by John Moore, is " citizen focus and strategy, so that the best results are usually driven by partnerships between citizens and government and at all levels. "

An approach based on empowerment recognizes citizens and communities their ability to determine the direction of change.

Therefore, to fully realized that the implementation of an Open Government, governments must realize that it takes empowerment. Governments need to align their actions and behave in a way that ensures that grew empowerment.

" Individually, Eisen (1994) defines empowerment as the way in which the individual enhances his skills to promote self-esteem, confidence, initiative and control. ( Longpre et al. , 1998) (post a research project CESAF, Centre of Excellence for Women's Health --- for which I worked as a communications officer).

Foundations of empowerment Empowerment is
:
- a feeling of personal power;
- oriented intervention that focuses on developing existing strengths;
- the adoption of a framework analysis and vision that the power is not necessarily a rare commodity. In other words, power is not an act restricted to certain "categories" of people. This power is

unlimited.

The Empower is a freedom of action both individual and collective.

Note that Empower is not only a collective matter, because it springs from within.

By combining empowerment and involvement, we obtain the development of capacity for action and solidarity. A renewed vision for working with individuals, focusing on the foundations of empowerment, encourages the acquisition of the capacity to act.

It is also often the word "power to act" as a synonym of the term empowerment.

The determinant of standing - the indisputable rule - ensures that the old way of managing power vertical often gave rise to paternalistic interventions or guilt-inducing. A new way to intervene based on empowerment supports the development of the empowerment of individuals and communities.

exist particuliarity to individual empowerment, community empowerment and organizational empowerment.

Components of individual empowerment
William A. Ninacs, the specialist of Quebec concept of empowerment, author of Empowerment and intervention, describes the components of individual empowerment as " participation, skills, self-esteem and critical consciousness.

The process of empowerment is a journey in which a person must commit (participation) using or acquiring skills specific objectives (skills). The process causes the person to perceive themselves as competent, possessing the skills, qualities and attitudes and knowledge sufficient (or have the ability to acquire them) to follow suit (self esteem).

critical consciousness allows the individual to transcend individual consciousness of the issue to allow further analysis and to provide context (individual, collective, social, political) nature of the problems experienced. "According to William A. Ninacs " these components reinforce each other to maximize the chances of developing its power to act on a particular situation. "

Note that William A. Ninacs says " transcend individual consciousness." What could that signifiquer to achieve a state of individual empowerment, should arrive to join the collective consciousness .

In subsequent notes, I will discuss components of community empowerment and organizational empowerment, and of course I will continue my exploration of the collective consciousness.