METODA ANIMACJI SPOŁECZNOŚCI LOKALNYCH NA RZECZ DOBRA WSPÓLNEGO

| 13 SUMMARY The civic activation method for the common good was developed on the initiative of the Po- lish-American Freedom Foundation (PAFF) and the Academy for the Development of Philan- thropy in Poland (ARFP). The idea was spurred into existence by the wish to build on experien- ce in activating the local communities who participate in PAFF programs, especially ARFP-ma- naged “Act Locally”. The intention of both organizations was to create a tool for sharing this experience to help galvanize local communities and provide support, especially to local leaders who are full of good meanings, but at a loss for effective methods of instigating development and change. A team was put together to develop the civic activation method for the common good. It was composed of researchers from the Shipyard Foundation and headed by sociologist prof. Anna Giza-Poleszczuk of the University of Warsaw. This team played a vital role in developing the method. Thanks to its efforts, the method is built on a firm theoretical foun- dation, mainly the theory of the common good formulated by American Nobel Prize winner prof. Elinor Ostrom. The common good has come to be this civic activation method’s main and distinguishing ele- ment. Governing common-pool resources constitutes both the goal and the driver of local com- munities. With the common good as its foremost basis, this method also rests on four more pil- lars: local comunity's social diagnosis, shared vision, local partnerships, and social benefits . Assessment provides a snapshot of a local community’s needs and potential, which paves the way for a shared vision that brings locals together to form partnerships of institutions, busi- nesses, organizations, and people willing to make that vision a reality. Such partnerships then align their governance of a local common good with that shared vision. Partnership activity is not just about advancing the public good, it is also about delivering benefits to individuals and the community as a whole. The method was conceived as a theoretical concept, and based on a sound scientific and prac- tical basis. Still, it had to be confirmed that it was fit for real-world conditions. It became an operating method of “ PAFF Local Partnerships ”, a program of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation managed by the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland.