METODA ANIMACJI SPOŁECZNOŚCI LOKALNYCH NA RZECZ DOBRA WSPÓLNEGO

| 15 The results of the performed studies constitute the grounds for stating that this method has the following real-life applications: • mobilizing residents, institutions, and organizations active in a local community, • building lasting mutual relations between those actors, • anchoring the common good concept in local communities, • integrating the local community, channeling its efforts into the common good, • citizenship education, instilling into local residents the principles of solidarity, reciprocity, openness, subsidiarity, and shared accountability for the local community, • rational use of local resources for joint actions. In the long run, this method contributes to: • strengthening local social capital, • building local civil society, • developing local communities, • improving local living standards and quality of life. Research on the means of implementation demonstrated the method’s universality , an advan- tage secured by basing it on five key pillars. Thus, the method can be employed in very different communities, as the means of its implementation can be adjusted to suit local needs and ca- pacity. However, it was also found that certain risks might arise from full freedom of choice as regards the practical means of implementation. These threats are posed by method managers who sometimes fail to see all method elements as equally important. In practice, such an appro- ach prevents some elements from being fully reflected in local community efforts. By no means does this render the method unsound, but it does afflict its effectiveness and usability. Since all pillars are intertwined, they should all have bearing on using the method in real-life applications. Hence the Polish-American Freedom Foundation and the Academy for the Development of Phi- lanthropy are constantly engaged in the pursuit of further developments and improvements to method implementation tools, to which end they draw from the experience accrued in the “PAFF Local Partnerships” program. A description of the method, along with its implementation tools and techniques, was published on the “PAFF Local Partnerships” Programwebsite in 2018. It has been available in the form of a user-friendly publication ever since. The publication also contains descriptions of all projects implemented under the program to date. Examples of useful imple- mentation tools are being regularly expanded, and the conclusions from the conducted evalu- ations help improve support for method-implementing communities. The Network of Common Good Animators constitutes a vital element of this aid, as network members share their know- ledge and experience to help partnerships use the civic activation method.