Community capacity building is a philosophy that is growing in health promotion circles both in developing and developed countries. It states that with proper support, people and communities can manage their own concerns. Improving capacity is about strengthening the ability of a community through increasing social cohesion and building social capital. In 1997,Mattesich and Monsey wrote that with strong community capacity, members of a community can work together to develop and sustain strong relationships, solve problems and make group decisions, and collaborate effectively to identify goals and get work done.
The role of the community in promoting good health is vital. Communities become healthy when people foster the talents and leadership of the community, work together to build on community potential and grapple with challenges facing the community.
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http://www.aihi.unimelb.edu.au/pdf/publications/improvingCommunityCapacity.pdf
