Word: accionista
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Volunteers (called Accionista) might help the unskilled poor build a clay pipe to bring in water or teach them basic job skills such as sewing and welding. But for the most part, ACCION is not there to give technical assistance or to dole out aid. In fact, alms-giving charities just hinder ACCION's effort to stimulate the people into initiating projects for themselves...
...Accionista are always working to make themselves superfluous. They exert strong guidance at first by molding the people into a working unit, mobilizing their limited resources, and putting them in contact with other Venezuelans to find materials or technical advice. But when responsible leaders emerge, the Accionista phase themselves out. Already ACCION is managed by Venezuelans and largely staffed by Venezuelans, who are paired off with North American co-workers...
...Accionista have learned certain techniques to facilitate their approach. One is to put the men to work first. Invariably this shames the men into action. Also, because there is little formal marriage in the barrios, women stuck with eight or nine children have a greater stake in community development and are more cooperative. Another technique to attract a crowd on workday is to turn the occasion into a fiesta, with music and dance...
Inevitable, ACCION invites comparison with the within already existing institutions, in diverse setting; she Accionista work exclusively in urban slums and start from scratch to build a community organization. ACCION is more selective, taking only about one in ten applicants as compared to one in three for the Peace Corps. ACCION's attrition rate is also higher--15 per cent to the Peace Corp's 5 per cent. This figure doesn't represent a higher dissatisfaction quotient, however. ACCION prefers to let all those go who can't match its demands for professional minded, dedicated activists. Because the Peace Corps...
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