Two recent community media projects in sou'west Newfoundland have been called Sharing Our Future and Enlarging the Circle.
Both projects were implemented collaboratively by many partners. Sharing Our Future, for example, had 27 partners.
Three basic principles of that project - collaboration; inclusion and youth power - focused on partnering.
Related to the principle of collaboration is the concept that to facilitate a grassroots communication process, you have to give it away.
This runs contrary to professional media projects which often rely on protecting "turf"; being "territorial", and setting up hierarchical systems where people at "the top" give orders.
One of the secrets of successful community partnerships is giving autonomy to a partner who has agreed to help out. If a group offers to prepare lunch, for example, don't tell them what to prepare.
Sometimes, facilitators of community projects decide it is easier to do things themselves rather than look for support. It may be more work at the beginning to get partners but, in the long run, it's easier - and more fun.
Don't rely only on altruism when looking for partners - try to discover which groups might share common goals. Looking for commonalities, instead of differences, enlarges the possibility of partnerships.
Finally, don't just look for the "big" partners but find ways other groups can help - and participate - even in small ways.
