ABSTRACT
Improving the well-being of poor and vulnerable communities often requires external resources and interventions. Existing resource constraints, existing social and political structures, existing environmental circumstances, and existing economic realities are often insurmountable. Vulnerable and poor communities cannot challenge or overcome them on their own. External resources and interventions are often vital. They can act as shocks to existing systems that maintain vulnerability, can facilitate empowerment for those submerged in the dehumanisation of poverty, and can help local communities develop the capacity to equip themselves and assume the role of change agents for their own futures. The provision of such external resources and interventions is often facilitated through the involvement of non-government organisations (NGOs) that have developed expertise in working with and alongside local communities to identify, plan, implement and evaluate development interventions. These NGOs may be local to the communities themselves or be external and sit outside the partnered community. Often international NGOs partner with local ones in assisting local communities. However, collaboration between international and local NGOs, and between NGOs and local communities, should not be assumed to be without difficulty and challenges. Trust between partners, and between external agents of potential change and the communities that are the objects of these interventions, is a core component of successful collaborations. The building of trust is dependent upon how well NGOs are able to understand, navigate and authentically work with the worldviews of the partners and communities with whom they work. Core values, beliefs, visions, aspirations and customs are all relevant. Trust may be more quickly advanced if there is commonality in terms of worldview. In circumstances where there are distinct differences in worldview between partners, trust may take longer to reach and doing so may require more explicit effort. The worldviews of individuals and communities affect not only how members understand their own circumstances, but also how they respond to these circumstances. For many, faith acts as a central organising framework for worldviews.
