ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the framework of the community acceptance approach as a theory of health organizing. Currently, five variables of interest comprise the community acceptance theory as it applies to health: level of interaction, sensemaking, communication channels, health information and relational change. The community acceptance theory posits that communities need accurate health information even if it contradicts local knowledge. It also focuses on the community acceptance approach framework, organizing processes, and outcomes of how the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) of Liberia mobilized for health and community peace. The Peer Education in Neglected Health Issues Project (PENHIP) started before the Ebola virus hit Liberia but its actions during the Ebola outbreak provide a timely and highly relevant context to study the intersection of health organizing and community empowerment. People see the five variables of interest; level of interaction, sensemaking, communication channels, health information, and relational change come to life.
