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Research Journal of the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka- Rohana 11, 2019

with shared identity and interests but, nevertheless, are empowered enough not
to lose individual uniqueness of being a member of a particular social or cultural

group. Tolerating and respecting the presence of all forms of diversity in the

community thus become a norm which is promoted across the community.
10) Empowerment - collective actions in the community resulted in cohesive groups

and communities of empowered individuals who are able to take control of self-
development, participate in local decision-making processes and promote civil

society.

The entire process of change taking place at the grassroots with the new connection-

centered approach and strategies of volunteering activism enables a unique
expression; an expression of binding sentiment of unquestioned virtues of human

relationships, with which people remain essentially united in spite of all separating
factors. Such communities are a clear manifestation of the recognition of the

centrality of people in their own progress. However, it is accepted outright that, for
people to become so, they need to be motivated by example and facilitated with

resources. It is a people focused ideological positioning with which volunteering

transforms community members to do things simply differently from the ways they
were used to be doing. As Ife (2006) writes, it gives even disadvantaged people the

opportunity to come out of their disadvantaged situations, identify their capacities

and lead their own progress individually with the help of collective action. It is the
message that the volunteer’s connection-centered approach bring to the local

communities. The message is accepted without suspicion because the volunteers are
not unknown or outsiders to the local community. Volunteers are part of the local

community itself and hence their new way of engaging local members quickly
become a trustworthy to the locals. Therefore, the feeling of ownership to what the

community is involved in doing with the close connection of the volunteers and

local level institutional resource facilitation is highly likely to be firmly entrenched
among everyone in the community. It creates conducive grassroots conditions for

local social development action.

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