Making changes that come from below is certainly filled with various challenges and opportunities. As community activists, of course we are asked to better understand and utilize the potential of the community both internally and externally to build, empower society and be sustainable. The strength and potential of a community in our discussion this time refers to resources, assets, skills, and social networks. In its development, from the process of its formation the community has had fundamental advantages that can be used to improve and strengthen social ties and create change in society.

In managing a community, we at least need to know what potential can be explored, as follows:

1. The extent of opportunities for members' active involvement in activities carried out by the community. Apart from that, member initiatives include the role of community managers to be willing to provide a wide-open space for their members to express their opinions.
2. Connections and networks owned and built by members, including knowing how deep the level of relationships in the social network is. This also includes solidarity between members to achieve common goals.
3. Community resources in the sense of availability and accessibility which include financial resources, facilities and infrastructure that can support community activities.
4. Community structure and leadership in directing and managing community activities.
5. The community's ability to adapt to environmental changes and recover from difficult times.
6. Lastly is the extent of the impact of the existence of the community in empowering and improving the quality of its members, including making contributions to society and its environment.

In several previous articles, we have touched on some of the potential of this community. In this article we further deepen the goals and benefits by knowing the strengths and potential of the community, which can be used as a basis for developing and building more appropriate and effective community strategies. By mapping the strengths and potential of our community we can:

1. Know and identify the various challenges faced and the root of the problems that occur in the community environment, and try to overcome these problems with the strengths we have.
2. Direct community managers in planning activity programs that are in accordance with the needs and potential resources provided by the community. This can also encourage and motivate members to participate, collaborate and collaborate actively with various stakeholders, because members have confidence in this potential.
3. These strengths and potential can then be used to measure progress gradually and continuously, as well as evaluate the effectiveness of the programs carried out. In the future, this will encourage community independence in overcoming the challenges they face.

Efforts to discover community potential can be described as follows:

Model of discover community potential (Draft- still needs to be tested in the field) (Photo Credit : created by author, 2024)

The image above can be explained as follows:

Community potential is preceded by knowing the internal strengths possessed by the community. Then data is collected from outside the community that relates to the vision, mission, goals or activities to be carried out. Strength indicators and data are processed in such a way and then implemented in the form of real activities. In terms of implementation, of course the period, goals and objectives to be achieved (welfare, involvement and impact, ect) must be taken into account. These activities must of course be monitored and evaluated periodically to then be used as a basis for implementing further activities, recommending improvements, and becoming a new force in the community. This process must of course be carried out sustainably and become a habit for members of the community.

Community strengths make it possible to identify areas for improvement and direct efforts to strengthen the community. The process of strengthening communities and discovering new potential for communities is a process that must be carried out continuously. A community that does not have power will hinder its progress, which will result in dependence on external sources, minimal empowerment (and this is contrary to the characteristics of a community that wants to empower its members), low economic growth in the surrounding community, including low quality of life for community members due to limited employment, education, health, and basic infrastructure.

From the description above, it can be concluded that with various aspects of community strength and potential, community managers and observers can use this potential to strengthen community cohesion, encourage community innovation and creativity in developing their local potential and can take part in promoting local economic growth.

-Diana Anggraeni