talking

When engaging communities to address alcohol and other drug issues, Bridges promotes the following themes and and principles of resilience.

The themes are:

• There's more to drug use than drugs
• Building on strengths
• Working together and strengthening relationships
• Promoting voices

The principles of resilience include:

1. Meaning: what gives our lives meaning?
2. Meaningful Relationships: we don't need many but we do need to have caring relationships
3. Participation: we need to be actively involved in their own lives and what is happening around us. We need to have opportunities to participate and contribute.
4. Personal Power: people need to feel that they can influence what happens in their world.
5. Expectations: people need to have positive and high expectations of themselves, with others expecting the best from them.
6. Hope: we need hope

It's about influencing a culture of understanding: a recognition that drug problems are complex and is not just about the person who is struggling with their drug use. Drug-related harm is linked to depression, loneliness, abuse, peer pressure, poverty, family conflict, unemployment, racism and a range of other issues. It's about recognising that the community has power to change some of the contributing factors to these issues.

Giving people a voice in relation to the themes and resilience principles. By using a variety of approaches such as theatre, film, visual art, music, storytelling, presentations and forums , Bridges provides an inclusive approach. Everyone who connects with our projects is able to influence, make a contribution and engage in a meaningful process of positive change.

Promoting dialogue on strengths and relationships. By developing a greater awareness of the importance of people's and communities' strengths and relationships and the impact these can have on address addressing drug issues, Bridges acknowledges the complexity of the issues and emphasises creative approaches to address them.

Promoting dialogue within the community at a range of levels (ie community members, media, organisations). Including all sectors of the community in the dialogue ensures an understanding of the issues from a range of community perspectives: not just service providers. Greater cooperation can result through developing relationships between different community groups in this process. This results in greater effectiveness in dealing with AOD issues.

learning

• Education on the themes and resilience principles what they mean in concrete terms. This strategy widens people's thinking on alcohol and other drug issues and creates more options.
• Shared learning as well as training of workers and active community participants. Bridges values and acknowledges the skills and life experience of people and organisations.  

doing

• Promoting and providing opportunities to build on strengths and strengthen relationships between children, young people, adults, groups and organisations. Bridges acknowledges the different groups within a community and develops approaches to target these specific groups. Building relationships between the different groups also ensures an inclusive approach. As relationships are strengthened, resilience is increased at individual and community levels to deal with difficult issues.
• Linking with overlapping strategies being led by other organisations and groups. We promote and support leadership of other organisations and groups.
  
• Promoting strengths as well as issues of concern and possible new ways forward.  Bridges profiles the strengths of people and communities, as well as their ideas for new ways forward for strengthening our communities. 
  
• Organise events and activities to do all of the above (eg gatherings, forums, exhibitions, stalls, school events, community events, training /workshops). Bridges, in partnership with community groups and organisations, organises activities to engage the community in practical ways. This results in increased awareness and positive change.