Part 6 The Present - The Community
Introduction
Definitions of communities vary. Some are based on geographical location, as in a valley or road; others on identification - as in people living on the other side of the Rangitikei who are in the Manawatu Region but identify with the mid-Rangitikei. These notions overlap. So do communities based on affiliation with a church, professional group, or community of interest. What is important is the notion of interdependency. One person stated strongly that it is necessary to actually work with the notion of community in order for people to survive. "People don’t realise how hard a few people work to make the community hang together. Some people turn themselves inside out to do it." "If we don’t gather people up and make them feel part of the community... enable them to contribute so they can belong [implications of stress]"
The interdependency can be illustrated in the following diagram.
Diagram 6.1
Contact for Enquiries
Rural Affairs Coordinator
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0675
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0745
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