Citizen participation

Citizen participation is a necessary component for someone to be apart of community. As Spiegel notes, "Citizen participation is the process that can meaningfully tie programs to people" (1968). Citizen participation can be looked at as a volunteer community development groups, organized to provide the structure for citizens to become involved in community betterment activities.Volunteer citizen participation continues to be one of the key concepts in American society. My CP is the alternative spring break trip in Mulukuku, Nicaragua. The relationship between my CP and citizenship is that in order for the Sisters of Notre Dame to do their work they need help from the citizens in the community. The Sisters of Notre Dame help run programs with the communities help. The Sisters of Notre Dame could not run the programs with out the citizens help, because that is how it succeeds. They have programs that help disabled kids. In order for this program to keep running they need volunteers from the community to help. However, citizen participation does not mean that you need to help directly. Even donating money to community programs is considered citizen participation. The Sisters of Notre Dame work very closely with the community. If citizens were not willing to participate in these programs than they would not be able to run and the people who really need them would be at a disadvantage. This is why the Sisters of Notre Dame work very closely with the people living in the community. The people in the community help build better programs by supporting and participating in what they do.