People in communities (or groups of any kind) often find themselves bogged down in trying to solve all of the problems they face. Sometimes the harder they try, the more difficult the task becomes. Silva has begun to use Appreciative Inquiry (Ai) with communities. Ai is a way of working with change in any human group by asking questions about what works and designing a future that draws on the strengths uncovered.

The simple principles behind Ai are that in every group something works (if nothing at all were working, the group would not exist) and that no problem happens all the time. The group moves forward by identifying the factors that contribute to their success, rather than studying the reasons for their problems and their failures. The axiom is that what we look for, we get more of. Thus, if we look for what is wrong, we are likely to get more of what goes wrong. If we look for what goes well, we are likely to get more of what goes well.

Appreciative inquiry does not ignore problems. However, participants in an Ai process are asked to describe what the situation would look like if the problem did not exist and then to design ways to get to that desired situation. Ai cannot guarantee a path to the future that is free of obstacles, but it can consolidate and sustain the vision and energy of the members of a group so that they face their future from a position of strength, confidence, self-knowledge, self-respect, and hope. If you would like more information about Appreciative Inquiry, read our article, An Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry, by Stephanie Judy.