Empowerment through community-based learning: a double edged sword

Following on the back of 2 funded research projects, the activities and practices of the CNA group at the University of Brighton have undergone a period of change. The absence of funding and time to pursue research proposals currently has forced us to be creative by exploring how the academic curriculum and resources of a UK university can support the formal requirements of HE student learning and the more informal learning needs found in community practice through the development of community media/informatics learning partnerships. So that consideration might be given to the potential for CI academics, in the absence of research and development funding, to engage in meaningful community ICT research and practice partnerships, a number of CNA community informatics/media partnership activities are presented briefly through the joint lenses of community empowerment and community development lens. The significance of community voice and community learning in facilitating and enabling active citizenship and empowered communities through community informatics practices is also explored.