Beyond political divide: A unified vision to develop strategies and policies for a comprehensive community wellbeing plan

A semi-rural community located in the U.S.-Mexico border confronted a divided local political will and lack of public participation as a result of disbelief and mistrust over the decision to upgrade water and sanitation infrastructure. Other needs and vulnerabilities emerged during such discussions bringing attention from decision makers, residents, and academics. As a result, this empowered community decided to address other critical community needs and vulnerabilities beyond water and sanitation. Human security aims to “protect the vital core of all human lives in ways that enhance human freedoms and human fulfillment” (Commission on Human Security, UN). This approach is suitable to address the complexities and interconnectedness of social factors with a wide range of opportunities and resources. This community applied the concepts of such comprehensive vision of human securities to this border context.

Participatory processes helped identify the needs, vulnerabilities, and capacities, and define strategies and indicators according to seven dimensions: health, environment, food, economic, personal, community, and political securities.  Information was collected through reiterative processes to define, prioritize, validate, and design the “Village of Vinton Wellbeing Strategic Plan.” Additionally, the creation of a “Strategic Planning Commission” ensures representation, sustainability, and the opportunity to revise and enhance the plan with future emergent issues.

The application of this methodology closed the gap between decision makers and residents, enhanced the understanding of social determinants and overall wellbeing, and demonstrated the resilience of this semi-rural border community to strive amidst complex challenges such as immigration, unemployment, cultural beliefs, and insufficient political will.