We are thrilled to introduce the evolution of GLI's work to all of you, and the true meanings of Listen. Think. Act.!

Over the past year and a half, our team has been working hard to create a GLI textbook that lays the foundation for meaningful international and community development. See more details about GLI’s textbook: “Listen. Think. Act.: Lessons and Perspectives in Community Development” along with how to purchase your own copy below. 

Listen. Think. Act. is about the complicated and human-centered field of community development.

It is a book for anyone interested in learning more about this type of work, and ultimately doing it better!

This interactive textbook addresses gaps in best practices and aims to educate students, researchers, organizational leaders, and others on the importance of doing purposeful community development work. The authors, three nonprofit and academic leaders from Uganda and the United States, address misguided and invasive approaches to community development, combining decades of experience to share a collective narrative on how we can all be more strategic and intentional in our work, by listening and thinking with communities before acting.

Profits from GLI’s textbook will support the community development work of GLI and Agne’s Dream Revival Center!

Listen. Think. Act™ provides a backbone for this interactive field guide, bringing community development to life and offering tools and perspectives on how to better approach work in underserved communities, regardless of geographic location. The book explores numerous first person examples of community development work in action, relevant facts about the rapidly changing nature of this field, and explores personal case studies from each of the authors. Additionally, the book offers readers a "Community Changemaker Challenge” to design real-world solutions, alongside discussion questions and additional readings at the end of each chapter!

Textbook Contents 

PROLOGUE
Connect With Our Community

PART I
LISTEN

CHAPTER ONE
Reinvent the Narrative: Sharing Stories and Finding Common Ground

CHAPTER TWO
Build Empathy: Seeking to Understand Different Perspectives

PART II
THINK

CHAPTER THREE
Exchange Ideas: Having Important Conversations About Societal Issues

CHAPTER FOUR
Forge Strong Relationships: Partnering With Clear Intention

PART III
ACT

CHAPTER FIVE
Innovate Through Experimentation: Learning Through Failure and Change

CHAPTER SIX
Create Lasting Impact: Transforming Communities Through Local Ownership and Sustainable Ideas

EPILOGUE
Tugende

About the Authors