Community organizing creates empowered and sustainable communities. It is a social development approach that transforms apathetic and marginalized sectors of society into dynamic, participatory and politically responsive communities.

Over 30 years have passed since "CO," as community organizing is commonly known, began on the Tondo Foreshore. Although thousands of poor communities have been organized in rural, indigenous and urban barangays, poverty continues to dominate the daily lives of large numbers of the population. The democratization process has opened a political space where diverse voices can be heard. There are laws and policies that ensure participation in governance. However, the key decision-making processes that affect the lives of ordinary Filipinos are still dominated by a few powerful and influential families both locally and on the national scene.

It is in this context of power inequality that community organizing continues as the core of CO Multiversity’s activities.

The transformation of CO-TRAIN into the CO Multiversity in 1998, signaled a shift from a primarily training focus  one that also took a broader view of community organizing in the context of civil society roles and genuine reform. A particular outcome has been the desire to assess CO accomplishments honestly, given the new challenges of the 21^st century, starting with President Joseph Estrada’s Pro-Poor Administration.

This self-evaluation process involved extensive consultations with NGO and PO partners throughout the country which in turn led to the formation of a loose coalition of Community Organization Learning Centers (COLCs). The process was further enhanced by a reflection workshop, February 16-18,2000 at which six generations of community organizers reflected on the gains and challenges of CO work.

 As a result of the extensive COLC consultations, the CO Multiversity has developed a three  year program  framed in a decade-long perspective that is conscious of the fast-paced changes occurring in a globalizing world. A goal for the three year program is to develop the capacity of the CO Multiversity to be an effective, efficient and caring capability –building institution for community organizers in people’s organizations and development NGOs and to be a force for strengthening NGO/PO roles in civil society partners with government and business in multi-stakeholder approaches to good governance .

 Five programs were lined up for implementation under the first year grant partnerships for basic and advanced CO training, customized consultancy, CO learning centers, leadership formation through PO training, and  research and documentation