unleashing the power of community · your turn: how do you experience community?-is it in your...
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UNLEASHING THE POWER OF COMMUNITY
Communityis a group of people who identify with
and support one another
Our communities are defined by our circles of relationships
Participation
Friendship
Intimacy
Economic Exchange
YOUR TURN:How do you experience community?-Is it in your family, neighbourhood, culture, workplace, faith, politics, sport, hobby, Facebook or other interest or identity?-Are your connections strong or weak?
POTENTIAL OF PLACE
Common Identity
Manageable Scale
Bumping Places
Opportunities for Collective Action
Opportunities for Place Making
Potential for Inclusive Participation
Two Paths to Great Places:
1. Service delivery2. Community building
SERVICE DELIVERY
COMMUNITYBUILDING
Agencies AssociationsProfessionals/volunteers/clients
Citizens
Top-down DemocraticFocus on needs Focus on giftsOne way ReciprocalSiloed HolisticDepends on money Depends on
relationships
COMMUNITY IN CRISISSingle-purpose land use
Increased mobilityMore time working
FearElectronic screens
GlobalizationDiversity
ProfessionalizationSpecialization
We all say that it takes a village to raise a child. And yet, in modernized societies, this is rarely true. Instead, we pay systems to raise our children – teachers, counselors, coaches, youth workers, nutritionists, doctors, and McDonald’s.
We are often reduced as families to being responsible for paying others to teach, watch, and know our children, and to transport them to their paid child raisers. Our villages have often become useless – our neighbors responsible for neither their children nor ours. As a result, everywhere we talk about the local “youth problem.” There is no “youth problem.” There is a neighborhood problem: adults who have forgone their responsibility and capacity to join their neighbors in sharing the wealth of children. It is our greatest challenge and our most hopeful possibility.
-John McKnight and Peter BlockThe Abundant Community
CRISIS =
Kalamunda, Western Australia
DEMOCRACY IN CRISIS
Power of Communityto Strengthen Democracy
Participatory Budgeting
Brazil
Netherlands
Burgerkracht
India
Village Assemblies
Young Community Planners
Taiwan
Japan
Machizukuri
Power to the People
Australia
New Zealand
Community-Led Development
Palmerston North, New Zealand
CRISIS OF BUDGET CUTS
Every place has:• Gifts of individuals• Community associations• Built and natural environment• Local economy• History, culture and identity• Local agencies
Epuni School, Lower Hutt, NZ
Power of Communityto Care for One Another
CRISIS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Ballard Neighbourhood, Seattle
Power of Community to Care for the Earth
Whatever the question,community is the answer.
-Margaret Wheatley
POWER OF COMMUNITYCare for the Earth
Care for One AnotherPrevent Crime
Respond to DisasterPromote Health
Create Great PlacesSustain Local Economy
Instill HappinessAdvance Social Justice
POWER OF STORIES
YOUR TURN:Share a story of a time when you experienced community at its best
Appreciative InquiryMoving from problem to possibility
“In every community, something works. Change can be achieved best by identifying what works and doing more of what works.”
-Peter Kenyon
Making the Shift• What’s the biggest
problem here?
• Why don’t people get involved?
• Why do we blow it sooften?
• Why do we still have those problems?
• What works well here? How can we build on that to make this place better?
• What are people already involved in? How can we help them to make that successful?
• What’s a small change that could make a big impact?
• How have changes happened here in the past?
Key Appreciative Questions
What experiences do you/does your community value most? Why?What and who made these experiences possible?How do we build on this to get more good things happening here?
YOUR TURN:What was it in your story
that made for a strong community?
Keys to Opening Communityto Broad and Inclusive Participation
#1 – Have Fun!
Elgin, Illinois
Vashon Island, Washington
Fitness Center
Farmers Market
#2 - Start where people are:►Their street
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Opzoomeren, Rotterdam
Big Lunch, United Kingdom
Waterloo, Ontario
Little Free Libraries
Tugo, Taiwan
Taoyuan, Taiwan
Sellwood Neighbourhood, Portland
Portland, Oregon
Wedgwood Neighbourhood, Seattle
SUGGESTIONS FOR BLOCK ACTION GROUPSCrime prevention
Emergency preparednessBlock parties
Skills exchangesShare tools, pickup truck, camping equipment, etc.
Buy in bulkPolicy discussions
Support for latchkey kidsSupport for housebound seniors
Support for one anotherRideshares
Create community garden or pocket park on vacant lot or someone’s yardInstall benches, picnic tables or other community furniture in front yardsImprove/maintain common spaces: alley, median, park traffic circle, etc.
Paint mural in intersectionPlant street trees
Provide broad base for neighbourhood associationSlow traffic with signs/art
Create placards for doorway of each home representing that familyCreate website for block
Create a manifesto of block values and commitments to one anotherCreate a directory of available expertise (recycling, technology, etc)
Create a green or drug-free blockConduct a talent show
Show outdoor movies on side of houseCelebrate Neighbours Day!
#2 - Start where people are:
►Their street►Their bumping place
Downtown Seattle
Vashon Island, Washington
#2 - Start where people are:
►Their street►Their bumping place►Their language and culture►Their networks
Wodonga, Victoria, Australia
#2 - Start where people are:
►Their street►Their bumping place►Their language and culture►Their networks►Their passions
Darwen, England
Soldiers’ Support Group
New Rad Conservation and Wildlife
GreenCycle
St. James Estate Cleanup
Skatepark
Scarecrow Festival
#2 - Start where people are:
►Their street►Their bumping place►Their language and culture►Their networks►Their passions►Their call
#3 – Strive for Results!
#4 – Lead by Stepping Back-Henry Moore
Never do for people what they can do forthemselves.
-Iron Rule
When the best leader’s work is done, the people will say: “We did it ourselves.”
-Lau Tzu
#5 – Don’t sit on your assets:
Every individual has gifts of the head, heart and hands
Lewisham, England
YOUR TURN:What are your skills,
passions & knowledge?
YOUR TURN:How could you use your untapped
knowledge, skills and passions to strengthen community
in your workplace or organisation?
DISCOVER BURIED TREASUREIN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
Every individual has gifts of the head, heart and hands
Labeled People:• Homeless• Unemployed• Poor person• Non-English speaking• Single parent• Addict• Offender• At-risk youth• Old person• Disabled
Involving All Neighbours, Seattle
Wellington, New Zealand
YOUR TURN:Whose gifts are underutilised
in the neighbourhood/town where you work or live?
Every place has:• Gifts of individuals• Community associations
Individuals share their gifts when they are in association with one another
Columbia City, Seattle
YOUR TURN:What community associations do you belong to and what are some of the other key ones?
Every place has:• Gifts of individuals• Community associations• Built and natural environment
Leeton, New South Wales
Ruapotaka Marae, Glen Innes, NZ
Hillman City, Seattle
YOUR TURN:What are the built
and natural resources in your town/neighbourhood
that are underutilised?
Every place has:• Gifts of individuals• Community associations• Built and natural environment• Local economy
QUESTION TO PONDER:How could your community assets
strengthen your local economy and how could your economy
better support your community?
Yackandandah, Victoria
Vashon Island, Washington
Starshine Art
Vashon Tech Support
Save Our Soles
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Local Currency, Canada
Every place has:• Gifts of individuals• Community associations• Built and natural environment• Local economy• History, culture and identity
Bulls, New Zealand
Puget Sound Canoe Journey
QUESTION TO PONDER:-What is the unique identityof your place?-What are your cultural and historical assets?
Every place has:• Gifts of individuals• Community associations• Built and natural environment• Local economy• History, culture and identity• Local agencies
Columbia School, Seattle
Limburg, Netherlands
What are the opportunities?• Are buildings and equipment fully utilised?• Do agencies purchase goods and services
locally?• Is there duplication of services?• Could a more holistic and effective approach be
realized through collaboration?• Is the community outreach function shared
across agencies or does each fend for itself?• Do businesses and other agencies hire labelled
individuals (e.g. disabled, homeless, ex-convict)?
YOUR TURN:What are the underutilised
resources of agencies in your town/neighbourhood?
YOUR TURN:How might your community’s resources
be utilised to address local needs or to realise community dreams?
AGENCY STEPS TOWARDS STRONG COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Move beyond siloed thinking
to focusing on whole places
City of SeattleDepartment of
Little City Halls & Coordinators
University of Washington
Historic Challenges
• Ten week quarters: insufficient time to build relationships or achieve results
• Work was scattered and episodic• Departments worked in isolation from one
another• Community was not engaged so that value
to university and to community was limited and not sustainable
New Model• Long-term commitment to specific
communities• Staff are community-based• Work led by community advisory
committee• Work coordinated through faculty advisory
committee• Partner with local institution of higher
education• Based on reciprocity: UW and community
both participate and benefit
Toppenish, Washington
Sally Byng, Barnwood Trust
Gloucestershire, England
Kootenay Boundary Community Services Cooperative
YOUR TURN:What do local agencies do
and what more could they do to collaborate and focus
on whole people and places?
Move from starting with needs
to starting with strengths
Neighbourhood Matching Fund
What makes Matching Fund unique?• Community matches with its assets,
including volunteer labour• Community determines priorities• One time projects only• Any group of neighbours can apply• Proposals reviewed by peers• Quantity and diversity of participation
key to selection and evaluation
Playgrounds
Parks
Environment
Food Security
Renovated Facilities
Cultural Centers
Youth Development
Public Art
YOUR TURN:What do local agencies do
and what more could they do to help communities build
on their own strengths
Move beyond top-down
to community-driven
King County Senior Services
Photos of Central Area Gathering by Max Wells
Actions from Gatherings
Neighbourhood walking mapSenior dating service
Planning for senior co-housingVirtual retirement villages
Gay/lesbian community projectsA one-stop lifelong learning website
Peppi’s Woods Maintenance Project
Time bank from Shoreline to Edmonds
Intergenerational, multicultural dance party
Summit
YOUR TURN:What do local agencies do
and what more could they do to support community-led
development?
TOOLS FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY
Tools Mentioned Earlier:• Storytelling• Appreciative Inquiry• Bumping Places• Block Parties• Asset Mapping• Visioning• Neighbourhood Matching Fund• Time Bank
Learning Conversations
CREDENTIALWARM UP TALK
MOTIVATION TO ACT● Gifts/talents to contribute
● Dreams to realize● Concerns/needs to addressWILL THEY PARTICIPATE?
WHO ELSE DO THEY KNOW?
Powerful QuestionsThe most serious mistakes
are not being made as a result of wrong answers.
The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question.
-Peter Drucker
A powerful question:•Is thought-provoking and invites reflection and finding deeper meaning
•Expands possibilities or focuses attention•Brings underlying assumptions to light•Stimulates curiosity and creativity•Can help a group move forward
YOUR TURN:What powerful questions could you ask to help surface what people are
most passionate about?Who would you ask them of?
Photo Voice
Melville, Western Australia
K Road, Auckland, New Zealand
Treasure Hunt
Block Connectors
Social Media
Leadership Development
Wyndham, Australia
Artists in Residence
Maple Ridge, BC
Neighbour Day
Welcoming
Waterloo, Ontario
Plimmerton, Porirua, New Zealand
Community-Driven Planning
Railway Station Restoration
Bench Design and Installation
Karehana Park Renovation
Other Results:• Developed promenade along coastline• Implemented traffic calming• Installed picnic areas• Improved parking• Added recreational facilities• Organize annual Big Spring Clean and other events• Publish community newsletter• Organized painting bee to spruce up railway fence• Developed wayfinding system• Developed an anti-tagging campaign• Restored Queen’s Park• Researching and sharing community’s history
Open Space Process
Vashon Island, Washington
WE ALL BELONG: PROJECTSRestorative Justice Program
Amigos en VashonFerry Dock Welcoming Signs
Challenge Day at Vashon High SchoolCheckers in TownBreakfast at Sally’s
Cross-Ability Friendship for StudentsKeep Dancing
Welcome WagonHire VashonTime DollarsHomesharing
Create Community CenterEstablish Free Clinic
Get Involved at Chautauqua Elementary SchoolThe Wave Campaign
Stone Soup Event
YOUR TURN:What are you going to do
as a result of this workshop?What’s the one thing you could do
that would make the biggest difference?
www.neighborpower.org