The culture of a community has nothing to do with ethnicity of the residents and everything to do with their values. The more the residents’ values align, the more comfortable they will feel with one another.
There is a lot of talk about diversity and celebrating differences. Experience shows, though, that differences divide and the community will divide along those same lines to create “Us” and “Them”. It’s human nature to fear “The Other” and to be suspicious of what we don’t understand or value.
It’s important to clarify that we aren’t advocating homogenous Stepford or Borg communities, individual talents, skills, perspectives, etc. are very important and contribute to the overall strength of the entire community.
To build a strong Culture pillar, the community needs opportunities to interact for different purposes. It needs to celebrate and grieve and work and serve together. It needs a venue for making decisions, for establishing values, and for communicating with one another. It needs opportunities to interact with other communities and with the city as a whole. It must provide ways for leaders to identify themselves and develop their skills.
A strong community will establish its own way of meeting all of these needs and facing any challenges that arise and it will do so in a way that is much more satisfying to its residents than if it had all been left up to a government agency.
There is a lot of talk about diversity and celebrating differences. Experience shows, though, that differences divide and the community will divide along those same lines to create “Us” and “Them”. It’s human nature to fear “The Other” and to be suspicious of what we don’t understand or value.
It’s important to clarify that we aren’t advocating homogenous Stepford or Borg communities, individual talents, skills, perspectives, etc. are very important and contribute to the overall strength of the entire community.
To build a strong Culture pillar, the community needs opportunities to interact for different purposes. It needs to celebrate and grieve and work and serve together. It needs a venue for making decisions, for establishing values, and for communicating with one another. It needs opportunities to interact with other communities and with the city as a whole. It must provide ways for leaders to identify themselves and develop their skills.
A strong community will establish its own way of meeting all of these needs and facing any challenges that arise and it will do so in a way that is much more satisfying to its residents than if it had all been left up to a government agency.
Mama's MamaIn a strong community, residents know how to take care of themselves and their family in all situations.
Mama's Mama teaches skills like gardening, food preservation, first aid, emergency preparedness and much more. In a nutshell, if your Mama's Mama knew how to do it, it's here. |
Challengers for ChangeThere's a lot turmoil these days around proposed cuts to government funding for
non-profit organizations and charities. The upset is understandable, it feels like we're "losing" something. But the reality is, it was never the government's job to fund the things that we consider important, because those things are different for each of us. In strong communities, charitable causes, the arts and youth programs all flourish because the people who value them support them. Challengers for Change is a way you can support the things you value and do something great for yourself at the same time. The more you benefit, the more your cause benefits, it's a true win/ win. |
Find Your Tribe OnlineOur physical communities are a vital part of our lives but virtual communities are important too.
Sometimes, that's where we met and connect with people who share our interests, our experiences, our values or our challenges...our tribes. We have Facebook communities built around some of these things where you are welcome to join and connect. We are happy to create new ones as the need arises, so if you have a suggestion, please reach out to us here For a list of our communities and links to join, click the button below. |
