“We are the leaders we’ve been waiting for and it’s time to act! We are the difference-makers with a personal responsibility for the well-being of our community as a whole. It is time to sit down at the table together — to communicate, to collaborate and to co-create The Beloved Community.”
~ Kimberly King, One Island Institute
COMMUNITY ACTION DIALOGUES / COLLABORATIVE ACTION DIALOGUES
Growing a healthy, resilient and whole community is a lifelong process — one that requires constant nurturing, attention and commitment. Everyone has a role to play in building more whole communities. The daily choices we make at home, work, school, play, and worship determine most what creates personal wellness and community wellness, resilience and vitality. To a great extent it’s about how we spend our time, dollars, energies and talents, and learning to do so consciously and intentionally. It’s also about how we create the settings and support our relationships that help us evolve and bring about positive change.
Healthy and whole communities call for inspired leadership and right action from every corner of our communities. Today, there’s often a gulf between the conversations people have around the kitchen table and the conversations we have with and about our leaders. We see conflicts and fragmentation of efforts with more resources getting dispersed and spent on the symptoms of deeper problems, and less on what generates wellness, resilience and peace.
Community Action Dialogues bring together the voices, perspectives and wisdom within our communities. Their purpose is to discuss issues, raise awareness, share ideas and generate solutions that are central to the common good. Relationships across purposes and across lines divide us. Community leaders of all types — that is, anyone who can start and participate in a conversation — are encouraged to come together around a respectful and inclusive approach that can be adapted to any topic, issue, idea or group’s objectives.
What is a “dialogue” and why should your community host one?
A “dialogue” is a community conversation that can take many forms. It can involve a few people around a kitchen table, or a few hundred people in a large civic setting, or anything in between.
A community dialogue can help:
EXPAND the base of constituencies and voices (i.e. youth, business, the faith community, grassroots leaders)
REACH common ground — integrate the workings of more formal institutions and partnerships with the leadership from neighborhoods and grassroots groups
SURFACE common issues and the resources to address them — help identify barriers to positive change and uncover innovative ideas
SUSTAIN ongoing community discussion between the many groups and partnerships in a community
BUILD the capacity of your group to act on its ideas
LAUNCH new initiatives and strengthen the impact of existing community improvement partnerships
FOCUS corporate and organizational investment towards community benefit — align communities’ policies and resource allocation with what creates health
BREAK THROUGH community “turf wars” and connect fragmented resources — build the public consensus and commitment necessary to generate action for better outcomes
STIMULATE action and track progress for accountability
GENERATE local media attention
HELP leaders of all sectors to see their roles in building healthy, sustainable communities
BE A PART — vocal and visible — of the nationwide healthy communities movement
Where can a dialogue occur?
At school
At kitchen tables
In the workplace
At community centers
In neighborhoods
In places of worship
At service club meetings (i.e. Rotary, Lions, Junior League, sororities and fraternities)
In meetings of existing partnerships
In board rooms
In the halls of government
Who can participate or host the dialogue?
Every citizen has a role to play in building community and creating health. The vitality of our communities and democracy relies upon the active participation of every person. Anyone can participate in a dialogue. Seek diversity! Reach across lines of race, culture, class, and locale to gather participants.
Anyone can convene and host a “healthy whole community” conversation:
Neighborhood leaders
Youth
Business people
Public health and medical care professionals
Faith leaders
Seniors
Homemakers
Educators
Community organizers
What makes a healthy whole community? It’s a collective that is continually connecting, reflecting, renewing, evolving, learning and improving its inner, outer and social states, interactions and environments, and creating and expanding the community resources that enable people to support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing themselves to their maximum potential.
A healthy and whole community is not a perfect place, but rather a dynamic state of renewal and improvement. It builds a culture that supports healthy life choices and a high quality of life. It aligns its practices, policies, and resource allocation to sustain:
Engaged citizenry
Race and Diversity
Ethical values and behavior
Courage
Quality education systems
Childhood development
Vibrant economy
Neighborhood Support networks
Livable wages
Community Projects and Volunteerism
Adequate and affordable housing
Accessible transportation
Transition and Change
Responsiveness and Preparedness
Innovation
Bullying
Governance
Dynamic faith/ faith in action
Recreation
Whole Communities/Resilient Communities
Culture
Clean air
Safe Water
Continuous improvement
Strong families
Safe neighborhoods
Additional Resources:
Art of Hosting: http://www.artofhosting.org/
Global Dialogues: http://globaldialogues.org/
Edited and adapted with permission from the community toolbox.