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Creating Community 15 Ways to Craft a Circle of Caring by Linda Buzzell
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n facing up to today’s often degrading environmental, economic, political, social and hyper-individualistic
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cultural conditions, we instinctively know that survival requires coming together to effect constructive change. Here are proven approaches to community building that work.
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Build a campfi re. Whether literal or metaphoric, create a clear, focused attraction that draws people into a circle.
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Connect with nature and the seasons. Tying gatherings into what’s happening seasonally with
all life forms is a traditionally effective way of fostering community.
Welcome each person. Either designate greeters or go around the circle welcoming and
acknowledging each participant before proceeding with the event’s main activity. People that feel seen and known are more likely to stay involved.
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Provide food and drink. Traditional societies have always taken hospitality seriously.
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Having people bring items to add to the collective feast is better than catering.
Ceremony, ritual and the sacred. Deep in our collective human memory lie countless spring and
harvest festivals, ceremonial or religious events, meals and celebrations that included a strong sense of passage, initiation and the sacredness of all life. Use one as a springboard to add meaning to a contemporary gathering.
Collective problem solving. People bond into a community when they participate in solving
a real-world community problem, helping someone in need or addressing a situation that demands a community solution. Consider using Robert’s Rules of Order or other guidelines for discussions that maintain civility, discourage competitiveness and peacefully resolve confl icts in order to reach consensus.
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Storytelling. Humans learn best when seeing and hearing stories. Facts don’t arouse us as much as
narratives and full-body experiences do. Bombarding people with facts won’t create desired change. We must be inspired to act on the knowledge.
Elders. Shared history, respect and affection are vital to belonging. Adults coping with a high-stress, industrialized culture might tend to fi nd elders’ stories slow-moving and boring, but they are a critical resource for our collective survival. Beware of the “star from afar” syndrome that posits outsiders as experts, rather than honoring and developing our own community resources, which won’t disappear at the end of an event.
Gifts and sharing. As we focus on creating a sharing society versus a gimme culture, it’s nice to give
small gifts such as a plant or garden fl ower, organic seeds or regifted items to event attendees. It’s a simple way to help everyone feel valued, appreciated and welcomed. The key is keeping events local, simple and created by the community for the community. Many hands make light work, and some of the best community events cost the host little, while everyone involved brings their own chair or blanket, serving ware and potluck dish.
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Shopping. People have been bonding through meeting others in the marketplace since ancient times. Sales or silent auctions are popular when the money paid becomes a gift to the community.
A little excitement. Raffl es and door prizes add fun as long as any money raised goes into the common coffers as a gift to all.
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Child care. Children provide a necessary source of untamed energy and
entertainment for any gathering. Multigenerational exchanges also help form and shape them through exposure to role models and life education, even if they might not feel engaged at the time.
Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com
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