Compassion and Community Building - according to Rich Harwood

Rich Harwood has put some of the major concerns he has heard from people across the nation into a new book to spark conversations on what we need to accomplish to rebuild stronger communities, stronger connections among people and new ways forward in what I might call here the American Dream.

Rich has written THE WORK OF HOPE with funding from the Kettering Foundaiton, which has funded much of the work that has built to this current reflection of thinking of people across America. In getting into his book, I have been using Facebook and this forum to share some ideas hoping others will go to the book to see how what Harwood is reflecting compares to their own thoughts and feelings.

In the third chapter he discusses some of the key values noted in the community discussions and he starts with the idea of Compassion. This is one snippet from the chapter:

What does it mean to be compassionate and for compassion to en-

gender a sense of hope among people? The answer, is that more people

must be willing to step forward and be in relationship with others—to see

and hear one another, to acknowledge each other’s pain and aspirations,

to know that we cannot go it alone in life. Then compassion can be a

guiding force for the nation and produce the hope people yearn for. 

 

The ebook is a great resource and one that will allow a quick read and much more time for consideration of the content.

Rebuilding a sense of community is priority

This past weekend Coker College joined in the Service Day that was part of the commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001. Nearly 300 students and a few faculty and staff headed off to work on a variety of service oriented programs from cleaning up school yards to painting at a Boys and Girls' Club. Coker College is working hard on a goal of building even stronger community with Hartsville, the host community of the college for these past 100-plus years.

And, at lunch this noon in a conversation with Hartsville's City Manager the question of some particular projects needing assistance in our community was one of the discussion items. She mentioned an old cemetery in the South Hartsville area that has again become overrun with weeds and bushes and stuff. She mentioned renovations that are taking place at a park that could use additional volunteer assistance to make happen more quickly. My guess is these projechttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifts can and will happen once people are made aware of the need. One former Hartsville mayor is fond of saying that in Hartsville there are a lot of people who will complain that the trees need watering and then will go and get buckets and water those trees. Some things need government assistance and some things need people assistance and most of the team we get a great deal accomplished when it all works together.

But, as Rich Harwood notes in his recent blog , much of what is going on in areas of our country is not allowing solutions. He calls the politics of today "toxic." The Harwood Institute is working with communities around the country in community building efforts and Rich is a recognized authority in this area. What follows are two paragraphs from his current blog that I think speak to how we can begin chipping away at the problems and finding some solutions:

Harwood says: "Instead, it is everyday citizens – you, me, and others – who ultimately will place the nation on a better trajectory. The task before us is to “rebuild” the nation – but not solely by constructing new memorials and buildings at Ground Zero and elsewhere. For bricks and mortar are not the most important building blocks for this rebuilding.

The first and most fundamental need is to “signal” each other that we are ready to step forward and join together. To achieve this, we must embrace and spread small public acts and rituals that get people out of their homes and demonstrate a sense of connection and compassion for one another – acts such as helping a neighbor, painting a local school, singing public-spirited songs together, and displaying the flag, among others. I am not advocating make-work volunteer efforts, or superficial initiatives, but small acts grounded in a sense of common purpose and accomplishment and the greater good."

Last night People to People in Hartsville held a "Meet the Chief" gathering to further the conversation about law enforcement in our city. I heard that one person stood up and discussed the importance of neighbors joining neighbors and taking back control of their neighborhoods - now -- not later. There is a will that is emerging in cities like Hartsville that we must hope flows across communities and becomes a tipping point of community building before it really feels too late to make a difference.

Believing in your community is fundamental to building your community

The past few days there has been some news about a variety of things taking place within the city that show leaders are moving to affect change that they believe will be important to moving us forward as a community.

For example, last night the Hartsville City Council took some steps to chanhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifge the way citizens need to handle the recycling and garbage -- they are hoping to eliminate the "Yellow Bag" program in the city of Hartsville.

This has been on the Mayor's agenda since he started running for the job. His talks with citizens reinforced his idea of the need to get rid of the Yellow bags because he found so many people who find them so aggravating. But, as the Mayor found out when he began his attack on this issue -- nothing is as simple as it seems.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

The result of the focus on "yellow bags" is a partnership that has come about between the City of Hartsville and Sonoco aimed at expanding recycling in the community while adding to the efficiency of recycling and garbage collection. (This is not an issue on which I feel any competence but it is an issue that I think helps exemplify what it takes to affect positive change in a community.)

There are a lot of elements involved in this type of change and to affect change of this scope it takes people from differing areas demonstrating belief in process, demonstrating belief that others will cooperate, demonstrating belief thttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhat the community is worth investing in with time, talent and treasure. Sonoco uses recycled materials for lots of their products and they became willing to collaborate. The mayor and city council members began to see how doing things a bit differently might result in doing things even better. The new city manager helped lots of people look at more than just the immediate issue and on Monday night a major step was taken to eliminate the aggravating yellow bags. While this issue may not yet be totally resolved, it is on example of how believing you can make a difference can result in actually making a difference. Rich Harwood, of the Harwood Institute, who often discusses community building does a good job of discussing this question of belief in his current blog.
The following is a paragraph from this blog and I find it important because without people reaching out to one another and beyond their initial reaction to an issue, nothing can be accomplished. This is what Rich Harwood writes: "The restoration of belief in ourselves and in one another is pivotal to all our efforts to make a difference in communities. Without such belief, we may hold back from doing what we know is required to bring about change; we may choose not to reach out and forge key relationships with others; we may step back just when we need to step forward."

In Hartsville we have a strong need to continue stepping forward!

Thoughts on community building

This semester (from not until May)I am on sabbatical from teaching at Coker College to work and think more about community building ideas. I will be using this blog to surface some of this discussion through the months.

In Hartsville, SC, we are unique in that we have an ongoing process of community building. Sometimes the community building works and sometimes it doesn't. We are a small city that I often describe as cosmopolitan in nature. But our core, our culture, our community is at risk in this changing world.

We have to continue a focus on community building because 1)small communities are not for everyone but to grow and build you have to attract those who will choose small 2)Like so much in our lives the major strength can be a major weakness. We are home to a multi-billion dollar global packaging company that gives us a major cosmopolitan advantage but recruiting to small-town America (Hartsville) is not easy 3)we like a certain standard of life and standard of service from our government but in this age there are not many who enjoy taxing themselves for this quality we expect.

The list could probably go on as to why we need to continue to focus on building. We are good, we have a history of good but I often use the quote from a former boss -- "When you stop getting better, you stop being good."

Rich Harwood of the Harwood Institute has devoted his life to helping community builders think about community building. His current blog discusses five major ideas for rebuilding America and I think his blog is worth the read.

His five points are:
1 -- Turn outward toward community.
2 -- Focus on people's shared aspirations, not the community problems.
3 -- Get people doing actual work together.
4 -- Move in a common direction that adds up to something real in the community.
5 -- Tell stories of self trust and hope.

He has a solid grasp on these ideas and anyone thinking of community building should be reading Rich's ideas -- even if you end up not agreeing.

Protect the Urge to Build

Rich Harwood of THE HARWOOD INSTITUTE has a very interesting Podcast for the holidays. His advice in this short discussion is to people who have the urge to build their communities. His advice in this short discussion is motivating to those who want to make changes to better their communities. His words in this discussion are an admonition to not let the forces of negativity overcome the urge to join with others to make real differences in our communities. I listened to this podcast twice and hope that readers will listen to it at least once -- because all of use need to remember that building community and building our communities is important for our present and our future. Not everyone wishes for community yet nearly all of us do realize we get more done together than we can ever accomplish divided.

Looking outward often key to growth

This blog often talks about work being accomplished by THE HARWOOD INSTITUTE in formulating models and discussions of community building. One of the tools the Institute is now making available to community organizations is an ebook about how important it is to look outward toward your community rather than spending so much looking inward at your own organization. In these economic times many non-profit organizations spend significant time and resources looking at their own internal programs, systems and culture as a strategy for continuing to serve. There is a good chance that all this inward looking is causing many organizations to take their eyes off the mission of how to serve the mission, which is generally aimed toward making the major difference outside the organization. Rich Harwood studies this material and he has compiled it into a booklet with the funding of the Kettering Foundation. Those who are looking for strategies of how to maintain and even expand their organization in these tight financial times might be well served to download this report. This report was recently reviewed in Nigeria and that is part of a message distributed today by The Harwood Institute. Here is a section of that message:

"Org First " Around the Globe
REVIEW OF ORGANIZATION-FIRST APPROACH REPORT IN MAJOR NIGERIAN NEWSPAPER

Recently, the Nigerian Tribune - the nation's oldest newspaper - ran Folorunsho Moshood's review of The Organization-First Approach Report.

In the review, Moshood writes, "The book, which is an evidence-based research work that exposes the reader to why and how CSOs (civil society organizations) turn inward toward themselves instead of turning outward toward the communities they are meant to serve."

Moshood's review explores each of the chapters of the report and argues that leaders must be willing to face the truth of their actions.

Community building is a daily activity

And you cannot always know what effect your small, or large, contribution might be toward community building. Ed Guest provided some agreement to a comment on a recent blog about the volunteers who make a difference for Hartsville. He did note that maybe such a blog was preaching to the choir and I think he is right. Probably those who don't find Hartsville an active community also have no reason to read a blog like this. But, I got to thinking that one of the things that does make us difference in this small city is the size of that "choir" that volunteers for so many different activities in Hartsville. Because we have so many things happening and, in truth, so many different things we can find some "sweet spots" for lots of people. Rich Harwood, when talking about public innovation, stresses the need for sweet spots -- those places where the needs in a community overlap with the interests of people (leaders) who can help meet those needs or overcome those challenges.

This past weekend was one of those great examples:
a canoe and kayak festival/competition
a community marketplace
an arts fund raiser that lent itself to food and frivolity
a softball conference tournament at Byerly Park
a Community Players production of "Deathtrap."
Hartsville High Prom
Coker College graduation
Church singing programs
an AAU/YMCA multiple team and multiple gym basketball tournament
a downtown sidewalk sale
Master Gardeners' Plant Sale (master volunteers)
And I know there is more that is missing from this list

Sometimes people wonder what it is they can do. Lots of people found a sweet spot in some of the above activities.

And, this week Rich Harwood had an interesting example of citizenship that he calls The School Bus incident.

The whole point is that we get better when we build and when lots of people get together to build together. This ethos is one of the things making Hartsville a special community.

Community Building and the first 100 Days

Rich Harwood of the Harwood Institute has developed what he calls a citizenship test of the first 100 Days of the Obama presidency. Rich's writing gives everyone interested in community building more food for thought. You might want to read this blog and maybe take this citizenship test.