Day Three of the Communities Collaborating Institute
I am now into the third day of the Communities Collaborating Institute. The spiritual base of the institute becomes more and more obvious as the themes of transformative leadership and community engagement are presented as the foundation of our work in the community. The institute honours the sacredness of all people through respect and acceptance. Throughout the day, the wisdom, leadership and resources come from the whole room, not just from any one presenter or from outside
This does not mean there is no room for help from other sectors. In fact in complex situations/problems, it is essential to include all sectors in collaborative action. In Calgary the Homeless Foundation is a good example of collaborative work. It addresses the wider community issue of homelessness by engaging government, business, not-for-profits, and, perhaps especially, the homeless who are the experts in the field.
Community engagement is about developing relationships as a first step toward acting together. If there is no trust and commitment to a common agenda and action, then isolated activities will not provide a solution; they will just help a small portion of the problem. Community engagement is defined as: “Citizens engaged in inspired action as they work and learn together on behalf of their communities to create and realize bold visions of the future”. The levels of community engagement are, in no particular order: 1) Dispensing information to get people in the community to act together, 2) Consulting to get wisdom from everyone. This research can help determine what the action might be, 3) Involving people in the community because this is ownership, not charity, 4) Collaborating by inviting many sectors to provide resources in a common effort, 5) Empowering people to take initiative. This is a long process which involves hard work and commitment.
In the afternoon we broke into groups and enjoyed “Jane’s Walks” in several areas of the city. “Jane’s Walk honours the legacy and ideas of urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs who championed the interests of local residents and pedestrians over a car-centered approach to planning. Jane’s Walk often takes Jacobs’ ideas to communities unfamiliar with her ideas, in order to advance local engagement with contemporary urban planning practices. The walk helps knit people together into a strong and resourceful community, instilling belonging and encouraging civic leadership.” These walks are held regularly in many cities across Canada including Calgary. Click here for more information or google “Jane’s Walk”
In the evening Mayor Naheed Nenshi spoke about Calgary’s efforts to develop neighbourhood collaborations that honour everyone’s gifts and encourage people to take responsibility for the quality of their own lives and the lives of their communities. Naheed is very much in line with this kind of leadership.
Tomorrow we will discuss the role of cities like Calgary in providing leadership for other cities near and far. We are 250 people from across Canada who believe we have a very good country and want to work to make it even better. It is truly inspiring to be in the midst of so many people who really believe in new ways of providing leadership in business, government and the not-for-profit sector.
