How To Create Community | Voices From The Skoll Community

Summary

The transcript captures the essence of community building and the challenges faced when striving for change. It emphasizes the importance of support, shared vision, and the collective struggle against skepticism. The speaker highlights the need for vulnerability, inclusivity, and power-sharing within communities. Overcoming fear and personal growth are key to fostering trust and unity. The script calls for local empowerment and the recognition of equity as a fundamental aspect of community health. It concludes by stressing the importance of shared purpose and storytelling in community development, encouraging a grassroots approach to building connections and a better future.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ The script emphasizes the feeling of isolation and the challenge of advocating for a vision that others may not understand or support.
• 🌟 It highlights the importance of hope and the sense of community that comes from working with others who share the same vision and goals.
• 👥 The value of being surrounded by people who are also working hard is underscored, suggesting that human support is crucial for perseverance.
• 🤝 The concept of co-creation and the sense of belonging within a community are presented as essential for personal and collective growth.
• 💃 The script mentions the joy of being oneself within a community, where one can be vulnerable and open without fear of judgment.
• 🤔 It discusses the idea of community as a place for power-sharing and power-shifting, which contrasts with the world's tendency to concentrate power.
• 🔄 The script acknowledges that communities involve disagreements and challenges, but these are part of the process of building trust and unity.
• 🚧 The biggest challenge for communities is identified as fear, particularly the fear of the unknown, which must be overcome through personal work and inclusiveness.
• 🌱 The necessity of empowering local voices and supporting those closest to the issues within communities is stressed as a key aspect of community building.
• 💊 The script raises questions about equity, using the example of unequal access to drugs and vaccines to illustrate the disparities that need addressing.
• 💼 Trust is identified as the currency of community, something that is difficult to acquire and must be built over time through consistent and reliable behavior.
• 🌐 The importance of shared purpose and a collective narrative is highlighted as a means to unite people and drive them towards a common goal.
• 🏡 The script encourages starting community building at a personal level, suggesting that it begins with conversations in one's own home and expands outward.
• 🌱 Lastly, it emphasizes the importance of everyday thinking about who needs to be part of the conversation and the continuous effort to include and inform others.

Q & A

What does the speaker describe as the feeling of trying to communicate a vision that seems to be falling on deaf ears?

The speaker describes it as 'screaming from the mountaintops into the void,' implying a sense of futility and isolation when trying to share a vision that is not being acknowledged or understood.

Why does the speaker mention that community building can be a lonely and challenging endeavor?

The speaker mentions that community building can be lonely because there are many skeptics and people who tell you it's not working, which can be disheartening and make the journey feel solitary.

What gives the speaker a sense of hope in their struggle?

The speaker finds hope in the fact that they are not struggling alone but are surrounded by others who share the same vision and are working hard for their communities.

How does the speaker describe the importance of support and empowerment in a community?

The speaker describes the importance of support and empowerment as a 'cocoon' where individuals feel safe, empowered, and part of a collective flow, which is essential for co-creation within the community.

What does the speaker suggest is the currency of the social goods sector?

The speaker suggests that trust is the currency of the social goods sector, not money, and that it is very difficult to acquire, requiring consistent behavior to build over time.

How does the speaker define community in terms of power dynamics?

The speaker defines community as being about power-sharing and power-shifting, which is different from the way the world often works, focusing on concentrating power.

What are the challenges the speaker identifies within communities?

The speaker identifies challenges such as squabbles, disagreements, and the fear of the unknown as common issues within communities that need to be addressed.

What role does the speaker believe individuals should play in community building?

The speaker believes that individuals should engage in personal work to become inclusive, build bridges with people who are different, and support community building at the most local level.

How does the speaker view the importance of equity in the context of community?

The speaker views equity as critical, questioning what it means when some people have access to drugs and vaccines while others do not, highlighting the need for fairness and equal access within communities.

What does the speaker suggest as a starting point for community building?

The speaker suggests starting from personal spaces like the sitting room, bedroom, or kitchen, and sharing the vision with those you live with, who in turn can share it with others, gradually building a community.

What shared elements does the speaker believe are necessary to bring people together in a community?

The speaker believes that a shared purpose, a shared story of who the community is, where it's headed, why it matters, and the potential outcomes of achieving or not achieving their goals are the elements that bring people together.