New models for civic engagement: Ben Warner at TEDxJacksonville

Summary

This inspiring talk emphasizes the significance of community engagement in fostering a thriving democracy. It highlights the disconnect between global awareness and local involvement, urging individuals to participate actively in local decision-making processes. The speaker shares transformative stories from various communities, illustrating how collective action can address social issues, bridge racial divides, and enhance the quality of life. The narrative calls for a reimagining of civic participation, where citizens move from passive observers to active shapers of their communities, fulfilling the democratic ideals of government by the people.

Takeaways

• 🌐 We live in increasingly globalized communities yet feel disconnected from each other, often being more informed about global news than our local neighbors or city officials.
• 📱 Despite technological advancements, we seldom engage with local public policy decisions that directly impact our lives.
• 🏛️ The founding principle of democracy was based on people coming together to create a new society, emphasizing the importance of civic participation.
• 🤝 Alexis de Tocqueville noted the significance of private citizens' roles in associations for the health of a democratic society.
• 🏢 While government and private businesses play crucial roles, they are not equipped to solve all societal issues, highlighting the need for a third sector.
• 🌟 The third sector, composed of nonprofits and volunteers, fills the gaps in societal needs, working alongside government and private sectors for community enhancement.
• 🗳️ Civic engagement is more than just voting; it's about actively participating in community decisions and problem-solving.
• 🔍 Communities must answer two key questions: what matters most (values) and who gets to decide (inclusivity of decision-making).
• 🌱 Civic engagement transforms communities by addressing disparities and inequities, as seen in Jacksonville's efforts to tackle race-based issues.
• 🌟 When people come together to engage in their communities, they not only change the community but also undergo personal transformation, gaining a sense of responsibility and pride.

Q & A

What is the significance of Alexis de Tocqueville's visit to America in 1831 as mentioned in the script?

Alexis de Tocqueville's visit to America in 1831 is significant because he was astonished by how people came together in associations to make the country work. He concluded that the health of a democratic society can be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens, highlighting the importance of civic engagement in a democracy.

Why does the script emphasize the importance of local public policy decisions over global issues?

The script emphasizes local public policy decisions because they affect people's lives more immediately and profoundly. While global issues are important, local decisions have a more direct impact on individuals' daily lives, and often these decisions are overlooked by citizens who are more engaged with global news.

What is the 'third sector' referred to in the script, and why is it crucial for a community?

The 'third sector' is the community sector, an independent sector filled with individual volunteers and organized nonprofits that associate for the public good. It is crucial because it fills gaps in the societal compact, addressing needs that neither government nor the market can sufficiently meet.

How does the script describe the role of private businesses in the American experiment?

The script describes private businesses as a sector that, along with government, is expected to work together to create worthwhile communities and enhance the quality of life. It suggests that the market economy, guided by the 'Invisible Hand' of economics, is seen as a means to fill gaps in the social compact that the government cannot address alone.

What is the main takeaway from the speaker's experience with JCCI, as shared in the script?

The main takeaway from the speaker's experience with JCCI is the power of civic engagement. Despite initial doubts, the speaker witnessed how people from diverse backgrounds could come together, have meaningful conversations, and collaboratively shape public policy, leading to transformative changes in the community.

What are the two big questions that communities need to answer according to the script?

The two big questions that communities need to answer are: 1) What matters most (i.e., the values of the community), and 2) Who gets to decide what matters most (i.e., who has the power to influence the community's values and decisions).

How does civic engagement transform both the community and the individuals within it, as described in the script?

Civic engagement transforms communities by bringing people together to solve problems and make decisions that improve the quality of life. It also transforms individuals by moving them from being passive observers to active participants in community decision-making, fostering a sense of responsibility, pride, and connection with others.

What is the significance of the story about the 300 people meeting weekly for nine months in Jacksonville, as mentioned in the script?

The story of the 300 people meeting weekly for nine months in Jacksonville highlights the power of diverse groups coming together to address racial disparities. It demonstrates how sustained dialogue and consensus-building can lead to actionable recommendations and significant changes in community policies and practices.

Why did the speaker join JCCI, and what did they initially think about the organization?

The speaker joined JCCI because they were a social worker by trade and felt good about doing good, wanting to make a difference. Initially, they were excited but soon began to question their choice as the organization seemed to hold many meetings without immediate visible impact, making them wonder if they had made a mistake.

What is the script's message about the future of communities?

The script conveys that the future of communities will not be built by distant governments but by individuals connecting with each other and engaging in their communities. It calls for a new kind of conversation and experience that leads to the creation of communities that fulfill the promises of the past and the aspirations for the future.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 The Disconnection in Modern Society

The speaker begins by discussing how, despite living in a time of technological advancement and globalization, people are increasingly disconnected from their local communities. While we have access to global news and celebrity gossip, we often lack knowledge about our neighbors and local decision-makers. The speaker contrasts this with the historical foundation of the country, which was built on community and democratic participation. Alexis de Tocqueville's observations from 1831 are highlighted, emphasizing the importance of private citizens' roles in a healthy democratic society. The speaker argues that while government and private business sectors are crucial, they are not sufficient to address all societal needs, leading to the emergence of a third sector: the community sector, comprising volunteers and nonprofits.

05:00

🗳️ The Power of Civic Engagement

The speaker shares their personal journey of joining the Jacksonville Community Council Inc. (JCCI) and the transformative experience it provided. Initially feeling disconnected from making a tangible difference, they soon witnessed the power of civic engagement as people from diverse backgrounds came together to discuss public policy and create change. The speaker emphasizes that civic engagement is not just about voting but involves active participation in community decision-making. They discuss how communities must answer two critical questions: what matters most (values) and who gets to decide these values. The speaker illustrates how involving a broader range of people in these discussions can lead to a more equitable and responsive democracy.

10:01

🌱 Transforming Communities Through Collective Action

The speaker provides examples of how communities have come together to address significant issues such as race, poverty, and health disparities. In Jacksonville, a diverse group of 300 people, including individuals from opposing ends of the racial spectrum, met for nine months to discuss and recommend changes to address racial disparities. In Brazil, a community united to end poverty by envisioning a new economy. In another instance, a community created a Citizens Observatory to scrutinize government spending, leading to significant savings and improved services. The speaker highlights how these collective actions not only change communities but also the individuals involved, fostering a sense of responsibility, pride, and connection.

15:03

🌟 The Future of Communities Lies in Our Hands

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker calls for action, urging everyone to engage with their communities and participate in shaping a better future. They emphasize that the future of communities is not determined by distant governments but by the collective efforts of individuals working together. The speaker shares stories of global efforts to redefine success and engage citizens, such as an Egyptian visitor seeking ways to improve civic participation in his country. The message is one of optimism and empowerment, encouraging everyone to connect, engage, and create the kind of community they believe in for themselves and future generations.

Keywords

💡Community

In the context of the video, 'community' refers to a group of people living in the same geographic area, sharing a common culture or interest. The video emphasizes the importance of community engagement and how it can lead to positive change. It is highlighted through examples of people coming together to address local issues and create a better future for their neighborhoods.

💡Globalization

Globalization is the process by which businesses, technologies, and cultures increasingly integrate and interconnect on a global scale. The video mentions the paradox of living in a time of globalization, where we have access to global news and information, yet we may feel disconnected from our immediate communities and neighbors.

💡Democracy

Democracy is a system of government where power is vested in the people, who exercise it directly or through elected representatives. The video discusses the founding principles of democracy and how it relies on the active participation of citizens to function effectively. It also touches on the historical perspective of Alexis de Tocqueville, who noted the importance of civic associations in a healthy democracy.

💡Civic Engagement

Civic engagement refers to the actions and efforts individuals take to participate in the governance of their communities, whether through voting, volunteering, or advocating for change. The video underscores the significance of civic engagement in driving community transformation and shaping public policy.

💡Social Compact

The social compact is an unwritten agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits, assigning the state a monopoly on the use of force while obligating individuals to obey the law. The video discusses how the social compact is fulfilled not only by government but also by private business and the community sector.

💡Market Economy

A market economy is an economic system in which the production and distribution of goods and services are determined by supply and demand, with minimal government intervention. The video suggests that while market economies can address some societal needs, they may also leave some people marginalized, necessitating the involvement of the community sector.

💡Nonprofits

Nonprofits are organizations that operate for purposes other than making a profit, typically to address social, cultural, educational, or environmental issues. The video highlights the role of nonprofits as part of the community sector, working alongside government and the market to fill gaps in the social compact and serve the public good.

💡Public Policy

Public policy refers to the decisions made by governments that affect the public, including laws, regulations, and initiatives. The video illustrates how public policy can be shaped by civic engagement, as communities come together to address local issues and advocate for change.

💡Values

Values are the principles or standards of behavior that guide an individual or society. In the video, values are discussed as the foundation upon which policies, programs, and actions are built. They are integral to determining what matters most in a community and who gets to decide these priorities.

💡Invisible Hand

The invisible hand is a concept in economics that suggests that individuals, while pursuing their own self-interests in a free market, inadvertently promote the best interests of society as a whole. The video references this concept to discuss the role of private business in addressing societal needs, alongside government and community efforts.

💡Transformation

Transformation in the video refers to the process of change and improvement that communities undergo through active civic engagement and collaboration. It is exemplified by the stories of communities addressing issues like race, poverty, and health disparities, leading to tangible improvements in the quality of life.

Highlights

Communities are groups of people living in shared geographic spaces, yet often disconnected from each other.

Technological advancement and globalization have increased disconnection despite access to global news and celebrity details.

Local public policy decisions have a profound impact on our lives, yet often overlooked in favor of global issues.

The founding of America was based on the principle of people coming together to create a democratic experiment.

Alexis de Tocqueville noted the importance of private citizens' associations in the health of a democratic society.

Democracy is not just about creating a government; it requires active participation from citizens.

Governments have limitations and cannot solve all societal problems, necessitating a social compact with private business.

Market economies often leave some people out, indicating a need for a third sector: a community sector.

The community sector, filled with volunteers and nonprofits, plays a crucial role in fulfilling societal needs.

Civic engagement is more than just voting; it's about participating in community decisions and actions.

Communities need to answer two big questions: what matters most and who gets to decide.

Values drive policies, programs, and actions, reflecting a community's priorities.

Inclusive decision-making can transform community values and lead to a more effective democracy.

Civic engagement changes communities by bringing people together to solve problems and create new policies.

Examples from Jacksonville, Florida, show how community engagement can address racial disparities and improve public education.

In Brazil, a community united to end poverty by envisioning a new economy where everyone could participate.

A Citizens Observatory in a neighboring community saved millions by scrutinizing local government expenditures.

San Antonio, Texas, transformed its local economy and health outcomes through community-wide engagement and visioning.

Community engagement not only changes communities but also transforms the individuals who participate.

Democracy becomes real when people decide what kind of community they want and take action to achieve it.

The future of communities is built by the people, not by distant governments, emphasizing the importance of local engagement.

Transcripts

[Music]

we live in communities we huddle

together in these groups of people

living in the same sort of shared

Geographic space and we're living at a

time when of technological advancement

in a time where we are increasingly

globalized and at a time we are

increasingly disconnected from each

other certainly we can go and and find

out the latest news from around the

world as well as know the most intimate

details of our favorite celebrity but we

very seldom know the name of our

nextdoor neighbor nor do we have we met

the local city council person who might

be making decisions about our future so

while we might have opinions about the

big issues around the world we don't

often pay attention to those local

public policy decisions that affect our

lives much more immediately and much

more

profoundly it didn't used to be like

this we didn't used to be this

disconnected in fact when this country

was founded it was founded on the

principle of people coming together to

create something new a democratic

experiment that was world

shaking in fact in 1831 a guy named

Alexis dville came to visit America to

see this sort of experiment in action

and he was astonished at the how people

kept coming together in these sort of

associations to make this country work

and he ended up concluding that the

health of a Democratic Society may be

measured by the quality of functions

performed by private

citizens now why would that be

so because the democracy is about

creating a government but one of the

things we've learned about governments

democratic governments is that the

government doesn't have enough power or

resource es to solve all of the problems

that we need it to have so our great

social compact feels unfulfilled because

government isn't doing everything that

we want it to do and if Government had

that level of power or resources we'd

call it tyranny and we try to overthrow

it and so it doesn't work and so we've

turned to something else to try to make

this American experiment work and that's

turning to Private Business the market

sector where we think that the uh

Invisible Hand of Economics the private

business will be able to fill those gaps

in the social in the social cont in the

social compact that together with

government and Private Industry we can

work together uh free government and a

free market economy and be able to

create uh worthwhile communities that

enhance the quality of life of people in

those communities and yet one thing we

know about market economies is there's

always someone on the outside looking in

or on the bottom looking up simply put

it doesn't work like that it's not

enough to be able to solve what we need

in our local communities what's missing

is a third sector uh a community sector

an independent sector the sector that's

filled full of individual volunteers and

organized nonprofits who are associating

together for the public good and filling

those gaps in our societal compact the

ones who are doing what needs to happen

in order for needs to be met dreams to

be realized and for our entire Community

to move forward

you know when I grew up I grew up

learning a little bit about how

democracies worked and this this idea of

government was something pretty

astonishing to me I thought it was

pretty neat and I thought I could be a

part of that but what I learned was on

on how government worked was something

The Schoolhouse Rock taught me on how a

bill became a law right you saw that I

remember learning in Civic class about

there's three branches of government

history class taught me about the

Constitution and how it was amended and

so we could become free and and I

thought that government and governance

were the same thing that our job as

Citizens was to vote for someone to be

an elected office and they would make

the decisions and we got to sit on the

sidelines and complain about things

right and that was how things worked

that they did the governing and we did

the whining and and together we moved

forward and so when I turned 18 I was

really excited because then I could

register to vote and to do my civic

duty and yet now I'm starting to see

that government that governance in a

community can be so much more so much

bigger and then something happened to

really Chang my perspective 15 years ago

I joined an organization called JCCI the

Jacksonville Community Council Inc and

it was an exciting experience for me I

was I had come from a helping profession

uh I'm a social worker by trade and I

had been feeling good about doing good

I'd been working with children and

families and homelessness and mental

illness and I had been involved in this

in this changing people's lives and

feeling like I was making a difference

in the world and suddenly I found myself

in an organization that held a lot of

meetings and we met about everything and

and people would come in for these

meetings and we would talk about things

and we talk about public policy and I

thought over and over that first year

have I made a mistake I began to

question my choices what happened to

making a difference in the

world but sometime during that first

year I started to see something happen I

saw people coming together who normally

wouldn't come together having

conversations that normally wouldn't

happen talking about things in ways that

nobody had been talking about before I

saw people coming together and creating

new ideas shaping new public policy

building new programs transforming lives

in short what I really saw was the power

of Civic

engagement and I saw that Civic

engagement in action making something

happen making something miraculous

making something

real now one of the things I learned in

that is that Civic engagement is more

than just uh than just this voting that

we used to think about Civic engagement

was what I learned is that Civic

engagement at its core really is the

most important factor in making

communities work you see governments can

function they can pass laws they can

make decisions but you don't get the

quality of life you're really want in a

community unless everybody's a part of

that unless everybody's a part of making

those decisions and working on those

things that matter

most and I discovered that communities

all communities and All Nations around

the world have two big questions that

they have to

answer the first question is what

matters most

you see policies and programs and

budgets and actions are all built on

values those values Drive what we do

they drive what's important they drive

what we measure they drive everything

that we do the values of a

community are manifest in the kinds of

policies and programs and actions of

budgets that get enacted and made real

and are reflected in the lives of the

people who live in that community so the

most important question is a community

has to decide is what what matters most

what do you value but the second

question often will determine the answer

to the first question and that is who

gets to decide who's allowed to tell you

what matters most you see if you have a

system where where the only people

involved are government and private

business you might end up with a system

that I don't know favored incumbency and

created income inequalities and you

wouldn't want that to happen

what we find is that as people get

involved in communities and start to

share the things they value they

transform the values of

communities they transform the policies

that a community pays attention to they

change the definition of success that a

community has for

itself and you start to see a very

different kind of democracy playing out

in the community in fact that's the only

way you can make democracy work and by

work work I'm talking about that stuff

that government by the people for the

people of the people the stuff Lincoln

used to talk about right that's the kind

of thing that starts to happen when you

start inviting people into those

conversations let me tell you a couple

of stories about what this looks like in

communities here in Jacksonville

Florida we live in a community that is

Tainted by a legacy of slavery and

segregation and we started looking at

issues of race in our community and we

weren't doing a very good job of

addressing

it and so we brought together 300 people

to have a different kind of conversation

and find a new approach to how we dealt

with race and race-based disparities now

these 300 people met weekly for nine

months to have this different kind of

conversation and this wasn't just a

usual suspect this was a group of

unusual suspects we had three white

supremacist organizations represented in

the room sitting shoulder-to-shoulder

with people who had marched with Dr

Martin Luther King we had people who had

suffered under segregation

and people had only read about it in

history books and they came together and

they challenged each other's perceptions

they shared each other's stories they

looked at data they began to have a

different kind of conversation and at

the end they reached a set of

recommendations by consensus that said

here's what our community needs to do

differently and then they put those

recommendations into action and we

started to see change we saw achievement

gaps in our public education system

start to close we saw Health dispari

shrink we saw a conversation change to

start looking at those structural and

institutional racism that was behind

some of the policies and practices of

our institutions and we started to see a

different approach to what we were

dealing with race I started to see the

same thing in other places in lrina

Brazil it's a community that decided

that they were going to end third world

poverty in their

community and they did it and they did

it by bringing together government and

business and Academia and residence and

having a new kind of conversation and

envisioning a new kind of economy in

which everyone was allowed to

participate a neighboring Community

created a Citizens Observatory where

Ordinary People sat down and looked at

every single expenditure of local

government that first year they saved

millions of dollars which then they

reallocated toward the services that the

residents said they needed and the

community prospered we're seeing this in

places around the world in San Antonio

Texas a community came together to

Envision a new kind of future and they

began to reinvigorate the city with this

belief of what they could and should

become they created a a vision of

themselves as a brain power community

and by working together by pulling

together regular people ordinary folk

with business and government but regular

people together working together and

sharing ideas and dreams for a new

future they went from a brain drain

Community to a brain gain community in 3

years they transformed their local

economy to one of the strongest in the

United States and they worked on issues

of Health in their Community they were

tired of being known as one of the

fattest cities in America and so they

worked together and put salad bars in

their school system and public events

with which involved healthy activities

and they tackled the complex issues and

the simple issues down to taking care of

stray dogs in neighborhoods where people

people were afraid to walk or Jog and

what they saw was their adult obesity

rates dropped 20% in 3 years and now

they're on the fittest cities America

list these things happen when people

come together to transform

communities but this community

engagement doesn't just change the

community it changes the people in it

people become different as they move

from the sidelines where they have been

complaining about government and writing

letters to the editor into moving to the

middle of the action where now they're

coming together to learn about the

community to engage in problem solving

and act to make positive change they

gain a

responsibility and a sense of Pride

about the community in which they live

and it starts to transform them and

create connections among other people in

the community and suddenly you find a

community full of people connected to

each other working together on a common

vision and a common cause and the

community transforms and the people

transform and what you have in practice

is what what Alexis dville

found when he came in 1831 and was

astonished at these public associations

around this country of America Suzanne

Morris once said that democracy becomes

real for people when they decide what

kind of community they want she said

that's the leverage it might take to

change our own destiny those are the

kinds of things we're seeing in

conversations all around the world as

people are have are trying to figure out

a new definition of success for Nations

and a new way of engaging people close

to home this last month we had someone

come in from Egypt who spent a month

with us to think about and learn about

how to engage people differently in his

country you see he had learned firsthand

that changing government doesn't

automatically create freedom and

prosperity for all that what you need is

a change in governance itself and he was

looking for new ways to engage people in

his community to create something new

for his country these are the kinds of

stories and things we're seeing around

the world right now as people understand

the power of Civic engagement but you

understand

it you've lived it you're part of it you

know how to

connect see the thing is we live in

communities we live in groups of people

sharing this Geographic space but we

have an opportunity to do more we have

an opportunity to connect in communities

and connect with each other to create

something better and bigger than

ourselves and to become part of

something that fulfills the promises

that were made a couple hundred years

ago this is our opportunity to do

something better to believe in a better

future you see the future of our

communities is not going to be built in

Washington or Brussels or Berlin it's

going to be built by you and me and so I

urge you to connect to each other to

connect to your communities to engage in

a new kind of conversation to engage in

a new kind of experience and to create

the kind of community that you know we

all know that we deserve and that we

need to have for ourselves and for our

children because this is our history but

this is also our future thank you

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]