Too often we think solutions to local problems like over-incarceration, lack of affordable housing, unemployment, and drug addiction are going to all come from our governing bodies.
And it's true that members of our city councils, county boards of supervisors and other state and national elected officials can do a lot to help address such problems. But I'm increasingly convinced that it takes the engagement of the whole community working together to really come up with good solutions.
So what if we created some stronger partnerships that helped citizens at all levels to get to know each other better and to become more actively involved?
One way would be to have existing local agencies and institutions agree to partner with each other for a time as sibling groups.
We could first think of two kinds of community organizations, 1) service producing and providing groups and 2) service promoting and encouraging groups, then have each of these in the first category partner with a chosen group in the second category, and over a five-year period of partnership, see what they could come up as some ways to bring more good.
It may not be easy or even seem helpful to distinguish between the two kinds of groups, but I picture the first as including businesses, healthcare providers, fire and rescue organizations, educational institutions and other public and private service providers. The second group would include congregations, civic clubs, sororities and fraternities and similar non-profit entities.
The line between the two may seem arbitrary, since many in the latter groups not only seek to inspire and encourage but are often directly involved in projects and programs that directly benefit the community. But the point would be to connect groups that are somewhat unlike each other to actively brainstorm ideas with others for making ours a better community. Specifically, they would try to find ways of reducing the school drop out rate and the number of people in our jails, providing more help for those struggling to overcome addictions, etc., and to support people in gaining access to affordable housing, training for better jobs and other means of improving their lot.
During this five-year partnership, people from each group would periodically get together with representative folks in their partner group to brainstorm solutions to such issues, collaborate in bringing about positive changes and support efforts already being made to make ours a model community. The goal would not be for them to form and operate a separate organization of their own, but to encourage working through existing ones.
Examples of some possible pairings might be the Rise congregation (on East Market Street) with The Harrisonburg/Rockingham Regional Jail, Park View Mennonite Church with nearby Gemeinschaft Home, the Islamic Center with the Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority, a JMU sorority house with Patchwork Pantry, or the Harrisonburg Rotary Club with Pleasant View Homes.
An existing organization like the United Way, with help from representatives of local media, could coordinate and promote these "Better Together" partnerships. This group could serve as a clearing house for the those needing help getting connected and getting started, along with publicizing positive things groups are doing to help create more community collaboration and engagement.
Maybe you have a better idea, but I present this as one possible way of getting out of our many separate silos and began to experience a greater sense of common purpose and more united efforts at bringing about positive change.
After all, it takes a whole, diverse, and engaged neighborhood of people, working together, to bring about a whole and healthy human community.
No comments:
Post a Comment