amy dubin: hidden heroes: community leaders
DESCRIPTION
Presentation on the history of community organization and what audiences can do now to positively impact their communities.TRANSCRIPT
Early Community Organizers
Around 1880, most of the
community organizing was
done to improve quality of
life and working conditions
or maintenance of
religious ideology.
Newspaper Boys on strike
Evolution
Organization can bring about powerful change.
Sometimes change isn’t necessary, but sometimes it is.
Groups can evolve to reflect the needs of those they serve.Saul Alinsky
So, what is Community?
Community is social capital. Portland is a very wealthy city becauseWe have a great number of communities, which are fairly well organized, to boot.Some people belongTo many communities!
Public Leadership?
Nixon
Public leaders are just that
People who lead the public in relevant discussions
People who lead in the public eye
Leaders can be motivated by more than ego and fame, they can be (and often are) people wanting to do right.
They want to communicate new ideas and help educate, and thus shape, the nature of their community.
It’s important because it’s the way we know that someone is listening and that they care.
Taking a standMLK Harvey Milk
Community is meaningful IF…There are contributions by more than
just public leaders.
Community members are able and willing to communicate their needs.
Those needs are responded to with action.
Benefits of meaningful community• Increase in educational opportunities for all
• Increased sense of belonging
• Stronger sense of geographic place
• Intention around one’s life and actions
• New forms of communication
• Safety net
Challenges to ‘Community’
• Time
• Money
• Suburbanization
• Digital Living
• Generational Changes
Is a Hidden Hero YOU?
YES
We were hidden heroes at one time.
Angela DavisGloria Steinem
It’s all about relationships• There may not be anyone else capable
• I might not feel strongly about a subject but do about the resulting relationships
• How to find those who are like minded if not already easily visible? Then look wherever it makes sense to look and don’t stop until you’ve got someone that ‘gets it’, or until you find a group that ‘gets’ you.
Grassroots Connections
Potlucks
Book Clubs
Work Parties
Camping
Biking
Japanese Cat
Difficulty, Time and Cost
Low Medium High0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Variables
Sphere of Influence
Organizers are a bit special
• Event Organizers
• Industry
Organizations
• Municipal
Organizations
• Sports
Organizations
• Hobby Organizers
• Cultural Influencers
Hidden Heroes
Heroism just means serving others, and it seems valuable to recognize those in your life who do things for you or who are always doing for other people and consider that they are giving way more than just their time.
We’ve come a long way
In our society, organizers can focus attention on things that even less than 100 years ago would have been impossible, paving the way for a whole new type of hidden hero, those that operate solely in the digital world. Writing blog posts, creating media and other forms of information that contribute to our sense of global community.
Hidden Heroes:
Community
LeadersAmy Dubin
Partnership Chair for AIGA (aigaportland.org)meetup.com/NorthWestCreativeSocialClub