Community Matters

Image via WikipediaThe current economic instability seems to be encouraging an increasing realisation that we need to move on from the hedonistic, consumption focus that got us all into our current mess and embrace a more sustainable, community based model for living.

Unfortunately its not as easy as it sounds. The art of building community has been sorely neglected - if not actively discouraged - in many places and healthy communities don't just happen because people finally realise that we need them. They take work. They need active citizens willing to get involved in community initiatives and prepared to participate in the decisions being made that will affect their neighbourhoods, families and livelihoods.

If we want to rebuild Community, we need to understand that our rights as property owners, business people and community citizens come with responsibilities. It is our obligation to be actively involved in the well being of our neighbourhood. Whether that is standing for office in Local Government, being a contributing member of the local school community or making an effort to attend community events.

When we choose not to take an active role in our community, and hand decision making power over to Government, big business, foreign investors or even just let it concentrate in the hands of a select few of our neighbours then our communities wither and die. In a healthy community, people feel that they are listened to, they know they are valued, they are empowered and they have control over their collective destiny.

We need to realise that working for the common good doesn't undermine our rights as individuals, it strengthens them. Building Community isn't about some people having less so that others can have more, its about making sure that everyone has enough and that all our needs are met. In a healthy community those who can look after themselves and contribute to the community do so, and those who can't are respected and supported.

Strong communities offer support when times are tough. They advocate for the weak. They take care of their own. Because of this they are resilient. Because when it comes down to it self-reliance is a cooperative activity. In order to survive comfortably in hard times going it alone just doesn't work, instead we need to build and nourish our community connections.

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Shop Local - Think Global

Image by lumierefl via FlickrIf you have aspirations to Make a Difference, but are hamstrung by indecision about where to start, who to support or how to put your money where your mouth is, consider starting local.

Supporting your community, neighbourhood and local economy makes a huge difference, and the effects don't just stop at your backyard, by keeping your focus local you can have a global impact. See the list below to find out how living local can positively impact you, your community and the world:

1. Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
   Goods that are locally made or grown don't have to travel so far to get from the producer to you. According to the World Watch Paper "Home Grown: The case for local food in a global market" a basic diet consisting of imported ingredients can use around four times the energy, and generate four times the greenhouse gas emissions, of an equivalent diet from local ingredients.
   
   
2. Keep your Money Local
   A study by the Independent Business Alliance in Austin, Texas found that for every $100 spent at local businesses $45 went back to the community. By comparison, for every $100 spent at a Chain Store, only $13 stayed in the community. This money helps to create jobs, supports local producers and raises local incomes.
   
   On a global scale, for developing nations, a focus on local production and local markets ensures that people are fed, that precious foreign exchange stays in the country, and that they are not so dependent on fickle international markets.
   
   
3. Reduce Waste & Pollution
   Products that travel long distance need extra packaging for the journey. Food is treated with preservatives and additives so it lasts the distance. Local products don't need this extra, and locally grown food is fresher, tastier and healthier.
   
   Industrial agriculture is chemical and energy intensive. It pollutes our land and our water ways. Greedy global corporations focused on profit exploit workers in sweatshop conditions. Local producers working for local markets are more accountable to their communities. They are not focused on constant growth, and work within a more sustainable economic model.
   
   
4. Encourage Crop Diversity
   Industrial farms like economies of scale. Its easier and more 'efficient' to grow one variety of carrot than half a dozen. Its much easier to just grow carrots instead of carrots and potatoes and broccoli and tomatoes. Industrial farms growing for export grow food that will travel well and still look the part when it gets where its going, and that isn't necessarily the best tasting or most nutritious variety.
   Image via Wikipedia
   Local farmers producing for local markets can grow what their customers want to buy. They can grow varieties of fruit or vegetables that suit local conditions, which reduces the amount of chemicals used on the crops. According to Home Grown "diverse organic and ecological farms, which rely less on purchased inputs and more on taking advantage of the ecological processes in the field, cost less to maintain and make more efficient use of land, nutrients, energy, and otherinputs, than do chemical-intensive monocultures."
   
   
5. Fair Made-Traded-Grown
   Producing for the local market cuts out the middlemen that eat into producers income. In America studies have shown that farmers only get 20 cents of each dollar Americans spend on food. The other 80 cents is gobbled up by packaging, transportation, processing and advertising. So buying local, from local farmers, businesses, and producers means they get a fair price for their hard work - and you still get things cheaper!!
   

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5 Ways to be Generous in Tough Economic Times

Image via WikipediaWith prices rising and the fear of deepening recession over our heads, its easy to justify a little selfishness. Its hard enough to look after our own families in these times of doubt, let alone trying to help anyone else, right?

Our communities have become so fragmented, and people are so busy with their individual concerns, that quite often they don't even know their neighbours, let alone know how they are coping in the current uncertain economic climate.

But for our Communities to come out of this better off, we all need to give a little - or even a lot. And I'm not talking money here. Peruse the list below for ideas on how you can give even when times are tough!

1. Got a Green Thumb?
If you already have a vegetable garden, consider growing extra to donate to the local foodbank or to families you know that are in need. You could donate your expertise to help start a community garden or teach your neighbours how to grow their own food. You could organise for everyone in your street to grow a different vegetable and share amongst yourselves.

Read more about growing your own vegetables in pots here. Find out about creating your own Urban Homestead here.


2. Be Kind
Be thoughtful, try not to judge. Nobody in financial trouble specifically chose that outcome. They probably made choices along the way that made it more likely, but I doubt they woke up one morning and decided they wanted to be a statistic in the next recession.

Many people are afraid at the moment. Afraid they may lose their jobs, their businesses, the things they have worked hard to accumulate. Bear this in mind during your dealings with others and be kind.

Read more about the importance of remembering to be kind here.
Check out Operation NICE's beautiful NICE Tip Cards here.

3. Are You Good with Money?
Personal Financial Management skills are sadly lacking for many people these days, and frugal living is only just coming back into fashion. If you have budgeting and frugal living down to a fine art, offer your services to others in your community. You could work with individuals, or offer classes in the evenings or weekends.

4. Got Skills?
Are there people in your community that need things done but can't afford to pay? If you've got the skills to help them out, then be generous with your time and offer your services for free. It could be anything from advocacy to yardwork, car repairs to home maintenance. You could even set up some sort of Time Bank or barter system.

Read more about Time Banking here.

5. Be a Good Neighbour
Support you neighbourhood. Shop locally wherever possible - it saves you money on petrol and it saves you time because you don't have to go as far. Shopping locally keeps money and jobs in your community (in comparison, when you shop at the supermarket about 80% of your spend leaves the community), and a thriving neighbourhood keeps your property values up!

Read more about building a strong neighbourhood here.

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5 Ways to Rebuild Your Neighbourhood

Image via Wikipedia We live such disconnected lives nowadays. We commute long distances to work, we work long hours, we barely have enough time for our family let alone our neighbourhood. But by neglecting our most immediate community connections we lose an invaluable support network, we miss out on the opportunity to forge great friendships, to create a safe environment for our kids to play in and to have the sense of really belonging that comes with being a contributing member of the neighbourhood.

It seems that neighbourliness is a lost art. And it shows in the graffiti on fences and buildings, in the litter on the street, in the lonliness of people who live surrounded by other lonely people in our cities and towns. But its not so hard to be neighbourly. All it takes is to slow down a little and make an effort.

When was the last time you stopped to chat with someone who lives in your street? If its been a while, then perhaps its time to get to know your neighbours and rebuild your neighbourhood! Check out the list below for some ideas to get you started.

1. Be welcoming
It sounds corny, I know, but take the time to welcome new families to your neighbourhood. Think of the things that they may need to know - like when the rubbish is collected, if there are any neighbourhood playgroups or youth groups, where the local parks, libraries, recreation facilities are. You could even come up with a Welcome pack to present to new families with all that info.

2. Meet your neighbours
If you don't know the people that live around you, make a point of getting to know them. You could organise a get together for the neighbourhood in the local park, or simply make the effort to smile and say hello when you see people on the street.

3. Share with your neighbours
Share your skills, the bounty of your garden, your time, your possessions . . . it can take time to build a sense of trust but it has to start somewhere and it might as well be with you.

4. Encourage neighbourhood pride
Organise a group of neighbours to pick up litter from the sidewalk or to clean up the local park, take action to eliminate graffiti. It may only be a few of you at first, but its amazing the difference in people's attitude towards their neighbourhood once it starts to look like someone cares.

5. Support your Community
Support local business and recreation facilities, they can be a real rallying point and source of pride for your neighbourhood.

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