CDSG Will be giving a presentation

Friday, Jan 22 at 1:50pm in Smith 294

about Community Building and Leadership.

Synopsis:

Leaders are not born, in fact; they often are ordinary neighbors next store. The most powerful leaders are supported by their neighborhood because vital neighborhoods play a significant role in enhancing our lives. When Robert Putnam wrote Bowling Alone, he addressed the fact that our social fabric and civic engagement was unraveling because neighbors no longer know one another. Putnam noted that while the number of bowlers was increasing, leagues where groups get together once a week to get to know one another were vanishing. We are better equipped as a society to tackle problems and become leaders when we first know one another. This builds trust and mutual understanding thereby lending to cooperative and collaborative problem solving. This session will explore community organizing and how to individuals can change the world for the better by forming strong social bonds. When communities start talking to one another and unite the most fantastic things start to happen: suddenly, mothers are petitioning for safer crosswalks to walk their children to school, children are planning and constructing community gardens and composting, youth are leading neighborhood safety patrols, and the senior book club enthusiasts are pushing politicians to create community centers.

This presentation will outline the basics of community organizing, even on little or no budget. We will relate community examples of success stories to campus success stories and student driven efforts going on right now. The seminar will conclude with discussion from participants, and will break into small facilitated groups with a skill share exercise that will show attendees we can all be leaders if we share knowledge, skills, and educate one another. Power doesn’t need to be ascribed; we can empower ourselves to sever dependence on politicians to solve our problems. Companies should never do for residents what we can do for ourselves. To create legacy is to take the professionalization out of community organizing and become the leaders ourselves.

Conference Begins 11:00am Smith 335

CDSG Presentation: 1:50pm Smith 294