Communities shape a better future through grassroots activism, social cohesion, economic development and civic engagement. They also enable collaboration and exchange of knowledge, skills and resources.
Research shows that people are happier when they have rich social connections and meaningful relationships. Community-based programs can expedite the process of building those relationships.
1. Grassroots Activism
Grassroots activism is when individuals or small groups of people act together to promote social reform and tackle complex societal issues. They are bottom-up movements that allow people to influence policies through their behaviors and actions, such as reducing plastic use or supporting fair trade.
Activists can be students, parents, professionals, or anyone who dedicates their time and effort to advocate for a cause they believe in. They often align themselves with organizations seeking similar goals, fostering strong personal connections, and providing support for one another.
The Goldman Environmental Prize describes grassroots activism as “people based, people led campaigns that bring ordinary citizens to the forefront of political change.” Activists often work on multiple levels in their communities, connecting with a wide variety of like-minded citizens and spreading awareness through social media. Their efforts can range from organizing residents to work on shared concerns, such as improving local schools or addressing environmental hazards, to putting pressure on policymakers to address pressing issues.
They can also organize and participate in protest events, which draw attention to particular issues from the media and make them harder for politicians to ignore. Other common tactics include petition drives, which collect signatures to demonstrate public support for a cause, and social media campaigns, which leverage digital platforms to spread awareness and motivate activists.
2. Social Cohesion
In the wake of xenophobic outbursts and the rise of populist, right-wing politics, the idea of social cohesion has become de rigueur in Australian public debate. The concept is used to justify measures against alleged threats to community harmony, including policies aimed at countering radicalization, often called ‘Countering Violent Extremism’. However, despite its prevalence in public debate, the concept of social cohesion remains a vague and undefined one. For some, it embodies an aspirational state of multicultural “peace”, where differences are minimized and collaboration is optimized, while for others it represents a tool to target groups that supposedly pose a threat to the community.
A clearer understanding of the meaning of social cohesion is needed to help policymakers, local governments, and civic organizations tackle its challenges. Research should explore how different dimensions of social cohesion interact, such as the importance of common bonds (e.g., trust, solidarity, and support) and the relationship between the level of these bonds and a person’s sense of belonging (e.g., their sense of rootedness in the place where they live).
Keeping abreast of trends and possibilities through ‘future thinking and foresight’ can also improve understanding of how different social and political forces might influence a country’s capacity to create a sense of social cohesion. This includes examining the impact of megatrends such as the volatile geopolitical landscape, the growing power of misinformation in the ‘Post-Truth’ era, and the increasing levels of isolation among older adults who live alone.
3. Economic Development
Economic development is an important part of building a healthy community. It includes activities like attracting business investment, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, and creating job opportunities. It also entails efforts to foster inclusive growth and ensure that all citizens can benefit from economic growth.
Economic growth is a straightforward measurement of actual economic output—it’s the increase in the monetary value of goods and services over time, driven by factors like population growth, investments, and industrial or infrastructure development. But economic development is much broader than that. It’s an ongoing effort by local governments to nurture an economy that provides a high quality of life for residents and attracts outside investment.
Many economic development initiatives involve putting vacant buildings and land into productive use, such as housing and retail establishments. Others focus on providing the workforce with the skills needed to fill jobs. This is often done by collaborating with employers, educational institutions, and community organizations.
One key element of successful economic development is public support. This is because it helps to build collaboration among stakeholders, generate buy-in from key players, and create the political will to make initiatives succeed. For example, a recent report to President Obama cited early childhood education as an effective way to address the growing number of unfilled manufacturing jobs and improve the economy.
4. Civic Engagement
Civic engagement is essential to a healthy democracy because it allows individuals to shape their communities through voting, volunteering, supporting causes, and more. The social environment in which citizens live influences their levels of civic participation. Countries with high levels of materialism and economic inequality, for instance, tend to have fewer engaged citizens.
Increasing civic engagement requires fostering an environment where it’s safe to participate and ensuring that opportunities are available for everyone, including young people. This includes ensuring that voting is accessible and convenient to all citizens by making it easy for residents to cast their ballots, allowing same-day registration, and expanding the number of polling sites. It also means promoting social activism and advocating for policies that allow all individuals to express their views.
It also involves empowering all members of a community, from local businesses to nonprofit agencies to neighborhood associations, to come together and work with one another on solutions that address public problems like housing shortages, blight, poverty, or lack of education. This approach is what the National Civic League has called “civic infrastructure,” and it’s what will help people embrace their civic identities, whether they’re working in a soup kitchen serving on their community board or supporting efforts to ban gas-powered leaf blowers. And it’s what will allow them to tackle societal challenges in ways that best reflect their values and desires.