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etter togethe
the report of the saguaro seminar: civic engagement in americareprint of 2000 report,with new introduction
 
american success built by
doingtogether
The examples on the facing page represent America at its best:a nation of helpers,joiners,and good citizens bent on buildingcommunity in a big,diverse,modern nation.Notwithstandingits reputation as a land of rugged individualists and cutthroatcapitalists,America throughout its history has been exceptionallycivic-minded by any standard.We are a nation rich in “socialcapital,”which we define as “social networks and the norms ofreciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them.”
i
Americanshave a remarkable proclivity to reach out to one another,to lenda hand to others in need,and to organize groups to advance thecommonweal.This ability has earned the respect and admirationofinternational observers at least since Alexis de Tocqueville’sfamous insight in the 1830s that “Americans of all ages,allconditions,and all dispositions constantly form associations.”
ii
In Kentucky,
an educational advocacy groupcalledthe Prichard Committee trains parents acrossthe state to be civic leaders in their children’sschools.The parents learn how to run meetings,analyze information,prepare agendas,and,mostimportantly,recruit other parents to get involved.
In an Ann Arbor,Michigan,
neighborhood,fouryoung couples decide to get together every Tuesdaynight for dinner and conversation,rotating the cook-ingand cleaning responsibilities.A few monthsafter its inception,this supper club evolves into theneighborhood’sunofficial organizing committee,sponsoringblock parties,movie outings and othersocial affairs.
In Washington,D.C.,
a non-profit organizationisassembling a group of 125 emerging leaders under40 years old who have begun making a difference inthe capital city.These leaders’ contributions,in areasfrom public education to crime reduction,have notyet been fully recognized by local foundations,media,or leadership programs.But under the auspicesof an18-month leadership program sponsored by thenonprofit Local Initiative Support Training andEducation Network (
LISTEN
),these young socialentrepreneurs will form friendships and partner-ships with one another and,it is hoped,evolve intoWashington’s next generation of civic stewards.
In state capitals across the country,
a non-profit job-training and civic-education group knownas YouthBuild holds “advocacy days”for young dis-advantaged adults.These young people meet withstate and federal legislators to discuss problemsaffecting the young people and their communities.One advocacy day participant,leaving a U.S.Senator’soffice,summarized his first meaningfulexperience withcivic participation: “To think I wast-ed years dealing drugs when I could have beendoing this – telling legislators what matters to me!”
Oklahoma MetaFund,
a virtual communitydevelopmentcorporation,serves as a connector andbroker,linking civic leaders in counties statewide withbankerswho will provide start-up capital for eco-nomic developmentprojects,including micro-busi-nesses in the civic leaders’ communities.Thefounders created the fund in the recognition that,inforging a prosperous community,whom you know— your social network - matters more than whatyou know.
From Tucson,Arizona,to Eastport,Maine,
the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange works with localarts organizations and community residents toproduce evening-length dance performances to cel-ebrate community resiliency in the face of difficulttimes.Besides dance,the “Hallelujah”projectsinvolve singing,storytelling,and local conversa-tions about the importance of working together forthe good of all.
 
N o w,more than ever,we need one another’s strength and compassion.Through our actsof connection with others,we can collectively form a living memorial that honors thosewho have and those who may give their lives – those who rushed into burning skyscrapers;those who confronted hijackers and forced a plane to the ground; those who fell victim tobioterrorism; those caught so unaware at their Pentagon desks that awful morning ofSeptember 11; and the innocents that may perish in future acts of terrorist vengeance.
community hopein a dark era
of 00

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