Well I guess I need to challenge my own title here it’s not “what” but “who” is community. The short answer of course is I am, you are, and you are, and you are. It’s all of us together and apart, bound only by our own definition and if it is based on our geographical location, our race, our sex, our beliefs, our hobbies or interests, our work place, our needs or wants. Needless to say here at i60 “community” is SO important it forms part of our name. 😉 When we walk out our doors in the morning we are thinking how can I best serve my community today? We might be thinking about a workshop we are presenting, a meeting with a collaborating partner, a program we are birthing in response to a need we have become aware of. All our conversations are story driven, about finding out who, what, where and when and how we can help benefit that person, that group, our local area or broader community. Community seems too broad a word because of all it encompasses, but it is small enough to be indicative of just two people. I can’t believe I am about to do this but I want to share with you something from Wikipedia, I know, I know, but I do like this have a read:”a group or network of persons who are connected (objectively) to each other by relatively durable social relations that extend beyond immediate genealogical ties, and who mutually define that relationship (subjectively) as important to their social identity and social practice.” Sidebar: – Just realised Wikipedia is quoting someone else here – feeling so much better. 😉 Pretty good definition, I think, although you may have to read it through once or twice to let it sink in. Essentially wherever two or three (or more) gather in some way with a common anything then they can define themselves as a community. As you step out into your day, ask yourself who is in my community, and what does that mean to me, and how should I respond to that? Go and get communitised (just adding to the Aussie dictionary). – Carolyn Edwards
I love the way you communicate. It is warm & connects me to you!
I definitely want to be communitised:-)