Groups of people that have a sincere sense of
community are easy to identify. There is true
respect among people and easiness about their
interactions. There is a common understanding of
how people relate and room for diverse voices.
There is an overriding attitude that everyone is “in it
together” rather than “every person for themselves.”
Creating a sincere sense of community takes time
and diligence. It takes commitment from the group
and conscious efforts on the part of public leaders
to support and foster relationships.
The rewards are worth the effort. A sincere sense
of community creates a compelling reason for people to get involved with public issues. It promotes a genuine base of support and affection for community initiatives and it fosters commitment to sustain action over time.
At Conocer, we believe developing a sense of community is most often done through everyday actions in everyday settings. We also know that it can occasionally take special efforts to really bring people together. Our services facilitate these efforts by helping public leaders to:
- Convene relevant and critical voices
- Assess a group’s sense of community
- Clarify the relationships people seek with one another
- Identify opportunities to foster a sense of community
- Develop special initiatives to help people forge a sense of community