The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods by Pet

Description: The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods by Peter Block, John McKnight John McKnight and Peter Block show that we have the capacity to find real and sustainable satisfaction right in our neighbourhood and community. This book reports on voluntary, self-organising structures that focus on gifts and value hospitality, the welcoming of strangers. It shows how to reweave our social fabric. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description We need our neighbors and community to stay healthy, produce jobs, raise our children, and care for those on the margin. Institutions and professional services have reached their limit of their ability to help us.The consumer society tells us that we are insufficient and that we must purchase what we need from specialists and systems outside the community. We have become consumers and clients, not citizens and neighbors. John McKnight and Peter Block show that we have the capacity to find real and sustainable satisfaction right in our neighborhood and community.This book reports on voluntary, self-organizing structures that focus on gifts and value hospitality, the welcoming of strangers. It shows how to reweave our social fabric, especially in our neighborhoods. In this way we collectively have enough to create a future that works for all. Author Biography John McKnight is emeritus professor of education and social policy and codirector of the Asset-Based Community Development Institute at Northwestern University. He is the coauthor of Building Communities from the Inside Out and the author of The Careless Society. He has been a community organizer and serves on the boards of several national organi-zations that support neighborhood development.Peter Block is a partner in Designed Learning, a training company that offers workshops designed by Block to build the skills outlined in his books. He is the author of Flawless Consulting, Stewardship, The Answer to How Is Yes, and Community. He is the recipient of numerous awards, most recently the Organization Development Networks 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award. Table of Contents Welcome Introduction The Elements of Satisfaction The Universal Properties Part One: The Shift from Citizen to Consumer Chapter 1: The Limits of Consumption Chapter 2: What Did We Lose and Where Did It Go? Chapter 3: The Effects of Living in a Consumer World Part Two: Choosing a Satisfied Life Chapter 4: The Abundant Community Chapter 5: Community Abundance in Action Part Three: Creating Abundance Chapter 6: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods Chapter 7: The Power of Connectors Notes Resources Acknowledgments Index About the Authors Review "The Abundant Community is a book that reminds us that our greatest strength as a people comes from the gifts of caring, aware communities and neighborhoods." —Frances Strickland, educational psychologist and First Lady of Ohio "Peter and John provocatively challenge us as individuals to understand the power of the individual and the potential of our work together. They also suggest local governments develop new ways of engaging and connecting residents to develop the assets available in all communities." —Robert J. ONeill, Jr., Executive Director, International City/County Management Association "This is a magnificent book. It is intelligent, but more than that, it is wise. This book is the kukakuka (deep conversation) between two kupuna (wise elders), sharing stories, ideas, memories, regrets, possibilities, and hope and weaving all of it together for us. Read this book with your mind, heart, and spirit." —Puanani Burgess, Principal, One Peace-at-a-Time "In this slim volume there is theory and there is practice but above all, hope and a way out of the disconnectedness of our society. It remind us that the success of the American democratic experiment lies in the hands of its citizens." —James Keene, City Manager, Palo Alto, California "The Abundant Community presents an elegant and compelling argument... A powerful statement that can simultaneously enable our everyday politics and enrich our souls." —Carmen Sirianni, Morris Hillquit Professor of Labor and Social Thought, Brandeis University, and author of Investing in Democracy "This book is a remarkable and timely contribution. It proposes an inspiring alternative that pushes us to engage and reengage on this entirely possible journey of hope." —Jack Pierpoint, Publisher, Inclusion Press "The Abundant Community is both a gentle awakening and a powerful call to action. These ideas have inspired a network of community builders in South Africa." —Dr. Louise van Rhyn, founder, Symphonia (South Africa) "In an era when we look to professions and institutions to address most of our community needs, or to fix our neighborhood problems, this book provides the refreshing and empowering perspective that what we most need exists all around us—a message that is as relevant in Mumbai as it is in Minneapolis." —Mary Coyle, Director; Gordon Cunningham, Assistant Director; and Alison Mathie, Manager, Research and Publications, The Coady Institute, and authors of From Clients to Citizens "We live in a world where every day many people experience loneliness, anxiety, and want. Many are hoping and wondering when the big break will come. This book contains the map to the buried treasure. Locked in the secret code invitation, participation, connection is the source of our wealth: our own and our neighbors giftedness." —Judith Snow, social inventor and peace advocate "For over thirty-five years John McKnight and his colleagues at Evanston have labored to clarify the essence of mobilizing communities for health. Now writing with Peter Block the two offer us the E = mc2 of health. This book is destined to be a bible for public health and human services." —Dr. John R. Ashton, Chairman, United Kingdom Public Health Association, and Director of Public Health, Cumbria, England "This book exposes what economists have missed: the core economy of community. It provides the vision and the tools that put a life of mean- ing and abundance within our reach and answers the only two questions we need to ask: Why are we here? And what kind of world do we want to leave for those who come after us?" —Edgar Cahn, founder, Time Banks, and author of No More Throw-Away People "Block and McKnight go right to the heart of what we have to pay atten- tion to and do if we want to live in a better world. Their book is intelli- gent, practical, and well crafted. Use it to help make your world better." —Adam Kahane, Partner, Reos Partners, and author of Power and Love "This book gives us a new lens by which to see heretofore unseen limi- tations on and new possibilities for communal life. A useful guide for community organizers like me." —Jimmy Toyama, Columnist, Nurturing Our Taro Patches, The Paradise Post Review Quote "The Abundant Community is a book that reminds us that our greatest strength as a people comes from the gifts of caring, aware communities and neighborhoods." --Frances Strickland, educational psychologist and First Lady of Ohio "Peter and John provocatively challenge us as individuals to understand the power of the individual and the potential of our work together. They also suggest local governments develop new ways of engaging and connecting residents to develop the assets available in all communities." --Robert J. ONeill, Jr., Executive Director, International City/County Management Association "This is a magnificent book. It is intelligent, but more than that, it is wise. This book is the kukakuka (deep conversation) between two kupuna (wise elders), sharing stories, ideas, memories, regrets, possibilities, and hope and weaving all of it together for us. Read this book with your mind, heart, and spirit." --Puanani Burgess, Principal, One Peace-at-a-Time "In this slim volume there is theory and there is practice but above all, hope and a way out of the disconnectedness of our society. It remind us that the success of the American democratic experiment lies in the hands of its citizens." --James Keene, City Manager, Palo Alto, California "The Abundant Community presents an elegant and compelling argument... A powerful statement that can simultaneously enable our everyday politics and enrich our souls." --Carmen Sirianni, Morris Hillquit Professor of Labor and Social Thought, Brandeis University, and author of Investing in Democracy "This book is a remarkable and timely contribution. It proposes an inspiring alternative that pushes us to engage and reengage on this entirely possible journey of hope." --Jack Pierpoint, Publisher, Inclusion Press "The Abundant Community is both a gentle awakening and a powerful call to action. These ideas have inspired a network of community builders in South Africa." --Dr. Louise van Rhyn, founder, Symphonia (South Africa) "In an era when we look to professions and institutions to address most of our community needs, or to fix our neighborhood problems, this book provides the refreshing and empowering perspective that what we most need exists all around us--a message that is as relevant in Mumbai as it is in Minneapolis." --Mary Coyle, Director; Gordon Cunningham, Assistant Director; and Alison Mathie, Manager, Research and Publications, The Coady Institute, and authors of From Clients to Citizens "We live in a world where every day many people experience loneliness, anxiety, and want. Many are hoping and wondering when the big break will come. This book contains the map to the buried treasure. Locked in the secret code invitation, participation, connection is the source of our wealth: our own and our neighbors giftedness." --Judith Snow, social inventor and peace advocate "For over thirty-five years John McKnight and his colleagues at Evanston have labored to clarify the essence of mobilizing communities for health. Now writing with Peter Block the two offer us the E = mc2 of health. This book is destined to be a bible for public health and human services." --Dr. John R. Ashton, Chairman, United Kingdom Public Health Association, and Director of Public Health, Cumbria, England "This book exposes what economists have missed: the core economy of community. It provides the vision and the tools that put a life of mean- ing and abundance within our reach and answers the only two questions we need to ask: Why are we here? And what kind of world do we want to leave for those who come after us?" --Edgar Cahn, founder, Time Banks, and author of No More Throw-Away People "Block and McKnight go right to the heart of what we have to pay atten- tion to and do if we want to live in a better world. Their book is intelli- gent, practical, and well crafted. Use it to help make your world better." --Adam Kahane, Partner, Reos Partners, and author of Power and Love "This book gives us a new lens by which to see heretofore unseen limi- tations on and new possibilities for communal life. A useful guide for community organizers like me." --Jimmy Toyama, Columnist, Nurturing Our Taro Patches, The Paradise Post Excerpt from Book Introduction THERE IS A GROWING movement of people with a different vision for their local communities. They know that real satisfaction and the good life cannot be provided by corporations, institutions, or systems. No number of great executives, central offices, technical innovations, or long-range plans can produce what a community can produce. People are discovering that satisfying possibilities for their lives are in the neighborhood, not in the marketplace. In many nations, local people have come together to pursue a common calling. They are groups of local people who have the courage to discover their own way--to create a culture made by their own vision. It is a handmade, homemade vision. And wherever we look, it is a culture that starts the same way, with an awakening: First, we see the abundance that we have--individually, as neighbors, and in this place of ours. Second, we know that the power of what we have grows from creating new connections and relationships among and between what we have. Third, we know that these connections are no accident. They happen when we individually or collectively act to make the connections--they dont just happen by themselves. We also know that these three steps, which awaken us to our abundance, not our scarcities, can often be undermined by great corporate, governmental, professional, and academic institutions. By their nature as systems, they say to us, "You are inadequate, incompetent, problematic, or broken. We will fix you. Go back to sleep." It is our calling as citizens to ignore the voices that create dependency, for we are called to find our own way--not to follow their way. Most all of us live in a democracy, a politics that gives us the freedom to create our vision and the power to make that vision come true. We strive to be citizens--people with the vision and the power to create our own way, a culture of community capacity, connection, and care. Unfortunately, many leaders and even some neighbors think the idea of a strong local community is something thats sort of "nice," a luxury if you have the spare time, but not really important, vital, or necessary. However, we know from our work in communities around the globe that strong communities are vital, productive, and important. And above all, they are necessary because of the inherent limits of all institutions. No matter how hard they try, our very best institutions cannot do many things that only we can do. And the things that only we can do as a family and a neighborhood are vital to a decent, good, satisfied life. The Elements of Satisfaction People in the movement know what only we have the power to do as local neighbors and citizens. All the elements of satisfaction grow out of an abundant community: image Our neighborhoods are the primary source of our Health. How long we live and how often we are sick are determined by our personal behaviors, our social relationships, our physical environment, and our income. We are the people who can change these things, individually and with our neighbors. Medical systems and doctors cannot. This is why scientists agree that medical care accounts for a small proportion of what allows us to be healthy. Indeed, most informed medical leaders advocate for community health initiatives because they recognize that medical systems have reached the limits of their health-giving power. image Whether we are Safe and Secure in our neighborhood is largely within our domain. Many studies show that there are two major determinants of our local safety.1 One is how many neighbors we know by name. The other is how often we are present and associated in public-- outside our houses. Police activity is a minor protection compared with these two community actions. This is why most informed police leaders advocate for block watch and community policing. They know their limits and call on citizens to become connected. image The future of our earth--the Environment--is a major local responsibility. The "energy problem" is our local domain because how we transport ourselves, how we heat and light our homes, and how much waste we create are major factors in saving our earth. That is why this movement is a major force in calling us and our neighbors to be citizens of the earth and not just consumers of the natural wealth. image In our neighborhoods and villages, we have the power to build a resilient Economy-- one less dependent on the megasystems of finance and production that have proved to be so unreliable. Most enterprise begins locally, in garages, basements, and dining rooms. The first dollars in any new business come from family and friends, not banks or venture capitalists. As families and neighbors, we have the local power to nurture and support these businesses so that they have a viable market. And we have the local power to preserve our own savings so that we are not captives of financial institutions. We also are the most reliable sources of jobs, for in many nations, word of mouth among friends and neighbors is still the most important access to employment. The future of our economic security is now clearly a responsibility and growing necessity for local people. image We are coming to see that we have a profound local responsibility for the Food we eat. We are allied with the local food movement, supporting local producers and markets. In this way, we do our part to solve the energy problem caused by transportation of food from continents away. We do our part to solve our economic problems by circulating our dollars locally. And we improve our health by eating food free of poisons, petroleum, and processing. This means that real health care reform is in our hands, not just in the hands of legislators and industries. image We are local people who must raise our Children. We all say that it takes a village to raise a child. And yet, in modernized societies, this is rarely true. Instead, we pay systems to raise our children-- teachers, counselors, coaches, youth workers, nutritionists, doctors, and McDonalds. We are often reduced as families to being responsible for paying others to teach, watch, and know our children, and to transport them to their paid child raisers. Our villages have often become useless-- our neighbors responsible for neither their children nor ours. As a result, everywhere we talk about the local "youth problem." There is no "youth problem." There is a neighborhood problem: adults who have forgone their responsibility and capacity to join their neighbors in sharing the wealth of children. It is our greatest challenge and our most hopeful possibility. image Locally, we are the site of Care. Our institutions can offer only service--not care--for care is the freely given commitment from the heart of one to another; it cannot be purchased. As neighbors, we care for each other. We care for our children. We care for our elders. We care for those most vulnerable among us. It is this care that is the basic power of a community of citizens. Care cannot be provided, managed, or purchased from systems. Health, safety, environment, economy, food, children, and care are the seven responsibilities of an abundant community and its citizens. They are the necessities that only we can fulfill. And when we fail, no institution or government can succeed. Because we are the veritable foundation of the society. The Universal Properties At the heart of our movement are three universal properties. A community becomes powerful and competent when it awakens these properties. They become the source of power in families and neighborhoods. Here are the three basics of our calling: The Giving of Gifts--The gifts of the people in our neighborhood are boundless. Our movement calls forth those gifts. The Presence of Association--In association we join our gifts together, and they become amplified, magnified, productive, and celebrated. The Compassion of Hospitality--We welcome strangers because we value their gifts and need to share our own. Our doors are open. There are no strangers here, just friends we havent met. These are the properties of a community of abundance. There is no limit to our gifts, our associations, and our hospitality. This can all be considered a calling. We are the people who know what we need. What we need surrounds us. What we need is each other. And when we act together, we will create competence in our community and satisfaction in our lives. We are called to nothing less. And it is not so wild a dream. It requires only that we create with our hands and in our homes what we once thought we could purchase. A NOTE TO THE READER (YOU) We want to define three terms we use interchangeably, even though they have different specific meanings; these are the terms association, neighborhood, and community. Here is how we mean them: Association is three or more people who come together by choice and mostly without pay because of a common interest. The common interest may be simply to be together, or it may be to change the world. A neighborhood is the place where you live and sleep. It could be your block or the square mile surrounding where you live. It may or may not have a name. The word community is more difficult, but we use it as a general term to describe what occurs outside systems and institutions. It also refers to an aggregation of people or neighborhoods that have something in common. It is both a place and an experience of connectedness. When we use the term community competence, we mean the capa Details ISBN1609940814 Year 2012 ISBN-10 1609940814 ISBN-13 9781609940812 Media Book Pages 192 Publisher Berrett-Koehler Imprint Berrett-Koehler Subtitle Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods Place of Publication San Francisco Country of Publication United States DEWEY 307.3362 Short Title ABUNDANT COMMUNITY Language English Format Paperback Series Agency/Distributed UK Release Date 2012-03-05 AU Release Date 2012-03-05 NZ Release Date 2012-03-05 US Release Date 2012-03-05 Author John McKnight Publication Date 2012-03-05 Audience General We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:141752853;

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