Celebrating the labor that holds up our democracy: the community entrepreneur
New_ Publicnewpublic.substack.com
Celebrating the labor that holds up our democracy: the community entrepreneur
as Bob Putnam lays out in Bowling Alone, participation in parent-teacher organizations has dropped from more than 12 million in 1964 to about 7 million. Despite decades of increased urban migration bringing us more physically proximate to each other, we don’t know each other better — instead, our reported feelings of loneliness have shockingly doub... See more
New_ Public • Celebrating the labor that holds up our democracy: the community entrepreneur
people who are creating containers for healthy community building. They see solutions to problems through the lens of relationship. They connect people to one another and create and cultivate spaces for people to develop relationships to solve problems. They know these spaces need tending to remain healthy and put in the time and effort to do that
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the creation of healthy digital public spaces requires an investment in community entrepreneurs who will create and lead them, too. A field-wide coordinated investment. An investment of capital to support them and compensate them for their value; an investment of training in formal and non-formal ways to support them to get better; an investment in... See more
New_ Public • Celebrating the labor that holds up our democracy: the community entrepreneur
Without spaces that cultivate belonging and a shared sense of purpose, why do we expect anything other than high rates of loneliness, polarization, and attacks on our Capital building?
New_ Public • Celebrating the labor that holds up our democracy: the community entrepreneur
If we want a better democracy, we need the same for community entrepreneurs. For too long now, these people have done this work without being paid, recognized, or even acknowledged. On Facebook, they are called group admins; on Reddit, they are moderators. But they aren’t just admins or moderators. They are leaders. They are entrepreneurs - forging
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Naming things can mobilize - investment, attention, and capital. Naming things can create identity and a sense of collective purpose and pride.