Reimagined Community

Lesson Two: Surface ways to contribute with neighbors

In general, groups begin as a product of strong, overlapping, interpersonal relationships, which produces a series of formal and informal associations and institutions that bring people together around common goals and values. Keystone actors and institutions emerge as central supporting hubs, working to break down barriers and integrate disparate ... See more

Mutual aid inherently centers human connection. It requires cooperation to create networks of care and levels of generosity to meet the immediate needs of a given community. BSS strongly emphasized having conversations with neighbors –even at the expense of efficiency – as its organizational model necessitated mutual support and community involveme... See more

The term mutual aid was popularized by anarchist philosopher Peter Kropotkin who argued that cooperation and not competition was the driving force behind human evolution.

The role of informal, everyday interaction—sometimes unpredictable and serendipitous—should not be underestimated. But this requires a place-based social infrastructure that encourages such interaction. Neighbourhood churches (or other places of worship), religious activities, schools, butcher shops, markets, town squares, beauty parlours, taverns,... See more

This is also inspired by Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s First Minister of Digital Affairs, on increasing the bitrate of democracy by creating more opportunities for people to participate. Can we increase the bitrate of neighborhoods?

Collectively, they lack the gravity necessary to reestablish a sense of responsibility for the people and places around us.

It’s difficult to customize, control, and run the software needed for a local social network. Existing commercial solutions are expensive and limit a community’s ability to control and customize the software and data. Open-source software often requires technical expertise to set up, manage, and customize.

Our preparation for rolling the network out included a survey of the community about local civic engagement and a mapping of existing civic groups—both helped us identify potential partners and build an understanding of civic life in the community. This fact-finding and coalition building, along with prior work, informed our approach to building an... See more