Type of Method
Suitable for
Guides who link to this method will offer community building skills which help foster a collective resilience to Deep Adaptation under the shadow of collapse. Different guides may have very different approaches and tools to offer, you can find details of the specifics on the guides profile and feel free to ask questions to ensure the offering meets your needs and aspirations.
We were a very resilient species for many thousands and thousands of years. We ate food without chemicals and drank water without pollutants and breathed air that was clean. We also gathered in small groups around the fire or the hearth and told stories and played games and made music. This is the way we connected with each other and built community. We are now headed for very turbulent times and must relearn what we have forgotten.
If we are to reinvent our communities as we struggle with pandemic, climate change, ecological collapse, economic depression, political paralysis, social chaos, and rising extremism, we are going to need new skills and ways of sharing those skills. Our communities need to be predicated on resilience both at the individual and communal levels in order to respond rather than react to what is coming. Reaction is based out of triggered nervous systems while response comes from people who are resourced and able to regulate their nervous systems. The virtual communities that we are forging and participating with during this time of physical distancing can foster a healthier nervous system response as we develop the skills of co-regulation. In this way, our individual capacities are extended into community capacity. “Community is something we do together. It’s not just a container,” said sociologist David Brain.
Resilience.org offer the following list as vital components of community building;
- People. The power to envision the future of the community and build its resilience resides with community members.
- Systems thinking. Systems thinking is essential for understanding the complex, interrelated crises now unfolding and what they mean for our similarly complex communities.
- Adaptability. A community that adapts to change is resilient. But because communities and the challenges we face are dynamic, adaptation is an ongoing process.
- Transformability. Some challenges are so big that it’s not possible for the community to simply adapt; fundamental, transformative changes may be necessary.
- Sustainability. Community resilience is not sustainable if it serves only us, and only now; it needs to work for other communities, future generations, and the ecosystems on which we all depend.
- Courage. As individuals and as a community, we need courage to confront challenging issues and take responsibility for our collective future.
If you are a guide offering community building and would like to add or comment on this method description please email methodmanager@daguidance.info
Guides using this Method
Leon Berg
Council Trainer
Leon Berg is a founding member of the Ojai Foundation, now called the Topa Institute (www.topa.inst …
Nenad Maljković
Collapse-aware network weaver, group process facilitator and teamwork coach
I work with teams that are co-creating connection, clarity and confidence while collaborating remote …
Lori Austein
Council Trainer/Facilitator; Hypnotherapist; Transpersonal Life Coach
Circles of Resilience is based on the ancient way of being together and learning from each other bef …