Community

Modern society is plagued by fragmentation. The various sectors of our communities-businesses, schools, social service organisations, churches, government - do not work together. They exist in their own worlds as do so many individual citizens, who long for connection but end up marginalised, their gifts overlooked, their potential contributions lost. This disconnection and detachment makes it hard if not impossible to envision a common future and work towards it together. We know what healthy communities look like-there are many success stories out there and they've been described in detail. What Block provides in this inspiring new book is an exploration of the exact way community can emerge from fragmentation. How is community built? How does the transformation occur? What fundamental shifts are involved? He explores a way of thinking about our places that creates an opening for authentic communities to exist and details what each of us can do to make that happen. "My intent" he writes, " is provide structural ways to create the experience of belonging, not just in those places where people come to just be together socially, but especially in places where we least expect it. This includes those places where people come together to get something done. These are our meetings, dialogues, conferences, planning processes - all those occasions where we gather to reflect on and decide the kind of future we want for ourselves." Citizens have the power to change the community story and bring a new context into being. Block shows us how we can overcome isolation and anxiety and create communities alive with energy and possibility. This book is written to support those who care for the well being of their communities. It is for anyone who wants to be part of an organisation, neighbourhood, city, or country that works for all, and who have the faith and the energy to create such a place.

Table of Contents:
Welcome Chapter 1: The fragmented community and its transformation Chapter 2: The fabric of community Chapter 3: Shifting the context for community Chapter 4: The stuck community Chapyer 5: The restorative community Chapter 6: Citizenship Chapter 7: The process of transformation Chapter 8: Questions with a transforming capacity Chapter 9: Six conversations that structure belonging Chapter 10: Designing physical and social space that supports community Chapter 11: Reframing the community conversation Chapter 12: Summary

About the Author :
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 has received many awards for outstanding contributions in the field of training and development, including the Association for Quality and Participation President's Award and Training Magazine HRD Hall of Fame.

Review :
"This book challenges the conventional wisdom about what you and I can do as citizens to shape our future. It offers concrete examples of what citizens can do and have done by drawing on resources in their families and communities." --David Mathews, President, Kettering Foundation "This book is the basis for health and happiness in any society. A must-read." --Quentin Young, Chairman, Health and Medicine Policy Research Group, and former President, American Public Health Association "'What we need is here.' That line from a Wendell Berry poem sums up the theme that runs through this vital and timely book. This book is a treasure. And it can help us recover the treasures hidden in plain sight within and among us, renewing ourselves and our democracy as we go." --Parker J. Palmer, founder of the Center for Courage and Renewal and author of A Hidden Wholeness, Let Your Life Speak, and The Courage to Teach "Don't wait for a politician, scientist, infomercial, or lottery ticket to come to the rescue. Read this powerful book and help yourself, your neighbors, and your planet to satisfying and sustainable solutions found only in community." --Jim Diers, former Director, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, and author of Neighbor Power