Community is at the heart of everything

There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.

- Margaret J. Wheatley 

I am fortunate to live in a vibrant community. In fact, the one thing that best defines the Ox Mountain parish of Cloonacool is its community spirit. People from outside the parish often comment on our ability to shine and the way we seem to work together to create and achieve.

I often reflect on the subject; what makes community and what builds community spirit? Community spirit is something that is almost tangible; one can feel it in the air and yet, it is elusive, difficult to define. It can be a real challenge to pin down what makes a community tick and having found an answer, it can be another challenge to put it into practice.

Community life

The English-language word community comes from the Latin word communitas, which refers to public spirit. There are all kinds of communities; from sports clubs to work committees, from schools to online interests, from a simple family unity to a besieged enclave in war-torn Gaza. Common to all of these, regardless of their makeup, is their spirit; their ability to function, to meet some essential need. Common to them also is the risk of dysfunction and failure.

A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared theme, such as place, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place in a given geographical area or in virtual space through communication platforms. Positive relations that extend beyond immediate genealogical ties also define a sense of community, important to people's identity, practice, and roles in social institutions such as family, home, work, government, society, or humanity at large. It might seem obvious, but a peep into the details of community dynamics helps to spell out the benefits.

Influence - With community participation comes empowerment. When people feel empowered, they feel a sense of control enabling them to influence positive change. 

Sharing - Sharing stimulates innovation and growth. Ideas breed new ideas.

Reinforcement - Reinforcement can be an effective learning tool to encourage desirable behaviours and provide motivation.

Connection - An open bond with new connections is what builds valuable relationships, and gives us a deeper sense of belonging.

Resources – Communities are rich in resources. Having knowledge is a unique resource and through its use, it increases in value. 

Passion - Having an outlet for interests gives people the opportunity to share a subject they’re passionate about.

Reflections 

My own reflections bring me to the conclusion that community springs from need and how we might go about meeting that need. Take the example of the rural parish. Going back through the years, living in such a place was not always easy; times were hard and it was always difficult to eke out a living on small farms. Through need, necessity, quite organically, community formed - “together we are stronger”. 

I firmly believe that rural communities that survive and thrive today have had their basis in dire need. Now, when that need is not so well defined, the spirit remains and like a holy well, the more often it is attended, the holier it remains.

Can community spirit be created where it no longer exists? I hope so. Using the basic method of identifying a need and getting a group of people to work on a solution – either short-term or long-term – anything should be possible. I know there are highly regarded modern methods of achieving goals, SWAT analysis and the like, but it is hard to beat the instinct and nature of a people who recognise they have an issue to solve and the willingness to seek a solution.

Any examination of our place in life, how healthy or stressed we are, now includes a section on community. The needs met within an individual by being part of a well-functioning community, whither the individual is aware of it or not, is remarkable. It is a feeling that people, within a community, matter. They mean something to each other and often have a shared faith that their needs will be met through commitment and working together. Being part of a community can make us feel as though we are a part of something greater than ourselves.

Today in the parish of Cloonacool, there is a thriving community centre, a GAA club, a drama group, a weekly card game, a monthly music session, a knitting group, a community park which includes a riparian walk, an annual road race and an annual sheep festival. 

None of these are based in the challenges of old, such as low incomes or marginalised upland farming. Today’s needs are born of rural isolation, working parents and the stresses of modern living. Today’s needs come from a desire to succeed, a desire for artistic expression, creating a nice place to live and showing pride of place. 

Like old money, there is old community. The tools for the job, the essential community spirit, is embedded in the people of the region, in muscle memory, in their DNA. All this gives rise to a thought process - “If you want to work together to meet a need, like people did in the past, this is how you do it… and this is WHY you do it.”

In simple terms

LikeMinds is a business mentoring company based in India. It is interesting to see, despite their location and their particular focus, their information could just as easily refer to a rural community.

In simple terms, community values are the heart and soul of your group, shaping how people behave, connect, and make your community a thriving, exciting place to be. They're the glue that holds your community together, ensuring everyone walks the same exciting path!

In a similar fashion, communities can stand the risk of losing integrity with their stated values of community service. This undesirable phenomenon often occurs within brand communities. And what happens when our values and principles of community development fall out? Loss of trust. Demotivated members. Drop in engagement. Decreased brand value.

Ben Walker, writing for an innovative health blog, Medium, sums up the whole question of community very nicely in a piece, 'Why Community is at the Heart of Everything' (2020).

Ask any happy person about community and they will describe their relationships with family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances. Enquire further and they might talk about the way they feel around these people, the vibes they get and the almost indescribable value that their community provides. Think about the happiest moments in your life - I guarantee they revolve around other people.

It runs deep. Humans are wired to thrive in strong communities. We are the social animal, it’s in our nature. Our bodies produce happy chemicals when we’re a part of a healthy community. Community is as natural, and almost as essential, as breathing.

If, like me, you live if a well-functioning community, you will already be aware of the many benefits it provides but if you don’t live in such a community, seek one out; a book club, a walking group, or a drama society. It will be good for your health.