Building Community Strengths
March 2020
I started writing this article some weeks ago. Now circumstances are dramatically altered, but the message stays the same. The difference between then and now is with perspective and experience.
When I began the article global warming was front and centre. Fast forward and now the coronavirus has centre stage. The message I had intended to deliver has been confirmed to be correct. Indeed, the justification for the message has been dramatically strengthened. The message, if acted upon, will be transformative for communities: simply, we need to very actively build community strengths.
Why? Consider the dramatic changes to globalism and the world economy. Together they have received a serious body blow by the coronavirus pandemic and more impacts may occur in the weeks to come. Will the consequences be short-lived or strung-out over a considerable period of time? On that we will have to wait and see. In the meantime, clearly there is a significant degree of demonstrated concern if not anxiety in our communities as people rush to stock up on toilet paper and other essentials in anticipation of shortages over the long haul of this interruption to societal norms including supply lines. People are concerned and being cautious, but also clearly demonstrated is our reliance upon global supply chains. Over the days, weeks and months to come will essential supplies be guaranteed? It is definitely a question for concern, but more important the question should, must, direct us into alternative strategies designed to build community strengths to ensure essential supplies consistently and when global hiccups occur.
We do not need a crystal ball to recognize a great deal of change is imminent and occurring. Humanity has been trundling along somewhat oblivious to the earlier incremental adjustments now marshalling together into a cascade of changes. We have been testing limits for some time and the patience of mother earth in many ways and now it seems she has had enough. She is starting to really object to our hubristic ways.
I am writing this short essay to extoll the virtues of community strength in the face of what is becoming fractured societal vision and harmony. Many changes have been introduced in the past fifteen decades and what was is no longer. Is that a bad thing? No, not necessarily, just different, better in some ways and not so much in others, but most definitely the balance has shifted and currently significant dependency upon fragile global associations is proving to be disruptive and risky. Then along comes the coronavirus causing a great collective intake of breath.
If there is a lot of global uncertainty and we are not plan prepared, if the risks are serious and probable, if there are threats to security, if we rely too much on fragile global supply chains, then our positioning needs to change. Certainly such change will not eliminate globalism, the exchange of products around the world. However, to continue to rely heavily upon the import of important foods and other essentials will be folly. Canada is a rich nation. We produce a wide range of raw materials and they should be processed here. Until the 1970’s this region produced and processed a lot of fruit and vegetables, but competitive advantage was lost and investments were lacking. Orchards have been ripped out and a few commodity crops gained favour. Our dairy and cheese making industry has declined precipitously. Agriculture is a changed beast in our area, but it does not have to continue to exist as it does now. We can and should rebuild a diversified strength in this region for a variety of solid reasons, not least because of our vulnerability to global events and the risk of disrupted supply chains.
Once upon a time our means for mobility was not so powerful, prominent and proximate. Moving from one place to another was a much slower process. Fast forward into the second half of the 1900s when a majority of households had their own vehicle, to a time when change was happening rapidly in cities, towns and small rural communities. Mobility on the roads was much easier and faster, but equally it was occurring in other ways and options for career pursuits were multiplying. In rural communities people were taking advantage of opportunities to pursue a more exciting and lucrative existence in the larger towns and cities. They were choosing to leave farm and village life behind. The exodus to the city in pursuit of urban careers hand-in-hand with the dramatic introduction of powerful farm machinery had profound impacts. Simultaneously, the education system was undergoing its own shift. Small rural schools had already closed or were doing so in favour of larger more centralized facilities requiring busing. Young people were on the move physically and psychologically. For many there was no turning back except to visit. The future heart and soul of rural communities was being ripped out, a phenomenon not understood immediately, but obvious by the last quarter of the 1900s.
Certainly not all is doom and gloom. Initiatives are being realized, but so much more could and should be done to build community strength to ensure security in our volatile world of uncertainty. Below is a very short list of some of the important and desirable elements of a renewed community strength:
Food security from a diversified and thriving agricultural sector
Wealth creation and wealth retention including business incubation opportunities
Labour pools and working together
Skill development and mentoring for youth and new arrivals to our region
Facing risks, threats and change together and on behalf of others
Raising finance for community projects and growth
I do not believe just getting bigger, more centralized and urban will suffice. Emerging global issues are surging ahead and we in our small communities are going to have to get our acts in gear to build strength to withstand the cascade of changes so difficult to predict. Relying too much on those outside our communities will prove to be folly and costly. I am not saying we should build a wall to keep everything outside and ourselves safely tucked away inside. No, that will not do as we cannot exist in pure isolation and helping others if they need it will be one of our important responsibilities. Our community responsibility has to be an informed response to those risk issues milling about within and outside our door. The solutions will be found within ourselves and in our resolve to prepare for future difficulties we will need to explore new ways of doing as the old ways have caused many of our current problems.