Seminar 6 of Community and Bush environments. An introduction to the concept of community.

1. HUMOV1003 Community
and Bush Environments
Seminar six

2. Large human movements spring from
individual human initiatives. If you feel that
you cannot have much of an effect, the next
person may also become discouraged and a
great opportunity will have been lost.
On the other hand, each of us can inspire
others simply by working to develop our own
altruistic motivation
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
“

3. Community
• Have you
experienced real
community?
• Palmer suggests that
most experiences of
community are
actually only pseudo-
community?

4. Parker Palmer on real C.
The concept of community has been distorted -
most references to community are more
realistically - Pseudocommunity – where people
hate conflicts

5. Parker Palmer on real C.
By contrast real community is only reached
through hard work … at a great cost.

6. Parker Palmer on real C.
To be connected – you have to look at your heart –
otherwise you will not be able to respond to
criticism – you will always be defending. The heart
needs to be a place of peace. (need to know what
you believe and be OK with that - worldviews?)

7. Parker Palmer on real C.
Real community involves: taking social risks, being
vulnerable, being able to forgive, soft
individualism, working from a position of
weakness, taking responsibility for our own
actions.

8. Why is
community
important in
OEE?

9. Is community that important?
Rousseau (1991) - we all experience an
ontological loneliness
This brings discomfort, loneliness, anguish.
Our distinctively human way of overcoming
solitude is to “enter into unity with, share the
existence of, other beings through knowing
and loving them” (p35)

10. Is community that important?
What are the consequences of non-
community?

11. The “true” meaning of community(according to Peck 1990)
Concept of community is used far too loosely
Community is like a gem - multi-faceted,
inherently mysterious, miraculous,
unfathomable

12. 1. Inclusivity
• Most groups are exclusive cliques that
work hard to keep people out.
• It is much easier to exclude rather than
include.
• Communities seek to be inclusive
• Inclusivity extends the groups

13. 2. Commitment
• Must be a willingness to co-exist - and
make it work
• Requires an appreciation of differences.

14. 3. Consensus
• Community avoids the use of voting to
resolve differences - as in a democracy
• Consensus values individual difference -
which is not congruent with “majority
rules”.
• Consensus is when all agree that they
have come to the best decision for the
group at that time, given all the
circumstances.

15. 4. Realism
• Diversity and difference are more likely to
produce realistic solutions to problems
• The multiple points of view and freedom of
expression usually gives a better
understanding of the situation
• Humility is a key ingredient because you
begin to appreciate other people’s gifts and
recognise your own limitations

16. 5. Contemplation
• Community is self examining, self-critical,
self aware
• Contemplation is the key to insight
• You don’t reach community and sit back
and relax

17. 6. A safe place
• Acceptance and freedom to be yourself is
a critical part of community
• Community is healing - even though that is
not the focus of community - more a by
product

18. 7. Fight gracefully
• there are no sides, factions - cliques have
been dropped
• Community is a place where conflict can
be resolved without bloodshed
• Conflict resolution is a product more than a
pre-requisite to community

19. 8. A group of leaders
• Total decentralisation of authority
• Not leaderless - leader-full
• Flow of leadership

20. Community concepts
Community is essentially about being a part of a group
where:
People can be themselves without fear of being judged or
condemned by others
People are committed to work together and although conflicts
occur they are resolved without big dramas.
Forgiveness runs freely.
People’s strengths are respected and utilised for the good of
the group. People’s weaknesses are shared, understood, and
accepted.
You feel safe to try (and possibly fail) new things.
People are welcome to participate in the group - it is not just a
little club for people who feel the same way.

21. Community in OE
• How realistic is it to expect us to
experience/promote community in our OE
program?
• What are the constraints to establishing
true community - what makes it hard for
OE?
• Should community even be something that
we strive for in OE programs?