COMMUNITY FIRST is the heart of community activism. It is a growing network of people who worked on Y2K preparation and who now invite you to join them to exchange information and views on the multitude of challenges that face us locally microcosms of challenges to life on our planet.
COMMUNITY FIRST evolved from a number of Y2K internet forums. We Y2K activists experienced something unique and lasting as we connected on the internet, and, occasionally, in person.
COMMUNITY FIRST is a broad-based forum to maintain and advance the valuable lessons of organization and networking we learned.
Among the lessons:
We learned to treasure our communities.
We learned to love, to trust and to benefit from people we had never met, but who shared their wisdom, their experiences, their triumphs, and their disappointments with us.
We learned how important it is to connect, and that otherwise we may feel isolated, even lonely.
We learned how important it is to keep an open mind; to listen to people with whom we disagree; to maintain a sense of perspective; to keep our sense of humor; and to maintain balance..
COMMUNITY FIRSTs prime keyword is POSITIVE. Our watchword is SUSTAINABILITY.
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FAQs...
Q: Will COMMUNITY FIRST provide space for specific factual data?
A: We encourage activists to post specialized information/experience for others in categorized fields of interest. COMMUNITY FIRST will provide website space and/or links.
Q: There are countless groups, internationally and nationwide, which work for great causes. They have their own memberships, mailing lists, bulletin boards, etc. WHY do we need another network?
A: Community activists are, almost by definition, alert, minority voices. We often feel outnumbered, even cut off in the very communities we seek to strengthen. The need for conversation, connection and camaraderie among community activists is acute. COMMUNITY FIRST fulfills the need to support and sustain activist efforts.
Q: Who are the leaders of COMMUNITY FIRST?
A: COMMUNITY FIRST has no formal leadership or hierarchy. It is self-organizing among equals. Participants evolve in and out of leadership and facilitator roles naturally, organically. What may appear to be leaderless to those accustomed to hierarchy is actually leader-full. The success of this approach was evident through the Y2K community activist efforts.
Q: What communities are involved?
A: Initially, residential or geographical (horizontal) communities, intersected by (vertical) communities of interest. Through our common interest in improving our individual communities, we create a virtual community online, where people come and go, connecting and co-creating a sense of one-ness, and where individual views, however aligned or divergent they may be, are respected.
Q: What kind of people participate in COMMUNITY FIRST?
A: Anyone who has a sincere, positive interest in helping create vibrant community.
Q: How do I sign up for the listserve?
A: (To be added)
Q: How do I start a discussion thread?
A: Click the Ask a Question hotlink and post a new thread.
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Link to COMMUNITY FIRST web-site:
http://www.westsong.com/catnip/
The actual URL for this COMMUNITY FIRST Forum:
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a.tcl?topic=COMMUNITY%20FIRST