Episode 105
Embedded Files
From Hyper-Consumer To Active Global Citizen: Rediscovering Community In A Changing Climate
How to Move From Passive
Consumer to Global Citizen
Moving from a consumer mindset to a citizen orientation is about shifting from passive consumption to active participation in creating sustainable, resilient communities. The examples below demonstrate practical ways individuals can make this transition across various aspects of community life.
Move Index: Community Building Examples
Local Government Engagement
Food Systems
Environmental Action
Disaster Preparedness
Media Consumption and Creation
Education
Technology
Health and Wellbeing
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT
Organizing neighborhood civic forums to discuss local issues before taking collective action
Creating a neighborhood advocacy group to attend city council meetings as a unified voice
Forming citizen advisory committees for specific community projects
Volunteering for local boards and commissions
Organizing voter registration and education drives
Creating a neighborhood online portal that tracks local government decisions
Initiating participatory budgeting projects for municipal funds
Organizing "meet your representative" community events
Creating a citizens' watchdog group to monitor transparent governance
Developing a neighborhood-level disaster response plan in coordination with local officials
Hosting local candidate forums during election seasons
Starting a community newsletter that reports on local government actions
Organizing community-based research on local issues to present to officials
Creating a mentorship program to develop future civic leaders
Forming a coalition to advocate for participatory planning processes
FOOD SYSTEMS
FOOD SYSTEMS
Starting a seed library for neighbors to share locally adapted plant varieties
Organizing community-supported agriculture (CSA) networks
Converting vacant lots into community gardens
Creating neighborhood composting networks
Starting a food waste reduction initiative with local restaurants
Organizing cooking classes using locally grown produce
Creating food gleaning programs to collect and distribute excess produce
Establishing community kitchens for shared meal preparation
Mapping neighborhood fruit trees and creating a harvest-sharing system
Developing school garden programs with student and parent involvement
Creating a local food policy council
Starting a neighborhood honey cooperative with shared beehives
Organizing regular community meals using locally sourced ingredients
Establishing a grocery cooperative owned by community members
Creating an urban foraging guide for edible plants in your area
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION
Organizing neighborhood energy audits and sharing improvement resources
Creating a community rainwater harvesting system
Establishing a neighborhood tree-planting initiative
Starting a local repair café where people fix broken items together
Organizing a neighborhood plastic-free challenge
Creating community wildlife habitat corridors through coordinated gardening
Starting a neighborhood composting cooperative
Organizing community creek or beach cleanup events
Creating a tool library where neighbors share rarely used equipment
Developing a community renewable energy cooperative
Organizing a neighborhood car-sharing program
Creating a local seed-saving network for native plants
Starting a neighborhood zero-waste initiative
Organizing community education workshops on sustainable living
Creating a community-based environmental monitoring program
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Mapping vulnerable populations in your neighborhood for emergency response
Creating a neighborhood emergency communication system
Organizing regular community emergency drills
Establishing community emergency supply caches
Creating a neighborhood skilled volunteer database for emergency response
Developing a community evacuation plan that includes transportation sharing
Organizing first aid and CPR training for neighborhood residents
Creating a community-based early warning system for local hazards
Establishing mutual aid agreements with neighboring communities
Organizing community resilience workshops
Creating a neighborhood emergency shelter plan using existing buildings
Developing a community post-disaster recovery plan
Creating a neighborhood emergency childcare network
Organizing mental health support networks for post-disaster recovery
Establishing a community emergency fund through small regular contributions
MEDIA CONSUMPTION AND CREATION
MEDIA CONSUMPTION AND CREATION
Starting a community podcast about local issues and initiatives
Creating a neighborhood citizen journalism network
Organizing media literacy workshops for various age groups
Establishing a community digital archive of local history
Creating a community radio station or program
Developing a neighborhood social media strategy for accurate information sharing
Organizing community documentary screenings and discussions
Creating a neighborhood storytelling project to capture diverse experiences
Establishing a community fact-checking network
Developing a neighborhood digital skills sharing program
Creating a community-based public art and media campaign
Organizing digital inclusion initiatives for underserved populations
Starting a community newsletter written by residents
Creating a neighborhood oral history project
Establishing a community media center with shared resources
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
Creating neighborhood skill-sharing workshops
Organizing community lecture series with local experts
Establishing intergenerational mentoring programs
Creating parent-led supplementary education initiatives
Developing a community-based tutoring network
Starting a neighborhood book club focused on civic issues
Creating a community language exchange program
Organizing educational field trips for neighborhood children
Establishing a community scholarship fund
Creating a neighborhood-based internship program with local businesses
Developing a community library of educational resources
Organizing a neighborhood STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) festival
Creating a community-based research initiative on local issues
Establishing a neighborhood career mentoring program
Developing a community college access program
TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
Creating a neighborhood technical support network
Establishing a community makerspace or fabrication lab
Organizing digital inclusion initiatives for underserved populations
Creating a neighborhood mesh network for internet resilience
Developing a community approach to data collection and use
Starting a technology recycling and refurbishing program
Organizing coding clubs and workshops for various age groups
Creating a neighborhood technology lending library
Establishing a community digital archive of local knowledge
Developing open-source solutions to community challenges
Creating a neighborhood IoT (Internet of Things) network for environmental monitoring
Organizing digital skills workshops for seniors
Creating an intergenerational technology mentoring program
Establishing a community tech cooperative for shared resources
Developing a neighborhood approach to digital privacy and security
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Creating a walking school bus program for neighborhood children
Organizing community fitness classes in public spaces
Establishing a neighborhood mental health support network
Creating a community care network for elderly residents
Developing a neighborhood-based substance abuse prevention initiative
Starting a community wellness challenge
Organizing regular community meals to combat isolation
Creating a neighborhood respite care network for caregivers
Establishing a community-based preventive health screening program
Developing a neighborhood public health emergency response team
Creating a community-based childcare cooperative
Organizing a neighborhood sleep health initiative
Creating a community-based chronic disease management support network
Establishing a neighborhood-based maternal and child health support system
Developing a community approach to addressing social determinants of health
RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING
A comprehensive resource with over hundreds of examples of how to move from consumer to citizen orientation across multiple categories, along with website resources for community building and strategies for implementing these initiatives.
EMPOWERING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Have a Question? Ask MRSC!
EMPOWERING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Have a Question? Ask MRSC!
Eligible government agencies can use our free Ask MRSC service.
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Better Buildings Solution Center - Department of Energy
Community resilience is defined by a community's ability to use available resources to respond to, withstand, and recover from adverse situations. Strengthening community resilience not only helps people, businesses, and cities maintain essential functions and bounce back from adversity but also move towards enhanced wellbeing. Explore resources for building resilient communities, below.
Citizen Action Resources Shared Tools Libraries
HUD Exchange This Toolkit offers people-centered strategies and a roadmap for community needs, ideas, and visions to inform public investments in the places we live. It builds upon the traditional strategies for community engagement, while also uplifting a new set of values and approaches to create community-driven development
Tool Library Cooperative Community Garden Seed Library
Wood River Seed Library - Hailey - The National Grange
Our Seed Library includes flowers, herbs, vegetables, melons and grains. Our seeds are free. They are distributed seasonally to local gardeners at our events.
Community Tool Library Sharing Examples
There are now thousands of myTurn powered Tool Libraries, Libraries of Things, and other sharing programs all around the world. From all volunteer non-profits, to huge organizations myTurn is helping power the Real Sharing Economy.
Local Tools make it easy to setup and manage rental shops, tool libraries, as well as, lending libraries for tools, kitchen goods, sporting goods, or just about anything. You can manage inventory and members using a web-based system. Create community, save time, and help provide access to the things people need.
Community-Based Climate Resiliency Model
Community-Based Climate Resiliency Model
Neighbor-to-Neighbor is a California Volunteers Network designed to strengthen communities through social connections. We help to bring neighbors together to engage locally on community needs, including climate action and disaster response.
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