As
we review our accomplishments in the year 2000, it is important to
remember that the heart and soul of sustainable development is community.
Rural Action's staff, VISTA volunteers, and members go about our day-to-day
work surrounded by reminders of the unique nature and importance of
community in our region.
Of
course, community means different things to different people. At Rural
Action, much of our work is carried out in communities of place--villages
like Trimble, Murray City, and Chesterhill, and watersheds like Monday
Creek, Sunday Creek, and Federal Valley. In these places, community
is more than the sum of its parts: the people, landscape, flora, and
fauna. It is also the history and heritage of the place: the interaction
of families over generations, the population shifts, and the way that
use of the land has changed its shape.
We
also work in communities of interest-groups of peopie interested in
agriculture, forestry, arts and heritage, or rural schools. For them,
also, community is more than the sum of the people involved. It is
the history, experience, and concerns that each person brings to the
table. It is the interaction between the land, people's livelihoods,
and the needs of future generations. It is people coming together,
linking their concerns to action.
In
order to build truly sustainable communities, we must learn to involve,
listen to, and value each and every part of the community. For far
too long, decisions that affect the many have been made by the few.
We must learn to work together, to hear every voice, and to consider
the needs and interests of the voiceless-the land, trees, creeks,
wildlife, and flowers, as well as the dispossessed people among us.
This
is why Rural Action is a membership organization. Our members form
the core of Rural Action, and committees of members shape and guide
each program and every project.A new project is considered only if
there are five or more members willing to commit their time and energy
to developing it. Community is also the reason that leadership development
and community organizing are so central to our work. If the communities
we work in are to be sustainable, community members outside the traditional
leadership must be invited to the table, and their needs, insights,
and experiences must be a valued part of discussion and decision-making.
If
Rural Action is to succeed in its mission, we need you, our members,
to involve yourselves in our collective work with all the concern
and passion you can give us. Join a committee that interests you.
Volunteer to help at an event. Come to a meeting. Send us a note to
let us know what you think. Grab us on a street corner and give us
a piece of your mind. In so doing you will become both weaver and
fiber, and the fabric we make together will last many lifetimes.
next
>>>