For me, community engagement reaches beyond my social community to include my ecological community. Engaging in my community involves being with nature every opportunity I get. Getting to know the animals and plants, big and small, in your own community can open you up to a different world. I find myself with a new appreciation for and understanding of the interconnectedness that my ecological community is built upon. I think the same applies for being with our social community. Prioritizing connection with our physical/ geographical community over our virtual connections is an important cultural shift that I think needs to happen in order to reconnect people with the land and the people reap the benefits of shared land. Like Commissioner Terry spoke about at last week’s meeting, being present with someone is the most powerful form of connection. In the digital world, we are tricked into believing we have the power to choose who we connect with through who we follow. In reality, it is our physical communities, our neighbors, who we rely on in times of crisis. I think organizing around a movement is connecting with the people around you to understand the common needs of your group. A movement is successful when demonstrated need meets a plan of action that is mutually beneficial for the participants. I am beginning to engage with my community by looking up from my phone while I walk through Decatur and keeping myself open to meet and chat with new people. I am more eager than ever to be present with my social and ecological communities and have important conversation's about the value of reconnecting to our land and thinking about the most ethical and sustainable ways to source the food we eat.
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