12 Common Needs

12 COMMON NEEDS

 
Local Economy

• Strengthen the Local Economy ― part of “economic relocalization” — keeping dollars recycling in our local region AND practice a mindful behavior in business that connects Virtues, service, ecological concern, and puts people first
• “Think Local First” campaign/network with other partner groups like all the Chambers of Commerce, all of the existing business networking groups, etc.
• Encourage the expansion of the “green and sustainable business” sector
• Enhance job training and “workforce development”

Clean and Healthy environment

• Public awareness of “stewardship” as a way of life
• Increase the quality of air and water ― focus on decreasing pollutants introduced into the environment
• Increase water conservation and quality
• Zero waste initiative ― decrease the amount of waste created and increase materials recycled through time
• Tree planting initiative

Community Peace and Safety

• Peace is a byproduct of practicing the Virtues personally, within families, and throughout the community
• Recruit young people and others as a force of “peacemakers”
• Reduce violence in schools
• Reduce crime and juvenile crime ― crime index
• Non-violent alternatives in the justice system
•  Increase use of neighborhood mediation to resolve disputes to reduce dependence on the court system

Local Food

• Increase local production and consumption of food — the “localization” of food production in the local region and in neighborhoods.
• Awareness of importance of local food, community well being, and community connection to the Earth
• Support the local food system projects: CSA projects and food coop, farmer’s markets, new downtown public farmer’s market; Increase connections amongst the local food system

Neighbor to Neighbor

• Making “Love Thy Neighbor” a practical reality
• Activate block leaders to participate in Get To Know Your Neighbor Week and form ongoing “caring committees”
• Encourage religious, business, governmental, and other organizations to participate in Neighbor Week by doing an event and/or encouraging their constituents to do one
• Form one Weaver Group to serve each neighborhood of 500 people

People on the Margins

• A community-wide campaign to end homelessness, poverty, and hunger by 2020 in your area
• Increase access to capital to low income families to start businesses
• Increase access to health and dental care
• Connect programs for creating family budgets, getting out of debt, savings, and investment
• Reduce the number of seniors who are alone; connect the arts and culture community to seniors in assisted living
• Foster care system
  

Local Energy

• Increase local production of renewable energy and consumption of energy ― the “localization” of energy production in our local region
•  Increase energy conservation efforts 

Arts and Culture

• Encourage the arts and culture community to represent the Virtues and principles in new performances and productions
• Encourage the arts and culture community to participate in using art and cultural forms to help those on the “margins,” for example, visiting the thousands of seniors in assisting living

Affordable Housing and Infrastructure

• Increase percentage of affordable housing
• Integrate renewable energy and food production into new developments
• Increase percentage of home ownership
• Increase pedestrian and bicycle friendliness
• Preserve open space and parkland creation
• Encourage citizen participation in enjoying the open space and parklands

Family and Community Health and Wellness

• Family and close relationships are the bedrock of community
• Strengthen families ― communication skills, non-violent communication, and spirituality; parenting skills, family budgeting, savings, and getting out of debt
• Strengthening relationships — communication skills, non-violent communication, and spirituality
• Reducing at risk behaviors ― chronic smoking and drinking, overweight and obesity, poor diet, no exercise, teen pregnancies, substance abuse, and reduce the number of abortions
• Increase nutrition and healthy diets
• Help for our furry and feathered friends
• Increase access to healthcare
• Encourage the expansion of wellness and preventative healthcare programs in communities and in institutions

Education/Mentoring

• Lifelong spiritual, personal, and professional growth
• Encourage participation in existing lifelong learning opportunities ― at local 2- and 4-year college extension classes and the creation of new ones
• Be a catalyst to encourage the formation of new small groups/classes/workshops involved in sharing their skills with each other to build community
• Create group processes/materials in the school system to highlight Virtues
• Increase parental involvement in all aspects of children’s education
• Find a tutor/mentor for every child that needs one

 Spirituality

• Encourage the practice of the 5 shared values
• Find opportunities where people of different spiritual and religious beliefs can come together to satisfy the 12 common needs of a self-reliant community.  For example, evangelical Christians and Neo-Pagans working together to increase the production of local food.
• Have people share their stories of transforming narrow "egoic" behavior and experience going beyond "dualistic" thinking and acting.