John O’Brien
Actions That Build Community
connect with others • build trust • get involved
Communities grow stronger when citizens regularly and persistently do a variety of simple things together that give them chances to connect with others, build trust and get involved in doing things together. The web of trusting relationships that grows from people sharing food, helping others with everyday tasks, and join- ing together to recognize, help, involve and entertain one another makes bigger joint ventures possible and strengthens resilience (go to www.hks.harvard.edu/saguaro/ to learn more).
This exploration identifies 75 different actions from a longer list prepared by a group of academic researchers and civic leaders who want to support the creation of what they call social capital (their label for networks
of connection that build trust by involving people in one another’s lives and projects). This list is just a way
to encourage thinking; it is not a n instrument for research and many other actions will serve the purposes of connecting people, building trust, and involving people with one another.
*Adapted from www.bettertogether.org which identifies 150 social capital building actions.
