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Hannah Johns

Comp 105-007

WA #3

October 3, 2017

Conveyance of The Sustainable Community Initiative

In the Sustainable Communities Initiative: The Community Engagement Guide for

Sustainable Communities, Danielle Bergstrom, Kalima Rose, Jillian Olinger, and Kip Holley

provided a guideline designed to motivate community residents in efforts to set a concrete

procedure to a sustainable community which is also known as The Sustainable Communities

Initiative. Specifically, the authors argue that the types of characteristics presented in active

members of the community offer an exceptional lead towards sustainability. As the authors

themselves put it, Community engagement process creates an environment of positive

communication where creative and inclusive solutions can be found to resolve conflicts (191).

Some people believe that specific members of the community disagree with concern of the

environment and claim the topic as irrelevant. The writers insist that if sustainability wants to

be reached, then, the people have to attend and be active in the sessions and change their

presumptions of environment concerns. In sum, their view is that sustainability often begins with

the people for any progress to be made resulting in a better environmental standing.

Communication is a critical key for translating sustainable community guidelines. It all

begins with the people. Without efforts in maintaining stability locally there would be a decrease

in sustainable acts and characteristics due to the inactive involvement. In response, Christian R.

Weisser, who authored Sustainability, corresponds and concurs with this theory. He puts forth

that sustainability is reached if the interdependent relationship between people, planet, and profit
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coincide. I do have to agree that all of those do impact sustainability and one absent one will

impact the end goal of sustainability. Individuals contributing to society is paramount to

community action; however, citizens should be treated equally to its counterparts and come to a

conclusion that is best for the community. Anyone who is concerned about the environment for

current and future generations should be concerned about the steps to being an active participant

in maintaining stability. Community engagement is guided by one, honoring the wisdom, voice,

and experience of residents; and second, treating participants with integrity and respect

(Bergstrom et al. 192). People are the communication hotline for expressing concern and

creating change that they all wish to see in the near future.

As the authors discussed, The Sustainable Community Initiative sets apart individual

preferences towards environmental issues into ways to collaborate a uniformed understanding of

what is best for the communitys well-being. The Sustainable Communities Initiative presents

an incredible opportunity for communities and regions to forge partnerships in visioning a better

future together. Engaging traditionally marginalized communities in decision- making processes

is key in realizing the full and authentic potential of this vision for sustainability and prosperity

(Bergstrom et al. 198). Before learning about the components of the Sustainable Community

Initiative, the public has to have the knowledge of how a sustainable community should operate

and be organized. First, the head of the community needs to prioritize the diverse amount of

issues and improve the community-government relation. As the authors themselves put it,

community engagement can help improve the quality of difficult discussions about racial

disparities, economic conditions, and community development needs (192).

A common understanding of the developments and needs of the community is significant.

Then, the members of the community need to participate in meetings related to topics that they
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are personally concerned with or matters that arent on their list of worries but need to still be

addressed. Bergstrom et al. remind their readers that people need to listen to what issues are

brought to the table and enter the conversation with a sense of humility and awareness.

Developing awareness of economic and environmental imbalances in the region and the reasons

for their existence help create a sense of control for the community: participants are then more

willing to spend time on the topics at hand. Community engagement can become ambiguous,

iterative, and unlikely to conform to a standard public participation schedule. As knowledge

from the community is generated and shared, new issues and needs may be uncovered, and

changes to timelines and goals may be required (Bergstrom et al. 196). Last but not least, there

has to be compromise on a conclusion with the mindset of sustainability for a reason to change.

Community congregation is the voice and passion expressed by the community dealing

with local societal concerns. The Sustainable Communities Initiative provides an opportunity to

create a new collaborative framework for both local communities and regions to foster a vision

that builds on strengths and reduces harmful disparities (Bergstrom et al. 197). Sustainable

Communities pinpoint the objective of community engagement and the attempt to alter local

regions view of Sustainability. The opportunity of amending old local practices with the

discrepancy between personal satisfaction and local interest. Sustainable communities are a

place where all residents have access to the essential ingredients for economic and social

success: living wage jobs with health coverage, good schools, affordable homes, transportation

choices, strong social networks, thriving businesses, safe and walkable streets, parks and

playgrounds, and healthy food (Bergstrom et al. 199). These communities illustrate the

noteworthiness of altering precedents in order of the advance for suburban and local interest.

Sustainable communities must occur in partnerships with communities to transform current

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conditions/events into strong futures and more equitable regions. Who will be the change in this

world if no one begins the chain? There needs to be action taken. No one can foresee the future;

however, there needs to be initiative to make a change in this world with sustainability in mind.

In my view, the citizens should build a community set on preserving positive aspects of

sustainability for current positions and for generations to come. Who would want their offspring

to live in a dystopian society due to their lack of effort? In addition, bringing awareness to

societal issues and the effect it can have on personal lives may persuade participation in reaching

the end goal of a sustainable community. Some might refute on the grounds that individuals have

no concern that is related to conserving the environment. Yet I would emphasize that if left

unnoticed, the environment can evolve into a much more detrimental estate for the community

which puts the earths sake at risk. Overall, then, I believe the people are first and foremost a

crucial resource in reaching sustainability.

To learn more about The Sustainable Communities Initiative, residents need to follow

this step by step instruction resulting in local community advancement and preservation of

sustainability in the long run. Together we are all a melting pot full of differences which can

result into conflict between local divisions. However, leaving differences behind aiming for a

path to a sustainable community is worth the hassle. Howard Zinn, former American Historian

and sustainability activist, noted, We dont have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate

in the process of change. Small acts multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.

Work Cited
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Bergstrom, Danielle, et al. "The Sustainable Communities Initiative: The Community

Engagement Guide for Sustainable Communities." Journal of Affordable Housing &

Community Development Law, vol. 22, no. 2, 2014, pp. 191- 211.

https://search.proquest.com/agricenvironm/docview/1505364234/C2FC1D325C704D5BPQ

/1?accountid=14578. Accessed 3 October 2017.