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"Whatever the problem, community is the answer..."
- Berkana Institute -- http://berkana.org

"To truly heal this planet, we need the power of community, which is much more than simply a political coalition. Whenever people come together around a shared goal and practice solidarity, they connect with a power greater than the sum of their individual efforts. Thus, they're unified and driven by meaning, trust and possibility, able to overcome any obstacle."

"The Berkana Institute works in partnership with a rich diversity of people around the world who strengthen their communities by working with the wisdom and wealth already present in their people, traditions and environment. As pathbreakers, we do not deny or flee from our global crisis. We respond by moving courageously into the future now, experimenting with many different solutions. Berkana and our partners share the clarity that whatever the problem, community is the answer. We prepare for an unknown future by creating strong and sustainable relationships, by wisely stewarding the earth's resources and by building resilient communities. We rely on the belief that human beings are caring, generous and want to be together."

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"It is possible that the next Buddha will not take the form of an individual. The next Buddha may take the form of a community -- a community practicing understanding and loving kindness, a community practicing mindful living. This may be the most important thing we can do for the survival of the Earth."
- Thich Nhat Hanh

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Interactive Charter for Co-creation Inquiry -- please respond! Community is the answer Inspired by many converging influences in the late 1990's and 2000's, the Berkana Institute proposed a bold and visionary hypothesis: "Whatever the problem, community is the answer." How could this hypothesis be true? If it could be true in various ways, perhaps profoundly so, what might be the weaknesses or vulnerabilities of this vision? If we want to strengthen this vision of community as universal solution, what do we need to do? Please respond as best you are able. Interpret the questions in your own terms. Enter any additional thoughts in available text boxes. SAVE responses to each section before moving to another. You are signed out. Survey is not activated. Please register or sign in to activate First name Last name Email address Click INQUIRY How could it be true that "whatever the problem, community is the answer"? Select one or more A community offers a realistic opportunity for applying the methods of "collective intelligence". "We are smarter together." A community in resonance opens the way to co-creative solutions that did not exist in the mind of any one member of the community. A community is an opportunity for holism and synergy. Nobody can specialize in everything, but when many specialists cooperate in resonance, fantastic things can happen. Comment INQUIRY What are the weaknesses of community as solution? Select one or more Though it is a good start, a feeling of unity is not enough. We have to get into the details, and problems can start there. People do sometimes mistake a feeling of "kumbaya" for a promise of success, and then are shocked to discover that "the devil is in the details". The collective intelligence of community can be powerful, but it must be coordinated by visionary leadership. "Bottom-up alone" is not enough. Comment INQUIRY How can we combine what we have learned over the past twenty years into a completely balanced and comprehensive model of community-based solutions? Select one or more We need clear leadership. Ideas must be clarified and brought into focus. We can't be afraid of leadership, or suppose that collective thinking alone will lead to magical solutions. We need "servant leadership" in community. Comment