The Little Neighborhood That Could - Conclusion - A Neighborhood Empowered
This is part of a multi-part story. To view past installments, please visit our blog, Learn-Engage-Empower at im4u.world.
A #library. Who would have thought? But it made so much sense. It was too dangerous and too far away to walk or ride a bike to the nearest #library and most people could not drive because they did not own a car.
The people in the #neighborhood were wildly successful convincing the #Library Board to help them but it would still prove a rocky road. The Board placed the new library second on their needs list, yet studies would need to be done, funding allocated, and a site selected. Each step is complex and complications with any of these steps could derail the project for a long time. A bricks and mortar building was still far away in the future, several years at least. And the neighborhood’s desire to have a new #library co-located with the elementary #school, though seemingly logical, would be resisted by the County #School Board, citing security concerns, lack of direct control by the #School Board and the possible precedent this could set for co-location requests for other types of facilities.
We stayed in contact with the #neighborhood in the years that followed and coached them here and there. They had gained many advocates along the way and they had a rich and diverse group of interests counseling them along the way to success.
Yet the story did not end there. Emboldened by the knowledge and potential of effective civic engagement, the #neighborhood went on to accomplish many other ventures than just the #library including: mobile #library services in the interim period before an actual #library could be built; establishment of an arts program by the local university for the children (and from that came a mural painting program that put local artwork on the sides of buildings and #recreation facilities which the local kids then taught other neighborhoods to replicate); creation of a local history museum (this was a large endeavor done in partnership with the County); an upgraded #recreation center; increased law enforcement presence in the #neighborhood and; a seat at the table of a network of city neighborhoods to name a few of many accomplishments.
The #neighborhood leaders and the people living in the #neighborhood did not understand the latent power they had to control their own destiny; that was the purview of wealthier neighborhoods. They simply had to be shown how to #engage, and with that newfound knowledge, they became empowered.
The im4u.world mission is to #empower #humanity to heal itself and im4u.world is based on the model presented in this 5-part series. The im4u.world blog is named after it too, that is, Learn-Engage-Empower. It is a powerful combination that unlocks the potential of an individual vested in making positive and constructive change on the ground at the local level. I liken it to ‘splitting the atom’. When an atom is split, it releases an enormous amount of energy. The same holds true for anyone, anywhere seeking to make change happen. Split the atom through learning, engaging and empowering and release an enormous amount of energy that can be used to make a difference in the lives of others. And then replicate that experience by sharing with others.
Please join us as we try to recreate this experience on a much larger scale. It begins with our Global Survey, to learn what people around the world need. Help us reach our goal of 25,000 completed surveys. Complete a survey, share the Global Survey link with your friends and family, and join us as we begin to #engage people around the world in conversation and be empowered to make changes in your home community. Thank you for your support.
Coming in June: A 4-part series honoring fathers around the world with the story of one humble lesson taught by a father to his son and the lifelong legacy it created.
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