Making a Difference: Community in Action

Course Description

In today’s world, where individual freedom is under threat, and corporate greed and the undermining of democratic institutions are on the rise, it’s easy to feel alone and powerless. Indeed, despite the degree to which our technology facilitates communication, individuals seem to feel more isolated and alienated from one another than ever. How can one person possibly have any impact, make any headway in creating a better world? Maybe that’s the problem—one person, alone, can’t. But perhaps the way forward lies in rediscovering the role of community.  

In this course, we will explore the work of thinkers such as Hannah Arendt, Bernard Lonergan, Thích Nhất Hạnh, and Otto Scharmer, who emphasize the importance of our engagement in community. What insights can these thinkers offer us into the role and value of community in facing the crises of our time? We will explore issues such as:

• * How can we form our identities through learning and participation in communities?
• * How can coming together in non-traditional ways—like in multi-generational learning groups—help us grow and act more meaningfully?
• * What is the value of shared, non-hierarchical leadership, where responsibility is distributed rather than concentrated in one person?
• * How is our ability to act shaped by the quality of our relationships in the communities in which we live?
• * Can the personal and collective transformation generated in communities help bring about real change, even in uncertain times?

Course Details