TRC Memes: Naming the Movement of Movements | Thriving Resilient Communities

The thrivingresilience metamovement has many faces with many names. We call each face a movement: the people, organizations, initiatives, and networks with an aligned mission such as health or sustainability. Each movement may have one or more names which we call memes: the language or perspective they use to express their core values. Since many efforts have multiple goals and share the underlying common intention of local wellbeing, movement missions and meme names overlap and interweave. For example, some organizations named “green” or “localize” have a strong social justice mission (GreenForAll.org, BayLocalize.org), an interfaith organization leads a national energy efficiency network (InterfaithPowerAndLight.org), and a project named “Dream” maps regional food resources (DreamingNewMexico.org).

While there really is no one all-embracing “Communities Movement” with which all community-based initiatives and networks identify, we list below some of the major movement organizations or networks that share these metamovement aims and values. This list is a work-in-progress! Please offer comments at the bottom of the page of about other movements or memes that should be included here.

Commons

Onthecommons.org describes the commons as “the essential form of wealth that we inherit or create together, and which must be shared in a sustainable and equitable way. Ranging from water to biodiversity to the Internet to community organizations, the commons provides the foundation of our social, cultural, and economic life. To ensure a hopeful future for ourselves and coming generations, we must vigorously protect and promote the commons.” Other groups use the term commons differently to refer more specifically to natural survival systems (food, water, air, etc) or to health, sustainability, and livability.

Compassion

Democracy/Civic/Legal Renewal, Policy, and Advocacy

Dream/Vision/Future/New

The dream or vision movement focuses on the deeper strategic and transformative work of building collaborative perspectives and ecosystems.

It addresses core cultural values and peoples’ desires and concerns for the future as part of the creative design process. Gatherings prioritize opportunities for personal reflection and participation.

Economic/Finance Renewal & Prosperity

The movement to restructure the financial system to promote fair, sustainable exchange of goods and services supports the prosperity of everyone having their basic needs met with dignity.

Educational Activism

The commitment of primary and higher education students and educators to local thrivingresilience can be seen in literally every community. School leaders are active in most local initiatives, campus activists drive significant social programs, and higher-education leaders are involved in strategic place-based initiatives such as town-gown partnerships.

Engaged Religion & Spirituality

Faith organizations make significant contributions to their local communities. Efforts range from congregation-wide sustainability programs to local cooperation circles to global peace meditations.

Happiness & Well-being

Healthy

The Healthy Communities Movement approaches community development through the framework of personal and community health. For an excellent article describing the principles and origins of the Healthy Community Movement, see “The Healthy Communities Movement and the Coalition for Healthier Cities” (Norris & Pittman, 2000).

Generation

This movement is led by the younger generation. Since they are the generation that will be living with and solving today’s ecosocial issues throughout their lifetime, their passions, perspectives, and priorities, and participation are key to a thriving resilient future.

Local/Livable

The localization movement promotes a more liveable lifestyle centered closer to home.

Occupy

Peace

The peace movement has been active for decades from. Peace is more than the absence of war; it is safety, prosperity, and a way of life, in the words of the International Cities of Peace. The compassion movement is an emerging aligned movement…

Resilience/Security

The resilience or security movement typically refers to initiatives that support a community’s ability to withstand shocks or disturbances. It tends to focus on the outer tangible systems of preparing for everything from disasters to economic collapse to climate change.

Service/Giving

Broad community service is the primary mission for many important core local institutions. Longstanding organizations such as community foundations and Rotary Clubs are good examples of megacommunity stewardships in the USA today.

Slow

The slow movement relocalizes and revitalizes people’s relationship with food and agriculture.

Social Justice/Responsibility/Equity/Service

The social justice movement focusses on all aspects of social inequity: poverty, discrimination, etc.

Sustainable/Green/Eco

The Sustainable/Green/Eco Communities Movement emphasizes the interconnection between personal, collective, and environmental flourishing. The Sustainable Communities Movement stresses the importance of natural ecologies both for their intrinsic value and for human community development. Leading resources include the books The Transition Handbook by Rob Hopkins (2008) and Creating Community Anywhere by Shaffer and Anundsen (1993) as well as:

Nature/Resources/Trees/Water/Energy

Bioregional ecological stewardship is the important mission of regional and national organizations and initiatives across the continent. The movement tends to involve networks with significant resources to address larger-scale social

Thriving

The Thriving Communities Movement is an emerging movement that focusses on the positive impact of community resilience in supporting healthier lifestyles where we not just survive, but thrive.

Transition

The Transition Movement is a vibrant, grassroots movement that seeks to build community resilience in the face of such challenges as peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis.