Community sustainability is so broad a topic that all components of society must be engaged in the process. This topic truly engages people from business, government, health care, criminal justice, education, and social services.
People living in survival mode will find it harder to become engaged in this work. The following will assist in getting people from poverty to participate:
- Direct-teach the hidden rules of economic class to all those involved in the process, including people from poverty. In this way everyone has a shared language and vocabulary to identify and resolve differences.
- Approach the poor as problem solvers, not victims.
- Start the process by building relationships of mutual respect, giving whatever time is necessary to know one another, using food and entertainment.
- Allow participants to bring their children.
- Identify and include the connectors …
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