Restoring a Sense of Caring
World unrest underscores need for strong communities

I recently heard a comedian question the reality of reality TV. What is so real, he wondered, about 30 “bachelorettes” chasing one guy? Wouldn’t reality be better depicted by showing the guy sitting at a kitchen table trying to figure out how to pay the bills?

Of course, we’ve witnessed the ultimate in reality television with the war in Iraq. In its early days, our viewing brought excitement and intrigue. When would the war end? How would it end?

The war is quieter now that the second phase, or nation building, has begun, with the most important building blocks being found at the community level:

• CNN interviewed New York City’s police chief about the delicate work of building local police forces.
• Experts in water purification are being recruited to make sure clean water flows when the faucets are turned on.
• Hospitals are strained and museums are being looted, their antiquities and priceless treasures possibly lost forever.

This quieter phase has brought a decline in the number of viewers who watch the war on 24-hour news channels. We have difficulty relating to city- and community-building at home – much less on the other side of the world – when our crazy schedules are filled to overflowing.

Though all of us are interested in the places where we live and work, we tend to take what we have for granted and believe that, for the most part, someone else will take care of any community problems that arise. We rarely think of nation- and city-building as having any personal meaning for us.

Yet, our lives can turn upside down in an instant. Spring tornadoes in neighboring states and last winter’s ice storm are reminders of what happens when our basic supply lines are interrupted. And those events pale against the memory of 9/11.

Trends and statistics tell us that we are more fearful of our fellow citizens than ever before. But we also long for the close-knit, smaller towns of our youth. Houses are being built with front porches again, and volunteerism is on the rise. In short, we are searching for the heart and soul of community life that is built on relationships among committed, involved and caring citizens.

The NewCities Foundation had its start just before 9/11, and the very first meeting was held the week following 9/11, bringing people together to ponder the status of citizenship and what it means for city- and community-building.

The questions are significant: How do we restore a sense of caring that will help us reclaim our places and keep them safe into the future? How do we create a sense of citizenship that takes into account not only personal needs but those of the broader community and our responsibilities as global citizens?

Twelve principles developed at the NewCities Foundation meeting focus on these fundamental elements, pointing the way for citizens to work together for individual and community improvement.

1. Remain true to yourself. Preserve and build on the unique aspect of your individual city.
2. Don’t merely grow. Develop. Be sure to increase quality while increasing quantity.
3. Buy locally; sell globally. Keep local money in the community, and bring additional money in.
4. Connect to the outside world. Connections and access to the larger world are critical to everyone.
5. Recruit AND retain. Bring new “friends” into the community while keeping old “friends” from leaving.
6. Build beautifully. Good communities must also look good.
7. Steward the environment. Quality of life is an important economic asset.
8. Contemplate youth and diversity. Create an environment that nurtures, prepares and encourages local youth and diversity.
9. Mimic bigness. Overcome the perceived disadvantages of being small.
10. Rethink boundaries. Work with other local governments to be effective and efficient service providers.
11. Feed the mind. Make a commitment and priority of lifelong learning.
12. Nurture the soul. Amenities are economic assets that are good for the soul.

Sylvia L. Lovely is executive director and CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities.
editorial@lanereport.com

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