Date
Published:

Social distancing. While this phrase isn’t plastered in every public place anymore, the habit remains. The pandemic (magnified by political polarization) has widened the distance among Americans with rippling consequences. Feeling connected to others is a basic human need — and this epidemic of loneliness is bad for our health, our economy, and our democracy.

Our communities need more public gathering places in which to rebuild connections with others. It sounds obvious, but in reality there are fewer and fewer actual places that enable us to get to know those around us and build the relationships, trust, and collaborations that society needs to thrive. We’re talking about gatherings that are “upstream” of politics, where we can rehumanize one another and find ways to move forward.

That’s why we’re on a quest to build more “civic infrastructure” — structured and sustained community gatherings that help us feel invited, connected, energized. That help us overcome social anxiety and heal our social rifts. And that build a culture of looking out for others, of taking responsibility for what’s not working, of being civically committed.


SPARK CITIZENSHIP FOCUS
Civic Gatherings

This is the third step to Spark Citizenship — a year-long project to equip more Americans (just like you!) as sparks of civic activity. You’ll dig into a timely theme and receive practical resources, inspiring examples, and grounded encouragement to not only embrace this civic mindset in yourself but also spark it in others. It’s an activating, community-building, and hope-filled antidote to the polarizing pull of the 2024 election.

Looking for more? Start with joining and inviting → 


Your task — 

Become a gathering engineer. Study the areas of disconnection, of social breakdown, and of civic opportunity around you. Pay attention to the kinds of connection your community is yearning for and sketch out what it would look and feel like to have public, purposeful gathering places where everyone can belong and thrive. It could be a swap meet, a BBQ at the county fair, a program at your library, a Memorial Day potluck, a community garden workshop… gatherings can (and should!) fit with the culture of your place. Do what you can: show up once; join a planning group; organize something of your own — each small step matters!

Resource library — 

We’ll be adding new ideas, tips, conversation prompts, inspiring stories, and other content to help you practice the civic skill of developing and practicing civic gatherings.

Explore Priya Parker’s “Art of Gathering”

Priya Parker is an expert gatherer. She shares,

Gatherings play a huge role in our lives. The comings together of friends, family, and co-workers have the potential to change the way we connect, the way we understand ourselves and one another, and the way we live. Yet, too often, we’re on autopilot using the same tired formats. We forget to plan for, or fail to even consider, the human connection at the center of it all — the real magic behind a successful group event. I want to help you shift that lens. I believe everyone has the ability to gather well. I’m here to help you rethink and reimagine how we spend our time together and infuse it with creativity and meaning.

Explore her work →

Become a gathering architect

A graphic with the text, Step one to becoming and architect of civic gatherings. Want to bring people together in a purposeful way? Start with these journaling prompts to take inventory of the needs in your community.Picture the physical gathering spaces that exist in your community. Are they being used to build the relationships, trust, and collaborations that your neighbors are yearning for?

We invite you to become become an architect for this kind of “civic infrastructure” — structured and sustained community gatherings that help us feel invited, connected, energized. That help us overcome social anxiety and heal our social rifts. And that build a culture of looking out for others, of taking responsibility for what’s not working, of being civically committed.

Explore journaling prompts to get started →

Take a deep dive into the research

21st Century Civic Infrastructure: Under Construction

This paper from the Aspen Institute outlines strategies to building civic infrastructure – an infrastructure strong enough to meet 21st century challenges and designed to serve all members of our society, especially those on the margins.

“If built with intention, civic infrastructure produces platforms on which a sense of shared responsibility can reside and grow; it enables us to communicate with one another more effectively; it helps to manage our differences; and it can help us to develop a shared understanding of what constitutes our common and public good. Civic infrastructure enables civic capacity — the “capacity to create and sustain smart collective action.” In the absence of an intentional civic infrastructure designed to broaden participation and, particularly, to engage those on the margins, other interests will fill the vacuum. The absence of a robust civic infrastructure risks giving rise to a system that serves a more narrow and elite constituency where market and moneyed interests can replace the interests of a broader public purpose.” Continue reading →

Be a builder

We Need to Build by Eboo Patel is a call to create institutions, structures, and gatherings needed to sustain our democracy — and a guide for how to run them well. IN his book, Patel shares how these gatherings serve as vital spaces for dialogue, learning, and collaborative action among diverse community members, fostering a sense of belonging and shared responsibility for the democratic process.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Looking for more? Make sure you’re following us on Instagram and LinkedIn.