Local Action

[Steve Douglas]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/29/world/europe/spanish-village-in-d...

[Olivia Munoru]

Steve this is a great article and a perfect example of where people just pitch in to make things work. It reminds me of when The Constellation realised we were also in financial difficulty last year. I have been writing a paper on this, and in the process I have intereviewed quite a few people. When I ask one interviewee how they felt about the financial "crisis" facing The Constellation, she said "it was not a crisis. It was a gift. An opportunity to become even better than we were before. We were able to really practise SALT, to really BE The Constellation".

For those interested, the results of this situation were:

1. The number of people actively contributing to functions of the Constellation has expanded from a core group of 6 to more than 35 (and that doesn't even include the 100's who spread SALT, connect, share and contribute on NING and in their own communities). These people are largely volunteers, with a very wide range of skills and depth of experience. They span the globe. 

2. There is energy building around the idea of working more with business communities, entrepreneurs, private sector etc.... we have learned that Community Life Competence and SALT is applicable everywhere and for everyone.  Now we are starting to see new opportunities where we didn't before. We are harvesting new ideas.

3. The experience has shown us that problems are never without solutions, and resources are always available. It has revealed that The Constellation is a very rich organisation - our human, social and spiritual capital is immense, as well as our knowledge base.

4. The experience taught us how to work better and more efficiently. Our virtual office is a great example, and many big companies around the world invest huge sums trying to learn how to be as agile, efficient and globally spread as we are! 

I really appreciate the article you shared Steve. I will use it in my research paper to demonstrate the power of building from existing strengths. Thanks again. Keep the blogs coming!!!