| Healthy Community Movement
Healthy community
movements developed all across the country and around the world during the 80's and 90's. A
healthy community is one where people work together - as neighbors and in
civic groups, religious groups, schools, businesses and government - in an
effort to make our cities, towns and neighborhoods more livable. A healthy
community prospers socially, spiritually, environmentally and
economically. Three main underpinnings of healthy community efforts are:
Broad definition of health:
One of the main goals of
healthy community movements is to broaden the definition of health. Good
health is not just about avoiding illness. Good health comes from a high
quality of life and a sense of well-being. This means that people's basic
needs are met economically, spiritually and socially. It means that people
are actively involved in community, the air, water and soil are clean, and
our economy is thriving and vibrant.
Build on local assets and
resources:
Many healthy community efforts use something called an asset
model(pdf file, 352k). This simply means we look at the glass as being
half full instead of half empty. WCHC believes that our community is
filled with bountiful resources and talented and skilled people capable of
solving even our biggest challenges. We do not think it will take outside
"experts" or bucket loads of money to affect our quality of life. We can
all create positive, long-lasting change with the under-utilized resources
that exist right here in Whatcom County.
Strengthen connections
between people:
Healthy community movements seek to connect people
with one another, or increase our social capital. Some of the philosophy
behind this idea came from a Harvard University researcher, Robert Putnam,
whose work has shown that as a society we are not doing as many things
together as we used to. His research from across the country shows that we
are less inclined to sign petitions, join organizations, meet our
neighbors, and socialize with friends and family. In his book, Bowling Alone, he uses the example
that more Americans are bowling than ever before, but we are not joining
leagues. Healthy community efforts like the Coalition's seek to
change that trend.
Healthy Community Principles
- Broad definition of health
- Shared vision and values
- Broad definition of community
- Quality of life for all citizens
- Shared community ownership
- Focus on systems change
- Build true collaboration between: business, government, non-profits,
and citizens
- Build broad citizen participation that encourages new, diverse
players
- Benchmark and measure progress and outcomes
- Build capacity using local assets and resources
- Link existing efforts
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