Community is resilience
"We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men." – Herman Melville
People often talk about the resilience needed to overcome obstacles, to bounce back, and to move forward after being hit with challenges. In this sense, resilience is seen as a personal trait – a toughness developed over time. But resilience can no longer be seen as just an individual strength. We need to recenter our understanding of resilience back to community: to building and strengthening our connections, and remembering that it takes a village.
Building community means sharing the joy and grief, hope and ambition, wisdom, stories, resources, and solutions. Where one person might fail, a strong interconnected community where each member supports the other, can thrive. We see this clearly in the aftermath of natural disasters, when communities cut off from outside help come together: opening homes to the displaced, forming volunteer rescue groups, sharing food, and most importantly, sharing hope. This spirit of togetherness in any situation is the true foundation of resilience.
To truly embody this spirit, a community must be more than just a group – it needs to become a living ecosystem. A community that is built with and for the people in it. It means being people-first, focusing on relationships and interconnectivity, not hierarchies. It means co-creation, from decisions to ideas and actions that emerge from the group. It is purpose-driven, aligned around a shared vision for impact, justice, healing, and creativity. It is fluid but rooted, open to growth and evolution, but grounded in its values.
Building this kind of community takes thought and commitment, but when achieved, it creates the foundation for true resilience. It means bringing together people with different life stories and perspectives, united not by identical views but by a common purpose and shared values. By finding common ground, we create a community not only strong enough to spark change but resilient enough to endure it.
At Common Ground Ensemble, we celebrate the unique individual while acknowledging that real systemic change can only come from the collective.
Connection is the key – without it we are just a gathering. By holding space, sharing stories, wisdom, and solutions, joint experiences, and the awe of a magical land, we are building a living, breathing community – one rooted in purpose, growing in mission, and capable of withstanding challenges, and creating lasting impact.