Our local leaders must embrace intentional strategies to nurture demographic diversity.  By supporting locally owned small businesses, implementing environmental and quality-of-life improvements, and nurturing new community-led structures we will build capacity and advance community wellness. 

 

Creating a Shared Vision

Successful collaboration focuses on the long-term goals of community members, while both embracing their differences and recognizing their commonalities. 

 

Long-term goals must be defined early and revisited. Doing so, community members can (re)focus their attention to the overall mission and shared goal of the collaboration.  

 

​Engaging Stakeholders

Stakeholders are individuals who are affected or could potentially be affected by a decision or circumstance. Stakeholders come to the table with different perspectives and interests in the issue, whether it be a problem or an opportunity. 

 

Stakeholder Inclusion

Communities might face challenges in building trust to achieve inclusion and participation of commonly excluded perspectives. Including stakeholders early in the process and engaging them throughout the process ensures collaborative efforts will focus on the public’s values and needs. In turn, the public gains insight into the complexity of the current issues and opportunities.

 

Community inclusion is a legal and human right that addresses social determinants of well-being. The increased opportunities to live a meaningful life in the community enhance general wellness, economic stability, and future sustainability.