Community - beyond fluffy notions
My contributions to the community debate
A sense of place: how to create community in a fractured world That was the title of a debate I took part in at the Battle of Ideas late last year. Film of the session has recently been published online. So please do watch the introductory remarks that I and fellow speakers gave. I was conscious in the run-up to the debate how fluffy notions of community can be. The last time I chaired a debate on the subject, again at the Battle, we had the loathable rogue Mizzy to vent over. Unlike his amoral antics that was no bad thing as these discussions can often be a bit unreal. All a bit Kumbaya.
This time and thanks to - that’s the wrong word - because of the riots a few months earlier, we could hardly avoid going beyond the usual platitudes. It was no good saying we all should just get on with each other, be kind, not mean etc. We had to deal with the obstacles, the tensions, the conflicts and confusions, that are part of our experience of living together today in our not-really-communities. Anyway, as I say, please do click on the link above and see what you think. Also, while you’re at it, if you too prefer a more substantive, challenging approach to this too often tepid topic, you might be interested in what else I have to say on the subject here on Substack …
Image: Netherlandish Proverbs by Pieter Brueghel the Elder
