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Leadership Lens Thriving Together: The Power of Community and Belonging
November 20, 2024
People throughout history have formed communities to survive and thrive against adversity. In a culture that celebrates the myth of rugged individualism, a “go-it-alone” mentality has been detrimental to society. Just as forming communities contributes to individual and collective survival, communities formed of distinct individual components can organize to create greater good in the localities they live in, as well as the nation they are a part of.
The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit (IFLC) represents a macro version of this, while smaller interfaith groups come together as well. These interfaith communities are defined by shared values, the desire to learn from each other, the opportunity to collaborate to improve the community, develop genuine friendships across different faith traditions, share in charitable efforts, address civic and social challenges, and promote improvements in their broader civic environment.
This is an essential component of a healthy, vibrant community; certainly, minimizing conflict reduces civic stress, but greater understanding and bridge-building promote community viability. It also literally promotes health among its participants, as belonging to communities is known to do.
A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2023, “Sense of Belonging, Meaningful Daily Life Participation, and Well-Being: Integrated Investigation,” documented the benefit of community connectedness and belonging. “Social connectedness and sense of belonging – the feelings of being a part of a larger group of individuals – are thought to be basic human needs. The experience of a significant bond with physical, relational, symbolic, or even imagined collectives is crucial for the survival of the individual, as well as for the continuity and prosperity of the community.”
The impact of steady fragmentation in society, socially and politically, is as relevant to health as it is to homeland security and economic prosperity. The values that faith traditions bring to civic integrity are universal, and collective power of interfaith communities represents an undervalued asset in society. These communities are also important to those who belong to them. Upholding the universal values shared across faith traditions, as well as contributing collectively to the cities where individual members live and work, is essential to local, state, and national stability. Belonging is necessary to create thriving communities. The skills of bridging, as advocated by the IFLC, are tools for rebuilding a country based on values and committed to caring for the stranger, those who are different – possibly adversarial, and those who are neighbors. As noted in the public health literature, true belonging is a prerequisite for public health.
Interfaith efforts to create a sustainable life for people experiencing poverty, efforts to promote environmental quality, educational and social programs that encourage community reconciliation, and public statements that promote harmony are among the ways that interfaith communities contribute to the greater good. Internally, members of interfaith communities are invigorated by this work. And that contributes to public health.
Dennis Archambault – InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit Board of Directors, Vice-President, Authority Health (formerly Detroit Wayne County Health Authority), and Program Director for its Albert Schweitzer Fellowship
