Goodwill Reverberates Through Community Building/Journalism Summit

Passion to see local publication survive and thrive motivates attendees

Yvonne Hollandy

A new Trent University graduate who’s decided to stay in Peterborough rather than return to his country of origin, says reading Electric City Magazine helped make this city “home” to him. He joined the Dec. 9 summit curious to see what’s next and keen to explore how he might support the work going forward.

Other attendees of the summit (Electric City Resonates – A Turning Point) had their own stories of what Electric City Magazine means to them. More than anything, people seem to be motivated by a passion to see the publication survive and thrive.

“Nurturing generative community is as much about the acts and intentions of individuals as it is about the work at the community level.”
– The Way of Generativity

“What can I do to help?” was the question that surfaced in various forms throughout the three-hour gathering.

This response of goodwill testifies to the reputation that the magazine has built over two years of existence. Co-founders Gabe Pollock and David Tough alternatively describe it as a “funky, scrappy little mag” and “weird, indie” thing. But readers clearly cherish the publication, probably both because of, and in spite of, those qualities.

As for the essence of the whole summit, the fact that the Resonance Centre for Social Evolution has purchased the magazine, the goodwill didn’t appear to falter on that front either. People seemed energized by the possibilities that this new collaboration might open up.

Most of the 30 or so attendees responded to the invitation to offer their specific ideas around developing select story themes over the coming year.

Many also made specific offers of support during a time in the summit described as a “Gifts and Offerings Circle.” Attendees were invited to share what they either would like, wish or need, or what they would have to offer in relation to this new partnership. People promised to invite others to future Electric City Magazine/Resonance Centre events, to help with fundraising and to contribute to story development work, to name a few of the responses.

Though this may not have been the stated intent, among other things the Dec. 9 summit was certainly an experience in nurturing generative community.

The gathering practices that shaped how it unfolded created the space for people to have a generative experience; but those experiences would not have been possible without the goodwill that people brought into the room.

As The Way of Generativity writers state, “Nurturing generative community is as much about the acts and intentions of individuals as it is about the work at the community level.”

Stay tuned for details on how to engage further in this exciting new community work.

Click on any photo below to view a slideshow of larger images, or you can view the album in Flickr by clicking here.

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