MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER

In 2022 Alamance County invited the Harwood Institute to help people from across Alamance County to come together to identify common values and hopes so we can address the challenges we face together.

The Harwood Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with decades of experience working in communities like ours, where our differences can sometimes seem too wide to bridge. It is not a consulting firm that tells communities what to do or how to do it; rather, it helps communities come together to solve problems and create a better future.

Harwood facilitated 16 listening sessions with hundreds of people and conducted 36 one-on-one interviews with community leaders to better understand our differences and our commonalities. We heard from diverse groups of people from all parts of the county and all walks of life, including those more comfortable participating in Spanish, religious leaders, young people and more.

Harwood’s report found real divisions, mistrust and a deficit in the civic infrastructure required to address community challenges. But the listening sessions also found a deep desire for hope and healing – a longing that could grow into dialogue, collaboration and action.

One common interest that ties us together, even in the face of geographic, economic, racial and political divides, is our common interest in providing a good future for our children.

The Harwood report suggests ways that we can move forward. It starts with building our civic strength – our capacity as a community to communicate and act together to solve problems and address needs.

“An authentic narrative can only be created by starting small, achieving real wins, and making those stories visible.” - Rich Harwood

How We Can Invest In Civic Strength

The report suggests investing in these areas to strengthen our civic infrastructure:

• Engaging people authentically

• Developing leaders who are turned outward

• Building more catalytic, boundary-spanning organizations and groups

• Tapping the energy and credibility of the faith community

• Creating a new can-do narrative