I am currently reading Community, a book by Peter Block, that has a chapter “What It Means to Be a Citizen.”
Block writes: “If what holds the possibility of an alternative future for our community is our capacity to fully come into being as a citizen, then we have to talk about this word citizen. Our definition here is that a citizen is one who is willing to be accountable for and committed to the well-being of the whole. That whole can be a city block, a community, a nation, the earth. A citizen is one who produces the future, someone who does not wait, beg, or dream for the future.”
He argues that the meaning of citizenship is about more than just voting and more than just doing what we call our “civic duty.” It is, he argues, the willingness to build community. It is a choice of activism and care. As citizens we must hold ourselves accountable to the larger collective. We must own and exercise power rather than delegate to others, namely our elected officials or special interest groups. We must understand that great cities are built by great citizens. And that great citizens create great leaders.
That is one of the reasons, as I have mentioned in previous months, the recall actions by the concerned citizens groups throughout the Inland Empire are a step in the right direction. I know we have a ways to go in engaging the masses of apathetic individuals who have chosen to not participate in the building and rebuilding of our cities, but those who have organized especially in the cities of Moreno Valley, San Bernardino, and Yucca Valley understand that to “produce the future” we want to see here in the Inland Empire, we can’t wait for someone else, we must take action and educate our fellow citizens on their local government (both good and bad). In essence, we must “do something.”
I spent last week in Sacramento at the League of California Cities Annual Conference where one of the panel presentations was “Civic Innovation: Re-Engaging Our Citizenry and Making Government More Effective.” Presenters discussed collaborative models and training programs that deepen engagement between local governments and their citizens. And the discussion was moderated by the director of the newly-formed California Civic Innovation Project whose mission, in part, is to open new channels for public voices.
This week, we begin a three-part series on three recall efforts in the Inland Empire: Yucca Valley, San Bernardino, and Moreno Valley. We explore the efforts led by citizens who understand their role as citizens. If we want great communities for ourselves, our families, and for future generations we must, as Peter Block suggests, exercise power rather than delegate it to others. We must become deeply engaged in selecting and supporting our leaders and recognize that in our democratic society the power is really with the people…the citizens…and that is where true accountability begins.