And lots of us are talking about how to do something to gain a sense of wholeness and peace with these conflicting worldviews and resulting actions. The developers of this project believe that a forum is needed which focus attention, brings people together, provides opportunity for dialogue, and engenders a commitment for action at many different levels. We believe that the theme of resilience is the basis for creation of that forum. Enduring ecological systems are inevitably resilient, coping with climatic and other shocks. The notion of resiliency is found in Families Studies Literature related to both individuals within families and families themselves.
Individuals first learn resilient behaviors and attitudes within families.
Because families are the smallest and most vital social unit of a society, the abilities of families to teach and practice resiliency is the key to community resilience. At issue is their ability to do so when confronted with the global crises driving change. Communities, who have undergone severe challenges due to natural disasters, economic downturns, extensive immigration and outmigration, and crimes such as the murders of school children, are vulnerable and struggling to find ways to prevent and respond. This has allowed us to see ourselves as separate from each other, from other organizations and institutions and from nature. The truth is that we are all intimately connected in a web.