BetterTogether provides
interactive ways to celebrate and learn from the ways that Americans
are connecting, and provides tools and strategies to reconnect with
others.
..."We
must learn to
view the world through a
social capital lens," said
Lew Feldstein of the and co-chair
of the . "We need
to look at front porches as crime fighting tools, treat picnics
as public health efforts and see choral groups as occasions of
democracy. We will become a better place when assessing social
capital impact becomes a standard part of decision-making."...
Diversity and Social Capital Work:
Saguaro Seminar's Robert Putnam discussing impact of diversity and immigration on social cohesion and civic engagement.
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BetterTogether is
an initiative of the at . The issued the report Better Together, in December of 2000,
calling for a nationwide campaign to redirect a downward spiral of
civic apathy.
Warning that
the national stockpile of "social capital" – our
reserve of personal bonds and fellowship – is seriously depleted,
the report outlined the framework for sustained, broad-based social
change
to restore America’s civic virtue. Launched
by ’s ,
ther
drew its 30 participants from academia, the arts, clergy,
business and the top leaders and policymakers
of both major political parties. Saguaro members studied
the essential character of public participation in their
effort
to develop remedies to redirect a decades-long decline.
In his national best seller Robert Putnam decried
the collapse
of America’s social institutions.
But while traveling to promote the book, one question came up at
every appearance: what can we do to end the atrophy of America’s
civic vitality. What can bring us together again? [more...]
is an initiative of the
at .
c/o The Saguaro Seminar, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: 617-617 495 1148 FAX:
617-495-1589
