One Is Not Singular

It was an intimate engagement as a couple dozen local community leaders and engaged citizens gathered in the basement of the First Baptist Church on Richmond Street tonight.

The meeting served two purposes; the first was to raise money for a legal battle with the city to save an area in the northwest called Stanton Drain, the second was to hear from Journalist and Editor Phil McLeod.

A legal battle with the city was sparked after a group of environmental and wild life advocates took concern with a wetland northwest of Hyde Park Road and Gainsborough Road.  Spearheading the suit against the city is AnnaMaria Valastro, who also organized tonight’s event.  The wetland is home to beaver, turtles and a significant amphibian population.  The city has been working for over a decade to have the area destroyed to make way for a storm management pond.  However, it has now turned into a legal battle because the city has flat out ignored the concerns of citizens and failed to consult the public on the development, which they are legally required to do before sending in the bulldozers.  This situation shines a glaring light on the issue of public engagement, or the lack there-of here in London.

London has, or had, a Community Engagement Task Force.  The task force was set up to create a policy that would hopefully do things like help identify citizens’ issues and concerns, decrease barriers to participation and increase the community’s role in some decision making processes.  In a seemingly scripted video on the City of London website, mayor Joe Fontana and councillors express their gratitude to those on the task force and their desire for community engagement.  The last time the task force met was over a year ago on December 7, 2011.  In that meeting, they drafted their Community Engagement Policy to be brought forward before council for approval.  The policy was approved, but there have been no meetings or follow-up in regard to the Community Engagement Policy since.

So, this leaves us with an attempt to engage the people of London and get their input into to decisions that will shape the future of the city.  In the case of Stanton Drain, any glimmer of authenticity about community engagement seems to have been quashed.  A few citizens raised their concern and it had to escalate to the courts for the city and council to take note.

Phil McLeod writes a daily column on his website with a focus on the happenings at city hall.  Contrary to an admission that public speaking is not his forte, he is rather well spoken and has a candor that engages your attention.  In his talk, One is Not Singular, he brought up Sherry Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation.  The ladder is an outline for the different levels of civic engagement privy to a given society.  Listed from one to eight, with one being in the realm of “Nonparticipation” and eight being “Citizen Power”, McLeod gave London a level 4 assessment of Consultation placing us in the category of “Tokenism”.  It would suggest that council seems interested in hearing what Londoner’s have to say, but when it comes to making decisions, they vote alone.  For example, MacLeod brought up the issue of chickens in backyards; an idea many Londoner’s expressed their interest in, but was eventually shot down.  It was suggested that council doesn’t see themselves as part of the public, but the one’s who govern the public.

The first time I met McLeod was when he was a guest speaker in a class at Fanshawe College where I am studying Broadcast Journalism.  He recommended the book Tribes by Seth Godin and I actually went to the bookstore that night and read it cover to cover.  The book is empowering.  Tonight, McLeod reaffirmed two important messages from Tribes; one, individuals today have more power than anyone in history, and two, there is only one thing holding you back; lack of faith.

When I first met AnnaMaria Valastro, I thought she was a nice woman who had an interest in saving the lives of a couple beaver.  After many meetings and conversations since, I have realized the importance of the idea of community engagement.  Valastro has been branded names like aggressive and abrasive, but in reality, she is neither.  Standing on the outside looking in, I can see that she has exposed an important fragment of our society that, for some unknown reason, has been ostracized and quelled.  Valastro is a Londoner who has taken issue with something she feels strongly about and because she has raised her voiced, she has been labeled a rouser.

McLeod showcased individuals throughout history who have been the catalyst for change.  There’s the Tank Man, or Unknown Rebel, at Tianamen Square who stopped Chinese tanks in their path.  There was Solonge Denis who stood up to former Prime Minister Brain Mulroney over pension promises and left him with the scar of being “Lyin’ Brian”.  Most recently, an editor from Adbuster’s Magazine, Micah White, who thought there needed to be a little protest against the one percent spawned the global occupy movement.  McLeod reiterated the theme; one is not singular.

As anticipated, McLeod concluded with practical advice:

1. Pay attention.  I immediately thought of the people I occasionally interact with on social media who have an opinion based on a headline.  Read the story.
2. Get involved.  It’s not enough to report disdain on your Facebook or Twitter account.  Go to a meeting, or sign a petition.
3. Take a stand.  It's not a lot of effort or cost to make a sign stating your position.
4. Let the people in charge know you want change.

Many people are afraid to take a stand because they fear the reaction that could ensue.  I felt a strong call to be brave in the face of opposition to what you (or I) view as right.  When you pick a fight with someone, expect a fight back.  Consider the victory of activating the change (or preservation) and the blows that you might have to endure versus the regret of doing nothing.

McLeod’s talk concluded with a quote by Margaret Mead that can not be shared enough: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

In AnnaMaria Valastro’s case, she is committed to her cause, has support from the community, and, no matter what the outcome, will change the change world - even if it’s just a small part.