Pics from the Catalyst Assembly

Here are some pics from our first annual Assembly of the Catalyst Network of Communities!

Scenes from the Assembly by 562CityLife

Big thanks to our friends at 562CityLife for posting up this video with scenes from the Assembly of the Catalyst Network of Community!

Pressing In Towards Community

In 3 days, we're calling on everyone connected to the Catalyst Network of Communities to gather together for an Assembly. Right now, we've got 5 collaborative communities comprising more than 45 collaborative partner organizations and businesses, 17 Catalyst-adopted community groups that we fiscally sponsor, and a handful of Catalyst initiated collaborative projects - all within our values-based relational network.

Imagine if everyone shows up!

It's crazy. What if no one shows up? It really is an experiment. But I think it's an exciting one. This Assembly is going to be an opportunity for us to rally around our common community values - building relationships, establishing partnerships, encouraging contribution, and inspiring growth. That's what we all have in common - and it is these shared values that bring us together.

We're trying to create a relational infrastructure that makes it easier for each of us to find out what's happening in our city, to collaborate on worthwhile efforts that impact our community, and to share resources with each other. It shouldn't be difficult to do good and to be good to each other. But sometimes it is.

We've got to strive for the better vision - one that reveals the good in us.

I'll be the first to admit that I've made a ton of mistakes in my life. So many of us have. But those mistakes do not disqualify us from being able to make a positive contribution to our world. We have to just try and we have to just be willing to press in towards each other instead of away from each other. And when conflict happens, we have to keep pressing in towards each other. Otherwise, no one receives any benefit.

Let's be the kind of people that seek to shape our world for the better. Anyway.

After all, every one of us matters.

Connect and affect, my friends! I hope to see you on Saturday!

Eric Leocadio
Founder/Executive Director
Catalyst Network of Communities