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1/31/2026

A Discussion about Building Community

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​On Wednesday January 14 our community was honored to have Anthony Flaccavento, Executive Director of the Rural Urban Bridge Initiative (RUBI), join us for a discussion of building community and better communication. 

Alex Fane, member of Clallam County Democrats and Indivisible Sequim, reflects on what he learned from that discussion:
1) It was an honest conversation and debrief on how the 2016 and 2024 elections were lost:
  • We need to face decades of wrong Dem policies that allowed hollowing out of industry, small business, farmers.
  • Too many people felt unseen for too long — especially in rural, working, and resource-based communities
  • We need to face messaging that reinforces Dems seen as elitists. (Environmentalists may be seen as elitists vs timber workers.)
2) Present situation:
  • Democrats, and perhaps Indivisible groups too, are maybe still simply known as protesters, not fixing the divide
  • Protest alone isn’t enough. What changes trust is showing up locally, listening like a neighbor, and doing visible good work that helps people where they live.
  • In my view, we cannot depend solely on mid-term elections this November to stop this present coup against the Constitution.
  • The world is becoming more volatile — economically, technologically, and politically — and that makes community trust more important than ever.
3) The cure and suggestions offered:
  • Think, talk, act differently. Talk like a neighbor. Listen. 
  • Strong communities don’t form overnight. They’re built through everyday acts: shared projects, honest conversations, local food systems, fair local news, and mutual aid that respects dignity. We need community good works that are regular and visible.
  • Sample: Community Works Communication tools are available
    ○ Public News Service, also in Spanish, provides trusted fair news 
    ○ Cardinal News as a sample non-profit news source  
  • “Dirt Voter Organizing” Ask: What are you interested in? Why are you so pissed off?  Show that we respect them.
  • An example is Mamdani, who never veers from his line
  • The example of Appalachian Harvest Food Hub 
4) How it affects me personally and fits into my world:
  • All these approaches make sense, no matter what happens to the country internally or the U.S. becoming a world pariah.
  • Let's heal the divide now so our communities in such an environment can work together instead of resorting to partisan violence.
  • Every network, every friendship, every good deed makes that more possible. Every hateful thought, word, or deed makes that less probable.
  • We don't have any time to waste on rebooting our words and actions.
  • See how our local Indivisible and immigration rights advocacy can adapt to these methods.
  • Need to guide group emotions at rallies to humanize the victims of ICE repression, appeal to compassion rather than incite violence or anger from MAGA neighbors.
  • If we want to avoid fear and division, the work starts now — not with ideology, but with relationships. Every bridge built locally makes our communities safer, kinder, and more resilient — no matter what comes next.
​

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