Greetings Steem Stars!
Today I want to express my thoughts on community empowerment and why it is so important.
This is my response to the question of the week in 
The question of the week – which is actually three questions, is:
“What is community empowerment, why is it so important and how can we find ways to achieve it?”
My opinion is that community has been, and remains an incredibly important part of humanity’s evolution.
Unfortunately, in the Western world, at least, the types of local communities that your grandparents and probably even your parents experienced have been to a large degree dissolved.
This is partially to do with the centralisation of power and the dominant paradigm attempting to take the power away from local influence and into its ever-hungry grasp.
However, life has a strange way of finding new ways to create what is needed and we can see new types of communities evolving.
Now, as I pondered this question, I realised that I am actually extremely fortunate to live in a physical manifestation of a new kind of community.
In the Alpujarra in Southern Spain, where I live there are around 60 different nationalities. All in an area with around 7000 people!
Not only that, we have many different tribes of people including:
The local Spanish community (The Hueveros, or “Eggers!)
European retired and working ex-pats
The hippies/punks/anarchists/travellers
The hedonists
The healers
And many more!
It’s a mad mix and guess what…..we all get on just great!
A large part of this is, I believe due to the very light touch of Government here. This area has a real wild-west vibe and it works beautifully.
People get on with life. All different, but largely co-operating.
I believe it is actually quite a good metaphor for the community model on the Steem blockchain.
I’ve been fortunate to be part of several great communities that have supported my journey on here and I hope that I’ve been supportive as well.
These communities are really exciting, because they are world wide and the sharing of ideas, experiences, support, guidance and friendship is just phenomenal.
Thanks to the power of these communities and the spirit and energy within them, I know that I could travel now to many areas of the world and meet up with great friends – who I’ve never met before.
All individuals
All unique
But with some commonality of intent – through choice, not through force!
This is the power of the communities that we are creating today and I’ve never seen anything like this until I arrived on Steemit.
We are sharing ideas and taking action that can create change at all levels.
Individually
Collectively
Globally
And Energetically and Spiritually
Tribe Steem Up, founded by 
| Anarchy | Non-Violence | Philosophy | Veganism | Mindfulness |
| Community Empowerment | Love | Original Music | Esotericism |
| Healthy Recipes | Psychedelics | Truth | Permaculture |
Plus other fields, so long as they are on the theme of empowering ourselves and others and creating positive change in the world.
It’s an exciting place to be and I’m incredibly grateful to be part of it.
To support the authors of this inspiring and creative content, there is a curation trail. This is a way to automate your voting and support these changemakers if this is the kind of content that you enjoy
reading/watching/listening to.
It is also a great way to earn automated curation rewards on successful posts and you can read all about how to support the tribe in Kenny’s post here:
Here’s to a proliferation of empowered communities across the Steem network and the world!
Sam x
EFTNow
▶️ DTube
▶️ IPFS