We are social animals our instinct is to find strength in numbers, our health and our happiness is intricately linked with our personal connections.
The effects of the pandemic; travel restrictions, quarantines and social isolation prevented connections with family, friends and community. We became dependent on technology to keep in touch and exist; social media, zoom calls, on-line ordering of goods and services. As our familiar social networks diminished and in some cases disappeared, the absence of physical social connection caused isolation, people began to experience loneliness, low self-esteem, low self-compassion and social anxiety at the same time mental health issues were already on the rise. The consequences of the pandemic will be long lasting, perhaps unrecoverable if we fail to take action as a community to rebuild our trust and respect.
The silver lining in this unfortunate event is, we now understand how critical, a sense of community is to our overall wellbeing and when government policy divides the humanities, they are no longer useful to any society and the most vital way to sustain ourselves is by building self-reliant communities.
The Spirit Alliance, inclusive social development plan is aimed at providing safe, productive, healthy and abundant neighbourhoods, where all voices will be heard and where all people work together to determine the future needs of the community and the generations to arrive.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; undeniably, it’s the only thing that ever has” Margaret Mead