STICKY RICE STEPS UP WITH VANS

What does community mean to you?

Community, for me, means resilience, openness and respect. Over the years, I’ve had the chance to learn so much about myself and others through my community. Moving through the world as an Asian French Canadian can sometimes feel isolating. That’s why finding a group of people who can understand your experiences and struggles, with all their complexities, is important. A community is a celebration of heritage; a space for cultivating growth, vulnerability and support. But most of all, it’s a fun and loving environment you get to be part of.

In what ways, can we step up for our community?

I think the most helpful way to be present and advocate for your community is to be attentive to its needs. For your community to blossom, you sometimes have to put yourself aside to learn about other realities. Be interested in understanding your peers and listen with an open mind. Try reaching out to members of your community who are in difficult situations and show up when you need to. Overall, in the words of Waymond from Everything Everywhere All at Once: “The only thing I do know is that we have to be kind. Especially when we don’t know what’s going on.”

What does community mean to you?

Community is the act of building mutual support and care with folks so that you can find common ground and build trusting relationships.

In what ways, can we step up for our community?

I think we can step up by first asking ourselves this question: In years from now, how do I want to be remembered by my community? If we can project ourselves in the future and allow ourselves to envision the kind of community impact we want to have, then it can inspire us to make contributions beyond the possibility of our imagination.

What does community mean to you?

Community serves as a binding force that unites people. It’s a space that offers support during difficult times and a space where we can celebrate each other’s successes. It should feel like a warm hug or a place where you feel comfortable expressing yourself and your ideas. It can also be so much more than a gathering of like-minded individuals sharing ideas; community is about actively engaging with and making a difference within our circles and in society. People imbue the community with meaning or change it. That’s why to me the most important aspect of a community is that it is a place to learn and grow from each other.

In what ways, can we step up for our community?

To step up for your community, it’s important to bridge the gap between what we perceive as community needs versus actual needs. We can sometimes become so isolated and disconnected from each other that we only see glimpses of people’s lives as we live our own. Ask how your neighbours are doing! Reach out to others and brainstorm ways in which we can make each other’s lives easier or better. It can start as a small gathering of people looking for a genuine connection or it can be a workshop to teach a new skill. I think local community organizations like Sticky Rice Magazine is a testament to the work underway that keeps that statement true. Learning from those who came before us and teaching each other, sharing knowledge and empowering advocacy. The work we do today is our hope for the future. As society and community need to evolve, it’s crucial to educate ourselves on how we can challenge the status quo and show up for others, both within and outside our communities. Vulnerability and openness to criticism are essential as no community is a monolith and mutual respect and understanding are paramount in building strong communities

What does community mean to you?

For me, community is the glue that holds people together, the instinctive need for and feeling of belonging, acceptance, and support from a group of people who share values and interests. Having strong community ties is also what allows us to build ourselves up and overcome the challenges that we face. That being said, creating community is labour, because it is something that is cultivated with care. Strong friendships and connections can withstand the tension that arises from individual differences, frictions, and other forces that tend to pull people apart.

In what ways, can we step up for our community?

To answer this question, I prefer commenting on the process of advocating for your community. When you start looking at ways you can make a change, you will understand that the community’s needs are so diverse and depend on so many factors, such as age, sex, gender, socioeconomic and cultural background, and health status, to name a few examples. So I think that good community work is humble in trying to take into account the complexity of all of these issues while still taking initiative to make small changes. Getting involved in causes that matter to you, showing up as authentically as possible, asking for help and learning from people who have experience, and mentoring others are a few ways that you can make a difference. I also remind myself that courage and kindness go a long way in the process of standing up for yourself and others.