On today’s episode I am joined by Cormac Russell, a social explorer, author and a much sought-after speaker. He is the Founding Director of Nurture Development and a member of the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute, at DePaul University, Chicago. Over the last 25 years, Cormac’s work has demonstrated an enduring impact in 35 countries around the world. He has trained communities, agencies, NGOs and governments in ABCD and other community-based approaches in Africa, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe and North America. His most recent books are The Connected Community- Discovering the Health, Wealth, and Power of Neighborhoods (Coauthor John McKnight); Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2022, and Rekindling Democracy – A Professional’s Guide to Working in Citizen Space; Cascade Books, 2020.

In this episode, we explore the transformative power of grassroots community building, diving into inspiring stories from Cormac's work and his book. Together, we unpack how to reignite active citizenship and make practical, meaningful changes in your neighbourhood. Cormac sheds light on the harm caused by top-down approaches that focus on symptoms rather than root causes, and how holistic, community-driven solutions can shift the narrative—whether it’s about health, safety, or aging well. We discuss the dangers of viewing communities through a lens of problems instead of strengths, and the immense potential in collective action to bring about lasting change. Throughout the conversation, Cormac emphasises the value of seeing people not as needy but as needed, and how fostering this shift can bring real benefits to both individuals and communities. It was such an insightful and enriching conversation, where despite having a set plan, we went off-script in the best possible way exploring Cormac's deep knowledge and passion for community building. I hope you enjoy and take away as much wisdom from this conversation as I did.

To find out more about Cormac Russell and his work you can visit his website, check out his books and his podcast:

Website: https://communityrenewal.learnworlds.com/

The Connected Community: https://theconnected.community/

Rekindling Democracy: https://wipfandstock.com/9781725253636/rekindling-democracy/

The Connected Community Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-connected-community/id1719985969

Cormac’s TEDx talk can be viewed here

Podcast Host - Fenella Hawksley-Walker

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TikTok: ConversationsToConnect

Music - Composed, performed and produced by Athena Octavia

https://www.athenaoctavia.com

https://www.instagram.com/athenaoctavia

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