Community Capital

1
Community Capital

• A Common Trust

2
Community Capital

• Definition Banked good will that helps build
  trust between various groups in a community.
• AKA Social Capital
• Basis of strong civil society
• Made up of non-profit and voluntary associations
• Model Example Eugene V. Debs
• Related concepts Communitarianism, Civil
  Society, Third Sector

3
Community Capital in History

• Historical event The World Bank Group is an
  international development organization that
  provided more than 19.5 billion in loans to
  developing countries in 2002. Poverty Net,
  located on the World Banks Web site, contains an
  extensive library of online articles and
  abstracts on social capital.

4
Eugene V. Debs

• Organized one of the first industrial unions in
  United States.
• Organized labor industry rather than by crafts
• Gave his time, money, and strength for the
  community in order to benefit them
• Example of Community Capital Working for the
  common good and trust of a community

5
Community Capital and Democracy

• Community Capital provides a strong base for
  democracy
• Builds trust and centers a community
• Allows democracy to exist since the basis of
  democracy is trust in your peers and sharing a
  voice in your community
• Supports the development of civic leadership
  including grant making, supporting community
  foundations, and addressing public policy

6
Letter From Eugene V. Debs

• Eugene V. Debs
• Dear Fellow Civil Servant,
• I have received your letter that you
  have sent to me a fortnight ago and I am writing
  back to tell you I would be most honored and
  privileged to explain to you the concepts and
  ideas of community capital. I am overjoyed to
  explain to you my views on community capital, how
  it functions in a democratic society, and what
  the term truly means to a civil society.
• First I must explain the definition of the ideal
  that is community capital. Community capital is
  the outward effort and organized philanthropy
  that brings a civil society together by sharing
  banked services and goods. This communitarianism
  benefits the community as a whole and is often
  associated with philanthropic and democratic
  ideals. Community capital appeals to everyone in
  a society and is an important factor in a strong
  democratic government. The banked goods and
  services come in all forms including economic,
  political, and social stability and therefore
  common good.
• My personal views on community capital are
  revolve around equality for everyone.
  Theoretically the fundamentals of community
  capital eliminate the extremes in a society such
  as poverty and extreme wealth. The generosity and
  spirit of a democratic society works out the bugs
  of inequality without the communist effect.
  Community capital in a democratic society is
  strong in non-profit and voluntary organizations,
  and that is where I come into play with this
  concept. In 1893 I helped form and lead the
  American Railway Union (ARU) for railroad
  workers. The purpose of it was to organize the
  community of railway workers in order to make
  sure they received fair pay, treatment, and to
  look out for their health. With over 140,000
  members, the ARU is a prime example of community
  capital. It was the largest of its time and
  remains today as a great innovation to a civil
  society. I later helped found the International
  Labor Union, the Industrial Workers of the World,
  and many other small unions that revolved around
  community capital
• To explain your question of the particular role
  that community capital plays in a democratic
  society is rather simple. Community capital is
  the backbone of a democratic society. A
  democratic society is merely a society run by the
  people by definition. How can a society run by
  the people function without the people working
  together to ultimately better their community?
  Without community capital democracy would slip
  into an abyss of selfishness and eventually
  destroy itself from the inside out. Community
  capital provides welfare and a common good for
  everyone by working together in a democratic
  society and can only be achieved through
  philanthropy. Now if only all of the wealth could
  be evenly distributed therefore abolishing labor,
  money, and marketing as a commodity. But that
  makes me sound like a socialist and that would be
  crazy, right?
• Sincerely,

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Letter cont

• My personal views on community capital are
  revolve around equality for everyone.
  Theoretically the fundamentals of community
  capital eliminate the extremes in a society such
  as poverty and extreme wealth. The generosity and
  spirit of a democratic society works out the bugs
  of inequality without the communist effect.
  Community capital in a democratic society is
  strong in non-profit and voluntary organizations,
  and that is where I come into play with this
  concept. In 1893 I helped form and lead the
  American Railway Union (ARU) for railroad
  workers. The purpose of it was to organize the
  community of railway workers in order to make
  sure they received fair pay, treatment, and to
  look out for their health. With over 140,000
  members, the ARU is a prime example of community
  capital. It was the largest of its time and
  remains today as a great innovation to a civil
  society. I later helped found the International
  Labor Union, the Industrial Workers of the World,
  and many other small unions that revolved around
  community capital
• To explain your question of the particular role
  that community capital plays in a democratic
  society is rather simple. Community capital is
  the backbone of a democratic society. A
  democratic society is merely a society run by the
  people by definition. How can a society run by
  the people function without the people working
  together to ultimately better their community?
  Without community capital democracy would slip
  into an abyss of selfishness and eventually
  destroy itself from the inside out. Community
  capital provides welfare and a common good for
  everyone by working together in a democratic
  society and can only be achieved through
  philanthropy. Now if only all of the wealth could
  be evenly distributed therefore abolishing labor,
  money, and marketing as a commodity. But that
  makes me sound like a socialist and that would be
  crazy, right?
• 
  Sincerely,
• 
  
  Eugene V. Debs

8
Summary of Letter

• Explaining his views on community Capital, how it
  functions in a democracy, and how he has
  exemplified community capital
• Explains how he created work unions in order to
  benefit everyone in the community
• Defines community capital as creating community
  welfare
• Community Capital is the backbone of democracy,
  holding it together