Belonging { Exploring Connection to Community }

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Belonging { Exploring Connection to Community } belonging { exploring connection to community } 2015 national report vitalsignscanada.ca BELONGING WHAT IS proportion of canadians with BELONGING? a very strong sense of belonging to: Where do we belong? What do we belong to? Each of us has a personal connection to the idea of belonging. It reaches deep. It’s influenced by our experiences with the Belonging is being part of a collective ‘we’. people, places and identities to which we feel connected. Strengthening our sense of It’s about how much we believe we ‘fit’ in a belonging is at the heart of building more resilient communities and a better country. place or group, but it’s also about how much that place or group welcomes and includes us. % Our exploration of belonging has been inspired by our While we still have far to go, we’re well on our way toward community foundation movement. Vancouver Foundation building communities where we all have a stake, where we all 63 and The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation have a voice — and where we all belong. We can belong to many things at the same time: { canada } have been early leaders in signaling the importance of belonging, and catalyzing new research and community impact to increase belonging in their regions. Vital Signs is a national program led by community a community foundations and coordinated by Community Foundations of As we move towards 2017, Canada’s 150th anniversary Canada that leverages community knowledge to measure an ethno-cultural heritage of Confederation, belonging seems a particularly powerful the vitality of our communities and support action towards theme. This milestone urges each of us to think about the improving our quality of life. Started by the Toronto an organization related to a shared interest % kind of communities that we want to be part of and the kind Foundation in 2001, today more than 70 communities across of country we want to build together. Canada and around the world use Vital Signs to mobilize a subculture 45 the power of community knowledge for greater local impact. { their province } In addition to taking the pulse on belonging across the a language country, this year’s Vital Signs report also looks back at what’s changed since the last such milestone, our centennial in a workplace or school 1967. History makes it clear that Canada is a work in progress. a place in the natural or built environment 4 a province % thank you to the people who we appreciate the many a country helped make this report possible. ideas and insights from: 32 vital signs program leads: william ashton { their community } cindy lindsay and lee rose wanda brascoupé peters Connections and engagement are two important elements of research lead: ray bollman belonging. As Vancouver Foundation discovered in their work juniper glass tara brinston around belonging, connections are our relationships with others and design: sylvia cheuy the strength of those relationships. Engagement, on the other hand, certo creative debbie douglas is our commitment to community and the willingness to take action photography: andrew griffith or participate in activities that make our communities better.1 jamie macdonald greg halseth Thanks to FI Capital Ltd. thank you to community roberta jamieson FI Capital Ltd. is the Lead Partner for our national 2015 We know that people who feel they belong to a community are more “ My definition of community foundation leaders mallary mcgrath Vital Signs program and the title sponsor of our national likely to take action with others for the common good.2 So how is knowing and acting like we for their contributions: mai ngo Vital Signs report focused on belonging. FI Capital Ltd. can we strengthen belonging to each other and our communities? nicole gagliardi bill reimer have a shared fate.” is working with Community Foundations of Canada to Well, it’s really a two-way street:3 Communities need to send ainsley hawthorn heather steel zita cobb, founder, shorefast foundation5 lidia kemeny thank you also to: strengthen our understanding of the role that belonging signals of acceptance and inclusion; and individuals need to cultivate bethan llewellyn livia bizikova plays in communities across the country, and the connection with other people and engagement in the community. trina prior and her colleagues at the collective steps we can take to build a more equitable, brendan sheehan international institute for plural and connected future for all Canadians. tracey vavrek sustainable development as our data partner for vital signs. { II } community foundations of canada belonging: exploring connection to community { 1 } when we feel a strong sense of belonging and connection to people around us: we are healthier WHY BELONGING? “ When I look at the power Belonging to social groups and networks is as important to our health as and resilience of humanity diet and exercise.8 People with strong support networks tend to have a lower Belonging is not just a feeling, it’s a powerful catalyst for that we saw after the prevalence of mental illness9 and better overall physical health. healthier communities and a more cohesive, inclusive Canada. Calgary flood, I ask myself sustained employment improves Extensive support networks provide better opportunities for sustained and all the time: how do we secure employment.10 harness that power, to deal children learn better with poverty, homelessness, Belonging is a key element in the curriculum for early childhood education the environment, to deal across Canada.11 with the issues we face as life has more purpose When people have a stronger sense of belonging, they perceive life to be a community every single more meaningful.12 day? Now that we know that power exists, there has got to be a way to leverage it.” when communities are made up of people who feel they belong naheed nenshi, mayor of calgary7 and trust each other: neighbourhoods are safer As connectedness among people in communities increases, so does neighbourhood safety and a sense of community pride.13 contributions of time and money increase People who feel they belong are more likely to volunteer, donate to the community, and be involved in community governance.14 culture and identity flourish Aboriginal communities that have maintained more elements of their culture and a greater level of self-governance feel more individual and community continuity and identity. communities bounce back after emergencies Communities in which there are many social connections are more resilient during emergency events.15 Angus Reid Institute Belonging Survey when people feel a strong sense of belonging to their country: Our national belonging survey was social inclusion improves “ We are most fully human, most truly ourselves, conducted in partnership with the Belonging is a common indicator of how well someone has integrated into Angus Reid Institute in August 2015, society, and helps build social cohesion within a country.16 most authentically individual, when we commit to providing responses by Canadians on the community. It is in the mirror of our community their sense of belonging and connection public health improves to community. Some responses are When more people feel connected to others in their community, individuals included throughout this report and — the street, the neighbourhood, the town, 17 a full summary of the survey results report higher levels of positive mental health and seek out health services the country — that we find our best selves.” is available online at angusreid.org. they need when they need them.18 adrienne clarkson, co-chair, institute for canadian citizenship6 participation in society increases Belonging to a community, region or country influences identity and the extent to which citizens participate in society.19 { 2 } community foundations of canada belonging: exploring connection to community { 3 } WHAT INFLUENCES { personal social connections } { pluralism and diversity } The more we interact with our families, friends, neighbours The ethnic diversity of our communities also contributes to trust and people of different backgrounds, the more we feel we belong. and belonging. Caucasians that live in diverse neighbourhoods BELONGING? The number of relatives to whom we feel close has a positive have a stronger sense of belonging to Canada than their peers impact on our sense of belonging regardless of whether or residing in low-diversity neighbourhoods. However this reality not they live close to us.22 As the number of close friends is not felt everywhere as belonging among people of visible A variety of elements and factors influence our living nearby increases, so too does the feeling of community minorities is unaffected by neighbourhood diversity33. Having sense of belonging to each other, our communities belonging23 and trust in others.24 friends from different ethnic backgrounds also has positive impact on belonging.34 In 2013, 59% of people reported that and our country. Over the past decade, social connectedness appears to be on the rise in Canada. Between 2003 and 2013, the proportion of at least a few of their friends belonged to a visibly different 35 Canadians having three or more close friends increased from 70% ethnic group, up from 54% in 2003. to 75%, as did the number of people with more than ten other friends or acquaintances.25 However, we are less likely to spend time in-person with our friends compared to a decade ago. The engagement & participation proportion of Canadians who saw their friends a few times or { in the community } more each week declined from 56% in 2003 to 44% in 2013.26 There are many ways that community engagement is expressed, including through sports and outdoor activities. In a recent survey, 74% of Canadians believe that knowing their neighbours 87% of new citizens said that watching their children play sports is an important part of their day-to-day lives.
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