Redesign Rupert Update charts progress of initiative to this point

The ReDesign Rupert newsletter
for June puts a focus on
community resilience

The Redesign Rupert project heads towards the summer with more plans for further engagement with the public, all part of the process in place to chart the the future that Prince Rupert residents may have in mind for the community.

The Community vision program which was introduced to the North Coast in February is being delivered through the combined resources of the Community Development Institute at UNBC, Community Futures of the Northwest and the City of Prince Rupert.

Now in the fourth month of its work, the staff of the program provided their latest update this week, making use of a June newsletter to outline the various elements that have taken place.

Redesign Rupert's co-Director Marleen Morris puts the focus of the month on community resilience and the ability for a community to anticipate, respond and adapt to change in a world that features constant change.

In the June dispatch, Ms. Morris notes some of the elements that are key towards addressing those changes.

Building community resilience is a long-term process. It requires that people, organizations, and the community as a whole develop the capacity to achieve social and economic goals through improvement of knowledge, skills, systems, and institutions. This is achieved through enhancing community involvement in decision-making and problem solving; creating a common vision for the future; implementing practical strategies for creating change; promoting inclusion; creating networks for communications, collaboration, and support; and, building the skills and confidence of individuals and groups.

Some of the practices that support community resilience include developing networks for ongoing communications and dialogue about what matters to the community; choosing leaders who encourage and support collaboration and mutual benefit; providing programs and mentorship that support the development of new leaders; collecting information about what is happening in the community and the external factors that may impact its future; monitoring and reporting on how well the community is doing in achieving its vision and objectives; and, celebrating community successes and acknowledging and taking action on challenges.

Some of the key characteristics of resilient communities include: unity and caring, so that groups and individuals in the community feel connected and supported; inclusion and engagement, so that community voices are heard; innovation and creativity, so that new approaches to emerging challenges can be found; diversity and difference, including respect for each unique contribution; and, collaborative leadership that encourages cooperation throughout the community.

By exploring those themes, the Redesign Rupert team notes the foundation for long term success can be put in place.

In addition to the overview on resilience, Redesign Rupert offers up a quick synopsis of some of their recent activities, including the ongoing Community Mapping project and a recent livestream of their Speaker Series.

Prince Rupert residents can take advantage of an information display planned for Seafest Saturday, as ReDesign Rupert sets up in front of the Community Futures offices on Third Avenue West at the Capital Mall. The information display will be in place from 10 AM to 4 PM.

You can take part in the Mapping project, learn more about what the Redesign Rupert initiative is about and offer your comments to the staff that will be on hand.

To get on the mailing list for the monthly newsletters register at the link here.

More items related to the work of Redesign Rupert can be found from their website.

You can review some of their previous work through our archive page here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review