We use the term community to mean “people with common interests living in a particular area.”i This may also include those with common interests and trust relationships who are scattered throughout a wider society, .g., a diaspora.
Sustainable has two aspects: (1) the challenge, i.e., “harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged;” and (2) the project, i.e., availability of support for sufficient duration to enable success, and existence of a viable exit strategy.
Resilience as defined here refers to an entity’s capacity “to prepare for disruptions, to recover from shocks and stresses, and then to adapt and grow from a disruptive experience.” ii Capacity includes basing operational systems on resilient technologies and processes (networks, motors, etc.), and fostering resilient cultures (e.g., being motivated to fight back and overcome obstacles, understanding how people behave in actual crises—fostering agility and adaptiveness). In sum, communities will not just bounce back to a status quo, but will be prepared to bounce forward better.
i. Merriam-Webster online: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary; “community“ definition 1a; “sustainable” definition 2a
ii. Judith Rodin, former President of the Rockefeller Foundation, The Resilience Dividend: Managing Disruption, Avoiding Disaster, and Growing Stronger in an Unpredictable World (Profile Books Ltd., 2015)
