I’m starting a new collection: Collective Endeavour, which is an enduring interest of mine – the things we can achieve together but not separately.

Here’s a good post to start it off.

Originally shared by David Brin

In the Atlantic, Eric Liu offers a suggestion for how folks depressed by the prospects of stunning levels of mal-governance can deal with the funk and malaise… start a club. One with some positive goal. Almost anything. Civic participation even at the lowest level can give people a sense of citizenship, involvement, even empowerment.

Moreover, unlike the tribal fury one finds in alt-right groups… and yes, a few leftist ones… something local and targeted can let you draw in people from all partisan leanings. Not fanatics or cultists, of course. But neighbors who might grow closer to you – and to reason – by participating in something cool and local, that makes sense. A school program like FIRST Robotics. A hunger program or Habitat construction.

One of my own activities for years was CERT – my local Community Emergency Response Team… all that is left of Civil Defense in the U.S.

Mr. Liu goes into more detail and offers many options, referring to such groups that were co-founded by Ben Franklin, long ago. A blending of optimism, activism and pragmatism that can not only lift your spirits and your neighbors, but give you both skills and the moral high ground, for battles ahead.