Rekindling Democracy

Finally, a book that offers a practical yet well researched guide for practitioners seeking to hone the way they show up in citizen space. Rekindling Democracy, A Professional’s Guide To Working In Citizen Space, convincingly argues that industrialized countries are suffering through a democratic inversion; where the doctor is assumed to be the primary producer of health; the teacher of education; the police officer of safety, and the politician of democracy.

Through just the right blend of storytelling, research and original ideas Russell asserts instead that in a functioning democracy, the role of the professionals ought to be defined as that which happens after the important work of citizens is done. The primary role of the 21^st century practitioner therefore is not a deliverer of top-down services, but a precipitator of more active citizenship and community building. And then he goes about showing us how to do so effectively.

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What people have said about the book

There is growing recognition that Asset-Based Community Development offers a real alternative to the bankruptcy of top-down service provision. This timely and compelling exposition by one of its leading exponents shows exactly why.

David Brindle – The Guardian

An astonishing and ambitious book that delves deeply into questions of communities and the people who can bring them to life

David Best – Sheffield Hallam University

In this book, we have the privilege to walk alongside Cormac whose phenomenal experience leads us to a pathway where every neighbour can become a Fire Soul. What good fortune that you have found this book for it will light and lighten your life

John McKnight, co-founder Asset Based Community Development Institute

This book condenses worlds of wisdom on what really matters and outlines the kind of citizen revolution we need. It offers radical perspectives on democracy, economics, society and the value of human life. If citizenship is your goal then this book will provide encouragement, stories and ideas that you can take with you as we work together to restore community to the centre of our lives.

Simon Duffy – Centre for Welfare Reform

An easy-to-read manual for community builders, bursting with inspiration and exemplary stories. Describes attractive reasons for optimism. In addition to the many useful tools and tips, we especially need patience in strengthening our dynamic and multi-cultural society. A must-read for politicians and their advisers, who take modernization of democracy seriously.

Kees van Engelenhoven – Utrecht City Government

I read this book in one sitting and felt as inspired as I always am with what Cormac has to say. This book will allow me to stay challenged, to reflect, to share and to reposition my thoughts and actions as I continue to strive to do the right thing in the right way. The seven essential functions of a rekindled community, Cormac reminds us, cannot be found in the board room, but on our streets.

Emma Hodges – St Giles Hospice

As individuals trying to respond to the many challenges our communities face, we can often lose sight of how much greater our impact can be when we work together than when we dream alone. This book lights the blue touch-paper of possibility, giving you the firepower you need to reimagine and refashion the place you live, packed with inspiring yet deeply recognizable stories of people creating change.

Rob Hopkins – Transition Towns Network

Cormac Russell is a bright light in the field of community development. I consider him the global leader in applying the work of Asset Based Community Development to the real work of rebuilding communities. In his book “Rekindling Democracy” he provides many chapters of fresh thinking inspiring us to reconsider institutional approaches to caring for one another. His book is just the right balance between creative thinking, critique and useful constructs for actually doing the work of re-building community. This is a must-read for anyone interested in bettering their community and more importantly restoring the very essence of our democracy.

Paul Born – Tamarack Institute

Attending a Cormac Russell presentation always leaves me wanting more. More stories, more lessons and more revelations. Rekindling Democracy is that more. It’s the complete Cormac. A guide to rethinking, refreshing and reversing the current course of our democracies, in favour of nurturing the caring actions of so-called ordinary citizens.

Al Etmanski – author & social entrepreneur

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About the Author

Cormac is Managing Director of Nurture Development and a faculty member of the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute at Northwestern University, Chicago.

Over the last 20 years, Cormac has worked in over 30 countries around the world. He has trained communities, agencies, NGOs and governments in ABCD and other strengths-based approaches in Kenya, Rwanda, Southern Sudan, South Africa, the UK, Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Canada and Australia.

He is passionate about the proliferation of community-driven change and citizen-centred democracy and has supported hundreds of communities to make ABCD visible through what he calls ABCD Neighbourhood Learning Sites.

His motto, paraphrasing Benjamin Franklin, is: ‘When it comes to Community Building, well done is better than well said’.

Cormac at TEDx

Nurture Development

Twitter

Afterword

By Julia Unwin, DBE, FAcSS
Former chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust Chair of Civil Society Futures

“Rekindling Democracy is a book that needed to be written. At a time when the words “community,” “neighborhood,” and increasingly “place” are thrown around with casual abandon, a book that brings focus and a rigorous conceptual framework to these words is hugely welcome. But this book is more than simply a necessary corrective to loose and careless thinking. It is a manifesto for a different sort of society and a more relational, more human way of doing business …”

Read full afterword here

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Become a Fire Soul

If you’ve read “Rekindling Democracy”, you might be thinking “what next?”

Our ambition is for every reader to go on to become a “Fire Soul” in their community too.

If you were inspired to action by this book, we’d love to connect, share your story. If you’re not sure where to start, get in touch and we can provide some further guidance!

Fill out the form to the right and become one of our online community of Fire Souls