Creating Connections: Vital in a World of Social Distancing
Submitted by Carol Fleming, CYL Director, OCA
Connection has always been central to the co-operative sector. So much about what makes us stand strong is the sense of community: of working together towards shared goals, of valuing each other as people before profit, of building stronger communities based on equity and equality both inside and outside of our organizations. Grounded in this belief, it came as no surprise how quickly we found alternative forms of connection while social distancing over the past year.
Community has also always been a central part of the co-operative sector’s youth engagement strategies. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, co-operatives have had to adapt and find ways to connect with youth, while not losing the essence of what their programs are about.
Some of the technology used to implement these strategies simply would not have been available to us even five years ago. We had to address many of the same questions that all families, caregivers, camps and schools have been asking since early 2020: How will we connect without so many of the important in-person cues that make us so inimitably human?
After last summer spent in a virtual setting with both youth and facilitators, we now know that we can see the spark of human connection over a video call, as we can in person. While the experience is not the same, we absolutely know that connecting with our youth from the co-operative sector across the province, the country — and even internationally — as we navigate this new world of socializing from a distance, makes a difference and we can still feel the benefit of that connection.
The pandemic has been an opportunity for us to come together, to strengthen our communities, to help those in greatest need, to shine light on injustices, and more than anything, to connect while staying apart.
As the pandemic lingers in our midst, it is interesting to consider how technology and human connection will evolve as we stay isolated and try to navigate social distancing. We look to the changes we are already seeing: innovation in video conferencing; creativity in hosting public events; whether they’re held with attendees on balconies or a drive in theatre; advancements in technology like holograms that allow us to connect like never before from around the world or across the street. We look forward to other opportunities that social distancing and the subsequent innovation in technology represents: invention of new forms of communication and connection, and the fight for more equitable access to these technologies — especially for youth.
Our basic need to stay connected has never been more evident to us as in the last few months, and it is our mutual responsibility to lobby for ways to make technology work for us, and to create connection, community, and humanity.
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