We are all connected, interconnected.  We are born into a community and we can create community as well.  Community gives us power to do what we cannot do alone, to bear what we cannot bear alone and a place to share our joy and express ourselves.   It gives us the sense of belonging that we crave. 

Our community is made up of many individuals and many groups.  Each of us are the same in many ways while at the same time being unique. Our sameness gives us one kind of connection to each other, our uniqueness allows our special contribution to the group. 
 

References: 
"Creating Community Anywhere -  Finding Support and Connection in a Fragmented World"  Carolyn R. Shaffer & Dristin Anundsen,  Forward by M. Scott Peck, M.D. 1993,  Penguin Putnam, New York. 

     "The most comprehensive book I know of about the community movement."  - M. Scott Peck, M.D. 
 

Organizations promoting and educating for community: 
Foundation for Community Encouragement 
     Helped individuals and organizations learn how to build and sustain community according to the principles and processes described by M. Scott Peck in his books The Different Drummer and A World Waiting to be Born.  Ceased operations in 2002.

The Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA)  
      (http://www.ica-usa.org) The mission of the ICA is to promote social innovation through participation and community building.  ... 
      (http://www.icacan.ca)  

Innovative Leadership Australia  
      http://www.ila.net.au     Innovative Leadership Australia offers a hands-on approach to creating vibrant, self reliant and entrepreneurial communities. The company specialises in working with community, government and industry leaders to create and implement programs and approaches that make a lasting difference to community revitalization in rural and regional areas.

"The Art of Community - Building the New Age of Participation"  Jono Bacon, 2009  O'Reilly Media Inc.,  Sebastopol, CA          http://artofcommunityonline.org  Second edition is due out in 2012.

Creating Community  from Leadertalk a blog by Becky Robinson in concert with Mountain State University School of  Leadership and Professional Development: http://leadertalk.mountainstate.edu/2009/12/creating-community.html

Community:  The Structure of Belonging,  Peter Block, 2008  see review on Leadertalk blog: http://leadertalk.mountainstate.edu/2009/12/in-review-community.html