The Community Empowerment Network (CEN) is dedicated to supporting individuals, communities and organizations to thrive while becoming socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. CEN is based in Santa Cruz California.

 

     The stumbling block for most communities is group process and self-governance. CEN social technology is changing the way people think about collective decision-making and collaboration. Our system is founded on the democratic principles of inclusive decision-making, equal representation and balanced power sharing. We believe this form of self-governance is crucial to the success of any organization or community. Communities using this system move together in the direction of their choosing and gather the greatest amount of active support for projects and ideas when group decisions are made. Everyone wants to know that their voice, thoughts and feelings have a place in their community and that their contribution can make a difference. In addition to this we believe that each community member is absolutely integral to the creation of the community and that it is vitally important to acknowledge and support each individual for the unique gifts they contribute. 

 

    The implementation of this system in urban environments creates interactivity between civic government and the public. Elected officials can utilize this unique system to stay informed on how the people they represent feel about relevant issues, projects and legislation. It fosters active participation in collaborative decision-making that affects the community. A well run and facilitated program creates the atmosphere for a working relationship between community members and elected officials.

 

     Humanity is facing one of its greatest challenges at this time. We believe it is an interwoven web of people sharing knowledge and resources and putting forth sincere (selfless) effort that will ultimately decide our success as a species in the 21^st Century. CEN supports this mission with the Community Empowerment Program (CEP). The CEP is a six-part program for community building, education and empowerment. The CEP assists the development of intentional community and the transformation of neighborhoods into cohesive communities. When we gather together, get to know one another, share life, knowledge and resources; we grow strong and healthy both individually and as a community. Having many resilient, well-connected communities is a crucial step in creating the infrastructure for us to be successful in facing the challenges of the 21^st Century and implementing the necessary solutions that will ensure our survival and the survival of the generations to come. We believe that the CEP is one of the most powerful avenues to this goal that we have seen.