As this issue of Hudson Valley One goes to press, our communities are on tenterhooks, awaiting the outcome of the election. In the words of Mohonk Consultations board member Cara Lee, “We are living in a time of polarization, social isolation, a rapidly changing environment, an affordable housing shortage, ongoing poverty and food insecurity and population migration. All these factors can create enormous challenges for individuals and our communities.”
Presidential election years are always fraught times, with a lot at stake. But this one, perhaps more than any that preceded it, feels like a genuinely existential crisis to many of us. If things go south, what do we do? Where do we go? How do we survive? Is democracy in America doomed? Our planet as a habitat for humans? And even if things go our way in the vote count, there are plausible reasons to worry about violent reactions from the other side.
Weary as we may be of fighting for positive change, la lucha continua. Most people don’t have the luxury of fleeing to another country for the rest of our lives, and we have personal ties, professions and a love of the land that keep us grounded here. We will need to find ways to push back against division and negativity, to reach out and connect within our own communities, to bring good, workable ideas to the table and build resilient partnerships that will help us make it through trying times. As labor organizer Joe Hill famously said on his deathbed, “Don’t mourn – organize.”
The good news is that there are already many people on the local level doing just that. You could probably name a few from your own town and those nearby. We’ll get to hear from some of them at the Conference Center at Mohonk Mountain House this coming Monday, November 11, when Mohonk Consultations holds its Fall Conference, with the theme of “Thriving Together: Strengthening Community in a Time of Rapid Change.” Event organizers promise to share “stories of how places and communities are connecting people in positive and often joyful ways, delivering important services, creating welcoming places and hopeful visions f or an inclusive and peaceful future.”
The roster of speakers for this conference is impressive, representing public agencies, businesses and not-for-profit organizations. Panelists will include Corey J. Allen, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh; Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Mid-Hudson Library System; Shaniqua Bowden, Tilda’s Kitchen & Market; Becky Collins Brooks, Hilltop Farm; Erica Brown, Radio Kingston; Joe Concra, O+ Festival; Elka Gotfryd, Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress; Phoenix Kawamoto, Town of New Paltz; Brian Mahoney, Chronogram; Duane Martinez, Scenic Hudson; Colleen McMurray, Pine Hill Community Center; and Victoria Messner, Coalition of Forward-Facing Ellenville.
Based on their own experiences of working to improve people’s lives on a day-to-day basis, they will share compelling examples of how including diverse voices, managing and respecting differences and building trust, respect and participation can strengthen the “social glue” of our communities in unexpected, creative and positive ways. Attendees will be able to participate in roundtable discussions with the speakers following the panel discussion segments. You’ll come out reenergized and brimming with ideas for what one person can do to make things better, when we work together rather than in our own individual silos.
“Thriving Together: Strengthening Community in a Time of Rapid Change” runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, November 11, at the Mohonk Mountain House Conference Center in New Paltz. Tickets cost $55 for general admission, $25 for students (lunch included), and must be purchased in advance at https://mohonk-consultations.org/conferences-and-forums/thrivingtogether.
Join the family! 
