Forming a Global Community

By Joseph de Rivera. Vernon Press, 2022. 256 pages. $55/hardcover; $40/paperback or eBook.

Forming a Global Community was both a challenging and an insightful read that is equally suited for graduate-level studies or as a guide for practitioners of community development. Initially, my experience as a graduate student in community and economic development piqued my interest in this book. However, as I wandered through the pages and reflected on the author’s carefully developed framework, I could easily see how our Quaker community can play an important role in the author’s vision of building a global community.

Joseph de Rivera is professor emeritus of psychology at Clark University, founder of its program in peace and conflict studies, and also a founding member of the International Society for Research on Emotion. As the preface explains, the book is the result of a collaboration between him and Harry A. Carson, a retired professor of philosophy at Sacred Heart College who contributed his thoughts and perspective to the research and planning phases. Their thinking is strongly influenced by the philosophical analysis of twentieth-century Scottish philosopher John Macmurry, a personalist who emphasized action over theory and the relational nature of human beings. (A lesser-known fact is that Macmurry became a Quaker in retirement.) Carson is also a founding member of the International John Macmurray Society. Drawing from these areas of expertise, de Rivera takes a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to outlining a framework for the global community.

After first setting the stage with a broad overview of current global social structures from government organizations to economics, de Rivera then takes a deep dive into theories around how a person’s psychological self is formed and feeds their relationships on a personal, family, and community level. Finally, he makes the case that the values, rituals, and connection fostered by religious organizations are a critical component to the success of creating a global community. As I was reading, I felt more aware of the current domestic and international backdrop, which added greater context for this book’s many well-developed and supported theories.

As a Quaker, I found that three chapters especially resonated with my spirit. First, the chapter “Love, Fear, and Aggression” outlines the main tenet of the author’s framework: that love and fear are our main motivators, and when love for others is greater than our fear of others, we are more likely to avoid aggression and violence, helping to create an environment conducive for building community. This chapter would be particularly good for a meeting’s Care and Concern Committee to read and discuss. It provides an understanding of how the love/fear tension operates on a personal level, and using this knowledge, committee members might find ways to reduce fear overall by reinforcing the love and caring support already available through the meeting.

Second, the chapter “The Nature of Community” broadens the discussion from a personal level to a societal level. A meeting’s Peace and Social Action Committee or Friends involved in the Alternatives to Violence Project might find this chapter particularly insightful. Here the author focuses on building trust and security through relationships where caring for others supplants power over others. Topics such as prejudice and violence within communities are discussed. One particular passage about language stood out as very insightful, especially in light of the largely divisive discourse around the upcoming elections in the United States this fall:

the language of community involves solidarity and contrasts with the language of markets, which is a language of self-interest, and the language of states which concerns power and rights.

To build the world we want, what we say is as important as how we say it.

Finally, the last chapter, “Creating a Global Community,” stood out as the most practical, largely due to the helpful examples and additional resources provided. This chapter discusses models of power and how the “power with” model, exemplified in the nonviolent approaches of figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Desmond Tutu, fosters the “compassion, love, welfare of the other, inclusiveness, and collaboration” needed to build an effective global community. Friends Committee on National Legislation is referenced by the author at one point as an example of an organization that takes action on a broader level to support the Quaker community’s common goals while also reinforcing the ideals of the global community framework to policymakers. Community practitioners and individuals looking to make a difference through community will likely find value in the discussions and examples on local ownership, cooperatives, benefit corporations, and public banking.

Although some tenacity was necessary to plumb the depth of this book, the insights were worth the effort. The book helped me appreciate the complexities of the systems we live in and encouraged me to dig in and learn more through the references and citations. This book would make for an excellent adult First-day school topic, and, who knows, it might even spark a leading or two in your meeting.

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Steve Jenkins is an energy industry professional with interests in languages, cultures, and economic development. He is a member of Live Oak Meeting in Houston, Tex.