The Antidote to Capitalism is Community
How recentering relationships can change our world
In 2008 I participated in one of Canada’s greatest social experiments: the Katimavik volunteer program. I spent nine months total living across three provinces, along with eleven other young adults from across the country (plus a house leader). We came from a variety of socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, but the shared task was to become active members of each community we lived in, while learning about social and environmental issues across the nation. It remains one of the best decisions I have ever made; dramatically shifting the way I thought about the world and how we live and work today.
Katimavik took me from a home where I was an only child with a single mother, and thrust me into the drama of sharing a bedroom with three other young women. It took me from the typical self-involved teenager, to a person who spent the bulk of her time being of service to others. It took me from social anxiety and depression, to confidence and hope. The value of being part of such a community has shaped me into who I am today, and most importantly taught me that community and relationships matter more than anything else in life.
With the rising cost of living, and having lived through the isolation of the pandemic, I have been thinking more about…
