Defining Civic Engagement: Daniela Peterson
As we prepare for our latest Causeway Challenge, we’ve had the pleasure of hearing some very different perspectives on the words “civic engagement.” Every week between now and the end of July, we will be sharing a different person’s thoughts on what it means to be civically engaged.
Daniela moved to Chattanooga from Chile two and a half years ago. She is the Community Outreach Coordinator for Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise and is a founder of Coming to America, a group that works to provide opportunities for immigrants in Chattanooga to gather and connect over food and storytelling.
We can all look up the definition of “civic engagement,” but what does it mean to you personally?
Personally, I think that civic engagement can’t be reduced to a legal status. It can’t be reduced to actions that just involve part of our community. Civic engagement should be [the outcry] of everyone—together—in the community so that there is never again a city where people are left behind. For that, I believe that each of us can be an agent of change, with intentionality and awareness in our actions.
How does your concept of civic engagement inform your work or daily life?
My idea of civic engagement guides me to recognize the different voices in the communities in which I’m working. I am trying to discover the multiple narratives about their realities and looking for common places to generate dialogue, to strengthen the social fabric, and to increase the social capital within these communities. I’m a believer that community engagement shouldn’t be far away from our day to day; this is the importance of recognizing and strengthening neighbor-to-neighbor relationships.
Let’s talk about failures. What are we getting wrong about civic engagement as a city?
Most of the time we base our work on assumptions. [We often address issues based on what we think other communities need or want.] We observe communities through our own eyes and lived experiences. We use our own voice to speak for those who don’t have a voice instead of listening. Sometimes we have the audacity of thinking that we know what is good for “others”. We are not just talking about them, we are reducing their experiences, their lives, and the way that they see the world down to just one interpretation. With this way of “helping” we annul and commoditize these people, [and as a result, we expect] change to come from a voice that doesn’t exist or that may not feel empowered to speak out.
Let’s talk about potential. Tell us about something happening locally that gives you hope, or that could grow into something good?
I see hope in the love that immigrants like myself have for this country, sometimes more than our own countries. A love for a country that sometimes doesn’t embrace us in the same way that we embrace it, but we are still here because we believe in the intangible wealth. I love the hope that I see in the eyes of my friends, that change is possible — that keeps me inspired.
With this in mind, I love to walk in the Taking Roots Community Garden located at the intersection of Main St and Watkins, which is part of NEEMA Resettlement Outreach. The garden provides a safe space for neighbors and refugees to come together. I also enjoy playing soccer with immigrant women in an independent league, in Spanglish, and with the kids and families all around. In those moments everyone is equal and valued.
