Community calls have been a cornerstone of my engagement and community building practice for well over a decade. I started a couple community calls at Greenpeace International, one of which continues a good 8 or 9 years later. Regular readers have probably heard of the Open Recognition is for Everybody (ORE) call. Now, we’re spinning one up with Amnesty International UK.
In this blog post, I reflect on why community calls hold such significance to me. For me, community calls are vital hubs where connections, ideas, and growth converge.
Being open and inclusive
We all stand on the shoulders of giants. I learned about community calls way back when I was working at Mozilla. At Mozilla, we had community calls for communities, sub-communities, projects and procedures. The majority of our meetings were simply open – if you knew about it, you could join. Sometimes we promoted calls and asked for participation, sometimes we just waited to see who showed up. If you showed up to a call, you were included, whether anyone had specifically invited you or not.
Working openly is a transformative way to bring people together and create safe spaces where people can share challenges, celebrate successes, and co-create solutions. The regularity of designated community calls helps build trust and camaraderie, turning strangers into collaborators. By creating space for diverse voices, we enrich our problem-solving approaches and ensure that decision-making reflects a wide range of perspectives. These inclusive practices have strengthened communities, making them more resilient and adaptable.
Strengthening the community
If I think about all the different community calls I’ve been a part of, and all the people I’ve met because of open community calls, I’m reminded of the power those calls have to shape things. These calls aren’t presentations, webinars or regular meetings, they are spaces where people have the power to shape the agenda and talk about issues that matter to them.
Part of building successful community calls is to let go of trying to control conversations. While we might put together a loose agenda to guide a community call, we strive to make sure that everyone in attendance feels like their being there matters. Community calls are not transactional, they are spaces that help us be part of a community, find ways to amplify more voices and work together.
Just talk to people
Part of what makes a community thrive is helping people find a place of belonging. Community calls help by providing a flexible space where people can just talk to each other. They are not just about discussing details or progress in a project, but also about celebrating one another and figuring out what a collective future for a project or an idea might be. They’re great spaces to figure out problems, while also getting to know the people you’re collaborating with.
Community calls have been instrumental in shaping open projects and building meaningful connections. Their role in driving innovation, inclusivity, and adaptability is immeasurable. As I look forward to building open calls for the AIUK community, I am reminded that these calls are not just meetings—they're milestones in a journey towards a more connected and collaborative world.
If you are looking for a way to encourage a group of people to co-create and collaborate, check out 11 steps to running an online community meeting. It’s a resource that I wrote almost a decade ago and continue to return to over and over as I work to connect people working to make the world a better place.
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