Connection to Place - Looking back at the Common Ground Summit 2024
The importance of a connection to place—our history, our environment, and the people who sustain it—cannot be overstated. This connection shapes how we understand ourselves, our responsibilities, and our relationships to each other.
It’s why we’ve designed the Common Ground Summit around the theme “In Community with Place.” These principles guide everything we do: honoring those who came before us, preserving cultural stories, restoring ecosystems, and nurturing the current community. This is not just about reflection—it’s about actively building trust, fostering meaningful diversity, and creating spaces for real collaboration.
The Common Ground Summit also offered moments of extraordinary inspiration and connection. Attendees had the privilege of hearing from many fascinating participants, including: a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, a NASA astronaut, and a master navigator from the Polynesian Voyaging Society. One unforgettable evening was spent under the stars on the Common Ground campus, as both astronaut and navigator shared stories that connected celestial exploration with cultural traditions. We were also joined by award-winning chefs, activists, authors, and artists, with participants traveling from as far as New Zealand, Italy, Switzerland, the U.K., Australia, and Minnesota. These diverse voices and experiences brought new energy and depth to the event, highlighting the power of community across borders and disciplines.
Whether around the table or through conversations, the importance of food as a powerful connector carried throughout the Summit, illustrating how place, culture, and community are inextricably linked. More than sustenance, food became a symbol of belonging and a reminder of the shared joy and sorrow intrinsic to our stories. This truth prompted an important question—how do we protect these connections for ourselves and for others? The answer lies in cultivating a community deeply committed to safeguarding these bonds, a mission that is at the very heart of the Common Ground Summit itself.
The gathering taught us that trust-building is at the core of meaningful community—it’s not enough to bring people together in the same space. To truly honor community, we must foster genuine connections, earning trust through deliberate actions and ensuring that co-creation and collaboration are woven into everything we do.
Forming community isn’t just about the present—it’s about building bonds that last into the future. At the Summit, we learned the importance of truly listening to young voices and understanding their concerns. Rather than just “passing the torch,” it’s about giving the next generation a real seat at the table and a platform to share their ideas, alongside mentors who can guide and support them. By fostering collaboration between generations, we ensure that young leaders have a meaningful role in shaping the future while learning from those who came before. This creates a legacy of trust, inclusivity, and shared purpose for the world they will inherit.