Helping You Build Community (and Kill Consumerism)

New Dream has gone activist. The Virginia-based nonprofit, passionate promoters of living better through consuming less, has launched its "Community in Action Challenge," a free program that provides you with resources and inspiration "to build thriving alternatives to consumption-oriented lifestyles."

The initiative centers on inspiring individuals to inspire people around them. New Dream will supply videos, info packages, email updates, webinars, lifestyle tips and more, along with encouragement to invite folks you know to join in. The program, New Dream says, has "the potential to make a huge impact toward achieving a world that pursues not just 'more,' but more of what matters."

At present, the Community in Action Challenge is focusing on five areas: "Build connections," "Share with others," "Play," "Reduce waste," and "Simplify your holidays." More are likely to follow. People can engage both individually and in groups, and time requirements are flexible. "Some of the steps take a few minutes, while others can take a few weeks," New Dream notes. "You choose the level of engagement that works best for you."

The program represents New Dream's most substantial effort to engage local groups as allies in the fight against consumerism. It's a smart extension of their mission, as study after study has shown that competitiveness and peer pressure are huge motivators of unnecessary, wasteful and often counterproductive consumption.

"As New Dreamers, we understand the importance of making small changes in our everyday lives to tackle runaway consumption and protect the environment," the group says. "But to create long-lasting impact in our communities, we'll need to work together and build a strong movement on a broader level. We invite you to join us in becoming community changemakers, working to build thriving alternatives to consumption-oriented lifestyles."

It's a grand vision – and one that we all should consume abundantly.

For more info and to sign on see: https://newdream.org/community-in-action-challenge

--By Jim Pierce