ABSTRACT
As the previous chapter illustrated, rethinking assets often entails reinterpreting old narratives, or telling new ones, about the community’s past, future, and environment. This becomes challenging when dominant stories presume that change is unnecessary or undesirable. Similarly, when local traditions and underlying narratives label speaking out in public or even having an opinion about community futures as inappropriate, capacity for collective strategizing is greatly limited. When the understanding of community goes unchallenged, the possibilities for learning and adapting are limited. Local understandings of good governance that place the future of the community in someone else’s hands are also problematic. Strong local governance and institutions can aid in processes of reimagining community futures and creating paths toward them. This requires an openness to learning and adaptation as key elements of governance, not only valuing individual achievement and formal education but also learning as a community and in governance.
