Amy Churchouse, founder of the Good Karma Network and Good Karma Effect, does a deep dive into belonging with purpose pioneer, river swimmer, actisit and author Carolyn Tate, Community and Cultural consultant for the Centre for Building Better Communities, Eugene Wong and the founder of Australian Community Managers and Australia’s leading expert on online communities, Venessa Paech.
The Good Karma Effect (GKE) is Very Neighbourly Organisation, one of many that has been identified by Relationships Australia as organisations that uphold and promote the principles of Neighbours Every Day. The GKE was designed to support and facilitate collaborative opportunities for the 100+ volunteers who oversee the 35 Good Karma Networks that are connected through us. With the purpose of Good Karma Networks to provide a safe online space for people to to ask for help from their neighbours, these online communities and the way they are looked after have been designed to encourage a sense of belonging for their members. Surveys completed in both 2020 and 2022 found that people have gained a greater sense of belonging within their physical communites as a result of being a member of their local Good Karma Network.
In this panel discussion we explore why belonging is important for humans, the consequences of not having a sense of belonging for individuals, where we find belonging and what fosters a sense of belonging.
