Rebuilding Trust Through Hyper-Local, Tangible Community Connection

Key Quotes

"The priority in this case is actually about connecting people to each other and stitching back our social fabric and not about making profit per se."

Maryam Banikarim explains that The Longest Table, as a nonprofit, prioritizes community connection over financial gain. This highlights a deliberate shift from commercial objectives to a focus on rebuilding social bonds.

"I have this really distinct memory of October of 20 standing in the middle of Duffy Square in New York where we had gathered 24 award-winning Broadway performers including Bernadette Peters it was the first time they'd come together since COVID which was March right so many months before and they were going to sing one song together Sunday from Sunday in the Park with George."

Banikarim recounts a pivotal moment during COVID-19 where community collaboration led to a significant public event. This demonstrates her belief in the power of collective action to create meaningful experiences even in challenging times.

"What if we did that and honestly it was as simple as that what if I posted it on my personal Nextdoor and I got lots of reactions I knew that was significant and I met eight neighbors I didn't know including one I did know and we just decided to try it that was the proposition we'll bring the tables and chairs you bring friends and food and did we know it was going to work no we had no idea but in short six weeks we just organized it put in a lot of elbow grease the first year we did it in Chelsea 500 neighbors showed up."

Banikarim describes the organic genesis of The Longest Table, emphasizing a simple idea and a willingness to experiment. This illustrates her approach of initiating action based on observation and community response, rather than extensive planning.

"One is it's localized we don't tell you exactly how to do it so giving people an invitation versus telling them what to do nobody wants to be told what to do I mean it's as simple as that right I think some of the basic things that we should all go back to are the simple things we all just know like from kindergarten nobody wants to be told what to do they want to be invited to participate and by the way they do it in a way that maybe is different than I do it and that's great this need to control is actually part of the problem."

Banikarim articulates a core principle of The Longest Table's framework: localization and invitation over prescription. She argues that empowering individuals to participate in their own way, rather than imposing rigid rules, fosters greater engagement and ownership.

"Rebuilding trust at the hyper local level is actually the thing on which other things will get built and having the data to back it up will help us and other people be able to unlock funding because you need infrastructure to be able to scale this work which I would say is really essential in today's world."

Banikarim highlights the foundational importance of hyper-local trust-building, supported by data, for enabling broader societal progress. She explains that demonstrating impact through research is crucial for securing resources to scale these community-focused initiatives.

"The preponderance to want to help is higher than the comfort of asking for help people aren't comfortable asking for help but they're very comfortable offering help and I think like part of that's like we all feel better when we feel useful and have a purpose right so it has to get rebuilt at a hyper local level."

Banikarim observes that people are more inclined to offer assistance than to ask for it, suggesting that facilitating opportunities to help fulfills a fundamental human need for purpose. She posits that rebuilding trust at the local level taps into this inherent desire to be useful.

"I think we live in a world that tries to make everything black and white and the truth is if we're really honest with each other the world our lives are filled with grays and so I think that when you're with somebody in real life it's just harder when you're in real life than when you're on an app or you know more anonymous to sort of just go to the place of anger."

Banikarim contrasts real-life interactions with online anonymity, suggesting that face-to-face encounters make it more difficult to resort to anger. She posits that the inherent complexities and nuances of human interaction in person encourage a more nuanced and less polarized approach.

"The other thing I would say is we also need to prioritize joy guess what people work harder when they're given joy it was hard to make a moment for Broadway happen or to get Billy Joel to give us a rights to New York State of Mind and make that music video but when it went live we had incredible joy we should all be allowed to have that."

Banikarim emphasizes the strategic importance of joy in motivating people and fostering connection. She argues that moments of shared happiness, even if challenging to create, lead to increased engagement and a greater willingness to contribute.