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Community refers to both the group of people that are directly impacted by violence and the members of the larger community who may not be directly affected but still played a role in the harm. All members must play a role in the process if true community healing is to be achieved.

-City-community partnerships: 

A partnership, alliance, or coalition between a city and non-governmental actors, community organizations, and/or individual citizens within the city. This partnership must include regular consultation, mutual commitment, a shared contribution to development, and care for and development of the living environment. A successful partnership sees both the public sector and the community contribute to the success of the truth-telling process through time, labor, and funds. City-community partnerships are a key part to our work because community engagement is necessary to establish a strong, safe, and inclusive foundation for all members. Building partnerships creates productive working relationships between constituents and the government that provide a more holistic perspective and approach to change-making. 

Community Healing:Community healing is subjective. That is to say, the steps that must be taken to truly heal a community and its members is defined by their needs following harm. There are two distinct areas from which the community’s needs arise following harm : 1. From their roles as victims who experienced harm. 2. From their roles as members who are committed to the welfare of their community and to creating healthy conditions within their community. In our work we discuss specific routes communities can take toward a healing process, from art and memorialization, opportunities to tell their stories, and reparations.

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