I discovered this video from 2013 recently.

The people in it have all moved through life since then, as I have. We are older, some have moved on to other things, some are raising families, and some are no longer with us. They are treasured friends and respected members of our community.

What struck me most was what they were talking about: listening, meeting with people, learning, and involving others. Building community.

That wasn’t something I started doing for that campaign. During my first term on Council, I was already holding a weekly coffee chat at JJ’s Café in Brentwood Bay. One of those conversations led me to learn about light pollution and eventually bring the issue to Council. I wrote about that in Something Hanke Taught Me 21 Years Ago.

Over the years I have kept coming back to the same idea. Local democracy works better when people can take part in it. I have pushed for more open access to Council, including webcasting meetings, and I have tried to create places where people can speak with me directly. Some of that history is in What I’ve Stood For.

My commitment to democracy is unwavering. I believe deeply in relational organizing. For me, that means building relationships, listening carefully, learning from one another, and making room for people to be part of the work rather than simply talking at them.

That has shaped how I have tried to serve on Council, and it still shapes how I work today.

I still believe democracy begins when people sit down together, tell their story and listen to each other.

Video from 2013