TREASURES
The “treasures” are the outcomes generated by the archetypes for sustainability noted in the Unseen section. These outcomes are realized by tapping into their inherent strengths, while also drawing upon the community’s rich history and culture. By doing so, the community not only stabilizes and adapts but also propels itself forward, continuing to grow and evolve. Strengthening the collective will in this way cultivates a dynamic, enduring community—one that builds on its past while embracing the possibilities of its future.
The Ongoing Success of Hidden Gems
The resulting “treasure” of Wildflowers Institute’s Hidden Gems project is a new social norm that values art and artists in the Tenderloin bringing about a cultural change that has fostered new and needed healing throughout the community. This video clip portrays Jesse James Johnson, a Chicano/Tejano poet, sharing his story of how he discovered his purpose in life living in the Tenderloin.
San Francisco Chinatown Case Studies
The institute’s arts and culture project in Chinatown (2021–2023) uncovered a community-wide treasure of culture keepers centered on unity amid diversity. This ethos, which we refer to as a “sacred code,” extends far back in ancient Chinese history and guides human behavior across public, private, and nonprofit organizations, families, clans, and individuals. It is expressed in the design of places, in spiritual and cultural rituals, and in daily living, and it informs individuals of all ages in building a sustainable family and community. This brief video clip, by 17 year-old artist Chang Lin Zeng, depicts how the sacred code fosters love, social connectedness, and blending among a myriad of different forces in Chinatown.
Inspired by the capability of the sacred code to unify, we are collaborating with the Radiant Lights of the Setting Suns in a survey directed at over 800 residents in the Tenderloin to assess residents’ extended-family and trusted support system.
The goal is to identify community-driven solutions to the problems. The elders seek to find exemplar approaches that address the problem directly but that also (1) develop personal character, virtues, and relationships within the family; (2) deepen unity amid diversity in the family and the community; and (3) elevate collective problem-solving and social adaptation in the neighborhood.
We will invite 4 or 5 individuals whose projects are selected at the community assembly to come together to create a “Dao Funding Circle.” By pooling resources, the Circle leaders take on the role of philanthropists, collaborating to support and advance community activities and projects that are essential to the “cross-pollination” of a vibrant and healthy community ecosystem. These projects serve as key connections, fostering growth and mutual support within the community.
The structure and the guidelines of the Dao Fund are modeled after Marion R. Weber’s Flow Funding Circle.
Building on the concept of discovering unity amid diversity, we partner with the Aspen Institute to host dinner meetings with San Francisco leaders to discuss community-building through acts of kindness. We will also jointly organize a three-day seminar in 2025 titled Leadership, Change, and Community: Entrusting the Gift, Extending the Good.
Wildflowers Institute’s Hidden Gems night.
Select members of the Radiant Lights of the Setting Suns.