International Community Day (ICD) was created to celebrate communities worldwide. Everyone who has a connection to communities or is active in this field is invited to join in the celebration.
Die deutschsprachige Version des Artikels finden Sie hier: International Community Day (ICD): Communities und ihre Potenziale feiern.
ICD takes place every year on October 8. The goal of this day is to make communities visible in all their diversity with their different potentials.
Learn more about the background of this international day and get to know the initiators. A review of the last year will tell you which sessions and activities you can look forward to this year.
The history of the International Community Day
The idea of the ICD was born in the middle of the global lockdown. During this time, people connected with each other primarily digitally and the abundance of events and actions became more visible.
On October 8, 2020, so many parallel community events were taking place around the world that it seemed as if there was a worldwide Community Day.
This development made Georg Holzknecht think and the idea was born to create the first International Community Day. Fellow campaigners were quickly found. Everyone involved felt that it was time to promote such a day and to connect Community Builders worldwide.
Why does the International Community Day exist?
The initiators of the ICD experience communities in many different ways. They have spent a lot of time thinking about what constitutes a community and how it differs from other institutions.
Instead of just defining the term, the initiators decided to make communities tangible. The idea is to learn from people who have already mastered community building and to support those who are still at the very beginning of community building.
International Community Day is the safe, virtual space for these people to exchange ideas. It’s about networking, building relationships and developing yourself.
Communitas, communities and commons are important social resources. When these are shared by many people, everyone’s lives are enriched. The ICD initiators want to learn from (other) communities, highlight this to the world, and thus let more people benefit from it.
The people behind International Community Day love it,
- to get in touch with other people in a community.
- to experience the unknown in a safe way.
- to bring attention to communities in general.
- to create hubs where people can meet.
- to contribute to making the world a little bit better.
- to encourage themselves and others to overcome difficulties.
What are the working principles of International Community Day?
International Community Day is open to all people: Every single person and every group is invited to join in and help shape it.
The initiators are an open core group. This group meets virtually at regular intervals with the goal of advancing and developing the ICD. Anyone can also participate in these meetings.
Current ICD hosts and supporters include: Georg Holzknecht, Tanja Laub, Juri Erche, Sandra Ebertshäuser, Rainer Figallo and Ahmadou Diallo. An overview of the current community hosts and supporters can be found on this page: ICD Host and Supporter
The goal is to make people worldwide aware of the day. This is done in the form of social media postings and events. On the day itself, one or two lectures or sessions are organized. A similar approach is also taken by Community Manager Appreciation Day.
Review: How International Community Day was celebrated
To give you an idea of what events and presentations await you this year, below is a brief review of the content and formats shared on October 8, 2021:
Adrian Speyer – Head of Community at Higher Logic: Tip for Community Builders.
In a LinkedIn post, Adrian Speyer called attention to International Community Day and thanked everyone for their dedication.
He likes to use this day to network with other community managers and learn about their ideas.
His tip: If you want to reward the members of your community, you should think about whether you want to reward each individual member or the entire community. It’s also important to consider the cultural background of a community – some cultures prefer group rewards, others more individual rewards.
Rachel Happe – Founder and Digital Workplace Catalyst: The Importance of Communities
For Rachel Happe, ICD is a wonderful opportunity to have a global conversation about communities.
Communities play an important role in global society. Their value cannot be underestimated.
Communities cannot be left to chance. Otherwise, people will find a way to distort them for their own purposes.
Sharing resources, thoughts and ideas is another important task for Rachel Happe on International Community Day.
Georg Holzknecht – T-Systems International GmbH: The idea of ICD
In his social media post on LinkedIn, Georg Holzknecht talked about the idea of the ICD. With the help of the International Community Day, he believes more attention can be drawn to the importance and value of communities.
For him, it’s about supporting people who lead communities in difficult environments. But also about showing interested parties what it means to live and work in a community.
ICD is supposed to be about celebrating a day each year that highlights how differently communities work around the world.
Serena Snoad – Online Community Manager Alzheimer’s Society: bringing people together.
For Serena Snoad, that’s the core mission of communities. On this day, she also draws attention to niche communities. These, she believes, should serve to help people who are facing particular challenges. These can be serious illnesses or difficult life situations.
Serena has made it her mission to bring these communities together. This way, people can learn from each other and support each other.
Todd Nilson – Digital Strategist Clocktower Advisors: Connecting Community Managers
For Todd Nilson, the ICD is about connecting community managers with each other. For him, it’s about drawing attention to the work in and for communities and communicating the values of meaningful community work.
People should be inspired and experience what it means to live and work in a community. But it’s also about celebrating the work of community managers and encouraging them to continue their work in challenging environments.
If you go to Todd Nilson’s LinkedIn post, you can also watch the video, which talks about community building, among other things.
Did you enjoy the review? Follow the initiator:s of the International Community Day on LinkedIn, Twitter or visit the official website. On these channels you can learn more about this year’s IDC, which will take place on October 8, 2023.
