Blog – Soulgen

How to Naturally Turn Any Project into Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) – Without Forcing It

Jan 3, 2026

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So many of us work inside systems – councils, NGOs, services, schools, health, and community programs – where projects already come with agendas, KPIs, timelines, templates, and reporting frameworks. And yet… beneath the forms and frameworks, there is something deeply…

When a Strengths-Based Approach Is Truly Tested

Dec 24, 2025

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dsoulgen

in Uncategorised

A strengths-based approach isn’t truly tested when you’re surrounded by people who already agree with you.It’s tested when you step outside your echo chamber and immerse yourself in community – especially in the moments that stretch you. Critical incidents.Grief.Burnout.Conflict.Politics, competing…

Holding the Whole

Dec 23, 2025

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dsoulgen

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Ripples from Bondi: What social cohesion is, what it isn’t – and what it will take now I’m finding it hard to find the right words for what has unfolded over recent days. Across Bondi, Sydney, and beyond, it has…

🔥 Why I Don’t Run “Traditional Workshops

Dec 11, 2025

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dsoulgen

in Uncategorised

And How Experiential, Participatory Approaches Help Learning Come Alive People often notice that my workshops feel different.Less lecture. More connection. More movement. More conversation.More… life in the room.There’s a reason for that.Slides and handouts absolutely have their place – I…

🌿 Beyond Empowerment: How ABCD Activates Youth & Community Potential

Dec 7, 2025

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dsoulgen

in Uncategorised

Across councils, youth services, libraries, neighbourhood centres and community organisations, one aspiration is repeated again and again: “We want meaningful youth participation. We want community engagement, we want empowerment. We want youth-led practice.”But in the rush to “empower” young people,…

🌿 The Heart of a Community Builder

Dec 5, 2025

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dsoulgen

in Uncategorised

People often ask me what it takes to be a good community builder.I usually answer: a lot of heart. 😄Community builders (yes, youth workers too – though this piece is speaking mainly to the community-development crew… and maybe also to…

🌿 Being With, Not Fixing: A Soulgen Approach to Critical Incident Response

Dec 3, 2025

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dsoulgen

in Uncategorised

How People Reconnect with Themselves Again After Rupture 🌱 A Note Before You Read Most people know my work through Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), co-design, youth participation, social cohesion, and strengths-based practice. But alongside this proactive, community-building work, I also…

🌿 From Data to Dialogue to Concert: How Lithgow’s Young People Reimagined Their Town

Nov 30, 2025

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dsoulgen

in Uncategorised

When we talk about regional youth development, it’s easy to get stuck on the familiar list of challenges – boredom, long distances, substance use, limited activities, employment scarcity, family pressures, and service gaps. It’s a story many regional towns know…

🌿 Cultural Humility: When Cultural Competence Isn’t Enough

Nov 27, 2025

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dsoulgen

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Whether we’re working with multicultural communities, First Nations peoples, newly arrived families, interfaith groups, or long-established neighbourhoods across Australia, we often hear the same phrases: “cultural competence,” “cross-cultural skills,” “culturally appropriate practice.” These terms suggest that culture is something we…

Lean In or Hold Back: The Unconscious Group Dynamics Behind Authentic Engagement

Nov 25, 2025

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dsoulgen

in Uncategorised

and Why It Matters for Strength-Based Practice In my last reflection, Here We Are: When Relationships Became the Practice, I named a realisation that’s been brewing for years – one that many practitioners, leaders and changemakers across our ecosystem are…

I write about …