John McKnight [1931 – 2024] Traveling Ohioan & ABCD Institute Co-Founder

John’s service is set for Saturday, December 14th at 10:00am in Evanston, Chicago, IL, USA.

You can read John’s beautiful obituary and share your thoughts and memories here: https://www.donnellanfuneral.com/obituaries/John-McKnight?obId=33633851#/obituaryInfo

A Tribute by Dee Brooks, Jeder Institute

“How do you know what you need, if you don’t know what you have?”

— John McKnight

On the 2^nd of November, John McKnight, age 92, peacefully passed, in his sleep, at home, in Evanston, Chicago, USA, surrounded by his loved ones.

At that time, it was the 3^rd of November in Australia, a Sunday morning, and I immediately started to feel overwhelmed with the messages flooding in from around the world so I paused, to quieten my mind, so I could think about the implications of what was to come; finding flights, discovering more details, unfinished conversations and plans, reaching out to Marsha and the family, the ABCD Institute Board, working groups, the legacy, the forum, the new website, unanswered questions and responding to the incoming global messages.

During the next few days, I reflected on how blessed I was to first meet John in 2004 when I was working at the Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia when an international cohort of practitioners were meeting on conference calls to establish a global network. I had been an ABCD practitioner for a few years, at this point, and was keen to be part of developing globally relevant practices and resources.

John would often invite me into a “sidebar” conversation about language as I was insistent on using local terms for local assets in a global context and John was keen to have a deeper understanding on how ABCD was showing up in the world.

ABCD Institute moves to DePaul University

John and Jody; the eternal brotherhood of community building

John would always say yes to a heartfelt invitation and over the following decades, I had the privilege of working alongside John by:

Delivering ABCD workshops, trainings and conferences where he would co-facilitate, connect people, listen deeply, contribute his ongoing learnings and often develop new resources
Attending and presenting at ABCD virtual Unconferences where he offered the opening and closing remarks and joined many group sessions around the world, much to the surprised delight of participants
Working together on the ABCD Institute board and working groups where he very rarely missed a monthly meeting and was active in the executive and international teams including regularly contribution to most of the other interest-based groups
Joining the ABD Steward calls, and Thinking Together calls (often in the middle of the night for me) where he would co-host, share his wisdom and engage people through powerful and provoking questions, and more.

ABCD Institute Board Planning at DePaul University

John would attend and actively contribute to each session

ABCD Training DePaul University 2018

My visit with the planning team; John, Byron, Kim, Melissa, Ivis and Joe

ABCD Training DePaul University 2018

John in deep conversation with participants

ABCD Training DePaul University 2018

My favourite capture of John’s telltale stance (on and off screen)

ABCD Training DePaul University 2018

John teaching the 6 assets of ABCD where he would earnestly invite people into the work saying, “we need you.”

International Working Group 2022

(Terry, Dee, John, Ruben) and a fortuitous moment where John noticed I had a giant koala behind me

ABCD Festival 2015, Blackpool, UK:

Left: Jody and John; brothers in arms

Centre: Michelle, Jody, Dee, John – the last time the 4 of us were together in the same country

Right: John offering a keynote

ABCD Unconferences, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

John opened the ABCD Unconference every year, participated in many virtual sessions (much to the delight of global practitioners) and every closing plenary

John was an ever thoughtful, constant learner, a connector, a life-long educator, a passionate social justice warrior and he unpretentiously worked in pursuit of the common good, for the benefit of communities everywhere. I felt extremely humbled and excited to successfully nominate, and see John (and Jody) win, the following award from IACD in 2021.

The International Association for Community Development (IACD) Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to individuals who have provided an outstanding contribution to international community development throughout a significant portion of their career.

At a recent Board meeting, John and Jody were both nominated by Oceania Director, Dee Brooks and there was unanimous agreement to formally recognise their contribution to the field of community development with a Lifetime Achievement Award!

At the AGM, IACD President, Anna Clarke, recognised their many years working in the field of community development, in particular Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) and recognised their contributions as academics, authors and influential leaders and pioneers in this work.

Jody accepted via a pre-recorded video clip and thanked IACD for their ongoing work and John attended live and accepted on behalf of all the faculty and practitioners in the ABCD movement, which says so much about both of their characters and their belief in the power of community!

Congratulations Jody and John for your well deserved award!

Find more information here: https://www.iacdglobal.org/about-us/iacd-global-community-development-ambassador-awards/

Now is the time for us to firmly grasp that baton and lift our united voices, create meaningful impact, pursue the shift the power and remember to also take time to fish, connect with and care for one another and slow down to listen to life’s jazz.

John will be greatly missed, and our thoughts and love remain with John’s loving wife Marsha and their extended families.