Soulgen

🌿 Starting from the Inside Out

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dsoulgen
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Often, people refer to me as one of the go-to people for ABCD (and youth practice) in NSW, which is both humbling and affirming. Of course, I stand on the shoulders of giants – too many to name here – but over time I’ve brought my own style and flavour to it.


What I offer isn’t just teaching (or preaching!) about ABCD – it’s the creative, lived application of its principles in diverse, often messy real – world contexts. Over the years, I’ve learned so much about facilitation, adaptability, and the art of bringing people together – professionals, communities, and organisations alike – around shared purpose and possibility.


Will ABCD or “community” fix everything? Maybe yes, maybe not. The question I often ask is: Are we actually broken? In many systemic layers, yes. But within the fabric of our communities and neighbourhoods, I see the opposite – life, connection, compassion, generosity, kindness, care, and, above all, hope.


That’s why I believe in starting there – in the local, the tangible, the human – and growing the movement from the inside out, bottom up. Systems change, policy, advocacy, and capacity building all have their place (and I engage in those too), but meaningful change begins when people and organisations come together to rebuild trust, navigate constraints, and find what they care enough to act on – using their strengths, gifts, and collective energy to create shared action and transformation.


🌊 Reflection
How do we rebuild trust and possibility in the places we call home?


Maybe it starts – as it always has – from the inside out.


Dimitrios Papalexis
Founder & Director, Soulgen

Comments

2 responses to “🌿 Starting from the Inside Out”

  1. Kana Smith Avatar
    Kana Smith

    for those of us not in the know, can you clarify what ABCD IS?

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    1. dsoulgen Avatar
      dsoulgen

      ABCD (Asset-Based Community Development) is both a methodology and a philosophy of life for me. Instead of asking “What’s wrong?” with a person, place, or community and trying to fix it, we ask “What’s strong?” – and how can we help it grow and use it to address challenges.

      That shift creates hope and engagement rather than despair and dependency. It’s an approach I apply in my work supporting local governments and organisations across Australia to work this way for more sustainable and impactful results.

      I find it an effective, fun, and empowering practice – and I actually came across it by accident years ago while working with a group of young people in Brazil.

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