In a recent CNN interview, Joe Kennedy joined Bianna Golodryga on Amanpour to discuss how grassroots organizing and community-focused solutions can push us towards a more just democracy.

“Start talking to people. Ask them the question of what you can do to try and make their lives better — and then do it. Come with a willingness to actually solve a problem as defined by a local community. That’s the type of work we’re trying to do at Groundwork Project,” Kennedy said.

A healthy, responsive democracy is built by year-long community organizing, not just dropping in during an election season. This is the base fundamental building block of what a democracy is supposed to be — starting local and organizing from the ground up.

Golodryga and Kennedy then chat about the unique challenges communities face in Groundwork’s partner states, specifically in Mississippi and West Virginia, where years and years of disinvestment have left many communities without access to the resources they need to live.

Watch the full interview for more details.

This interview originally aired on Amanpour, CNN.