The US and the UK may be, as George Bernard Shaw once said, two nations "separated by a common language," but they're definitely joined by a set of common problems: economic crises that have left millions unemployed or underemployed, an economic debate that has been hijacked by deficit and austerity hawks, and politicians with a remarkable ability to propose solutions that are actually making the problems worse. Yet in both countries, there is a movement fueled by social media, community engagement, and the growing understanding that real solutions aren't going to be coming from our politicians any time soon. So, in the meantime, millions of people in thousands of communities are taking the initiative to connect, engage and solve problems themselves.