Life in Community
Sexual Politics, #183 Contents and Free/By Donation Digital Download
Posted on May 22, 2019 byDirectly inspired by the #MeToo movement, Communities #183 (Summer 2019) focuses on Sexual Politics. Intentional communities are not immune to any of the challenges or problems that afflict the wider culture. How can communities respond when confronting the sometimes harsh realities of human behavior and relationships, especially in the realms of power, sexuality, and gender? Authors share their stories about sexual assault and harassment; power dynamics related to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and sexual expression; attitudes toward polyamory; understanding of consent culture; creating fulfilling relationships by combating climate change; getting pronouns right; and a host of other topics. Please join us!
Are you curious about intentional community?
Posted on May 21, 2019 byIntentional communities go by many names: ecovillage, commune, co-housing, housing co-ops and more. If you’ve spent time at one, you probably noticed that intentional community feels different than normal living.… Read More
Bodies in Isolation
Posted on May 18, 2019 byBeing immersed in mainstream culture and isolated from supportive, body-positive communities can prevent choice and body-awareness exploration. But living in a supportive community can make alternative choices and attitudes easier to sustain.
Your Community and the Law
Posted on April 30, 2019 byEarthaven Ecovillage learns the hard way that it’s important for a community to choose its legal entities carefully, and to consult and listen to lawyers. A member shares some lessons from their ordeal.
Gain the 🦉Wisdom of Communities 🦉
Posted on April 24, 2019 byHave you ordered your copies of the Wisdom of Communities 4 volume set? Each volume can be purchased individually👇🏽 or buy the entire set at a discounted price. Also available as… Read More
What Can We Learn from the Amish?
Posted on April 23, 2019 byTouch the soil, live simply, and be satisfied with “enough”: it’s worked for the Amish for almost 300 years and it can work for us as well.
In community, On the road – Dispatch #8 – Arcosanti
Posted on April 18, 2019 by1 Comment
I got a little out of order, but to wrap up my first cross-country tour I wanted to share a little about Arcosanti. I only stayed there a night on… Read More
In community, On the road – Dispatch #7 – Taos Initiative for Life Together
Posted on April 17, 2019 by1 Comment
“As Christians we have to atone and reconcile the atrocities done in the name of God.” That was Todd Wynward, during his 2 minutes in the intro go-round of the… Read More
In community, On the road – Dispatch #6b – Tools for Collective Self-Governance
Posted on April 16, 2019 byGleaning Wisdom from the Nonprofit Democracy Network In late March, Cassandra Ferrera, FIC Board member, and I participated in a training by the Nonprofit Democracy Network titled Tools for Collective… Read More
In community, On the road – Dispatch #6a – Relearning We
Posted on April 16, 2019 by4 weeks and 6 communities later My first cross-country communities tour of the year ended with a 3 day training on Tools for Collective Self-Governance in Oakland, CA with the… Read More
Community, Land, Self: We’re Part of the Same Elephant
Posted on April 16, 2019 byEscaping to an ecotopian or intact natural world proves neither possible nor effective as a way to avoid the realities of human and planetary suffering. Instead, a communitarian receives lessons in interconnectedness that he will never forget.
Growing Together through Trauma, with the Land
Posted on April 9, 2019 byWhen La’akea Community’s stability is disrupted and its existence threatened by the aftermath of an earthquake, members discover that their land is a much larger source of “glue” to keep them together than they had thought.
In community, On the road – Dispatch #5 – Los Angeles Eco-Village
Posted on April 5, 2019 byIt’s easier to recognize an intentional community when it’s rural. There’s simply less distraction and less interaction with the surrounding population. This has its pros and cons. The escapism and… Read More
Telling the Story of Communities
Posted on March 26, 2019 byTelling the Story of Communities: Vintage magazines as a snapshot in time For nearly 50 years, Communities magazine has been the primary source for inspiration, stories, and quality advice for… Read More
In Community, On the Road – Dispatch #4 – Jackson, MS
Posted on March 23, 2019 byI’m obsessed with relevance. I consider myself a global citizen with a shared responsibility to help make the world a better place. For me, intentional communities are not just an… Read More
Video from Koinonia Farm
Posted on March 17, 2019 by
In Community, On the Road – Dispatch #3 – Koinonia Farm
Posted on March 16, 2019 by1 Comment
Koinonia Farm holds a special and largely unknown place in the intentional communities movement. Founded in 1942 near Americus, Georgia, the word Koinonia means fellowship or communion, or as it… Read More
Videos from Earthaven Ecovillage
Posted on March 15, 2019 by
In Community, On the Road – Dispatch #2 – Earthaven Ecovillage
Posted on March 9, 2019 byI last visited Earthaven Ecovillage in 2001, when I came down with some other Twin Oakers for an FIC Art of Community conference. I was this fresh faced 20 year… Read More
In Community, On the Road – Dispatch #1 – The Journey Begins
Posted on March 8, 2019 by2 Comments
On March 1st I left my home of Twin Oaks Community and hit the road. I’ve been the Executive Director of the FIC for over 3 years now, and while… Read More
4 Building Blocks of Community
Posted on February 25, 2019 byStart a Village “If you don’t like the way things are, Start a Village!” This was the essential message that Stephen Brooks delivered at his enthusiastic TEDx talk at Black… Read More
Adventures in Remote Simplicity: Four Distinct Community Styles
Posted on January 28, 2019 byExperiences in wildly differing intentional communities suggest that the more egalitarian, interactive, and focused its members are on shared labor, the stronger and more long-lasting the community will be.
Climate Change Activists’ Community
Posted on January 21, 2019 byRichmond Vale Academy provides an immersion in collective living and activist education for those who want to not only understand climate change, but respond to it in their own lives.
Narcissism, Dependence, and Culture Change
Posted on January 14, 2019 byTwo aspects of the cultural transition we are working toward are little discussed but directly impact our daily relationships: narcissism and dependence dynamics. By unpacking them, we can turn the tide.
Skill Building for a Culture of Collaboration
Posted on January 7, 2019 byTo build a healthy cultural infrastructure, it’s important to clarify your cooperative decision-making process, adopt conflict tools, and commit to the ongoing development of collaborative skills in your group.
Planet Community – Episode 3 – Enright Ridge Urban Ecovillage
Posted on December 31, 2018 byWe have to transform our cities! Over 50% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and it’s only increasing. Models for sustainable, equitable, urban community must be developed. In… Read More
About That Clothesline…
Posted on December 28, 2018 byAfter a communitarian’s love affair with line drying starts to wane, and eventually withers, she leaves community—partly to pursue an evolving relationship with a clothes dryer.
The Shaker “Culture of Cleanliness”
Posted on December 21, 2018 byBecause of their commitment to a culture of personal and community cleanliness, the Shakers largely escaped the cholera epidemics which plagued the rest of the country in the 1800s.
Planted in Good Soil: Cultural Roots and Community
Posted on December 14, 2018 byA community may achieve an ideal balance by drawing upon deep cultural roots to inform its structures and common life, while remaining vitally open to fresh insight and creativity in response to the present.
