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Intentional Communities Newsletter: February 2009
Promoting Community Living & Cooperative Lifestyles
Communities magazine, Directory, Video and more
1 Second Visions Is Within First Sight!
2 Community Bookshelf Title "Gaviotas" At Sale Price
3 Upcoming Events - FIC and More
4 Communities Magazine Current & Upcoming Issues
5 Sunrise Credit Union Merges with Norbel
6 NICA Website Relaunch
7 How To Multiply Your Good Works For The Planet: Share!
1 Second Visions Is Within First Sight!
By Laird Schaub
Copies of the long-awaited Part Two of Geoph Kozeny's documentary video Visions of Utopia are being reproduced right now and will be available for sale by Valentine's Day. It's the perfect moment to give someone (or even yourself) the gift of community!
This second DVD is 124 minutes long and offers profiles of 10 contemporary communities in their own words:
- Catholic Workers (San Antonio TX)
- Community Alternatives (Vancouver & Aldergrove BC)
- Ganas (Staten Island NY))
- Goodenough (Seattle WA)
- Hearthaven (Kansas City MO)
- Miccosukee (Tallahassee FL))
- N Street Cohousing (Davis CA)
- River Spirit (northern CA)
- Sandhill (Rutledge MO)
- The Farm (Summertown TN)
This completes Geoph's magnum opus, and is the companion piece to Part One (released in 2002), which features a 2500-year historical overview of intentional communities and profiles of seven contemporary groups.
Both DVDs are available for $30 each, plus shipping at the FIC Online Store, or you can buy the pair for a discounted price of $50. Be sure to get a copy of this unique visual introduction to the amazing breadth and depth of communities today!
You can also order copies from our Missouri Office
800-995-8342.
[If you preordered the full set, we'll be contacting you soon to make sure we have your current shipping address.]
2 Community Bookshelf Title At Sale Price
Featured by Catherine Nicosia, Community Bookshelf Manager
Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World-10th Anniversary Edition
by Alan Weisman
2008; 256 pages; 9"x 6"; paperback; ISBN: 1-60358-056-5
Alan Weisman, a journalist hired by NPR to investigate solutions for environmental crises, spent years collecting information in a tiny, remote village at the eastern edge of the war-torn country of Colombia. That small community was Gaviotas; this book is the
result and it has become a classic in the ten years since the original publication. The new edition brings the story up to the present time.
This community is an experiment that has succeeded in all possible ways. This book lays out the history of Gaviotas and its unique founder, Paolo Lugari, and places it within the context of the ongoing struggles in Colombia. The book is a captivatingly inspirational account that reaches to the core of what is remarkable about human nature, human courage, and human ingenuity achieving something great and important in the face of daunting conditions. The continuing adaptive accomplishments of the
people of Gaviotas in the face of multiple challenges -- extreme environmental conditions, corrupt government practices, turbulent and deadly national politics, indifferent and unsupportive corporate globalization, continuing uncertainty -- is truly an affirmation that people can, and hopefully will, achieve a kind of society that is both ecologically sustainable and humanly necessary.
Regular price $17.00 Special price $14.00
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http://store.ic.org/catalog/specials.php
Shipping/handling on mail or phone orders
4.00 S/H for first item
1.00 S/H for each additional item
S/H prices shown are for Standard Mail postal delivery within US.
Community Bookshelf
RR 1 Box 156
Rutledge MO 63563
800-995-8342
Shop online for lower shipping rates, more shipping options, and more sale items.
Information, catalog, ordering
http://store.ic.org/bookshelf
3 Upcoming Events - FIC and More
By Ma'ikwe Schaub Ludwig, Craig Ragland and others
Fellowship For Intentional Community Spring Organizational Meeting
Open to the public, as are all of our organization meetings.
Wednesday-Friday, May 13-15, 2009
Hosted by Camphill Village Kimberton Hills near Philadelphia, PA
The FIC holds semi-annual organizational meetings at communities throughout North America. New comers are welcome to attend.
TO REGISTER for the meeting and to get more information, contact Jenny Upton of Shannon Farm Community in central Virginia, 434-361-1417 (after 5pm eastern time zone) or email to jenny ~[at]~ ic.org
http://fic.ic.org/org_mtgs.php
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Art Of Community One-Day Event
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Kimberton Hills Camphill Community near Philadelphia, PA
Got hope? Ready to build on it? Join Caroline Estes, Laird Schaub, Tony Sirna, Harvey Baker and Ma'ikwe Schaub Ludwig and the rest of the FIC gang on May 16 outside of Philadelphia at the beautiful Camphill Kimberton Community for a day of workshops, connection and fresh energy for your community building endeavors.
This is your chance to connect with some of the movements most dedicated movers and shakers, get inspired and learn about the nuts and bolts of community building in its many forms.
Sliding scale of $45-100 for the day includes meals.
maikwe ~[at]~ solspace.net
(505) 514-8180
http://fic.ic.org/aofc/
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2009 National Cohousing Conference
Wednesday-Sunday June 24-28, 2009
Seattle, WA
Information provided by Craig Ragland
http://www.cohousing.org/conference
The Cohousing Association of the United States (Coho/US) is pleased to announce the 2009 National Cohousing Conference on June 24-28 at the University of Washington in Seattle. This conference is THE venue for those who already live in cohousing, who are currently growing or seeking a community, and professionals serving cohousing communities to learn new ways to "grow community."
National Cohousing Conferences are also the ideal place for newcomers to learn about cohousing - whether you are exploring the idea of living in community or a public official trying to understand how to encourage community-oriented development. Besides, the people who attend Coho/US Conferences love them!
Come to the 2009 National Conference and see the power of community for yourself. With more than 50 program offerings - featured speakers, workshops, seminars, and tours-there's something for everyone! Before the conference, you can choose from the largest selection of tours and workshops ever. Registration is Now Open and the first 50 to register receive a big discount.
For more info:
http://cohousing.org/conference
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Volunteers Needed - Help With Coming FIC Events
Come behind the scenes of the FIC! The FIC events team is seeking a few enthusiastic (and preferably, but not necessarily, experienced) volunteers to help with our next events. If you live in the Philadelphia or San Francisco Bay areas, we're coming to your neighborhood! If you would like to help make our upcoming events locally relevant and just plain more successful, please connect with Ma'ikwe, our events team coordinator:
(505) 514-8180
maikwe ~[at]~ solspace.net
4 Communities Magazine Current & Upcoming Issues
#141 (Winter): Scarcity and Abundance
#142 (Spring): Festivals and Gatherings
#143 (Summer): Ecology and Community
Winter Issue: Scarcity and Abundance
Our current issue (#141), focusing on Scarcity and Abundance, reached subscribers and newsstands just before Winter Solstice. Articles include:
All We Have is All We Need by Joshua Canter.
Ecobarrios: A Chilanga’s Dream by Noelle Romero.
Nashira Eco-Village by Angela Dolmetsch.
Abundance and Scarcity in the Goodenough Community by Kirsten Rohde.
Taking the SCARE out of Scarcity by Kiesa Kay.
As Is: Secrets to Having Enough
by Ethan Hughes with Les Stitt and the Possibility Alliance.
The Richness of Giving by Elizabeth Barrette.
Potlucks: From Scarcity to Abundance by Ken Cameron-Bell.
Free to Serve: Notes from a Needs-Based Economy by Chris Foraker.
From Car and House, to Bicycle and Tent by Mandy Creighton and Ryan Mlynarczyk. Ecologically Speaking Communities by Kate Reidel.
The issue also includes letters, a publisher's note on "My Journey with Money,"
notes from our new business manager, the debut of our "Community 101" column, a Good Meetings panelist discussion of "Best Meetings," articles on ecovillage economics and private ownership of community land, and a look back at our fall issue's P
olitics in Community
theme.
Please ask for Communities at your favorite local cafe or natural foods store, or subscribe today.
Spring and Summer issues: The theme for the spring issue (#142) is Festivals and Gatherings and the theme for the summer issue (#143) is Ecology and Community.
If you're interested in submitting articles, photos, or illustrations to future issues of Communities, please follow this link for details.
Contact Communities Editor.
We are also happy to introduce Communities' new Art Director
, Yulia Zarubina. A native of Kazakhstan who moved to the US in 1992, Yulia brings a strong background in design and layout of community-based, holistically-oriented magazines. The selection committee heard many reports of her dedication, enthusiasm, and adeptness at working in a team, as well as her technical skills. She is excited to contribute to Communities' work of informing and inspiring people about cooperative culture. We thank outgoing Art Director Ginny Blades, and feel fortunate to
have found such a worthy replacement. Welcome, Yulia!
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Get a Communities sample issue, renew, or subscribe here:
http://store.ic.org//communities/sample.php
http://store.ic.org/cmag
Sample issues $5 plus $4 S/H by US standard mail.
Shop online for lower shipping rates and more shipping options.
Subscriptions: one year, 4 issues:
$24 US; $29 Canada; $31 Other.
Order by phone, fax, or mail:
FIC * 138 Twin Oaks Rd * Louisa VA 23093
800-462-8240 * fax 540-894-4112
5 Sunrise Credit Union Merges with Norbel
By Laird Schaub, FIC Executive Secretary
On the last day of December, the sun set on both 2008 and Sunrise Credit Union (SCU).
For the nearly 12 years of its existence, SCU was the only credit union in the US headquartered in an intentional community
. Like many others, Sunrise was hard hit by the challenging economic times, and suffered from the loss of important income from a key asset. SCU struggled to meet the strict government regulations for credit union operations and in a meeting last November, the SCU Board weighed its options and chose to merge with Norbel Credit Union
rather than try to seek additional capital. Norbel is a much larger credit union—with $111 million in net assets, compared with SCU's $4 million—and is also based in the northern Front Range of Colorado, with branches in Broomfield, Fort Collins, Greeley, Longmont, and Loveland.
Impact on Current Shareholders and Intentional Communities
In what was seen as a friendly move by both parties, all SCU accounts have been passed along to Norbel, and there will be no loss to any SCU shareholder as a consequence of the merger. While the Sunrise Credit Union name will disappear and none of the SCU Board will move over to the Norbel Board, Bill Becker, SCU's chief administrator, is now working for Norbel. He hopes that his considerable experience working with intentional communities will make it possible for Norbel to continue that
unique portion of SCU's mission. While Norbel is open to this, it is not an area in which they have had prior experience and it remains to be seen how this will unfold. Fortunately, FIC members—both individuals and groups—will continue to have the privilege of automatic eligibility to join Norbel—just as they had with Sunrise.
Bill is optimistic that Norbel's greater size and healthier position will translate into greater opportunities for intentional communities seeking financial assistance, and he encourages all groups to give Norbel a chance to meets their needs.On the last day of December, the sun set on both 2008 and Sunrise Credit Union (SCU).
6 NICA Website Relaunch
By Alline Thurlow
Northwest Intentional Communities Association Announces
NICA continues to provide opportunities for people living in existing communities in the Pacific Northwest, and those wanting to learn more about intentional communities, to connect, share and learn from one another. To facilitate this NICA recently launched it's new, improved interactive website
. Now communitarians in the Northwest can directly post events of interest, let others know what new community living space is available, and forming communities in the region can reach out for new members.
As another interactive aspect, the folks at NICA have also created a virtual opportunity to share. Check out their blog.
7 How To Multiply Your Good Works For The Planet: Share!
Q: How can I save energy and money around the house and also help the climate?
A: Switch to compact fluorescent lightbulbs.
Q: But how can I do more than that, and have more fun too?
A: Start an eating coop! Host a sewing circle! Join a car-sharing group! Share stuff!
Many of us are examining our lives to find ways we can reduce our impact on the overheating, overfished, eroded, paved and poisoned planet. Of course there are lots of little things we each can do that will make a small change in our individual footprint, and those are good places to start. But we're realizing that we've reached a time when big changes are called for--and lots of them.
Are we up to it? Well, the good news is that many of the changes we need to make will also improve our quality of life. They don't mean more drudgery and boredom--they mean more companionship, support, freedom, and downright fun. I'm talking, of course, about joining our lives with other people: about community.
More and more people now understand that community and cooperation are a central part of the way forward to a healthier planet and a thriving society. Our communities are even getting positive coverage in places like USA Today and US News & World Report. Over 5,500 people are reading this enewsletter with you, and new communities are constantly appearing online at directory.ic.org--and in the beautiful new print edition of the Communities Directory.
Who talks to the media about community, distributes this enewsletter, and keeps improving that directory? The FIC does. Who refers callers to communities they might like, publishes Communities magazine, and hosts regular events offering the tools and skills needed for cooperative living? The FIC does.
Who needs your membership support in order to keep offering these things? The FIC does!
Please join today, and keep multiplying your good works through sustaining the cooperative spirit.
For more info on member benefits and to join online using our secure server go to
http://store.ic.org/membership
To request a membership form by mail, or to email, or to talk with a human, contact us at
RR 1 Box 156
Rutledge MO 63563
800-995-8342
If you're already a member, thank you! You can help us further by either making a tax-deductible donation, or perhaps gifting a membership to a loved one.
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