A MONTHLY EMAIL PUBLICATION of the FIC since 1999. September 24, 2005 1 The New Print Directory Is Here! 2 Featured Bookshelf Title at Sale Price 3 New Features at www.ic.org 4 FIC Events 5 Communities Magazine Issues 6 Join The FIC & Bring More Connection To The World! _________________________________________________________________ 1 THE NEW PRINT DIRECTORY IS HERE! Fourth Print Edition (2005) selling briskly Online Directory - many updates by Tony Sirna _________________________________________________________________ BRAND NEW PRINT EDITION AVAILABLE Fourth Edition Communities Directory 2005; 312 pages; paperbound; 8-1/2x11 inches published by the Fellowship for Intentional Community http://store.ic.org/products/communities-directory-2005.html We are happy to announce that the new print edition of the Communities Directory is back from the printer and hundreds of copies have already been shipped! This is the first edition of the book produced based on our Online Communities Directory http://directory.ic.org and we are very happy with the results. This all-new Directory edition lists over 600 intenional communities in North Ammerica, including ecovillages, co-ops, communes and cohousing projects, and 130 communities from around the world. Also included are detailed cross-reference charts, an index, and maps. You can order your copy now for $24 (plus shipping.) This is a 20% discount for those ordering direct from the FIC so don't wait until you see it in stores. Please email order at ic dot org for discounts on 5 or more copies. Help us promote the new book by telling your friends or better yet, order them a copy! The price direct from FIC is $24 plus S/H. http://store.ic.org/products/communities-directory-2005.html Shipping/handling on this item is as follows 3.00 S/H for first item 1.00 S/H for each additional item S/H prices are for Standard Mail postal delivery within US. Order by phone fax or mail FIC :: 138 Twin Oaks Rd :: Louisa VA 23093 800-462-8240 540-894-4112 fax ------------ ONLINE DIRECTORY - LOTS OF NEW UPDATES The FIC's free online Directory is getting a lot of updated info from communities these days. With the publication of the print Directory we have encouraged folks to update their listings and they are doing so. Our goal is to keep the data on our website current and accurate so we will be sending frequent reminders to communities to check their listing to make sure it's up to date. Our Online Directory home page lists a random sampling (updated daily) of communities that have updated their listings in the last 30 days so check back to see what's fresh. To browse or search our database of communities go to http://directory.ic.org For instructions on adding or updating a listing go to http://directory.ic.org/neweditors.php To find out more about the directory email directory at ic dot org _________________________________________________________________ 2 FEATURED BOOKSHELF TITLE at SALE PRICE Review by Catherine Nicosia, Community Bookshelf staff _________________________________________________________________ ECOVILLAGES: A Practical Guide to Sustainable Communities by Jan Martin Bang 2005 * 288 pages * paperback * 7.5 " by 9" Ecovillages have arisen around the world in response to concerns about the social fragmentation of modern life and the impact on the environment caused by alienation from nature. While interest in ecovillages is growing rapidly, there is relatively little literature about them and the publication of this new book fills a real need. It explores the history and growth of these communities with a particular emphasis on the principles and ideas of permaculture as a lens through which they are are viewed. Featured throughout the book are full color case studies of successful ecovillages around the world. They include information about each community and photographs that bring to life the special characteristics of each group. The author also uses the permaculture model as a basis for a comprehensive manual for planning, establishing and maintaining a sustainable community. He discusses in depth a number of aspects of ecovillage living including alternative economics, housing and building design, food production, energy systems, group process and leadership and tools for social design. Packed with useful information and advice, Ecovillages will appeal to everyone interested in living in community or actively planning to do so. Regular price $25.00 Sale price $20.00 http://store.ic.org/e/0905A Shipping/handling on this item is as follows 3.00 S/H for first item 1.00 S/H for each additional item S/H prices are for Standard Mail postal delivery within US. This eNews special offer is valid through [[offerdate]]. Information, catalog, ordering http://store.ic.org/community-bookshelf.html Community Bookshelf RR 1 Box 156 Rutledge MO 63563 800-995-8342 bookshelf at ic dot org _________________________________________________________________ 3 NEW FEATURES at WWW.IC.ORG by Tony Sirna _________________________________________________________________ As of September 1st, 2005 the http://www.ic.org site is on a new server and has a new backend system. We've integrated the various parts of our website developed on different systems over the years into a more unified platform. Now it will be easier for us to make design changes and add new features. New features include: * An automated http://events.ic.org Events Calendar system that allows users to post their own community related events. http://events.ic.org * An automated http://classifieds.ic.org Community Classified system allowing users to post items for sale, etc. http://classifieds.ic.org * A new http://reach.ic.org REACHbook system, with the same features as the old system plus better searching and an integrated log in system. http://reach.ic.org * One log in system for all areas of the Intentional Communities website including the Online Directory, REACHbook, Events Calendar, and Community Classified. * The new site is built on completely open-source software including php, mySQL, Apache, and Linux. We hope you enjoy the new site. Let us know if you have any problems or find any bugs in the new system. And if there are features you'd like to see on ic.org let us know and we will see what we can do. _________________________________________________________________ 4 FIC EVENTS Twin Oaks Communities Conference - report from the organizers Fall FIC Organizational Meeting in November _________________________________________________________________ REPORT on the COMMUNITIES CONFERENCE at TWIN OAKS An FIC Co-Sponsored Event August 19 - 21 weekend by Valerie Renwick-Porter NEXT YEAR IN UTOPIA! Since Labor Day weekend can be a blur of commitments and activities, this year we successfully experimented with changing the date of the conference to mid-August. Our resident astrologist did a reading of several weekends and based on that and other factors we shifted the timing. Apparently people liked it as we had a good-sized crowd of participants! Our dynamic group of workshop presenters provided a cornucopia of information on subjects including Resource-Sharing, Working with Conflict, Touring Communities, Membership, Decision-Making, Communication and Interpersonal Harmony through Song. We appreciated our guests from several Service-Oriented communities, welcoming members from Jubilee Partners (refugee work), Innisfree (developmentally disabled adults) and Little Flower Catholic Worker (resisting oppression, poverty and militarism). We enjoyed an international community presence including a member of Kibbutz Tzora in Israel and a workshop on CoHousing communities in 5 countries. All in all, we had representatives from over 25 communities present to share their experiences and connect with each other as well as many seekers looking for a home in community. Our evening activities included a benefit auction for the FIC which raised about $1000 to be used towards spreading the gospel of community--a big thanks to donors and buyers alike! A relaxed Sunday evening program included a viewing of Geoph Kozeny's Visions of Utopia video, a sauna, dinner over at Acorn Community, and playing The Getting Real Game (a game of communication / profound life questions.) Overall we were thrilled with the weekend. We appreciate everyone who participated and who supported the conference. See you next year! ---------- FALL FIC ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING Los Angeles Eco-Village, Los Angeles, CA November 5-7, 2005 Join us for three days of organizational meetings. It's the first time in our 18-year history that the Fellowship has met in southern California, and it's a great opportunity to accomplish two things at once: 1) find out all the exciting things FIC has been doing to make community available, and 2) see the exciting things that our host, Los Angeles Eco- Village, has done to create a model of urban sustainability. In addition to crafting the 2006 budget, we'll be reviewing the online Directory, the new edition book version of the Directory, the impact of 4-color covers on Communities magazine sales, the new streamlined version of Community Bookshelf, and progress on fundraising for the Directory Endowment On top of that, we'll be spending a chunk of time working with Alan Seid of Bellingham, Washington, a nationally recognized trainer in Non-Violent Communication--all of which you're welcome to observe and participate in. We hope to see you there! For more information contact jenny at ic dot org _________________________________________________________________ 5 COMMUNITIES MAGAZINE ISSUES Current and coming issues Call for articles for winter issue _________________________________________________________________ CURRENT AND UPCOMING ISSUES The theme of the current summer issue of our quarterly publication is The Face of Cohousing in 2005. The theme of the next fall issue, which is now at the printer, will be Resolving Conflict in Community. The Fall issue should be going into the mail to subscribers in mid-October. Get a sample issue, renew or subscribe here http://store.ic.org/products/communities-magazine.html http://store.ic.org/products/communities-magazine-sampl.html Sample issues by surface mail $6 US - $7 Canada - $8 Other Subscriptions one year 4 issues $20 US :: $24 Canada :: $26 Other Order by phone fax or mail FIC * 138 Twin Oaks Rd * Louisa VA 23093 800-462-8240 fax 540-894-4112 ---------- CALL FOR ARTICLES This is a call for articles for Urban Communities & Ecovillages -- the theme of the Winter 2005 issue of Communities magazine. It will be out in late December. Topics: * Do we need sustainable intentional communities and ecovillages _more_ in cities and towns than in suburban or rural areas? * How can we create more community connection and community spirit in our town and city neighborhoods? * What unique gifts do city & town communities offer? Cultural/intellectual stimulation, access to jobs, lower cost of living from shared resources, opportunity for bicycling, opportunity to use public transportation instead of cars, other ...? * What are some challenges of city & town communities? Privacy issues, safety issues, noise, traffic, other? * Is your town or city community preparing for peak oil? If so, how? We're especially seeking questions and articles from cohousers. ---------- ASK THE EXPERTS Our Ask The Experts article worked so well in the Fall issue that we're doing it again for the Winter issue. What burning questions would you ask our experienced process and communications consultants and consensus facilitation trainers--Laird Schaub, Tree Bressen, Caroline Estes, and Bea Briggs? Examples of possible burning questions * Some of our members often have "blocking energy." Others here say there's no such thing! What do you think? * We have a guy here who won't fulfill his work requirements. What should we do? * Some quieter people have good ideas outside of meetings, but clam up and won't say anything in meetings. We're missing their good input! How can we get them to open up publicly and contribute more? These are just samples. What burning questions do _ you _ have? What issues are up in your community right now? If you're interested in submitting an article or have burning questions for our panel of experts, please contact the editor by by September 27, 2005. Diana Christian communities at ic dot org 828-669-9702 _________________________________________________________________ 6 JOIN THE FIC & BRING MORE CONNECTION TO THE WORLD! _________________________________________________________________ If you enjoy the information that reaches you via this newsletter, you're probably the kind of person who likes to bring people together, who appreciates cooperation and community. Those things are important to us, too--so important that we've centered our organization around them. And we'd love to have you with us. This e-newsletter, the Communities Directory, our Bookshelf and online store, Communities magazine, our regular member newsletter, the phone calls and emails we answer every day, the events we sponsor, the workshops we give...these are all part of meeting people's need for greater connection, around the world. Your $30 membership contribution or $100 donation today will help us do an even better job. Please consider joining the FIC now. For more info on membership benefits and to join online using our secure server go to http://store.ic.org/products/fic-membership.html 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 fic at ic dot org To learn more about the mission of the organization visit http://fic.ic.org/index.html Thank you for your interest, and thanks for everything you do to promote and sustain community.