All Blog Posts
The Shadow Side of Cooperation – get your free download!
Posted on August 27, 2019 byA natural follow-up to our Summer 2019 Sexual Politics issue, Communities #184 (Fall 2019) focuses on The Shadow Side of Cooperation. We explore problems and pitfalls, disappointments and betrayals, unintended outcomes of cooperative attempts ranging in impact from trivial to tragic. Authors’ stories describe the clash of idealism with reality, communication breakdowns, cultural patterning, internalized oppression, rights and boundary violations, founder’s syndrome, business and organizational struggles, power, ego, disempowerment, dysfunction, trauma, and strategies to address these and other challenges. Please join us!
Seeking community? 950 options for you.
Posted on August 21, 2019 byAre you seeking a community to join? Well, here’s some good news, we know communities looking for you! 950 intentional communities are open to new members right now. See the full list here. People choose to join intentional community for many reasons – better quality of life, sense of purpose, connection with people, opportunities to make a… Read More
Does Community Heal Trauma, or Reproduce It?: Challenges for abuse survivors living in community
Posted on August 20, 2019 bySurvivors of traumatic abuse face many problems in trying to form and participate in community. Trauma-informed community commits to keeping the survivor safe in wide zones of ambiguity, as challenging as that might be.
The Red Flag of Hypocrisy
Posted on August 18, 2019 byThe most troubling thing isn’t when a charismatic leader uses gangster tactics, but when the people in his office, who sing the songs of love and community values, are complicit.
Do Communities Need Feminist Dissent?
Posted on August 16, 2019 byIn the midst of wider social movements in the areas of gender and sexuality, communities everywhere need a place for feminist dissent and a willingness to engage in difficult conversations. Dissent is part of how we build resilience together.
How to Stop Climate Change and Never Be Lonely Again
Posted on July 30, 2019 byEmpowered, sustainable communities are the antidote to isolation. And they are the pivotal technology that makes renewable energy, essential for reversing climate change, actually renewable.
DVD Clearance: 60%-75% off all documentary DVD’s!
Posted on July 29, 2019 byWe’re clearing out all DVD’s and nearly giving them away for free. All DVD’s are just $8 ~ Get ’em while you can!View more at our Video page.
Relationships in a Community-Forming Group
Posted on July 23, 2019 byWhile trying to start a community with poly-friendly collaborators, two monogamous partners achieve greater clarity in their six-year relationship, and end it.
Centering the Margins: Diversity and Inclusion in Intentional Communities
Posted on July 22, 2019 byArticle originally published at http://cynthiatina.com/ “I came to Camphill thinking I was going to learn about social therapy for people with special needs, but then I learned it’s actually mainstream society that needs the social therapy,” a Camphill resident shared on stage during an opening plenary for the International Communal Studies Association (ISCA) Conference, hosted… Read More
Diggers & Dreamers receives the 2020 Kozeny Communitarian Award
Posted on July 20, 2019 byThe Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC) recognizes Diggers & Dreamers as the 2020 recipient of the Kozeny Communitarian Award, honoring the indomitable spirit of Geoph Kozeny, who devoted his adult life to creating community in the world. The award was presented by FIC Executive Director, Sky Blue, to Diggers & Dreamers organizer, Chris Coates, during… Read More
Pros and Cons of Polyamory
Posted on July 16, 2019 byPolyamory comes with abundant advantages as well as numerous downsides; a polyamorist weighs the tradeoffs, grieves disappointment and loss, and celebrates love.
I Survived a Dysfunctional Polyamorous Relationship and Learned Some Lessons about Love
Posted on July 9, 2019 byLove is too strong an instinct to be dismissed, repressed, or restricted, even if it is not returned. The author recovers from a soul-crushing breakup.
The Sting of Discrimination: When Polyamory Is Considered a “Red Flag”
Posted on June 25, 2019 by9 Comments
Previously on the path to community acceptance, an applicant experiences for the first time “the direct sting of bigotry, the shock of exclusion based on stereotypes” when her family is denied on the basis of polyamory.
What should you listen to? Podcasts for the community minded.
Posted on June 24, 2019 byWe love podcasts for their ease of listening and multitasking. Get a dose of inspiring stories and current news while making your morning tea, on the way to work, or relaxing in the evening. The selection below was sourced from our friends at New Economy Coalition (FIC is a member organization!). This is what you… Read More
The Triangle of Consent
Posted on June 18, 2019 by5 Comments
Recognizing each other’s agency, addressing power imbalances, and communicating with honesty and clarity about sexual desires and boundaries are all essential elements of consent.
Juggling Fire in the Jungle
Posted on June 17, 2019 byAnnouncing a new digital book to the Community Bookstore By Graham Ellis Juggling Fire in the Jungle chronicles the first thirty years of Bellyacres: an unintentional community of bohemian jugglers who homestead a remote jungle oasis on the Big Island of Hawai’i. The author, Graham Ellis, was the founder of the Village Green Society, Hawaii’s… Read More
A Tangled Web: Sex at Zendik Farm
Posted on June 11, 2019 byWas Wulf scheming, from the beginning, to gain sexual access to nearly every post-pubescent female on the Farm? Perhaps, perhaps not; either way, he got it. But that didn’t translate into “free love” for the rank and file.
Why join Giving Hands? Find out here.
Posted on June 10, 2019 byYou can turn $5 into $100 and support a thriving communities movement! Dear Friend of FIC, Last week we announced that the Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC) has been challenged by the Fund for Democratic Communities (F4DC) to demonstrate that there are people out there that share the value of community. People just like you.… Read More
Life in De Kersentuin: Research in a Dutch cohousing community
Posted on June 10, 2019 byStudent researcher from the University of Amsterdam, Yannick Kiesel, shares the core findings of his Masters Thesis on life in a cohousing community. The research illustrates a new holistic view on cohousing and its complexities. Thanks for sharing Yannick! My research focused on the sustainable and pro-social communities that tackle the adverse effects of growing… Read More
Your Monthly Freebie: Think Outside the Boss
Posted on June 8, 2019 byThis month’s Free Resource comes from Sustainable Economies Law Center, an organization whose mission is to “cultivates a new legal landscape that supports community resilience and grassroots economic empowerment.” Think Outside the Boss is an extensive resource guide intended to serve individuals and groups seeking to develop a worker-owned cooperative business. The guide offers information… Read More
Bursting into Summer | All the updates from FIC, in case you missed any of it!
Posted on June 7, 2019 byInto summer full speed ahead! Dear friends, Phew! It was a busy spring for us here at FIC. So many big changes, exciting announcements, and powerful work. Let’s recap together… TRANSFORMED FIC Two weeks ago we announced our name change to the Foundation for Intentional Community. We completely transformed ic.org to create easier access to… Read More
Win FIC a $100 grant!
Posted on June 4, 2019 byNew Giving Hands Program Needs You! Dear FIC Supporters, The FIC is launching its first monthly donor campaign, Giving Hands, with an exciting grant incentive that you can make happen! Sign up for Giving Hands today and FIC will receive a $100 grant award! That’s right, your commitment to donate as little as $5 per… Read More
Sexual misconduct in the sphere of power: The nexus of gender, intimacy, and discrimination
Posted on June 4, 2019 by1 Comment
An unwanted, rebuffed sexual advance from a previously trusted community leader spirals into numerous, serious consequences in the victim’s personal and professional life.
Effective Community Justice
Posted on May 30, 2019 by“It wasn’t the first time someone I knew had raped me, but it was the only time I had an adequate response from my friends and community.” A rape survivor living in community recounts her story.
Community Accountability: The Struggles, Challenges, and Hope for Community Action on Sexual Assault
Posted on May 28, 2019 by1 Comment
When we think of sexual assault and boundary violations, it is common to think not in my community, or the person I know wouldn’t do that. As a result, our communities become especially vulnerable to predatory behavior.
Introducing the New FIC
Posted on May 27, 2019 by1 Comment
After 30 years of service to an ever-growing communities movement, it was time for a change. We’re excited to share with you about our new brand and why we made the update. You asked and we listened. Thanks to the input of over 100 FIC supporters who responded to a recent branding survey, we have… Read More
Cooperative Groups, the FIC, and Sexual Politics: Sharing, Learning, Healing, Persisting
Posted on May 26, 2019 by1 Comment
In trying to undo generations of conditioning and trauma, we need to start with the mistakes, learn from them, learn how to love a little more, and try, try again.
Notes from the Editor: Introducing the Sexual Politics Issue
Posted on May 24, 2019 bySharing the truth is not always easy, but as #MeToo has shown, breaking the silence is the first step toward healing and toward the evolution of healthier sexual politics.
Follow the Dirt Road: A film, a ghost story and more
Posted on May 22, 2019 by2 Comments
Back in 1989, a long-haired, tie-dyed PhD candidate and a swimsuit model & guest video jockey for MTV set out in a VW camper van to interview and document 40 intentional communities. Daniel was interviewing ic’s for his doctoral dissertation on Children in Community while Monique applied her interest in video production to produce a… Read More
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!
