Personal Growth
Loneliness is an Epidemic, Community is the Antidote
Posted on December 3, 2019 byI’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’ve been pretty lonely lately. Here I am, Executive Director of the Foundation for Intentional Community, and while technically I am living in a community, my current transitional and transitory lifestyle, including working remotely, is leaving me isolated a lot of the time. It feels terrible, and it’s hard… Read More
Whatever Happened to the Renaissance Community?
Posted on November 12, 2019 byDespite the lethal combination of power, ego, and spirituality that brought the Renaissance Community to an end, most of its ex-members cherish their time there as a growth experience that made them better people.
In the Shadow of the Guru
Posted on November 5, 2019 byReferring to himself as “the biggest asshole” in the county, a group’s spiritual teacher “told us if we could work with him and learn from him, we could deal with anyone in any situation.”
Missed Opportunity at the Goat Ranch
Posted on October 29, 2019 byTed and Sally were truthful when they said they had no idea what they were doing, either running the business or establishing a community. They didn’t, much to the dismay of their departing managers and volunteers.
Village-Building Stumbles: A few of the things Earthaven Ecovillage has gotten wrong
Posted on October 1, 2019 byThose of us privileged enough to find ourselves in an intentional community often imagine that our environment will be free of the horrors and evils of the world. But alas, we bring it all with us.
The Shadow Side of Community
Posted on September 17, 2019 byThe more friendliness we have towards difficult parts of ourselves and difficult aspects of living in community, the easier it will be to make the journey together.
Notes from the Editor: Exploring the Shadow Side
Posted on September 10, 2019 byA higher standard for interpersonal accountability and care makes the effect even more devastating when feelings of safety, security, and affection in community turn out to be based on illusion.
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!
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.
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.
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. Some describe the feeling as a sense of greater freedom and belonging, room to experiment and be different, space to practice communication and collaboration skills,… 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.
Best Films for Inspiration🌱🌎🤸🏾♀️
Posted on March 19, 2019 byFrom urban cohousing to rural commune, journey throughout European ecovillages or bicycle across the United States. Get started on these documentary films today for the BEST inspiration on creating sustainable community. Voices of Cohousing: Building Small Villages in the City One of today’s biggest paradoxes is that half of the world’s population lives in urban… Read More
Your Monthly Freebie: Localization of Happiness
Posted on March 11, 2019 byLocalization: Essential Steps to an Economics of Happiness By Helena Norberg-Hodge Edited by Steven Gorelick and Kristen Steele This month’s free resource comes from our friends at Local Futures, who work to renew ecological, social and spiritual well-being by promoting a systemic shift towards economic localization. “From jobs to finance, from food to climate, from education to… 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 Rock City. What does a guy at Burning Man know about community? Stephen shares inspiration through his travels, studies of permaculture, and teaching, how he… Read More
Top 10 New Books in the FIC Bookstore!
Posted on February 8, 2019 byYou won’t want to miss out on these stellar topics new to the bookshelf The Spirit of Dialogue: Lessons from Faith Traditions in Transforming Conflict by Aaron T. Wolf We tend to approach conflict from the perspective of competing interests. A farmer’s interest lies in preserving water for crops, while an environmentalist’s interest is… Read More
Starhawk Recognized for 2019 Kozeny Communitarian Award
Posted on February 6, 2019 byThe Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC) recognizes Starhawk as the 2019 recipient of the Kozeny Communitarian Award, honoring of the indomitable spirit of Geoph Kozeny (1949-2007), who devoted his adult life to creating community in the world. Starhawk is a well-known author and an internationally recognized activist and practitioner in the fields of permaculture, eco-feminism, and Earth-based… Read More
Accepting nominations for 2020 Kozeny Communitarian Award
Posted on January 7, 2019 byThe Foundation for Intentional Community announces that nominations are now open for the 2020 Kozeny Communitarian Award. This honors the indomitable spirit of Geoph Kozeny, who devoted his adult life to creating community in the world. This Award is intended to celebrate the accomplishments of a person or organization in one or more of the… Read More
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 this episode of Planet Community we look at Enright Ridge Urban Ecovillage in Cincinnati, OH. How do we move past the consumerism and concrete… Read More
What it Takes to Create Community Connection
Posted on December 3, 2018 byCommon Conceptions of Community How can we create community connection — including more support, belonging, smiles, and growth — in our lives? Bianca Heyming gave a TED talk based on her experiences, affectionately called ‘Intentional Communities – 50% Less Hippie Than You’d Expect.’ She first comedically explores people’s misconceptions about living in an… Read More
Thanks for the Fun on #GiveItAwayTuesday!
Posted on November 28, 2018 byWhat a fun day it was yesterday! From 8am to 8pm on Tuesday November 27, many of staff, board, and supporters of FIC hosted a marathon event we called #GiveItAwayTuesday. Our premise was simple. So simple in fact that we were all laughing hysterically when we first joked about it! It was a late night… Read More
Planet Community – Episode 2 – Student Housing Cooperatives
Posted on November 19, 2018 byWhat is it like to live in a Student Housing Cooperative? Quite different than a typical student dorm experience, a Student Housing Cooperative is more like “the University of Life!” — where communication, problem solving, and cooperation skills are required. In this brand new second episode of Planet Community, hear from the experiences of people living… Read More
Join FIC for Giveaways on #GiveItAwayTuesday
Posted on November 19, 2018 byConnect With FIC for a Day of Giving Back! We are inspired to give back and show our love of community on this global day of giving – November 27th. Since 2012, the #GivingTuesday global movement has kicked-off the charitable giving season by leveraging the power of collaboration and social media. Join FIC while we… Read More
The Revolution will be Podcasted
Posted on November 5, 2018 byAre you Listening? We’re searching for hope, we’re fighting for change, we’re learning new tactics and strategies, and we’re uniting to make a difference together. Activists, journalists, citizens, and revolutionaries are creating podcasts to discuss issues that concern us all, and the innovative ways that people are addressing them. Podcasts to the Rescue Podcasts are… Read More
Cohousing is… Quotes from Cohousers
Posted on September 17, 2018 byQuotes from Cohousers Cohousing is… “… a challenging task, with pitfalls (and perseverance), with laughter and hugs (or nods and drawing into oneself), with food and nurturing (or caution and health concerns), with a good measure of comfort and, especially, community.” “… after parenting, the single greatest personal growth opportunity.” “… a collaborative way of… Read More
Cohousing Makes You Happier
Posted on August 20, 2018 byLoneliness kills. This is what new evidence suggests from a range of reputable institutions and studies, to bolster that likely feeling in your gut about this. To clarify, loneliness is not just being isolated. Isolation is a public health epidemic. You may spend professional and personal time around other people, but just how connected… Read More
What does it mean to live like a village?
Posted on August 13, 2018 by1 Comment
What is a Village? “In the simplest terms, it is the intersection and interconnection of people and place” explains Jamaica Stevens, author, event producer, and community activist. “How do we create a culture shift towards communities of celebration, cooperation, resilience, and respect?” Jamaica set about sharing some answers to these questions in her culture-shifting ReInhabiting the… Read More
Call it Your Community
Posted on July 25, 2018 byHumanity thrives when people work together. An “Intentional Community” shows what happens when people take this premise to the next level — by living together in a village of their own making which reflects their shared values. Intentional Communities come in many shapes and sizes, and go by many names. This includes cohousing, ecovillages, cooperative… Read More
It Takes a Village to Organize a Mind
Posted on July 19, 2018 byI studied psychology in high school and college, and still find it imminently relevant today. I am fascinated when evolutionary psychology can offer insight into the roots of why we tick the way we do. What is our more original “programming” — or the baseline that we are set to be impressed into by the… Read More
