Equity & Power Dynamics

About the course

Overview

Starts October 28, 2026!

What do equity and power actually mean in the intentional communities (IC) context, and how do they show up when we’re trying to create collective ways of living? While we may have heard these words in abundance over the past several years, we may not be fully aware of how they manifest inside communities and the relationships we’re building in them. At the same time, many of us have felt the impacts of unhealthy power dynamics and lack of equity in our communities.

In the Equity and Power Dynamics Course, instructor Jahia de Rose will address common examples of unhealthy power dynamics and lack of equity in communities, while offering tools to examine and address them from a personal and collective perspective. After all, no matter how we identify, we are all capable of wielding power for the betterment (or detriment) of our communities. This course will emphasize that power is not a dirty word.

Understanding the unique power dynamics each of us participate in is critical to being a successful member of the IC movement. Without comprehending the power each of us holds, implementing equity in our ICs – across differences in class/wealth/assets, national origin, language, race, gender, and ownership stakes in the IC – can remain an abstract or illusory dream left to gather dust in our community’s vision statement.

Over six weeks, you’ll build practical skills in the foundational principles of equity, communications strategies, transformative governance models, conflict navigation tools, and tactics for redistributing power in your community. This course translates complex social justice concepts into real, everyday language, useful whether you’ve already lived through power struggles in community, or you’re preparing to start one from an equitable foundation.

What you will learn:

A framework for how to implement equity in your IC
Communication skills such as creating circles to call in power dynamics and hold space while sitting with discomfort
A deeper understanding of concepts such as misogynoir, transphobia in the queer community, and hierarchies of citizenship, language, and ethnic identity, and how they show up in community
A deeper understanding of your own privilege and power, and how you can show up in the best way for your community

For those who are...

Living in community

Starting a community

Skills you’ll gain

Community & Social
Conflict resolution
DEI work
Restorative justice

Details to know

Recommended Books

We have compiled books that will complement what you’ll learn in this course. As a course participant, you will automatically receive a discount of 15% off in our online store when you are logged into your account at check out.

View recommended books

Discussion Group

You will have a dedicated space to connect with your classmates and ask questions.

Navigating this Course

Each class module contains the date and time of the class, the zoom link, class slides and other resources, and a homework assignment. Within 24 hours after the end of each class, the recording of the class will be posted under the respective class below.

Schedules

Course information

Course content

Class 1: Understanding Power & Equity Systemically

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Class 2: Understanding Power & Equity Internally

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Class 3: Communication Strategies

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Class 4: Navigating Power Struggles

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Class 5: Transformative Justice

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Class 6: Redistributing Power, Implementing Equity

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Meet your instructor

Jahia de Rose

Jahia de Rose (she/her) is an antillana-deutsch artist, landworker, writer, and scholar. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy with a concentration in Management & Organisation. She has been involved in the world of ICs since the age of 17, and quickly became an anti-racist, queer feminist, environmental activist at the age of 18. Jahia has visited or consulted at ICs in Portugal, Mexico, Germany, the United States of America, Spain, and Italy. Outside of her career in academia, where she regularly writes and presents on topics in the field of decolonial feminist studies, Jahia has curated & led online courses, seminars, and community spaces for: the Regenerative Agriculture Idea Network (REGAIN) on farmworker storytelling and labor rights ; indigenous land rights for the BIPOC Intentional Community Council (BIPOC ICC) ; and ‘Power Dynamics in Community’ for the Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC). Jahia served on the Board of Directors of the BIPOC Intentional Community Council (BIPOC ICC) between November 2021 and November 2022, and contributed greatly to the work of the BIPOC ICC. Her writing on power, equity, and race in the world of ICs appears in Issues #204 and #205 of Communities magazine.

Recommended resources

Creating a Life Together

Do you want to start an intentional community? Read this first! Diana Leafe Christian’s classic Creating a Life Together has been a source of guidance for generations of community founders. The book covers the practical steps you’ll need to take to make a community happen — from gathering a…

Cover of Communities magazine featuring a close-up of a vine on a green post.

Communities Magazine #183 (Summer 2019) - Sexual Politics

Course includes

6 classes

+ 3

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$120

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October 28, 2026 10:00 – October 28, 2026 12:00

+10 already enrolled

Starts from $80

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May 6 – June 3, 2025

Meet your instructor

Jahia de Rose

successful communities built

What students are saying

Frequently asked questions

How do live courses work?

Each live course offered by the Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC) is a 5-week course taking place fully online. Live courses run on a calendar schedule throughout the year, and you can enroll directly into the course dates that work best with your schedule. We typically recommend devoting 3 hours a week to the course material to get the most from your experience.

We leave the course materials available for 3 weeks after the course closes. After this time, you will no longer be able to access the course content. This is to honor the intellectual property agreement we have with instructors.

We strongly encourage all learners to download any handouts and assignments before their course access expires. These tools serve as a permanent resource to remind you of what you have learned and help you take that back to your team or community. Videos cannot be downloaded or otherwise saved.

How do On-Demand courses work?

Each on-demand course offered by the Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC) is accessible online. You can register for the course whenever it fits with your schedule. We typically recommend devoting 2 hours a week to the course material to get the most from your experience.

After registering for a course, you will receive an order confirmation email. You will be setup in your course learning area within 1 business day (Monday-Friday) after registering. Please keep an eye on your inbox and spam folder for an email from ev****@**.org with instructions on how to access your course’s learning area. The learning area will include a course calendar (for complementary events and monthly office hours) that you can sync with your personal calendar), a discussion space for students taking the course, videos and other resources, as well as homework assignments.

Each month, there will be an optional, 1-hour open office hour with the instructor (see the course calendar inside the course learning area). You’ll also be able to connect with other students in the discussion space.

The full course experience for our on-demand courses is available for 90 days after you have been enrolled in the course. This is to honor the intellectual property agreement we have with instructors.

We also strongly encourage all learners to download any handouts and assignments before their course access expires. These tools serve as a permanent resource to remind you of what you have learned and help you take back to your team or community. Videos cannot be downloaded or otherwise saved.

Can I take multiple courses at the same time?

You may take multiple courses at the same time. However, we strongly advise that you only do so if you are able to commit to a minimum of 3hrs/week per course to ensure the most valuable learning experience. If that does not feel feasible, we recommend taking the courses separately and exploring future dates on our course calendar.

Can I take just one class from a course?

Yes, you can purchase classes individually on the course page under the section titled “Course Information”. Class prices are sliding scale from 20$ -50$.

What if I miss a live class?

No worries! All classes will be recorded and available under the Class Materials section of the student learning area within 24 hours after each class ends. Please click on the class title to view the recording of that class, along with any class slides, handouts and homework assignments. You will have 60 days to view both the recording and class slides.

Do you offer grants or scholarships?

We no longer offer scholarships. However, we do offer sliding scale pricing. When registering for a course, you can select the price that works best for your budget.

Do you offer refunds?

Course participants are eligible for a refund prior to the start date of the live course and prior to being set up in the learning area of the on-demand course. As soon as the course has begun, FIC will not issue a refund. However, we can offer credit towards another course. Please contact us if you are in need of a refund.

The Live Course Experience

Live Zoom Classes

Nothing pre-recorded here! When you sign-up for an FIC course, you’ll have the opportunity to join a live session on Zoom for each class.Nothing pre-recorded here! When you sign-up for an FIC course, you’ll have the opportunity to join a live session on Zoom for each class.

Recorded Classes

You’ll receive all class recordings in a follow-up email. They will also be uploaded to LearnDash found in your ic.org account dashboard. Watch or listen when it is convenient for you. Transcripts available upon request.

Access LearnDash through your Dashboard

Login to you ic.org account, visit your dashboard and go to “My Courses”. Here you have access to all course content and recordings through LearnDash. Access to courses expire 30 days after the last class.