How have intentional communities fared through the pandemic?
Posted on July 8, 2020 by1 Comment
New research shows how intentional communities have responded to the coronavirus crisis. With people’s lives upended across the globe, we can’t help but wonder, how would we have responded to the coronavirus crisis if we all lived in intentional communities — ecovillages, cohousing and the like — instead of our conventional neighborhoods? And how have… Read More
Examining White Supremacy Culture in Intentional Community
Posted on July 4, 2020 byWhen white people ask the question, why aren’t there more POC living in intentional communities, one of the answers some speculate is that “they find community in other ways.” I think there are a few things that idea gets wrong. It assumes that controlling land for the purposes of community building is something POC aren’t… Read More
Black Lives Matter
Posted on June 13, 2020 byWe at FIC are grieved and outraged by the recent police killing of George Floyd, one incident in an ongoing pattern of police abuse towards black people and people of color across the United States. We stand in solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter and the groundswell of peaceful protests around the world. We support demands for accountability and justice. We… Read More
Fifty Shades of Community
Posted on April 5, 2020 byWhat’s the difference between a cult and a community? How, when seeking community, can you avoid hooking up with a cult? I can’t answer these questions with certainty or authority—but I can offer some relevant insights, drawn in part from my involvement, over the past twenty years, with a cult, a community, and something in… Read More
Thank you Clearly Canadian
Posted on March 30, 2020 byClearly Canadian answered the call! Thanks to our new Communities Directory Sustainer we have been able to start shifting our website to a more reliable server, ensuring that community seekers can continue to access our online Communities Directory for much needed connection and inspiration. Thank you Clearly Canadian! To find out how you can become… Read More
COVID-19 Resources
Posted on March 17, 2020 byHere you will find COVID-19 resources submitted to us by intentional communities across the US, including examples of Community Safety Protocols. Please use the information to stay healthy and keep your community safe. We’ll keep updating this page regularly during the coming weeks. Got advice? Send your links our way! Contact us. General Resources COVID19 Emergency… Read More
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
On Community: A Graduated Series of Consequences and the “Community Eye”
Posted on November 26, 2019 byJust knowing the community has this process in place deters people from breaking agreements. People don’t want to get a knock at the door by one fellow community member, much less three or four.
Raising Troubled Children in Cohousing
Posted on November 19, 2019 byWhen the antisocial behavior of adopted boys at Takoma Village Cohousing begins to impact the larger community, their parents find open communication essential in identifying a path forward.
Discovering the communities of Quebec, on bicycle!
Posted on November 12, 2019 byWritten by Thumbs. Originally published on November 11, 2019 at communelifeblog A RURAL PENINSULA IN QUEBEC IS A HIDDEN GEM OF THE COMMUNITIES MOVEMENT Gaspésie Quebec is the Olympic Peninsula of the East Coast; a mountainous peninsula, with a rugged coastline, spotted with small towns fueled by fishing and logging, with a vibrant indigenous culture,… 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.
Founder’s Syndrome
Posted on October 22, 2019 byThe original founder, visionary, and main public point person for Bellyacres for over a quarter of a century laments that some members came to consider him “the root of all present, past, and future problems in the organization.”
Entrepreneurship and Long-Term Planning in an Income-Sharing Community: A Report from the Frontlines
Posted on October 15, 2019 byThe pace of running a competitive multi-million-dollar business like East Wind Nut Butters can clash with the often slow and seemingly disinterested pace of the community at large.
The Expert
Posted on October 8, 2019 byWow! This woman has it all! She’s the answer to so many of our current dilemmas! What could possibly go wrong? A lot.
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.
Life Together – a video series from the Bruderhof
Posted on September 30, 2019 byLIFE TOGETHER is a video series created by members of the Bruderhof, a Christian movement of intentional communities. The first six videos in the series are focused on intentional community – what it is, resources for potential problems, and Q&A. The videos draw from experiences and challenges that the Bruderhof has learned from over the… Read More
Idealistic & Spiritual Communities: A Thriving Ecovillage Template
Posted on September 26, 2019 bySubmitted by Pacific Domes — Cristina Chadwick Many people, going about their busy lives, take pride in calling themselves realists. Realists tend to view idealism as impractical – however, in contrast to the hectic consumer-based pace of modern life, it might be argued, that idealistic and spiritually-minded individuals and communities seem to lead happier lives. … Read More
Why Americans of All Ages are Coming Together in Intentional Communities
Posted on September 24, 2019 by1 Comment
This article was originally published by TIME and accompanied by a video: https://time.com/intentional-communities/ ‘Everyone Needs Someone Else’ BY JEFFREY KLUGER There’s not a lot to do in Syracuse, N.Y. when you’re living alone and a winter storm system dumps 3 feet of snow on the city. There’s no going outside, but there’s no staying inside… Read More
Community Communication
Posted on September 24, 2019 by“Can you put the gas in the truck, please?” A seemingly simple request provides a case study in the importance of precise, clear communication.
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.
Publisher’s Note: Facing the Hard Things
Posted on September 3, 2019 byIn order to create healthy, thriving communities that are replicable models for a cooperative, sustainable, and just human society, we need to talk about what hasn’t worked.
5 Tips on How to Contact an Intentional Community
Posted on September 2, 2019 byTaking the plunge to visit the community you’ve researched can be scary. Here are five tips to consider when contacting a community for the first time through ic.org. 1. Be respectful of people’s time and busy lives. Communicate with the essential aspects of your request. How long would you like to say? What are your… Read More
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.
