What Can We Learn from the Amish?
Posted on April 23, 2019 byTouch the soil, live simply, and be satisfied with “enough”: it’s worked for the Amish for almost 300 years and it can work for us as well.
A New Look for the Fellowship for Intentional Community
Posted on April 2, 2019 byA letter from the new Communications Director, Cynthia Tina In the face of global crises of unimaginable scales and complexity, our strength is found in simple local solutions. Weaving relationships and choosing to take action together defies rampant isolation in modern life. Social isolation is a human health epidemic. Community is the antidote. Intentional communities… Read More
Cross-Class Cooperation and Land Access
Posted on March 23, 2019 byIt is important to not only talk about the role class privilege plays in our movement, but also celebrate the ways that cross-class cooperation can be a form of much-needed solidarity.
Cooperative Groups, the FIC, and Sexual Politics: Sharing, Learning, Healing, Persisting
Posted on May 26, 2019 byIn 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!
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
Say goodbye to the old FIC… and welcome the new!
Posted on May 20, 2019 by1 Comment
Dear friends, Something big is cooking on our computers. A completely new look for FIC is almost here! Over the next week we’ll be unveiling the changes. Tuesday, May 28th will be the big launch – with a new name, logo, website, and newsletter in place. FIC will soon go by the Foundation for Intentional… 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.
✔️Let’s come together! 🗓️ Events in 2019
Posted on May 15, 2019 byConferences, Festivals, Gatherings Places where we can share stories, learn skills, and create the relationships we need to build our communities and our movement. Join us for these awesome events, co-sponsored by the Foundation for Intentional Community. Questions about an event? Please contact the event directly through their website. Village Building Convergence – Portland, OR –… Read More
Your Monthly Freebie: Peer to Peer-A Commons Manifesto
Posted on May 13, 2019 byPeer to Peer: The Commons Manifesto By Michel Bauwens, Vasilis Kostakis, Alex Pazaitis Not since Marx identified the manufacturing plants of Manchester as the blueprint for the new capitalist society has there been a more profound transformation of the fundamentals of our social life. As capitalism faces a series of structural crises, a new social,… Read More
🙂 Amazon Smile – have you picked FIC as your non-profit?
Posted on May 9, 2019 byClick and Smile on Mother’s Day to Benefit FIC If you’re going to shop at Amazon on Mother’s Day or any other day, use AmazonSmile and select the Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC) to benefit from most of your purchases. Not familiar with AmazonSmile? You can tie your existing Amazon account to AmazonSmile with the… Read More
Discounted Magazines Available Now!
Posted on May 2, 2019 byNow in our 182nd issue of Communities magazine, we have discounted all back issues to $4 from Summer 2017 (#175) and older! In publication since 1972, there is so much to explore. View all back issues at the main page or view by decade: 1970’s, 1980’s, 1990’s, 2000’s, and 2010’s. We’ve made it easier… Read More
Cross country tour of communities 🚗
Posted on April 30, 2019 byJourney into community. Communities are taking action to create more just and sustainable lives all across the United States. Our own Sky Blue took to the road these past months for a cross-country tour of intentional communities. Below are some of his dispatches from the journey. Where will Sky go next? Stay tuned to… Read More
Your Community and the Law
Posted on April 30, 2019 byEarthaven Ecovillage learns the hard way that it’s important for a community to choose its legal entities carefully, and to consult and listen to lawyers. A member shares some lessons from their ordeal.
Gain the 🦉Wisdom of Communities 🦉
Posted on April 24, 2019 byHave you ordered your copies of the Wisdom of Communities 4 volume set? Each volume can be purchased individually👇🏽 or buy the entire set at a discounted price. Also available as an ebook! What is Wisdom of Communities? Since 1972, Communities magazine, published by the Foundation for Intentional Community, has been collecting and disseminating the lessons… Read More
In community, On the road – Dispatch #8 – Arcosanti
Posted on April 18, 2019 by1 Comment
I got a little out of order, but to wrap up my first cross-country tour I wanted to share a little about Arcosanti. I only stayed there a night on my way from Taos to San Diego, but I’ve helped host a couple gatherings there the last two years and I really enjoy the place.… Read More
In community, On the road – Dispatch #7 – Taos Initiative for Life Together
Posted on April 17, 2019 by1 Comment
“As Christians we have to atone and reconcile the atrocities done in the name of God.” That was Todd Wynward, during his 2 minutes in the intro go-round of the first Southwest Inter-Community Summit. I’d been kind of tuned out when he started talking, but that got my attention. I need to talk to that… Read More
Event season is here!
Posted on April 17, 2019 byThere are lots of great events coming up this year. FIC is proud to sponsor events that help bring people together to build your communities and build the movement. Info about all the events we’re sponsoring. Here are some of the new events on the schedule. The Farm’s Conference on Community and Sustainability – The… Read More
Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds
Posted on April 17, 2019 byEmergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by adrienne maree brown “It is the end of the world as we know it, thanks to a lot of reasons. Now is the time to gird ourselves for the fight for a new world. Right now I can’t think of better girding than Emergent Strategy.” —Detroit Metro Times Inspired… Read More
In community, On the road – Dispatch #6b – Tools for Collective Self-Governance
Posted on April 16, 2019 byGleaning Wisdom from the Nonprofit Democracy Network In late March, Cassandra Ferrera, FIC Board member, and I participated in a training by the Nonprofit Democracy Network titled Tools for Collective Self-Governance. It was a 3 day exploration in how nonprofit organizations working can better embody the change they’re trying to make in the world. There… Read More
In community, On the road – Dispatch #6a – Relearning We
Posted on April 16, 2019 by4 weeks and 6 communities later My first cross-country communities tour of the year ended with a 3 day training on Tools for Collective Self-Governance in Oakland, CA with the Nonprofit Democracy Network. I got to spend 3 days with a bunch of badass organizers working for awesome organizations trying to make the world a… Read More
Community, Land, Self: We’re Part of the Same Elephant
Posted on April 16, 2019 byEscaping to an ecotopian or intact natural world proves neither possible nor effective as a way to avoid the realities of human and planetary suffering. Instead, a communitarian receives lessons in interconnectedness that he will never forget.
How will your legacy strengthen community?
Posted on April 15, 2019 byLeave Your Legacy of Cooperation and Sustainability by Harvey Baker, President of the FIC Board of Directors We often think of the last day of the year as an important deadline for making contributions to our favorite charities. When thinking long term, no matter our age, we can plan any day of the year for… Read More
10 Keys to Collaborative Leadership
Posted on April 12, 2019 byBelow is an except from an article published by Round Sky Solutions (www.roundskysolutions.com/blog-10keys/). Shared with permission. 10 Keys to Collaborative Leadership 10 Learnings from the Collaborative Leadership Certification Program for healthy and generative leadership written by graduate, Erica Buswell. 1. Power dynamics exist within organizations and teams; it’s just a fact. Power can… Read More
Your Monthly Freebie: Permaville Handbook
Posted on April 9, 2019 byThe Permaville Handbook: Strategies of Permaculture Design By Brian Newhouse of Permaville.com This nearly 200-paged handbook provides an overview of permaculture’s principles, teaches some core permaculture techniques and practices, and provides direction and resources for connecting with people who share a passion for the work. If you want to live more closely in tune with nature,… Read More
Growing Together through Trauma, with the Land
Posted on April 9, 2019 byWhen La’akea Community’s stability is disrupted and its existence threatened by the aftermath of an earthquake, members discover that their land is a much larger source of “glue” to keep them together than they had thought.
Get ready for new logo and fresh look!
Posted on April 8, 2019 byYou asked and we listened. Thanks to over one hundred FIC supporters who responded to a recent branding survey, we have reimagined our look and created a new logo, name adaptation, and improved website to be released later this Spring. (Get ready!!!) It’s all part of our recent organizational transformation and a deepening of commitment… Read More
In community, On the road – Dispatch #5 – Los Angeles Eco-Village
Posted on April 5, 2019 byIt’s easier to recognize an intentional community when it’s rural. There’s simply less distraction and less interaction with the surrounding population. This has its pros and cons. The escapism and isolationism that was prevalent in the 60’s and 70’s came at a cost to the movement, there are undoubtedly levels of experimentation that being rural… Read More
