Finding Community
Whatever Happened to the Renaissance Community?
Posted on November 12, 2019 by1 Comment
Despite 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 by1 Comment
Ted 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.”
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.
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… Read More
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.
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.
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.
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… Read More
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.… 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.
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… Read More
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.
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 We Came to Inherit a Salmon Stream
Posted on March 30, 2019 byThe residents of Sahale Learning Center and EcoVillage welcome the salmon who swim from the Hood Canal up the Tahuya River each year to spawn.
Cross-Class Cooperation and Land Access
Posted on March 23, 2019 by1 Comment
It 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.
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… Read More
The Dilemmas of Being a Benefactor: Creating a Community Land Trust
Posted on March 16, 2019 by1 Comment
CommonSpace CLT fulfills its founder’s dream of using her inheritance to create an affordable, not-for-profit example of diverse community on protected land in perpetuity.
Land Speaking through the People: The Great Work of Our Times
Posted on March 9, 2019 byThrough Community Land Trusts, we can reimagine and experience anew our relationship with the land as communities of place-based people.
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… Read More
Black Land Matters: An Interview with Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm
Posted on February 24, 2019 byHeadquartered on a community farm, a nonprofit, people-of-color-led organization works to dismantle racism in the food system by increasing farmland stewardship by people of color, promoting equity in food access, and training the next generation of activist farmers.
The Encyclopedic Guide to American Intentional Communities, by Timothy Miller
Posted on January 29, 2019 byIt may be a mouthful to say, but it sure is fitting for this nearly 600 page, incredibly comprehensive guide to American intentional communities. This encyclopedic book chronicles from the… Read More
Adventures in Remote Simplicity: Four Distinct Community Styles
Posted on January 28, 2019 byExperiences in wildly differing intentional communities suggest that the more egalitarian, interactive, and focused its members are on shared labor, the stronger and more long-lasting the community will be.
1,400 People Every Day!
Posted on January 14, 2019 byBringing Communities to the People! Every single day about 1,400 people visit the online Communities Directory. That is about 2 unique individuals every single minute! About 40,000 people per month —… Read More
Narcissism, Dependence, and Culture Change
Posted on January 14, 2019 byTwo aspects of the cultural transition we are working toward are little discussed but directly impact our daily relationships: narcissism and dependence dynamics. By unpacking them, we can turn the tide.
Planted in Good Soil: Cultural Roots and Community
Posted on December 14, 2018 byA community may achieve an ideal balance by drawing upon deep cultural roots to inform its structures and common life, while remaining vitally open to fresh insight and creativity in response to the present.
Mind the Gap: How the Cultural Difference between Incoming Residents and the Community Can Indicate Whether They Will Stay
Posted on December 7, 2018 byA small culture gap between a new resident and the community correlates with greater chances of a long-term fit; a large culture gap makes this much less likely, but not impossible.
