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An intentional community is a group of people who have chosen to
live or work together in pursuit of a common ideal or vision. An
ecovillage is a village-scale intentional community that intends to
create, ecological, social, economic, and spiritual sustainability
over several generations. The 90s saw a revitalised surge of
interest in intentional communities and ecovillages in North
America: the number of intentional communities listed in the
Communities Directory increased 60 percent between 1990 and 1995.
But only 10 percent of the actual number of forming-community
groups actually succeeded. Ninety percent failed, often in conflict
and heartbreak. After visiting and interviewing founders of dozens
of successful and failed communities, along with her own
forming-community experiences, the author concluded that 'the
successful 10 percent' had all done the same five or six things
right, and 'the unsuccessful 90 percent' had made the same handful
of mistakes. Recognising that a wealth of wisdom were contained in
these experiences, she set out to distil and capture them in one
place. 'how-to' information on how to launch and sustain a
successful ecovillage or intentional community. Through anecdotes,
stories, and cautionary tales about real communities, and by
profiling seven successful communities in depth, the book examines
'the successful 10 percent' and why 90 percent fail; the role of
community founders; getting a group off to a good start; vision and
vision documents; decision-making and governance; agreements; legal
options; finding, financing, and developing land; structuring a
community economy; selecting new members; and communication,
process, and dealing well with conflict. Sample vision documents,
community agreements, and visioning exercises are included, along
with abundant resources for learning more.
Finding community is as critical as obtaining food and shelter,
since the need to belong is what makes us human. The isolation and
loneliness of modern life have led many people to search for deeper
connection, which has resulted in a renewed interest in intentional
communities. These intentional communities or ecovillages are an
appealing choice for like-minded people who seek to create a
family-oriented and ecologically sustainable lifestyle-a lifestyle
they are unlikely to find anywhere else. However, the notion of an
intentional community can still be a tremendous leap for
some-deterred perhaps by a misguided vision of eking out a
hardscrabble existence with little reward. In fact, successful
ecovillages thrive because of the combined skills and resources of
their members. Finding Community presents a thorough overview of
ecovillages and intentional communities and offers solid advice on
how to research thoroughly, visit thoughtfully, evaluate
intelligently, and join gracefully. Useful considerations include:
* Important questions to ask (of members and of yourself) * Signs
of a healthy (and not-so-healthy) community * Cost of joining (and
staying) * Common blunders to avoid Finding Community provides
intriguing possibilities to readers who are seeking a more
cooperative, sustainable, and meaningful life. Diana Leafe
Christian is the author of Creating a Life Together and editor of
Communities magazine. She lives at Earthhaven Ecovillage in North
Carolina.
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