I am looking again .
Back in the 70s -80s , I was involved in the co-ops , liked it a lot , then in the early 90s started looking to see what alternative communities where out there , found Co-Housing and later a web site , Intensional Communities
http://www.ic.org/
I am still looking , haven't found much in Minnesota , but am looking back to the west , Cal , or SW .
Big hurdle right now is lack of work / money , lots of tools & skills .
I thought that like minded people could do more if they gather together .
This site being still new and then spread all over , I thought I would put this out there , to see about finding a new home / space / community ?
Lots of interesting possibilities on the site above .
Thanks John
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www.ic.org is a great website and movement calling us to come together in intentional community around the world. I've been following this exciting movement for many years. I also love how ecovillages are blossoming all over as part of this movement. Though intentional communities are no utopia, it is a powerful effort to consciously work together to create new paradigm. Thanks for spreading the word!
With much love and joy,
Fred
I went to that site but did not find anything that resembled finding communities to checkout / move to / live in .
I do not always find what I am looking for the 1st time .
Thanks John
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Hi John,
Welcome to the Portal! I've had the same thoughts many times, and in some ways I'm surprised we're not yet seeing a lot of resurgence of the old commune-thing. In the 60s and 70s I experienced several ventures in communal living. There are many advantages, but the risks are great. I think that deliberately-created communities are at greatest risk. As things change, we'll be seeing families and groups coalesce into new kinds of communities. I think for one thing there will be an emphasis on security, at least for a time while civilization falters. Ever see the movie "The Stand," based on the Stephen King novel? We'll see the same old patronage and elitism as if they'd never left, and people will flock to them. At the same time, more and more people are repelled by that old paradigm and will work to overcome it. In the movie, it was the hand of God that saved the day. Far be it from me to predict how it will work itself out in real life.
Utopian communities don't work when people don't agree on what utopia is. People bring more than a set of skills to a community - they bring, among other things, baggage. People are a bundle of contradictions, neuroses and problems, no matter what else they may bring to the table. Hopefully in the Golden Age of tomorrow we'll be able to transcend our many dysfunctions, but for now this is how we come. We may be ascended, transformed, rarified and seasoned with paprika, but we also have edema, kids who can't find Japan on a globe, hostile ex-spouses, overdue bills, bad taste in wallpaper - and we pick our noses and fart. And we need someplace to do our laundry.
So of course the most successful communities are the ones that are either bound by a common mindset - religion, political identity, etc. - or are under the thumb of an autocratic leader. That was the downfall of the vast majority of the hippie communes - but if anyone can successfully inspire such a community today, my money'll be on an old hippie.
8-D
Or an old hippie's kid.
8-D
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On my point of view, you start the ecovillage exactly where you live presently with the people living in your community. Since 10 years, I am experiencing to be very involved in my village (pop.2800),on different levels, municipal,spiritual, environnmental, cultural. Lately, I have found myself so creative that I have not find much time for this forum, however I appreciate this forum and the people who are part of it. It is very resourceful and I appreciate having the virtual and the local community. Both are interconnected.
Denise