Some communities exist for tens, even hundreds, of years. Others short-lived. What, then, makes for communal 'success'? Bary Shenker, who lived on a Kibbutz for a number of years, compares the Hutterites, the Kibbutzim and therapeutic communities – and argues that there is no simple formula. Through historical and sociological analysis, combined with personal experience and insight, the author provides fresh thoughts on a form of a social life which fascinates us all. First published in 1986.
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 revitalized 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. Recognizing that a wealth of wisdom were contained in these experiences, she set out to distill and capture them in one place. Creating a Life Together is the only resource available that provides step-by-step, practical "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.
How to research, visit, evaluate, and join the ecovillage or sustainable community of your dreams. 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.
Best of Communities: I. Intentional Community Overview and Starting a Community Many people yearn for community-for a greater sense of connection and belonging-yet genuinely wanting it and accurately knowing that it's good for you are not enough to guarantee that you'll be happy in intentional community, or that others will want to live with you. These 15 articles in "Intentional Community Overview and Starting a Community" provide a peek behind the curtain at some the pitfalls and challenges facing community builders, so that you'll have a more realistic idea of what it will take to survive your start-up years and actually become a home. You'll find first-hand stories from forming communities, as well as sage advice about legal structures, the importance of community spirit, how to understand "cults" as a pejorative label, how to assess prospective property, and the importance of making process agreements before you need to apply them. This Digital Issue includes the following articles: 1. In Community, Intentionally by Geoph Kozeny, Directory 2007 2. Setting the Record Straight: 13 Myths about Intentional Community by Diana Leafe Christian, Geoph Kozeny, Laird Schaub, #112 3. A Communitarian Conundrum: Why a World That Wants and Needs Community Doesn't Get It by Timothy Miller, #151 4. You Know You Live in Community When... by Virginia Lore and Maril Crabtree, #124 5. "Cults" and Intentional Communities: Working Through Some Complicated Issues by Tim Miller, Directory 2007 6. Community Spirit, Community 'Glue' by Geoph Kozeny, #107 7. Wisdom for Within, Wisdom from Without Karen Iona Sundberg, #159 8. Six Ingredients for Forming Communities (That Help Reduce Conflict Down the Road) by Diana Leafe Christian, Directory 2000 9. Legal Structures for Intentional Communities in the United States by Dave Henson, with Albert Bates, Allen Butcher, and Diana Leafe Christian, Directory 2000 10. Buying Your Community Property by Frances Forster and Byron Sandford, Directory 1995 11. Throwing in the Founder's Towel by Ma'ikwe Schaub Ludwig, #144 12. Emergency Community by Jesika Feather, #144 13. Yes, Wealthy People Want to Live in Community in Sustainable Ways Too! by Jennifer Ladd, #159 14. My Advice to Others Planning to Start an Ecovillage by Lois Arkin, #156 15. Dandelion Village: Building an Ecovillage in Town by Maggie Sullivan, #156
