Visions of Utopia documentaries

Watching the “Visions of Utopia” DVDs is an educational and inspiring experience for anyone interested in intentional community and sustainable social movements. One of the things that I found most eye opening was the incredible diversity of intentional community styles. While I knew from reading and study that intentional communities could be very diverse, it was quite a different experience to hear about the development of the communities, to witness some of the physical culture of the communities, and to hear the perspectives and experiences of a variety of community members. A special treat for me was the inclusion of Twin Oaks. I first encountered Twin Oaks while researching sustainable living and intentional communities at the Boston Public Library. I discovered Twin Oaks, a Walden Two Experiment, which is an accounting of the first five years of the Twin Oaks community. I was very inspired by the history and practices I found. Later, I was delighted to discover that the community still exists, now with a membership of 85 adults and 15 children. I have occasionally visited the Twin Oaks website. To see the place and some of its inhabitants in the “Visions of Utopia” documentary was very exciting. In watching the videos, I came to better appreciate the cohousing model. Still, I am most excited about the intentional communities which have a sustainability focus, particularly those which incorporate gardening and other sustainable, self-sufficiency supporting practices. I thought it was interesting that in some communities, founding members were initially primarily interested in the practicality of sharing material resources, but found that one of the most important resources were social, revolving around the deep emotional bonds that formed from sharing high proportions of activities and people’s lives. The multi-generational aspect of all the intentional communities portrayed is an important indicator that this kind of approach to living is something that does not just function for people in any one age group. I am glad that the documentary allowed space for children and young people to talk about their experiences growing up or living in these intentional communities. It demonstrated their appreciation for this lifestyle. All the children appeared healthy and happy, and those who were interviewed had glowing, healthy countenances, and spoke clearly and intelligently. They seemed to share an appreciation for access to many different adults and for the diversity that surrounded them. Parents valued the sense that children were safe in the community, even if they did not watch them every moment. Many people also commented on the value of sharing responsibility for raising children. Some communities do have a low proportions of youth, but they are generally aware of this and taking steps to enable the intentional community to pass to following generations.

Child's Fall, Rediscovered first version.

I remember when
pretend was enough,
All we needed in a few elements:
a place to warm up and rest,
enough food to fuel us,
the simple props we
discovered around us,
(ready at hand -
something to spark the imagination)
and, often, each other

Now I dream and imagine,
and wonder how to leap the gap
between my biggest dreams and the stark realities

Notes from cashiering

Ziplines
Source of energy: human muscle + gravity
function: transportation of people and light - medium loads between central house and satellites (and between satellites?)
Avoids walking in snow/rain, unnecessary trips.
Further research: potential for carrying children/sick/elderly/handicapped

Blog Topics:
-giving and getting
-The relevance of Spiritual development
- Religion and Respect in a village setting
-the grand scale/international level
-Fiction and Inspiration
-Family and Social Structure
-Expectations of accomplishment
-Shifting ideals into reality
-planning a collective future.

Giving: types
-Reciprocal gain: expected return of investment in terms of personal expectations of behavior and benefit
-Fostering/Care: giving with the vision of inspiring and demonstrating compassion similarly.
-Giving of true appreciation: giving inspired by the presence of a person in one's life

Risks and complications of giving and receiving: dependency, incurred debt, competition, complex relations, taboos.

Intentional Communities - General Background

A lot of great stuff is going on at the Economic Geography Wiki: http://geo360.pbworks.com/.
I’ve also been working on my midterm for that class, a strong portion of which is general information about intentional communities. It’s a little long, and not quite finished, but it’s important background that helps clarify the wider movement that the Sunflower Village Initiative is a part of. Some of it I took out since I originally posted it here in the first place…

My diverse economy topic is Intentional Communities and their diverse economic practices. An intentional community is a community of people who live together or near each other, based on similar values, beliefs, purposes, goals, or lifestyles. Communities are set up to address such varied concerns as poverty, loneliness, supportive environments for physical or mental health, environmentally conscious living, LBGTQ friendly lifestyles, social, economic, environmental, and political justice. They are also sometimes set up as places for producers who have difficulty surviving financially in capitalist systems, such as artists, artisans, and farmers. Many communities combine a variety of these concerns. One thing that pervades is that this is a conscious choice to live with certain other people or types of people, creating a specific environment.

Some intentional communities are quite small, consisting of only 5 to 10 people, while others are larger, sometimes numbering 100 to 200 people. As communities designed by people who live there, intentional community structures and styles vary dramatically. However, there are some elemental trends which are often found in intentional communities. For example, most intentional communities have some kind of system which allows a strong degree of democracy. One exception to this are many religious communities associated with a particular sect or order. In these cases, communities often follow the religious hierarchy. Communities which strive for a democratic system of governance often operate with one of the following forms, or some combination thereof: consensus, 2/3s vote, majority vote, board of directors, or rotating council. Some intentional communities share much of their economic activities, while others share relatively little.

Why do you think your topic is important?
My topic is important because it presents a different way about conceptualizing what community is and how it is organized. It represents a contrast to the current models, which tend to define communities in terms of random geographic location, religion, ethnicity, or income type. Often these communities are fractured, exclusive, incomplete, disempowered, or disorganized. As a group of people intentionally united around similar values, beliefs, or purposes, intentional communities have the power to be or become holistic, inclusive, empowered, organized, broadly encompassing, and locally grounded. This has strong implications for the current and future organization of our society.

What do you want other people to know about it? Why?

One of the most important realizations people can have about intentional communities is that they continue to exist, be founded, and have long term success.

What are it’s strengths and problems as an economic form or activity?
Since economic set-up varies with type of intentional community and the way that community has addressed general economy according to its values, specific strengths and weaknesses vary. One good example of this is illustrated by a closer look at ecovillages. (took this part out since I wrote it here before)

How does it vary over time and space, I.e. historically and geographically?
Intentional communities, while not always known by that name, have a long history. While it did not last very long, in one sense, the Paris Commune that was developed during the French Revolution was an intentional community. Utopian and other communities have long existed in Europe and elsewhere, sometimes in the form of monasteries or convents. In the United States in the 1800s, utopian communities and religions settlements were not unusual. The most famous of these include the Shakers, the Quakers, and Mormons. But many writers attempted Utopian communities as well, including several in the Boston area. Many people also think of the 1960s in the United States and elsewhere. In fact, this era is when many current intentional communities got started. After Haight-Ashbury became overrun with the second wave of hippies, many of the original group left the area to pursue a life closer to nature. Some of these people tried their hand at farming, only to find that it was more work than they expected. Most of them also lacked the knowledge and skills. Drug use and a high degree of transience also detracted from the success of many attempted communities. But eventually some of these groups got serious and began developing intentional communities, based on shared values such as closeness to the land, egalitarianism, and pacifism. Some of these communities, although partially successful, only lasted 1-5 years before disbanding due to such varied reasons as lack of success in farming, financial issues, lack of commitment, personal transience, and many forms of social discord. Many people today assume that these communities were all or mostly failed experiments. However, that is a myth perpetrated by peoples’ own disillusionments and ignorance. An unacknowledged wellspring of inspiration, ideas, knowledge came from the community experiments of the 60s, as well as the wealth of still extant communities, born then and thriving now.

How does it relate to other hidden and alternative economic activities and organizations?
Intentional communities sometimes have other alternative and hidden economic activities built in. According to ic.org, communes are 100% income sharing. This is highly alternative, since mainstream America rarely has that much income sharing, particularly amongst people who may not have any biological relationships. Some communes pool their individually earned incomes, while others, such as Twin Oaks, engage in communally operated industries, such as hammock making, farming, preserves and canned goods, other food products, and crafts. I am not familiar with examples, but it seems logical that an intentional community could easily set up a co-op to fund the community. Barter and housework, especially childcare, have important places in many intentional communities. It is natural for intentional communities to share housework for shared spaces and buildings. In communes of the 60s, it was common to barter clothing and personal goods, and it would make sense for much of this to continue today. Intentional communities also sometimes participate in the underground markets, including the black market. This is particularly true of any community which allows the use of marijuana or other drugs, due to their illegal nature. Because so much work in the community goes unpaid, paid in kind, or paid under the table, it tends to be unrecognized in conventional economics. I would guess that intentional communities are rarely implicated in slave or forced labor, due partially to the intentional involvement of members, but also to values of human rights and equality commonly held by intentional communities.

How does it relate to capitalist businesses, market transactions, and wage labor? Capital businesses seem to generally ignore intentional communities and their economics. However, entities such as Whole Foods sometimes have house accounts for intentional communities. Sirius is an example of this. A house account allows a representative account holder to come and shop, then charge the bill to a tab which is later paid off by the house account. This system is generally reserved for the very wealthy, non-profits, conventional businesses, or intentional communities. It allows a simplification of bookkeeping for the account holders, so that they only make payments once a month or so, instead of more frequently. Some intentional communities are initiated as a response to capitalist business models, with values flatly rejecting capitalist values.

What is being done in communities/nations to support, strengthen, undermine, or eradicate it?
One of the things that strongly undermines intentional communities is misperception. Many people have the attitude that intentional communities are only failed experiments from the 60s and that no such communities exist today. The image that intentional communities no longer exist, or else are drug-infested rejects from the 60s detracts from the spread of intentional communities as a viable economic and social alternative.

Misnomered communites

I want to address some problems that exist with some current types of intentional communities.

An ecovillage is a community based on the premise that we can counter the environmentally damaging effects of modern lifestyles by developing a physical community which uses little to no oil generated energy, recycles, and integrates other strategies for reducing footprint. This sounds wonderful, but there are some major problems with the idea as it is practiced in reality. One is that practically any neighborhood can call itself an ecovillage or a "green" community if it is using something seen or portrayed as "green". I have seen advertisements promoting gated communities which require organic or "green" lawncare, recycling, and have energy efficient housing. Certainly, this is an improvement on conventional gated communities and on suburbian design in general. However, this is a small bandage that is really an attempt to allow things to continue pretty much as as they have, without requiring any real significant changes or sacrifices to lifestyle. I'll start with an easy example: these lawns could be cared for with certified organic businesses. But that does not begin to even think about addressing the problems of excessive land use/misuse for individual houses. It does not say anything about biodiversity or the huge environmental impact caused by gas run lawnmowers. It does not provide for rainfall dispersal and watershed preservation, and it could still be rare to have a commons.

But the greatest flaw of these types of communities is their exclusiveness. And this is not just a trait of "green" gated neighborhoods.... it persists through the design of many intentional communities. Recently on the community bulletin board at work, there was an advertisement for a "Solar Village" with "generous income requirements". This was $68,000 for one person! It is understandable that since these communities, often newly built, and with expensive features and technologies, need some way to pay for the land, the buildings, materials, and services. However, requiring that level guarantees that, while the community will be financially stable, it will also tend strongly to exclude the following people: many blue-collar workers, young people, blacks, latinos, asians, the handicapped, poorer artists and artisans, small-scale farmers, activists, non-profit workers, and students. Excluding these groups from a community constitutes a huge flaw. Some of these groups, such as activists, artists, farmers, students, and young people represent groups which have very high potential to be vibrant, active, and innovative. But excluding any population of people from a system called "sustainable" is problematic. If only the wealthy can afford "sustainble" lifestyles, what happens to the poor people? Since there is a huge population of poor relative to wealthy, we will not have truly sustainable systems unless they account for everyone. That is to say, if some groups have access to solar power and other forms of renewable energy, but the poor can only rely on coal, oil, and other non-renewable energy sources, then we are not building a future which is truly sustainable. This type of use and abuse of the term "sustainability" makes it into a form of status and propagation of problematic forms of organizing society.

Fog is shrinking

It's 2:30 am. Since I went to bed on time for once, this means that I slept about 2 hours and have been fooling around on the computer for half an hour. I've been struggling with existential anxiety a lot this semester. I have been chanting a lot more and I feel like my vision is clearing. I've said before that this blog isn't so much about the details of my personal life. So why am I writing about this here? Because I am seeing my path clearer, I am working on multiple ends

I wrote a bit recently about the conundrum of whether to become landed first or to break dependency on employ. I am starting to think that it makes sense to work on it from both ends simultaneously, however I can. There is no reason not to go for a land trust and a village and a worker/producer co-op. These things all go hand in hand as part of the diverse economy. There is an opportunity that I have been informed about to make a leap from my current job into an existing co-op. I will be hoping and chanting for it. But I am also able to take a step back and realize that even if I do not obtain this particular transition, a cooperative work environment is not out of reach. I can apply for others in the area, and I can start one more... as long as jobs the current system continue to exist, there will be a place for worker co-ops to develop.

I am not a victim. I do not have to see myself as trapped or overwhelmed or having odds stacked against me. I only need to act and to believe and to persevere.

FYI

I've created a second version of this blog at http://sunflowervillager.wordpress.com/
Feel free to follow it there if you prefer; I intend to continue posting at both sites.

Thanks for your continued support!

Satellite Housing Rewrite

Hyrum left a comment which made me realize I hadn't explained Satellite Housing as clearly as I'd thought, so I"m going to try again.

A central commons building could provide for a large part of common needs, avoiding much of the redundancy of equipment and housing that is created by conventional residential architecture and community structure in the United States (and to varying extents, elsewhere). I would recommend that this structure include a well equipped kitchen (including drying, canning, freezing, and other equipment/spaces used inprocesses for food storage), common dining space, a library/study, a craft and art area, and bathing facilities. It would also make sense to have dorms in this building for part time or temporary villagers.

Miniature dwellings would provide personal space and privacy for families and and long term/full time villagers. At most, these should contain sleeping quarters, intelligent toilets (ex composting), perhaps one or two burners, and limited seating space. These dwellings would be as well insulated as the Central House. Maximum power should be obtained at each dwelling, supplemented where necessary. Long term members would have the option to design their own dwelling, probably in a seniority order. They would have assistance from the village in the construction. The village benefits from this by having more private space, and freeing up rooms/dorms for more and newer members/visitors. These dwellings should be built to have minimal ecological impact, using such concepts as sun-orientation, safe/environmentally friendly insulation, renewable energy, grey-water plumbing/composting, sustainable/recycled materials, simple machines, and low square-footage. Examples include (but are not limited to yurts, treehouses, mini-cabins/houses, geodomes, Spaceship Earth dwellings, or longhouses (for larger families or family groups).

Ownership/stewardship system is not yet clearly established. While ideally the original designers and inhabitants would ideally continue residence in these dwellings and participation in the village, it is recognized that other scenarios arise and contingencies must be provided. But while the designer-inhabitants are there, once the dwelling is approved, they have residential sovereignty over the dwelling. That is to say, the village will not involuntarily move/relocate the inhabitants and that the inhabitants set the rules and norms about that dwelling, except as shall be illegal or contrary to the village values and mission.

Land Trust Non-profit evolutions!

Today I went to my second meeting of a group of people considering forming a land trust non-profit. I think there have been a couple of other meetings, but I only found out about this in September via Chris. It was interesting, because today the meeting contained an entirely different group of people than the last, except for the central organizer and myself. But it seems like we're boiling down to a few ideas:

One, that we're probably moving towards forming a non-profit Land Trust. This could be a parent/umbrella organization whose main purpose is helping people get access/education about land.

Two, that there is clearly a group of people interested in developing some kind of community related to this Land Trust. This could end up as one community or multiples. We will do more brainstorming about shared visions we have in this area.

There is discussion too, about whether we should try to get onto some land right away, renting or whatever, as a way to practice/experiment/learn about community and developing related skills, or whether we should focus on ideals and bonds.

I'm really excited to be working with people, figuring out practically how we're going to do this stuff!

And Tom and I have been talking about ideas too! Now if so much of school didn't feel like a distraction!

Taking Action

As I mentioned before, Julie Graham started a Wiki for my Economic Geography class. I've just made a contribution to the section I'll be studying for the rest of the semester. You can see it here: Diverse Economy activities of Intentional Communities in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York.
Doing the research for that felt really productive. I love how absolutely relevant this class is. But it does make me wonder a bit about why I have such a hard time doing this kind of research and writing on my own. I do love it. I think maybe it has something to do with dreaming hard and feeling like there are possibilities but they're so far away all the time. But not learning about them doesn't bring them any closer. So I'm glad that this class is getting me moving.

I fantasize about living in space I have control over all the time. It's something I'll have to drop off and on as school keeps me on it's schedule, but I'm going to start looking at architecture again. I am going to just listen to Goethe more: Whatever you can dream, begin it; for there is magic and power in it. It's alright to have halting starts and half-finished things... they are all part of the building of dreams, of taking action. And action lets me get somewhere, let's me see and others see that these are no mere pipe dreams or infantile wishes. A better world is possible. Some people are already making it better, and I am learning to be one of them.

Standby for Determination Boost.

I am thinking a lot about myself and who I am really, in terms of being an activist, a social theorist, a radical, a scholar/student, a wage-slave, an unwilling but necessary participator in a society with plastic expectations. I find myself failing to meet expectations, not because they aren't something that can't happen, but because I am more scared than I realize. I loose focus and question myself and feel overwhelmed by all the factors.

Now, before you leap up to defend me, please understand I am not trying to be hard on myself. I recognize that I do that a lot, but right now I am just trying to be honest with myself about where I'm at. It's a process I am going through and it probably has a few more phases. But being defensive by enumerating what I'm doing or how difficult it is doesn't get me anywhere. Believe me, I know it. But if this is ever going to happen, I must continue to grow and expand on what I am doing.

Ultimately, this is a declaration: I will be stronger. That strength will be based on meaningful, significant action.

Diverse Economy

I've been wanting to sit down and write a thorough blog post this week, but I've been a bit distracted with my personal struggles. Now I'm back on track and school and heroes like Jenny are feeding me all sorts of sources for things to write about. Most useful, unsurprisingly, is my Economic Geography class. Julie has collected all kinds of great resources for us to better understand the diverse economy. Additionally, she and Leo (our TA) have created a wiki for our class, so we're basically creating a wiki on diverse economy for us all to work on and share with the world. You can see it here: http://geo360.pbworks.com/

Due to the video she had us watch by Hans Rosling, I'm now super-excited about TED.org

Whoops, worktime.

Economic Epiphanies

I had big realizations reading for Economic Geography last night and while listening to Julie talk in class today. Too drowsy to write about that in detail tonight, but plan to address it soon. Going to make my study topic "Intentional Communities and Alternative Currencies in Western Massachusetts/Vermont" and possibly New York.

Edit: FYI, here's a link to what I've been reading: http://www.communityeconomies.org/index.php. I will be making references to this later tonight when I can devote some good time to writing.

Note to self - thanks to April D.

Self: Look at this more when you have time:

"People are always more than just one thing. I may be a drunk and also a musician or a talented painter. Communities working to get stronger will not buy the deficiency view that any person is only a negative label with nothing to offer. Communi...ty builders are determined to find what else a person is, what he or she has to contribute." - Mike Green, When People Care Enough to Act, p.36

thoughts on time alone

A few minutes to myself. Actually, I spent a lot of time alone today. I felt lonely, which I don't usually. I'm fortunate to have many wonderful, deep friends that I have met across time and space. And it was good to chat online with kittysunlover this afternoon. But it's not the same as sitting around campus visiting or working on homework together. I get some of that with Daniel, but we're rarely both at home studying it seems. I could have gone home today, but I would have had to come back in 3 hours and I didn't feel like spending half that time riding the bus. I guess I want a wider social circle. Sadly, I seem to be pretty pinched for time to invest in that on campus. I feel like I have a sense of being connected to people in the world, but very few of them are actually physically present in my life, and most of those that are only can be in my life here and there for a couple of hours a week. And I wonder about how much to invest really in the undergrad population here. I mean, I guess I might be on this campus another 2-3 years, but there are so many people in so much transition. I spent part of the afternoon sitting in the Stonewall LGBT center. I know this has become really rambly, and I'm not necessarily looking for answers, just taking care of myself a little by getting some of my thoughts out. Today is also the first day that I haven't felt like I'm running around every second figuring out how to do what when and in which order. That's not to say that I'm not busy or don't have a lot to work on, but suddenly I'm feeling like it's a lot more manageable. I think it's partly not being sick at all this week and not working today, but Saturday like I'm supposed to. Also, talking with my geography prof this afternoon made me realize that I'm a lot more capable at that class than I give myself credit for. That's something I thought about last night after almost getting hit by that car, while I was appreciating the fact that I'm alive: I don't give myself enough credit. I do a LOT, and every 3 months or so I guess, I realize that I'm REALLY hard on myself. I am doing well, better than might be expected, taking so many obstacles into account. I'm getting stronger, learning how to do more and meet bigger demands. There's a lot on my plate, it's true, there's a lot I need to decide whether I'm gonna invest in or not, there are problems that I want to turn my creativity towards... and I AM DOING IT.

Metamorphisis.

I have a lot that I've been wanting to write about. Only a little I think tonight, I still have Quantitative Geography to work on.

I am shifting. I remain irrevocably committed to the intentions of this blog, my mission towards a series of village intentional communities. But I have been opening myself up to more possibilities. I realized recently, with some shock, that I have become a bit more conservative than I mean to me... not in terms of ideals or ideology..., but in terms of what I am willing to risk, try, do, give up, sacrifice. I'm not sure where all that started. I think that matters a bit... I could learn a few things by figuring out when that became a bigger trend and not just a minor thing with some things. I have noticed it because this summer, in trying to work toward a community of people with the shared goal of physical actualization of the village, I came to understand that I am too unilateral in this. Before anyone nay-says this, I am not bashing myself. I am looking and seeing where I can improve, how to move forward. And what I see is that there *are* other people in this movement, doing similar things. Even if I do not want to do things just as they do or see things differently, I can learn a great deal, and I can become part of the network of intentional communalists. These realizations also led me to a desire to be broader in my academic scope. Buddhism teaches me that I don't have to limit myself. I am beginning to observe and live that teaching instead of just listening to it. So suddenly I am not just shifting how I think about the Sunflower Village Initiative, I am redefining what I think is possible for my life. This past week, I've frequently felt overwhelmed... I realized that I'm having a bit of an identity crisis. It's a ultimately a good thing, it's self induced, and I'm glad I'm having it. That doesn't keep it from being kind of stressful and chaotic and me wanting lots of space, particularly for writing. Last week I really didn't feel like I had timespace for writing. I think I'm going to have more of it this week. Suddenly I am incorporating all my desires and dreams, looking again to see how they work together, support each other, fuse together into this phenomena called my life.

I am very grateful to my friends right now. I appreciate your unwavering support and unconditional love. Thank you.

p.s. It's *actually* fall in New England now, and it's gorgeous

Landlessness and wage-bonds

Long week... already, catching up from being sick
not just from school, but that, yes, always that, doing what I can, and communicating like crazy, to profs, TAs, SGI people.
Still not caught up with myself. Got to do some dishes after finishing homework tonight, and yeah, I said *got* to and meant it. Thank goodness Daniel did the laundry. We're both running hard and doing all we can, and our lives are becoming ever more gargantuan.

Lots of things I want to write about - my connect/disconnect to Marx, marxism, labor. My passion for Upton Sinclair. Thinking about economy and organization of labor. Reconsidering my approaches.

There are two bandages that hold us in thrall, physically in this society.

(I know there are others, many others, in spiritual, intellectual, other areas, I know, know too that they are all interconnected, but I have a PoinT here... that is to say, there are two bondages)

There are two bondages: Being, still, after milennia, the landless peasantry, the land ripped away from us (ill-ly)legally....( we, the working class, the producers, the makers of vitals or the chain of people who get them from the makers to You, consumer.) In short: we rent, we do not own our castles, our abodes where we may at last have our Say. I rent, so I do not define my own space, except on the surface, my trappings, my coverings, things I bring every place I live to remind-pretend that this is not someone else's. I doubt again that I will grow corn next spring or summer, and who knows if/when ever I'll get that cat door. Because it is not something I really have a say over. So, the bondage that I rent, that I am landless, like every lowest class. And there abounds the myth that there is not class in *America. So, the idea, the revolutionistic desire that once again, we should have an abode, for us, not for the profit of another, but a place to finally hang our hat at the end of the day and not worry whether the second bondage threatens us in the security of our sleep.

The second bondage: to work filling the pockets of others to bursting, and not being able to tell whether we fill ours just enough to eat, to sedate ourselves a little into acceptance, or whether we are actually benefiting from the arrangement, making progress towards freedom from the first bondage or following dreams or saving the world or merely having a fulfilling occupation. Yes, that second bondage is, (and I *will* be so bold as to thank Marx for this line) the slavery of wage.... that endless work that we too often cannot tell what happens to, who it benefits, if it is what we are told it is. Is this the best we have to offer? Too many inconsistencies, and always this cycle of how much do we risk to speak up to appease our angry sense of justice , how much do we live with in order that we may attempt to someway, somehow, accomplish our nobler ends? The means ARE connected, invariably to the ends. There must be better means, or our ends are sure to haunt us as tainted. To which solution, then do I dare?

I don't know yet... again, more research, more dialogue, more experimentation and self-delving.

Again, and more. A few snippets of new connections, fresh determination, I leave here tonight. There is certainly more whirling around, but tomorrow has, again, many demands.

Take 2

What is Economy?

It seems strange to me that people are so constantly referring to “the economy” as being bad. Obviously the flow of money has become much tighter, especially in the past year… and people are worried about the future of their jobs and education, the country and the world. What strikes me as so odd is that saying “the economy’s bad” suggests that this is a temporary state. But I feel like we have had a bad economy for a long time… the entire premise of our economy is bad… the attitude we have towards land and resources, the lifestyle of consumption in the United States, the way people accept authoritarian definitions, the way we allow external entities to organize our labour, our access, and our individuality. That is not good economy to me. A good economy would have more respect for the earth, allow more people more opportunities, and be more globally responsible, for starters.

In the broadest sense, economy is the sum of human activity: it is how we get things done. Often economy is used as referring to trade, cash, capitalist economy, or even capitalist globalization. However, it also includes cottage industries, barter, gift economies, volunteer work and service, the work of clubs and religious groups, intentional communities, collectives, co-ops, and Community Supported Agriculture, and the, basic, ancient unit of family work. Excluding these aspects of economy restricts the understanding people have about what economy is and what control they have over it, including how to organize it.

Tubing it up

I jotted this down last week for my first assignment in Economic Geography. We have to make a YouTube video about how we define economy. When it's up on YouTube, I'll make note of that here. In the meantime, here's a script:

What is Economy? In the broadest sense, economy is the sum of human activity: it is how we get things done. Often economy is used as referring to trade, cash, capitalist economy, or even capitalist globalization. However, it also includes cottage industries, barter, gift economies, volunteer work and service, the work of clubs and religious groups, intentional communities, and that basic and ancient unit of family work.

Now let's see how long it takes me to actually speak that and if I can keep myself from saying "um" and "and" too much.

I really, really want to make a post. But I am tired and today was such a crazy day. Of course, much of it is village-relevant, and I am in no position to write coherently about it...

The Dream Gets Closer

Yesterday went to a meeting of "the Valley Community Land Collective". This baby is in it's inception. There was a lot of thoughtful dialogue, and it was exciting to be around 7 or 8 people with similar interests. A representative from a Land Trust in Franklin County was there, and she fielded a lot of questions about the logistics of how a land trust actually operates. The conclusion of the meeting was that we need to continue getting to know each other and what our goals are, finding the intersections there. I have a lot of appreciation for Matt, who's been working hard to get people together around this, and for Chris M, who sent me the info about the meeting in the first place. The dream gets closer.

P.S. This meeting was a block and a half from my house, and pretty much all the people live in Northampton...

I also ran into Sara P. earlier in the day. I keep thinking about her but not calling her, so this was a gift. I have so much admiration for her, and wish to learn from her.

At my workplace today.

People are protesting John Mackey's op ed piece on healthcare. There's regional people and cops everywhere, and customers bashing or ignoring protesters and I'm trying to watch my mouth and it all makes me nauseous and all I can think of is how little the US has progressed in terms of labor, and Upton Sinclair and Howard Zinn and what freedom of speech really means.

Demeter's Salon

Awake at 3:45 because my thoughts refuse to kick around my head any longer. They have waken me in their demand for release, not wholly formed and about to become a mess of tangents and potentialities. So a free-write ramble begins. I was talking with Tom off and on throughout work yesterday, little mini exchanges of ideas and inspirations and hopes and desires for food and barter and conversation and camaraderie and the old combinations of things that make genuinely inspired life. One of the things that stuck with me was that I was telling Tom about how I've been thinking lately about how I want to do something wider... not just getting together people to talk about the village.... but cool people who do are doing all sorts of stuff getting together and exchanging ideas and knowledge and inspiration, etc. He told me to look up "salon". I told him I knew what it meant, and that is pretty close. I admit that I was a little snarky. But I kept thinking about it. Voltaire and the "Enlightenment", and Lady-0h what's her name... gonna look it up when this ramble is done. Woke up thinking about what the spirit of such a gathering might be in this age. And I thought of Demeter. I connect with the associations ascribed to this ancient goddess: the waiting of winter, the longing for ones distant, the creative joy and verdant growth she releases in spring, the associations with harvest and grain and plenty. So I thought of Demeter as a symbolic centerpiece of a salon. Who would she draw? Farmers, craftspeople are the immediate leaps, and vital ones to any significant gathering associated with earth. But the "traditional" author of the salon, the rebels and world-shifters must be there too.... the international peace makers and feminists and the radical professors. I don't know if this is just a gathering in my head or if this is something that could take place. At any rate, I think it expresses a desire I have, something I want to learn how to do and I'm not quite sure of: foster the organic development of a social community of people with various visions and fields who strongly desire to change the world. Create a supportive atmosphere where people connect their visions together in a way that is strong enough for them to take meaningful action to begin making it a reality. On Sunday I was watching video footage of Dr. Ikeda, and he quoted John Lennon: "a dream you dream alone is only a dream, but a dream you dream together is reality", or something like that. Can someone give me the exact line? Anyway, that hit home quite a bit.... right now sometimes I feel like I am dreaming alone, despite that there *are* people who have similar dreams. So how do I make the leap from dreaming alone to dreaming together in a way that we change the reality?

The beginning of the school year stirs up things for me. I have been thinking more again about some of the terminology I learned last school year that helps me clarify just what it is I am striving to work for. I keep coming back to "structural violence" as the central theme of what I so strongly desire to overcome. Structural violence is what we live with every day that makes so many people throughout the world feel chained.... it has nothing to do with living in the United States or not. This has to do with living in a world which is increasingly regulated, over-populated, defined, and economically stratified. This has to do with all the thousand excuses that are used to lock people into place and tie them into invented dependencies on corporations and government and powerful people far away. The only way to fight such things is for people to decide to do something else, and then use their inherent freedom... the sort Socrates and Thoreau and MLK and Josei Toda expressed while imprisioned. The attitude that what we do is not dependent on what external forces do to us, but the destiny we create for ourselves.

I need to study harder. This is a karmic regret of mine that feels more apparent at the beginning of fall, but is always there a little. If I care so much, I cannot wait for what I learn in classrooms and the few things my teachers are able to assign there. I must constantly seek from those who have the spirit of changing society. Time to get close to MLK, Gandhi, Daisaku Ikeda. Time to get acquainted with Audre Lord and Wendell Berry. Time to look at Da Vinci again, and Helen Keller. Time to finally get cozy with Thomas Jefferson. I'm sure I will start and get distracted by school or whatever as I go, but that is alright, I keep coming back to the same themes and role models.

If you are reading this, you are probably already in the salon that lives in my head. Thank you for attending.

Fall Semester

I'm starting classes on Tuesday. This fall I'm taking Quantitative Methods in Geography, Portuguese I, Visual Anthropology, and Economic Geography. I've been wanting to take Economic Geography ever since I found about it and the professor, Julie Graham. Economic Geography studies how economic systems work and impact people in different geographic locations. It also examines capitalism, class, local and alternative economies. The language used to describe these things resonates with me strongly, and I believe it will help me describe my ideals as I work for sustainable and subsidiaristic community. I'm also very excited about taking Portuguese. So much is linked to Brazil and the Amazon, including indigenous rights, sustainability, and the divide between the economic "north" and "south". For me, there are also religious links, since the Soka Gakkai International has been greatly strengthened by the response of the people of Brazil to Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, the President of the Soka Gakkai International. In fact, very recently, Dr. Ikeda was presented with a doctorate by Rohdonia University of Brazil in recognition of his scholastic and active contributions to world peace. I am also looking forward to expanding my understanding of Anthropology, as it has already begun to prove its relevance to my goals.

Of Candles and Tea

I made candles Thursday night. It's been about four years since I did that, so my technique needs a little practice. I recycled leftover wax I'd collected from candles I've had over the past year or so. I had a little red wax and some citronella, so I have six rosy pink candles that have a citronella smell! When wax cools, it contracts, and little wells form in the base of the candle. You're supposed to pour more in, but I made a mess and just barely had enough to initially fill the molds. They look fine though, and I learned some things for next time. I only want to used recycled wax to make my candles, so I'm thinking about advertising for wax wanted on craigslist. Anyway, that was a fulfilling activity!

The other day I got to visit Pages, a new independent coffee bar and bookshop in Conway, MA. Conway is to the north of Amherst, around Greenfield I think. Anyway, Conway is also home to a horse-plowed farm, which I think I may have mentioned that I visited with my Vegetable Production class last semester. I'm starting to have good associations. I'm acquainted with the owner of Pages, and I'm impressed with what she's started. Not only does she carry used books, she incorporates as much local food/coffee/tea product as she can... local made, fresh, non-frozen pastries that are *heavenly*

Tried to buy Orion at work the other day, but couldn't find it. I guess I'll try (ugh) Barnes and Noble.

Tuesday Market

I went to the Tuesday Farmer's Market today. I don't go every Tuesday, but I've been a fair bit this summer. It's one thing to see what's considered "seasonal" at a grocery store like the one where I work and another to see what's *locally* in season. There is some cross-over, but I have noticed through the course of the summer that the "season" for most things is stretched out quite a bit at the store by shipping things in, like blueberries from Mexico six or seven weeks before the first ones are available here. But the things at the market are beautiful, at least if not more beautiful and diverse than the products at the store. Today I found something at the market which I have never seen anywhere else: fresh, locally grown GINGER, the root still attached to the stem and leaves. Even the leaves smell spicy and exotically like the root. I misread the sign initially, and I thought they were $12 each. Turns out they were $12 per pound. I bought two small stemmed ones, and they were only $2.25. Really that isn't much more than what I usually spend for ginger. But these roots are lovely and white, still moist from the ground, and with the top layer of the ginger tinged mauve before it starts branching and leafing. The farmer I bought it from noted that the leaves aren't much good for eating, since they're so fibrous. But he also told me that they make great tea and soup. There was a lot of other great variety. I found little purple onions that looked like shallots at 10 for a dollar. That was a good deal. And a stand was selling nothing but mushrooms: shitaakes and chantarelles for only $4/pint. But I forgot to go back and get them, I was so distracted by the ginger! I hope they are there next week. There was a lot more that I would have liked to stock up with. But I have a confession to make: we haven't been fully appreciative of the produce we have had lately, and too much went to the compost bin without becoming part of a meal. So today I was careful.

I keep re-realizing is that I'm not much of an in-season cook, and I'm also not skilled at food preservation. A lot of things I only know how to use one or two ways. Take zucchini for example. I know zucchini bread can be awesome. I've never made any myself, but my mom always made some in the summer, and I've had some from other people that is generally good. And I know it can be good in pasta sauce, so a couple of weeks ago I grated some up and used it to thicken my home-made chunky sauce. Last week Ann brought in a gigantic zucchini from the garden, and I still have one from the Farmer's Market. I know only so much can go into pasta sauces, and I can only envision making 2 or 3 loaves of zucchini bread. So I guess it's time to get into some research about what to do with the rest.

One other note: at the laundromat today, I picked up Green Living. It's been a long time since I really looked at it, or any other of the many publications now in existence with such similar values and goals to what I'm working toward. It was refreshing, got my imagination and inspiration going a bit more... made me want to compile things and take notes and write responses. So I need to keep in mind how important it is to keep that kind of input coming. Been thinking about purchasing Orion for awhile now, since Kara seems to like it, so I think I'll do that at work this week.

Thanks for reading!

What am I willing to do?

This is something I heard today, and I felt connected to it as a tool for self-reflection in where I'm at in terms of developing the village. I am not satisfied with what my answers appear to be thus far. It appears that what I'm willing to do consists of working at Whole Foods, going to school, writing in this blog, and something like making bread sometimes. I want to be a lot more committed and sincere about this, and I want to find a way to show that with deep dedication. What I'm doing so far isn't *bad*, but it's only a start.

Arrogance and shift

I am challenging my own arrogance. I am not going to describe the process much here, but I wanted to note it. I think that my desire to do so is going to herald a new chapter in the development of the village. This is because changing my arrogance into true confidence will make me more mutlilateral, more open to different ideas and methods and existing examples.

Woke up this morning thinking that I want to be writing a little less about theory right now and doing more toward outlining practical work. For example, if I were offered a small grant of $5000 to spend on developing the village, what would I do with it? This sort of thinking is vital for me to develop, since I think that eventually grants of some kind will be valuable in getting started and established.

Topics

Since I've been having trouble just sitting down and writing, I made a list of things to write about. As soon as I did that, I was more able to see that I have a lot to write about. Going to write the list here in the short amount of time I have at the moment:

-Giving and Recieving
- The Relevance of Spiritual Development
-Religion and Respect in a village setting
-The Grand Scale/International Level
-Fiction and Inspiration
-Family and Social Structure
-Expectations of Accomplishment
-Shifting Ideals into Reality
-Planning a Collective Future

The State Street Peeps

In order for this blog to be an effective tool, I also need to be taking action outside it. That will happen soon, in a very structured way, due to school. In the meantime, and hopefully even as that gets going again, I want to make sure I am taking the kind of action each day that gives me something meaningful to write about here. It's not that I'm doing nothing, but a lot of what I have been doing lately is related to either my personal relationships or my Buddhist activities. That is good stuff, but that isn't what this blog is about. Of course it's all interconnected, but I'm working on a specific thing here.

One thing I guess that has been developing gradually worth mentioning is the community of the house I live in. I thought maybe I'd posted this already, but I skimmed through previous posts and didn't see anything. There are 4 apartments in the house, and everyone who lives here is really cool. Everyone seems to be interested in food and the outdoors and being cool neighbors. There is also a general consensus that bikes are at least as respect worthy as cars, if not more so. There have been some potlucks for just hanging out... we hosted one, the girl next to us hosted one, and the people on the second floor have had several. We are musicians and students and grocery store workers and gardeners and philosophers and talkers and doers. In the foyer as you come inside, there is a community monthly calender and it has all sorts of awesome events and notes and drawings. Sammy watched our cat while we were gone, and now we're watching hers while she's gone. We bump into eachother in the driveway or stairwell or sidewalk or garden/backyard and talk about food or religion or work or society or whatever. It's not all the time, and it's not in your face. It's relaxed and develops when someone wants to do something or communicates. I'm so glad I live here, because it has a little of the feel that I'd like the village to have. Unlike most places I've lived since moving out of my parent's house, *all* my neighbors are friendly and interactive and utterly unbitchy. The last place I lived I think had the willingness, to an extent, but people ended up keeping to themselves for the most part, even though we always talked about more. Here, we knock on each others doors, and we do stuff, we don't just talk about it. I'm delighted to live in a place with a real garden (even if I didn't make it), and one step closer to that village vibe.

writersblockwritersblockwritersblockwritersblockwritersblock. I don't know what to write, I don't know what to write. This post might be roundabout, since I'm not feeling connected to what I wrote about yesterday. Today was draining, but I am determined to write here anyway.

Disharmony?

So I haven't written today. I was gone from my house from 9:30am 'til 10pm. But I can't let this be an excuse. School is coming up and there will be plenty of days where I have a lot going on. But there are breaks at work that I can take advantage of, and bus rides, etc. Of course I will have homework, etc. But I must write here every day, for habit of writing about the village, for accumulating thoughts to clarify. Anyway, how about something actually about the village?

One of the things that's popped up in my mind lately a bit is how to cope with difficult situations in the village. Ideally, people would be mature about their interactions with each other, but I know that in reality this doesn't always happen. My friend Kevin once spoke to me about using talking circles. I don't remember exactly what it was called. I'll have to ask him again. But the basic idea is providing a space where all the members of a community can speak and hear each other's perspectives without interruption or demands on time. I'm not sure how well that would work for every day, one on one interactions. But it certainly would help in situations where it affects the whole community strongly and the community feels divided. And what do we do about people who don't contribute fairly, who seek to take advantage of others in various ways, or who seem to constantly cause disharmony? In the past I've simply said that the community as a whole will not put up with such behavior for long, and perhaps might ask someone to leave, or that such a person would realize that the village might not be a setting that works for them. Now I feel that such an attitude is a bit naive. As much as I wish it were otherwise in my idealism, I want to be prepared for such possibilities. So I have a lot more to consider about that, and hope to see solutions evolve here futher.

Determination is absolutely vital for anyone trying to create a change in their environment. It is the most vital element of accomplishing anything. The trick is to maintain, strengthen and develop that determination so that it always grows. This is what I am working on, not just for the village, but my whole life. One of the ways I am doing this is taking more action to demonstrate to myself that I am developing the village each day as I develop myself. So I am learning to be a stronger person, toughening up so that I don't give up or get wishy-washy at the first sign of trouble. I must create the village, and it begins with me.

Sirius Part Two

So I left off with the gigantic rosemary bush. After leaving the greenhouse area, we peeked into the kitchen. It was industrial sized and awesome. It had a whole bunch of pots hanging just like I tend to visualize, with huge ovens and stoves and ranges....in short, a modern version of a village/manor scale village. I'd love to cook in a kitchen like that! Anyway, we ventured outside as well. There was a stone bread oven out there! It was obviously homemade, with glass shards and colorful pebbles decorating it. There was a bit of a lawn and some eating space, neither of which cut back the trees too far. Perfect size in my opinion.

Inside, we went into the wings. Because they are private apartments, we didn't get to see inside any room spaces. But we got to see how it was set up. It kind of made me think of a hobbit hole or something. Which is funny considering the descriptions on Kara's blog about Hobbiton. Anyway, the construction inside was wood and cozy, with nooks here and there and some built-in bookshelves. The bathrooms are constructed pretty much just how I think a bathroom should be... toilets separated from the sinks and eachother by ceiling to floor doors and multiple toilets in each bathroom... and the toilets were composting! ;)

Eventually we took off our shoes, passed through a solid, thick wood door with a little window on it and went upstairs. This is the place where the community gathers to perform, be entertained, dance, and sometimes share various forms of spirituality. They also rent it out to other groups. I don't remember much of the explanation at the moment, but my host explained the architecture... it is octagonal, with large beams coming around a center.... basically the roof structure has a lot in common with a yurt, except made permanent. The major beams are left visible. The floor work is even more amazing.... inlaid darker wood than the main light wood forms a star in the center with rays coming out... it's hard to describe adequately, but it's pretty cool. Especially when you consider that this was done by just a group of people trying to make something for their own sake and benefit... granted, one of them at least is a carpenter.

That was most of it.... I wished we'd had time to go on the guided tour and learn more about the social setup. I look forward to going back. I was delighted and impressed with what I experienced, and I'd like to learn more, and perhaps get involved eventually.

Sirius Part One

I'm back from Florida now, and determined to continue my resolution to write in the blog every day, even if it's late at night. I appreciate Kara asking about Sirius. It's good to have a reminder, because I almost forgot to write about that, and now I don't have to come up with something else to write tonight. :P

I actually didn't get to explore Sirius very thoroughly, especially on the social aspect. It is further outside Amherst than I thought it would be... not sure by how much, but we went through forested, windy roads to get there. There is actually another, smaller community on the way. I don't remember the name, but it looked like it probably wasn't bigger than 10 people, although I suppose it could feasibly house 15. It was like one big house. We stopped briefly to look at it. You can see little bits of Sirius through the trees before you really arrive at it. The person who brought me told me a little about building the road and how the space used to be. He showed me the one conventional farmhouse that was the original dwelling, along with the garage that was converted into a yoga/meditation space. There was also a large shed that apparently serves as multiple types of workshops, including glassblowing I think... Obviously I ought to have written this sooner as memory of details is getting a little fuzzy. We spent most of the time wandering around the current main building. It's very cool. The central part is a huge octagon, two stories, with long wings on either side. It's built of wood, mostly untreated on the outside. Despite the greying wood, the place is thoughtfully and precisely built. The steps up to the main entrance are lovely, the upper half of them being large slabs of stone. Just outside, there is a pretty inlay, although I can't think of what. Just inside the door, there is another, this one of a dove and a globe, made from stone. It's very beautiful and gives a sense of the whole place's interest in peace. To the left from there is the office, with a thick wooden door that pleases my sensibilities, and a piece of paper on it with appreciations from people who visited at some point. To the right is another door, I can't remember to where. We were greeted here by....(drat, I'll have to look up the name) an upper-middle aged man who has the appearance of someone who has worked hard. He has a quiet dignity. The person who brought me knew him, as my host had once worked closely with Sirius and sometimes still does. I was introduced and informed there would be a tour the next hour of the community. I was excited at this prospect, by my host told me there might not be enough time, as he did have another appointment. Beyond here was a large dining area. We edged around it. There was a bit of a potluck going on. It was lively and happy, talkative but not too noisy. The tables were made from wood, some of them especially nice. On the opposite side of the octagon from the main entrance was a door out to an attached greenhouse. It was two parts, a walkway hugging the building with some chairs and table by them, and the lower part with plants. They were very high raised beds, built into the structure, with walkways making everything accessible. There were lots of basil plants, which was lovely, and a bunch of herbs, plus the most gigantic, extensive rosemary bush I could have imagined. I can't ever keep a rosemary bush alive, let alone keep it that big!

I'd better save some of this for tomorrow and get to bed. Thanks for reading!

I've been thinking a little about how an egalitarian society needs to function. Two of the greatest failings of past communities that I've studied so far were 1) maintaining leadership as the role of a single person indefinitely, and 2) obtaining land prematurely and not on premises in line with the ideals of the community. Ergo, I have a strong desire to do things differently. While it is important that I be willing to do everything necessary to the development of the village myself, I must maintain my desire to have people strive *with* me, and not inherently below me. I am aware that there are always those who lead and those who are either not ready to lead or are content not to. The important thing is that I remember that as human beings we are fundamentally equal. I must be willing to accept that other people may have ideas just as good or better than mine, and I must strive to make the Initiative's leadership multilateral. I also must remember to respect the different stages of interest, commitment, and practical action that people and their lives are at. One of the ways I am going to do this now is to allow people the space to stand up, without badgering. I have been learning a lot about this from Buddhism over the course of the past two years. I have a lot more to learn about leadership I know. I am grateful for the opportunities I have with the SGI that are teaching me so much that will prove useful in the future as I develop this dream into reality.

As for land, while it is an exciting and desireable aspect of a community/village which strives for self-sufficiency, the land itself is not the core or glue of a village. Unfortunately, many people have not initially realized this. A telling sign of this tendency is that so many people like to immediately ask where the village will be. Right now, as cheesy as it sounds, the village is in my heart. When others begin to share that vision and desire with me, it will begin to live in our hearts. When there is a core of people unified around the village vision, then we begin to make it a reality, by working on it and planning it together. And finally, when we have developed unity and a strong sense of community, the village will find land in a place which is most appropriate. There have been various proposals of "finding a rich friend" or getting someone to donate the land. This attitude is dangerous. As is demonstrated by the early history of the Twin Oaks community, one person who is part of owning a community can lead that person to believe he (or she) has special priviledges, especially in saying how the community is run. So although I or someone else may own property on which villagers initially live, either eventually that property should be sold in the pursuit of other land, or there should be some kind of transfer of the property to ownership by the village as a whole.

I could, perhaps elaborate on that further. But it will have to wait another day. I will be away for about 4 days, so there may not be any posts until next week. But I am intent on continuing to build a rhythm of writing daily about the village, apart from this time span.

Realizatons

I need to write here absolutely every day. One of the things that I had to hit myself with over the head with tonight is that I *am* building the village, and while there certainly is a lot more I can be doing (and am starting right now, dammit), the important thing is that I have taken Goethe's advice: "whatever you can dream, begin it...." So I HAVE begun. What I need to do now is get so serious about continuing from my beginnings that the effort shows up concretely. So I am re-determined to write in this blog like I am redetermining to be physically active.... every single day.

On Saturday I went to NOFA at Umass. Although I only went to the information fair, I was determined to go. What is NOFA? It's the Northeast Organic Farming Association. They were holding a conference at UMass, and although I'm unable to afford spending money on participating in the conference, I found the information fair highly useful and inspiring. I came away with a bag full of brochures, business cards, and magazines. Afterward, I had a good long conversation with my friend about some of my ideas around the village.... some good realizations have come out of that conversation. One is that I really do have a lot of ideas getting well developed, and I need to dedicate more time to writing them down. Another is that I think I need to write a book. And a third is that I want to stop begging people to join me. The ideas can speak for themselves, and when I grow my life and develop sufficiently and show concrete proof that those ideas are beginning to be enacted by me, people will begging me to let them in. A few other realizations have come along with that, but I'm not sure if I can verbalize them quite yet. So I'll save some of them for tomorrow.

Thanks for reading!

Check-in

I haven't written here in much too long. Be assured that I have been accumulating material and taking "real" action. I have been developing relationships with people who are interested in community-building and living differently. Tomorrow I am going to Sirius with one of these new friends. At last, when someone inquires whether I've been to that community, I will be able to say yes, and have perspectives from my own experiences there, rather than hearsay. This will be the first intentional community that I have visited, other than a visit to a friend at a shared-house co-op. On Monday, I hope to share some of my findings here, as well as my thoughts on the book Visions, given to me by the same friend I am visiting Sirius with.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer, full of growth, good food, and new opportunities.

Response to Mark

This post is from an email conversation from my friend Mark commenting on the blog. It provoked some good thoughts and clarifications, so I thought I'd share here.

I have not yet had the opportunity to visit a kibbutz, but I think the experience would be interesting as a way to clarify my current ideas and see something in practice similar to what I'm looking to create. I think one of the most fundamental differences is that the village will not be based on a particular faith, making it more conducive to people of all (or no) faiths. Also, from what I understand about kibbutz-es is that they vary greatly. Some are very strict while others are more relaxed. I think that any detailed comparison would have to be on the basis of a specific kibbutz. I think I would be more impressed with the kibbutz concept in general if it became a basis for healing the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

I think that Eco-Tourists are a complex issue, arising from the fact that such travelers still seem to be rooted in capitalism, despite good intentions ecologically. So my feeling is that most Eco-Tourists would probably expect money to exempt them from at least some work, so I think I prefer the "you work and we'll feed and shelter you" stance in general, at least for short term guests. Perhaps if there were longer term guests, say more than 2 weeks, maybe money would be more an issue and they could pay to learn even more skills or something.

I think it is vital for people to have space to be alone. In the blog recently, I was writing about satellite housing. Perhaps I didn't elaborate on that part enough, but if people can have a common house for cooking, etc, most people could have their own "mini" house for sleeping and privacy... kind of a bedroom-house. I know that it drives most people, including me, to be around lots of people all the time... even a couple of people can be too much if it's non-stop. Also, people will be working outside a lot, so there will be some space provided that way too.

I'm very interested in all forms of alternative energy. Ideally, I would like for the village to either be off-grid or producing enough power to sell it back to national energy sources. In fact, that would make a good source of revenue for the village. I have heard a bit about systems which integrate multiple types of alternative energy, several of which can feed into each other, creating more reliable energy sourcing. I don't know a lot about cow manure power, and really I I've heard more practical-sounding things about chickens. But either produces Methane gas, which certainly can be used as an alternative power source. I'd be interested in the name of that VT dairy farm. Perhaps when I get a car I could visit it. Generators are definitely something I will look into. This rest-area sounds awesome.... a couple of years ago when I was doing some research online I found an article about how in Sweden they were planting willows to do a similar thing to process liquid and solid waste. Apparently willows do particilarly well with that sort of thing, and could be utilized in turn for firewood and other uses.

Village Self-Sufficiency

I want to write on the various areas in which the village should have self-reliance, as well as which are of higher priority, which are of lower priority, and which may overlap. Right now this post is primarily a reminder to me to write on this, since I almost forgot earlier.

Thanks for reading and your feedback!

Satellite Housing part 2

I want to detail what I've dubbed "satellite housing" and the reasons for it. Satellite housing means that there is a central house/building which houses most of the useful indoor space for the village, and small personal dwellings for sleeping and privacy. This situation allows for a lower investment per capita of appliances, plumbing, heating, developed permanent space building supplies, and resource pressures than conventional housing. It also brings people into frequent contact and ensures that people are not isolated.

This situation allows for a lower investment per capita of appliances, plumbing, heating, developed permanent space, building supplies, and resource pressures than conventional housing. It also brings people into frequent contact and ensures that people are not isolated. It also allowes for individual expression and practice of a variety of alternative architecture.

The "main" house must include a kitchen and dining space large enough to support the community, and for self-sufficiency purposes. It ought to have a drying room (for herbs, vegetables, etc), space for canning, a cellar for food storage, at least one large freezer, bread making space, plenty of room for chopping, sufficient stove space, perhaps 8-12 burners.

There will be a library composed of books collected by villagers. Ideally most books will be shared, but it is understandable if a few books are kept personal. The library should be a place where a variety of academic activity occurs. Computers could be located nearby- close enough for practicality, but far enough or closed off enough so that sound could be utilized without being distracting - perhaps a room for computers and another space for films. Actually, it might be more efficient to have a theatre space in the dining hall - perhaps have comfier chairs to bring in for that.

Besides the kitchen, really one of the most important aspects of the main house will be the dorms. Dorms will provide housing for villagers who don't want to hor have not yet constructed their own dwellings, new members, part time members, guests, and visitors. Everyone in the village is expected to work. Kathy was asking if there were any member requirements. I told her that it wouldn't be based on income or religion or anything like that. A willingness to work is all that's required. That being said, this will not be a tourist or vacation spot. Anyone who comes, whether potential member or guest or visitor will be asked to work or leave. No paying guests. Even the elderly or infirm have something to contribute, according to their ability. Dorms will be very simple: bed, nightstand, closet/bureau, that kind of thing. Probably multiple occupancy for visitors and guests, and then depending on room and other factors, members and part-time members may be able to have their own dorm.

Donna and Kathy wanted to know about internal governance. I told them that while I have on a few ideas about ways that could work, based on the research I have done thus far, I am reluctant to dictate such a thing, because any form of governance works best when the people choose it themselves. They are more likely to abide by what they've chosen and up hold it with others. I shall also not be surprised if it varies with time. My own feeling is that some form of council works best, if those people are held accountable and are still required to do significant amounts of other work, including continued involvement in food growth and preparation.

At any rate, governance should not decide everything. Those who are particularly knowledgeable in a field, especially those vital to the haleness/wellbeing ove the village must be given the ability to carry out their work effectively, so long as it abides by the central principles of the village. The "governance" and "work-leaders" (ie knowledgeable people in various production areas utilized in the village) should collaborate to asses the needs and priorities of the viillage and appropriately divide labor, energy, and resources. Perhaps a delegation of governance and work leaders could report to "task coordinators". These coordinators givern information from governance and work leaders, could come up with the labor/resources plan on a daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally, and annual basis. Every night, the coordinators could post a labor-needs list for the next day. The list could be divided into daily, primary, and secondary tasks, and people could sign up for them on a first - come, first - serve basis. Of course some jobs, such as milking goats, are better done by the same individual every day. That individual would simply be automatically listed next to the task as one of theirs for the day.

Satellite Housing

Today I had the pleasure of discussing ideas about the village with Kathy and Donna. They both asked some wonderful questions and shared some of their thoughts and experiences. I hope to recapture some of the clarity that I gained from that conversation here and further explicate the vision.

I was asked if I could boil it down to a couple of things. I was surprised to discover that almost everything else seems to come from subsidiarity and inter-reliance, along with self-sufficiency. The other principles I wrote about further show how those things function.

I also realized that I haven't written here about "satellite housing". Basically, the idea is to have a central building containing a large kitchen, workspace, a library, etc. It's a waste to have a full kitchen for everyone, excess of so many things that aren't used all the time, or that are, but would be much more efficient if people concentrated the effort. And having things in a shared space keeps people closer. There could also be dorms in the central building for people who can't be at the village full-time or for guests.

However, I also realize that people need some private space. So people could have very small dwellings throughout the area... and I mean small.

I have been informed by Shad that I'm not terribly coherent at the moment. Therefore I shall continue about satellite housing later.

Principles

After the preceding post, I went back and worked through some definitions of things I'd said I'd write about awhile ago. It seems like a long list maybe, but these things linked together and my explanations say a lot about just what it is I'm trying to do. Obviously these aren't generally things I have come up with myself, but describe what I feel and value just as authentically as if I had. I am so grateful for those who explicated this vocabulary and gave it meaning to me.

Principles:
Self and Inter Reliance - Self reliance suggests that people have a number of traits which propel them towards greater achievement. Dependency suggests that a person cannot take initiative or be motivated unless they are pushed by another person. While both conditions occur, neither is really healthy, and it seems to me that most people blend a combination of these two, primarily centered on a third type of reliance, which I term inter-reliance. Inter-reliance is when people encourage, inspire, and help each other, sometimes physically and materially, to create value together that benefits both.

Solidarity - Solidarity is the idea that if someone else is experiencing social or other structural injustice, I stand by that person and work with them to change that situation.

Subsidiarity - anything that can be worked out at the most pertinent local level should be, before resorting to another level. For example, a school should have its own dialogue on curriculum and grades before having them instituted for them by the school district, or even worse, the federal government. Another way of saying subsidiarity is the "bottom-up" approach to leadership, rather than "top-down", which is the most common approach. I, and an increasing number of people, argue that subsidiarity is much more effective (and probably efficient) than top-down. This is related to the fact that the people most proximate to a situation probably have the best understanding of how to solve that situation, as well as a reduced need for bureaucracy and excessive travel to work out arrangements from a "higher" level.

Sustainability - many people have defined this terms so differently that I almost hate to use it. Its current popular use can be misguiding for a number of reasons. For me, Sustainability is still an adjective more than a noun that describes living in such a way that sustains the future of life. This is not just about the viability of the planet to support human life, although that is an important aspect. It is about being responsible for the way we do things so that the most life is able to survive, whether we think it currently profitable or not. This does not mean that we have to let pests eat all our crops or insist on the utter abolition of antibiotics or that we can't cut down a tree to heat us in winter, but considering whether the things we do and how we do them are going to promote life or limit it. I do not see sustainability compatible with a number of words with which it is commonly paired, including corporation, and capitalism.

Symbiosis - life forms cooperating with each other to create a stronger existence for both.

Synergy - two things working together for greater effect, perhaps also one thing having more than one function.

Self-determination - the capacity of a person, community, or other group of people to decided its own future based on its own values

Egalitarianism - the idea that all people should be presented with equal opportunity and rights

Justice - the pursuit of righting wrongs in human society by pointing them out and correcting them.

Dialogue - discussion between two or more people to create better understandings, relationships, and solve disputes, among other things

Seven Generations - the consideration of the effects our actions on the seven generations to come, as well as an understanding and appreciation of the efforts of those from the past seven generations.

Transparency - existing in such a way that those within and outside an organization, business, or other operation are able to see and understand what is happening and why, and that those carrying out an operation are accountable for their actions and the associated consequences.

Struggle to Allow the Vision

As summer begins here, the semester has ended for me, and with it a distracting dose of contentment. So much seems abundant right now - time, food, lack of deadlines, the warm air and everywhere green leaves, that I have been struggling to keep firmly in front of myself how much more I want to be and do, how much differently I want to live over all. And then I feel like there is so much to do that I have been a little overwhelmed.

I decided well before the semester ended that I wanted to make real progress this summer. Enough simple daydreaming and time to work it out in reality. I even set up my summer schedule so that I would have sufficient time to work on this... I have been thinking about it a great deal, but finding myself strangely unwilling to commit to action. Then last night I had a talk with Darrell, who always inspires me to truly demonstrate all my dreams without holding back. All morning his words threaded around my head, so even though it would be easier to distract myself with a great novel or any number of other things, I am making myself really produce something tonight. It seems strange that this apparently easy aspect - simply making a plan to get a number of interested people into one place to discuss ideas about making a village a common dream and goal - should feel so tough.

One of the important things Darrell helped me clarify was the need for me to put down the principles I find most vital to the village, so I at least will be clear where I stand. I have listed some of them on this blog, but like he said, I need a mission statement, some declaration of what this is all about. So I'm returning to things jotted as notes during moments of high inspiration and trying to read them with new eyes.

I guess part of my lack of confidence is partially from the understanding that this village isn't just about me. I am concerned about what other people feel and think and want. But I do need to take a stand, because if I know what I offer, then I offer a more solid goal/vision/dream. And people looking for something else know to look elsewhere, and those seeking something similar feel like they have an ally and a place to look. So I am developing the confidence that my ideas are whole enough to constitute a declaration to begin with.

Some kind of constitution of shared ideas can come later, perhaps as an effect of the gathering I've been thinking about.

erm, hi

I apologize for the delay in posting. School has been keeping me especially occupied the past couple of weeks. But I'm out for the summer as of Monday after a last final.

I've set up my schedule for the Summer so that my Sundays will be primarily dedicated to community building, studying village-relevant materials, and posting in this blog. That won't start tomorrow since I work and I'm studying for a final afterward. But look for a lot more action starting with this week.

Thank you, Kara, for the encouragement to keep up with this, and thanks to all reading for your continued support!

Solidarity

If all I wanted was to get myself off-grid and "free" from the many constraints of modern society, I could do it, fairly easily even. I could simply move to one of the (few) parts of the world where traditional lifeways still persist, although I might have to save a chunk of money to get there, or be willing to be an absolute and utter hermit in the more densely populated areas of our own country. But I want far more than that. I want for anyone who desires it and is willing to work for it to also have the opportunity to live a self-determined life. I want to offer a model anyone could use to achieve that. I want to create the means for American society to transform itself, and thereby teh rest of the world.

This is where solidarity comes in.

Solidarity is the idea that if someone else is experiencing social or other structural injustice, I stand by that person and work with them to change that situation. Many people may be familiar with this through the history of the labor movements in Europe and the United States, and revolutionary movements of former colonies. Really this concept contributes to the strength of any community.

Around the world as industrialization and colonization have occurred and continue to occur, local communities often experience a breakdown in social cohesion. Much of this could be considered to be undermining solidarity by encouraging people to be primarily concerned with their own fortunes and not the whole of the community. Unfortunately, this process divorces people from the reality that the condition of a community's solidarity reflects whether other conditions which support the success of individuals to be empowered are likely to continue.

I feel like here I'm about to get into self and inter-reliance. Just making a break here in case I decide they really are separate subjects.

Reliance can be viewed as 3 potential components: self, inter, and dependency. Ofeten in our (American) society, reference is only made to self-reliance and dependence. This is of great concern because it suggests that only two extremes and no middle ground exist, which doesn't reflect my experience of reality.

Self reliance suggests that people have a number of traits which propel them towards greater achievement. Dependency suggests that a person cannot take initiative or be motivated unless they are pushed by another person. While both conditions occur, neither is really healthy, and it seems to me that most people blend a combination of these two, primarily centered on a third type of reliance, which I term inter-reliance. More on that soon!

Focusing

I wasn't really happy with my last post, and on reflection, it's because I started losing the real sight of what this blog is supposed to be about... explanation of how I see the village forming and not how-to notes or relevance of whatever I happen to be thinking about. So what I intend to do now is explain some key concepts and principles that serve as the motivation for where this is headed, as well as some of the functions that will be based on those things.

In the posts to come I plan to discuss the following:

Principles:
Self and Inter Reliance
Solidarity
Subsidiarity
Sustainability
Symbiosis
Synergy
Self-determination
Egalitarianism
Justice
Dialogue
Seven Generations
Transparency

(I have no idea why so many of these start with an S. )

Functions:
-Food Production
-Renewable Energy Loop
-Sustainable Goods Production
-Proximity
-Interconnected Success

intro forests

I apologize for the half-finished nature of the posts on this blog so far. I hope to become more intentional about posting, instead of just grasping the inspiration to get moving when I have just a couple of minutes. Due to the nature of my life right now, it seems like by the time I return to the blog, some other inspiration or connection has come along that I want to make sure I take note of. I'm not abandoning anything that I've mentioned thus far. I want to come back and address it more fully at some point, but I also want to make sure I capture things when they are immediate so that I don't lose them.

For example, right now I want to do a bit on Forestry and how I see it intertwining with village values and means. But I have about 4 minutes until I need to clock into work, so forgive me for breaking off mid-thought.

Forests and Peoples is definitely a class I needed to take. I appreciate the broad view it gives of American forest history and I'm excited that we're starting to talk about the basics of forest function and management. It is really clear to me that trees are a vital part of success for the village and what it stands for. Forests provide many things, and many indigenous people from all parts of the globe consider themselves "forest people". The village won't healthily subsist indefinitely without close association with local forest and/or woodlots. Not only do forests provide food, shelter, and many other products for human existence, they purify watersheds, recycle nutrients, stabilize environment.... I could go on and on. And I have to go.

Red Bucket Sugarhouse

As a child, I read all sorts of historical stories about the East Coast, and more than one concerned itself with maple sugaring, both in stories of Native American peoples such as the Algonquin and Europeans who came to appreciate this source of sweetness in the land they settled. One of the primary principles of the village is that we must be tied to the land through the processes that grant us the food we eat. Another is self-sufficiency inasmuch as possible. So when friend, fellow Buddhist and exemplary Meg asked me if I'd like the chance to go maple sugaring this week, I was ecstatic.

So Monday night, after a great meeting, I rode home with Meg. We had a great chat the whole way, and when I got to her house, I met her son Jackson. Apparently, Jackson is also intensely concerned about the state of the world and studying sustainability. (Jackson, if this isn't a good portrayal, I apologize). So the three of us had a good chat about all that, and I told him a bit about the village. He posed a lot of good questions about the social dynamics and how I think it's all going to work. We all stayed up entirely too late talking - it was hard to stop. I couldn't help but read a little about Michael Pollan's mushroom hunting escapades before drifting off to sleep in Meg's cozy quilt.

My alarm went off at 6:30, but I didn't get serious about getting up until Meg poked her head in ten minutes later. I got up and we did our morning chanting together. Meg made my tea perfect, and after chanting proceeded to make a simple and delicious of scrambled fresh chicken eggs from her yard and hearty whole grain bread with jam. We talked about Alaska a bit over breakfast, mostly about bears and camping. Meg went to work, and shortly afterward, Jax drove me over to the Red Bucket Sugarhouse, owned by Jeff and Leanne, beginning my sugaring education. The sugarhouse itself is a modest wood building fronted by a dirt (and when I say dirt it means mud this time of year) road. To my surprised, Jeff's isn't a bucket operation. It used to be, but over the years as the business grew, he developed it into a sophisticated system. More on that next time.

Pollan and the limited definition of "sustainability" Part 1

I've been reading Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. I thought I knew a few things about food, and granted, I already had a good handle on a number of subjects. But the way Pollan strings it all together and makes many "invisible" processes relate to food aspects of our culture brings a number of vital issues and concerns to the forefront. I don't want this to become a book review, but I highly recommend this book to anyone who is concerned about food, capitalism, or sustainability, among other things which I see as related, like the worry about surveillance I heard people discussing in the breakroom at work or classism.

One thing that concerns me about modern trends and efforts to integrate "sustainability" into a capitalist economy is that it tends to be primarily "available" to those who already have the greatest advantages in our society. In otherwords, sustainability as it is currently being interpreted in our society is only for those who can afford it. This contradicts every real meaning of the original definition of sustainability.

And now, back to working at "Big Organic"

A mouthful

The term Sunflower Village Initiative has been kicking around in my notebooks and thoughts for about a year now. It's the bigger picture for me... the idea that I don't want to just start another intentional community. It's a critical time in the existence of Terra, and we need something bigger than that. While I appreciate the many communities which already exist, I see the need for this to become something more. Right now a lot of the communities that exist are only for a select type of people. We need that to become available for everyone, without losing sight of what we're about. I don't propose a homogenization of any kind. I believe firmly in the principle of subsidiarity - that is, that everything that can be done at the most local level should be done first, and only then should the next level up be resorted to.

Any thorough study of history will yield the fact that the modern (sorry to use the word) nuclear family is a very recent invention indeed. Up through the earlier part of last century (the 1900s) in the United States, it was much more common for even the most urban families to have several generations living nearby, if not together. And more rural families, while sometimes quite distant from each other, were in tight-knit communities which relied on each other for survival. This trend for local, small-scale, intergenerational communities has been the trend for thousands of years of human existence, with good reasons. People most local to an area have the most knowledge about the real circumstances present and what has the best chance of actually improving those conditions. Anthropology and other social studies are finally showing evidence that humanity thrives on cooperation more than competition. We survive better if we help each other live, and we can do that by rebuilding community in the truest sense of the world. Right now we are so compartmentalized.... the people at home, the people at work, the people at school, the people in the actual towns where we live (since so many of us commute in some form). What if more of those people in different groups were the same people? Wouldn't we have more meaning and context in our lives?

A week from last Wednesday, I fell hard on my hands and sprained a few fingers. I'm alright, really. I'm sharing this to make a point. When I moved to Northampton, I hardly knew anyone. Without the community that I've connected with through my Buddhist practice, I might be connected primarily with coworkers and Umass students. Both of these groups of people are good people, but when I was trying to figure out the best way to get the healthcare I needed, it was the people with whom I had invested the most. Although I didn't need all the help offered, it felt good to realize how truly connnected I am to people who aren't fairweather friends. That to me is a lot of what is missing in our society. The other aspect is a lack of that kind of intimacy with Terra. If we invest in her, like the people we love, she too can be there when we need her, not just when we feel like appreciating all she has to share.

My apologies if this first post is a bit rough. Sometimes everything related to these ideas gets so tied together for me that I have difficulties seperating them out so that they're as eloquent and coherent as I'd like to become about all of this.