Intentional community

Background

An intentional community is a planned residential community designed to promote a much higher degree of social interaction than other communities. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political or spiritual vision. They also share responsibilities and resources.   Intentional communities include co-housing, residential land trusts, eco-villages, communes, kibbutzim, ashrams, and housing co-operatives.   

Typically, new members of an intentional community are selected by the community's existing membership, rather than by real-estate agents or land owners (if the land is not owned by the community).   Though intentional communities do not claim to be utopias in the sense of perfect places, many do attempt to live a different and better sort of society, and as such many draw on historical utopian experiments or ideas in utopian fiction.

Why now?

We are entering a new age. Although there have been many earlier warnings on the limits to our way of life, the signals are becoming more frequent and stronger. Within our lifetimes we are likely to see drastic effects of oil depletion, ecological deterioration and financial system collapse.

Where Business as Usual lets people down, the stronger the social cohesion, the better the chances of handling the crisis. We like to say that in the absence of financial capital, social capital will pull you through.

Yet the skills of creating social capital – being able to operate in a group as a group – are not common. The experience of intentional community start-ups is that members go through many personal development stages – joining a community is an exercise in personal growth.

So a platform is needed where individuals can come together to experiment in being part of an Intentional community.

In terms of rewarding relationships – the art of conversation  and developing true loving relationships with others – we also recognise our culture of consuming popular entertainment and working alone have not provided us with the opportunity to develop deep, lasting, supportive relationships.

Why Second Life

Second life affords several community making tools and at the same time provides a ”safe” place of experimentation: violence free, minimum financial risk, and no compunction to live with people you cannot get on with.

Second life offers group tools like messaging and group notices, group chat, the ability to meet, a voting system, and a financial system for sharing fees.

 

fig 1. Group land finance system

 

 

fig.2Group voting system

Our aims.

Based on the idea that we can all learn how, by coming together, we can create a richer life using far less resources – we would like to start a SL IC to promote this learning and development.

What we want to establish

A group which owns and Island dedicated to experimenting with the human skills needed for people to come together in IC s. The Island would also function as a place for people outside the group to get an introduction to IC.

The project

We form a central group which works on its prospectus, shared vision and mission. The group buys land and starts to form it along the lines of its mission.

As more people join the group and as more interest is shown in the activities of the group, more land will be acquired and more functions added.

The suggestion we have now is to buy a SIM and divide it into 16 parts. Four of these are communal areas. Either the IC adds its IC components to the communal part, or the the IC takes one parcel to dedicate to the IC component.

 

In either case, the group owns the SIM together, and owns a communal, recreational and meeting part together as well.

 

The Land

Based on the Island created Mia and Cal we believe the best environment to stimulate conversation and community is one with aesthetic, natural settings. Buildings are not needed.

Commerce

The only commerce that is appropriate is the selling of info materials to promote spread of the message.

Risk management

To be added

Organisation form

Group with shared ties

Next steps

Establishing shared vision

Engaging 8 couples, 16 individuals

Financial plan

Land purchase

Potential Partners

• Etopia
• The Commonwealth
• Mystica Island

Benefits of joining the IC

• Safe, cost effective way to learn IC skills and personal growth
• Chance to spread important message to SL residents who tend to be more open than regular Internet users

Contact us

Email us at Gaia or leve a comment-

BACKGROUND INFO

1) 

Communities magazine

Egalitarian communities

Amish

Eco-anarchism

EcoCommunalism

Epistemic community

Jesus Army

World Brotherhood Colonies

New Vrindaban

Intentional living

Retreat (survivalism)

Missional living

House church

Parachurch organizations

Emerging church movement

 

2.  NOTES:

 

Fellowship for Intentional Community. 1995. Communities Directory. 2nd Edition. Rutledge, Missouri, USA. ISBN 0960271449.

Fellowship for Intentional Community. 2005. Communities Directory. 4th Edition. Rutledge, Missouri, USA. ISBN 0-9718264-2-0.

 

3..   REFERENCES:

 

McLaughlin, C. and Davidson, G. 1990. Builders of the Dawn: Community Lifestyles in a Changing World. Book Publishing Company. ISBN 0-913990-68-X

Christian, D. 2003. Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities New Society Publishers. ISBN 0-86571-471-1

 

4-   EXTERNAL LINKS:

 

Intentional Communities Database

Communities Directory, Online

Intentional Communities website

Intentional Communities Wiki

Fellowship for Intentional Community

Cohousing Association of the U.S.

Ecovillage Network

Diggers & Dreamers - the UK Guide to Communal Living

EcoNomads - Travelogue and photos of a family visiting intentional communities around the world

Directory of Intentional Communities and Ecovillages in Europe

Christian Intentional Communities on the web

Voices of Cohousing: Rebuilding villages in the city. - Documentary

Communal Studies Bibliography

The Farm Community - Intentional Community in Tennessee

Categories: Intentional communities | Types of communities | Intentional living