COMMUNE
COLONY
COMMUNITY
CO-OPERATIVES
COMMUNE
BAK-TO-THE-LAND MOVEMENT
CATEGORIZATION OF COMMUNITIES RELATED TOPICS
HOW TO JOIN A COMMUNE
WHAT IS AN ECOVILLAGE?
INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY
COMMUNE LINKS
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SECTION 1
COMMUNE
A commune is an intentional community of people living together,
sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and,
in some communes, work and income.
In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making,
non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become
important core principles for many communes. Andrew Jacobs of
The New York Times wrote that, contrary to popular misconceptions,
"most communes of the '90s are not free-love refuges for flower
children, but well-ordered, financially solvent cooperatives
where pragmatics, not psychedelics, rule the day."
There are many contemporary intentional communities all over
the world, a list of which can be found at the Fellowship for
Intentional Community.
Categorization of communities
Benjamin Zablocki categorized communities this way:
Alternative-family communities
Cooperative communities
Countercultural communities
Egalitarian communities
Political communities
Psychological communities
(based on mystical or gestalt principles)
Rehabilitational communities
Religious communities
Spiritual communities
Experimental communities
Of course, many communal ventures encompass more than one of
these categorizations.
Some communes, such as the ashrams of the Vedanta Society or the
Theosophical commune Lomaland, formed around spiritual leaders,
while others formed around political ideologies.
For others, the "glue" is simply the desire for a more shared,
sociable lifestyle. Moreover, some people find it is more
economical to live communally.
Commune
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commune
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SECTION 2
BACK TO
THE LAND
MOVEMENT
The back-to-the-land movement calls for occupants of real property
to grow food from the land on a small-scale basis for themselves
or for others, and to perhaps live on the land while doing so.
The concept was popularized in the United States at the beginning
of the 20th century by activist Bolton Hall, who set up vacant lot
farming in New York City and wrote many books on the subject. The
practice, however, was strong in Europe even before that time.
It also referred to distributism, a 1920s and 1930s attempt to find
a third way between capitalism and socialism. It was later used to
refer to a North American social phenomenon of the 1960s and 1970s.
This latter back-to-the-land movement was a migration from cities
to rural areas that took place in the United States, its greatest
vigor being before the mid-1970s.
Back-to-the-land movement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back-to-the-land_movement
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SECTION 3
CATEGORIZATION
OF
COMMUNITIES
RELATED
TOPICS
Cooperative communities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative
Countercultural communities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countercultural
Egalitarian communities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egalitarian_communities
Political communities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political
Psychological communities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological
Mystical
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystical
Gestalt psychology principles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestalt_psychology
Monastery Religious communities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monastery
Spirituality communities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituality
Experimental communities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experimental
Category:Simple living
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Simple_living
Category:Rural community development
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Rural_community_development
Community-supported agriculture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community-supported_agriculture
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SECTION 4
HOW TO
JOIN A
COMMUNE
Have you ever fantasized about dropping out of mainstream society
and joining a commune? Today there are plenty of intentional
communities, and joining so can actually be a realistic option for
some people. There are, however, plenty of considerations that you
should keep in mind when investigating the possibility.
Instructions
1. Do some initial research into existing communes, now generally
called intentional communities. The Federation of Egalitarian
Communities is a good resource, with information about a wide
variety of communal living situations, ranging from a few people
to the size of a small village. Learn about the different types
and features of various communes.
2. Consider your priorities and the lifestyle you are hoping to
achieve. Do you want to live in a city or the country? In what
climate or part of the world? With how many other people? What
type of work would you like to do? How much personal property
or income do you want to own individually, and how much do you
want to share?
3. Narrow down the list of potential communities. Figure out
which have the features you are looking for, or at least most
of them.
4. Research the specific communes you are considering further
by looking up their websites or contacting them directly for
more information. As well as learning about their features,
investigate their admission policies.
5. Arrange to visit any communities that seem like potential
matches. When you visit, make sure to ask plenty of questions,
talk to a number of different members, and directly experience
as much of the group's lifestyle as possible. If you enjoy your
stay, you may be able to begin making arrangements to become a
member at this time.
6. Decide if life in a commune is for you, and if so, which one
is the best match. Start settling your affairs in your current
life, such as quitting your job, storing or getting rid of any
property you won't be taking with you and preparing for your
move.
7. Many communes begin with a trial period for new members. When
you join, be clear about expectations and rules, and do your best
to fit into the local culture. Take the time to figure out whether
permanent membership is right for you.
How to Join a Commune
http://www.ehow.com/how_2183397_join-a-commune.html
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SECTION 5
WHAT IS
AN
ECOVILLAGE?
An ecovillage is an intentional or traditional community using
local participatory processes to holistically integrate ecological,
economic, social, and cultural dimensions of sustainability in order
to regenerate social and natural environments.
The motivation for ecovillages is the choice and commitment to reverse
the gradual disintegration of supportive social/cultural structures
and the upsurge of destructive environmental practices on our planet.
For millenia, people have lived in communities close to nature, and
with supportive social structures. Many of these communities, or
"ecovillages", exist to this day and are struggling for survival.
Ecovillages are now being created intentionally, so people can once
more live in communities that are connected to the Earth in a way
that ensures the well-being of all life-forms into the indefinite
future. Ecovillages are one solution to the major problems of our
time - the planet is experiencing the limits to growth, and our
lives are often lacking meaningful content. According to increasing
numbers of scientists, we have to learn to live sustainably if we
are to survive as a species.
What is an Ecovillage?
http://gen.ecovillage.org/en/article/what-ecovillage
Global Ecovillage Network
http://gen.ecovillage.org/
Ecovillage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecovillage
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SECTION 6
INTENTIONAL
COMMUNITY
An intentional community is a planned residential community designed
from the start to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork.
The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social,
political, religious, or spiritual vision and often follow an alternative
lifestyle. They typically share responsibilities and resources.
Intentional communities include:
collective households
cohousing communities
ecovillages
communes
survivalist retreats
kibbutzim
ashrams
housing cooperatives.
New members of an intentional community are generally selected by the
community's existing membership, rather than by real-estate agents or
land owners (if the land is not owned collectively by the community).
Intentional community
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intentional_community
Cohousing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohousing
Utility cooperative
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utility_cooperative
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SECTION 7
COMMUNE
LINKS
Art Commune Artist-in-Residence Program
http://www.acsl.am/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=2
THE CO-HOUSING NETWORK -U.S.A.
http://www.cohousing.org/
COMMUNE
http://www.thecommune.info
Commune
http://www.communedesign.com/
Commune - Pioneer Living Survival
http://www.pioneerliving.net/commune.htm
Communities Directory
http://www.ic.org/directory/
CREATING COMMUNITY
http://www.greatdreams.com/commune.htm
ECO-VILLAGES
http://www.newearthpioneers.com/
Ecovillages: Lessons for Sustainable Community
http://ecovillagebook.org/
Ecovillage Network of the Americas
http://ena.ecovillage.org/
Ecovillage Network of Europe
http://gen-europe.org/
Eurotopia European Directory of Communities and Ecovillages
http://www.eurotopia.de
Evolving Ecovillage Network of Africa
http://gen-africa.org/
The Federation of Egalitarian Communities
http://www.thefec.org/
Homestead.org
http://www.homestead.org/
How do you get a commune together?
http://www.hippy.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=110
How to Start a Commune
http://www.ask.com/questions-about/How-to-Start-a-Commune
Intentional Communities Directory
http://directory.ic.org/?utm_source=enews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2011nov12C&u=95907&enews=2011nov12C&u=95907
Intentional Communities Website
http://www.ic.org
List of Communes of France
http://www.lescommunes.com
THE OMEGA FOUNDATION
http://www.omegafdn.org/corepage1.html
Roots of Communal Revival
http://www.thefarm.org/lifestyle/root1.html
Top 10 Experimental Towns and Communes
http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-experimental-towns-and-communes.php#ixzz1cRQV4rrB
Twin Oaks Communities Conference
http://www.communitiesconference.org
Wanna Start a Commune?
http://www.wannastartacommune.com/main.html
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