Blog Post Roundup – 30th Anniversary

What’s in a name? From communes to cohousing. The early relationship between the FIC and the Cohousing Association of the US was rocky, with people in both groups being dismissive and judgemental of the different models each organization was focused on. Fortunately, we’ve moved past that and the two organizations enjoy a close, collaborative relationship…      -by Sky Blue

Commitment to a better world. In the 1980s, I lived in a housing co-op (Sunflower House) inspired by B. F. Skinner’s novel, Walden Two. I wanted to learn more about Walden Two communities and started to visit them. These visits included East Wind, Twin Oaks, Lake Village and Comunidad Los Horcones in Mexico…   – by Deborah Altus

Sustaining the movement.  We are now halfway through the month of November. Appropriately, as we move along the lifespan of FIC, at exactly 15 years in (and 15 years ago this year), an online bookstore was born! In 2002, at a time when technology and resources online were still fairly limited, FIC leapt into the world of books as a means to offer accessibility of information to our network…

– by Kim Kanney

Structures and Cultures of Cooperation. I’ve been a group process consultant for the better part of 20 years, with an emphasis on supporting intentional communities. While my primary skills come from lived experience, I am grateful for opportunities to further develop my knowledge through books and trainings. Last year i was introduced to a book that’s affected me more than any other i’ve encountered in my field…

– by Tree Bressen

Teaching Feminism by Example. By default, intentional community in North America seems to be a haven for middle-class white folk interspersed with a small spattering of individuals of various other ethnic groups. The community where I live follows that same norm for the most part. It is an interesting mix, though, because we also serve as a tourist stop for quite a few visitors and interns from all over the world…

– by SKy Blue