Communities Articles
Here is a selection of articles from previous back issues of Communities magazine. All back issues up to issue #184 are available for download here.
For more information about Communities magazine, visit its new publisher at GEN-US.
Technology on the Path to Reality: Snapshots from the Pre-Post-Digital Age
Posted on December 29, 2014 by1 Comment
Misadventures with a cell phone help the author dial into more enduring, meaningful adventures and relationships not dependent on an electronic-communications hamster wheel.
Back to Life: Returning from the Virtual to the Real
Posted on December 19, 2014 byTo shake our addiction to modern technology, we must understand its true costs. Stillwaters Sanctuary works to create a culture of greater connection, where it is easier to live without industrial society.
Technology: Our External Thumb
Posted on December 8, 2014 by2 Comments
Instead of asking whether technology is a “friend or foe,” perhaps we should be asking how to better help friends and reduce foes through the use of technology.
“Appropriate” Technology and Community on the Path to Resiliency
Posted on November 28, 2014 by1 Comment
At Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, efforts to foster a renaissance in land-based living go hand in hand with judicious use of modern design and communication technologies.
Technology, Nature, and Community
Posted on November 21, 2014 byHow does modern technology affect our ecological and social literacy? Are computers and their kin suppressing or enhancing the awareness, skills, and qualities essential to our nature as humans?
Technology: Friend or Foe?, #165 Contents
Posted on November 14, 2014 byIn our issue on “Technology: Friend or Foe?,” authors examine the impacts of modern technology on their experience of community. Has the digital age brought us closer together, or moved us apart? How has it impacted our relationship with the rest of the living world? What does “appropriate use of technology” look like, and what is “appropriate technology”? We explore the full range of sentiment from technological optimism to technological skepticism.
Radical Governance Changes in Two North American Ecovillages
Posted on October 31, 2014 by1 Comment
Earthaven and Dancing Rabbit embrace their groups’ evolution and growth with innovative new governance and decision-making methods.
Seeing the Good in the World, Part II: Transformative Learning Experiences at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage
Posted on October 26, 2014 by1 Comment
While helping communitarians measure their progress toward sustainability goals, a college student finds herself unexpectedly changed.
From Conversation to Community: How a Bunch of Mates Bought Some Land Together
Posted on October 21, 2014 by“Wouldn’t it be great to buy a block of land together in the bush?” Dinner party conversations yield unexpected fruit.
Meta-Conversation: an Exercise in Whimsical and Critical Facilitation
Posted on October 11, 2014 byWhen they crave an especially deep or challenging discussion, Gesundheit!’s meta-conversers excuse themselves (from the mundane)—then stir the collective pot, lie down, or go for a walk.
Love and Bucket Brigades, Interdependence and Evolution: A Community Conversation at Lampa Mountain Community
Posted on October 4, 2014 byA small communal family discusses how they got good at cooperating, and other essentials of collective life.
Kawsmos: The Unintentional Community
Posted on September 23, 2014 byAfter 11 years of gathering, a group of Kaw Valley’s cosmic explorers realizes that community has happened to them.
A Community Conversation at Whole Village
Posted on September 16, 2014 byFor intentional community members, community comes with added benefits, unique challenges, and a call to authenticity.
Community Conversations, #164 Contents
Posted on September 3, 2014 byIn our “Community Conversations” issue, people both within and outside of intentional community discuss questions like: What does community mean to us? Where do we find it? What are its benefits and challenges? How do we deepen our experience of it? What is the purpose of community, and how do we talk about it? Their stories form a rich, diverse tapestry in which community and conversation prove to be inextricably intertwined.
Deepening Community: The joy of togetherness
Posted on September 3, 2014 byCommunity grows when we make time to share our stories, enjoy one another, take care of one another, and work on building a better world together.
Community Conversations Campaign: Final Thoughts and Next Steps
Posted on September 3, 2014 byIn an age when prioritizing community is itself radical, self-awareness, self-care, and storytelling are essential to deepening our connections.
The Dirty Business of Growing a Cohousing Community Farm
Posted on August 8, 2014 byA farm is not a clod of dirt; it is more like mud that slips through your hands, gets on your boots, and is tracked all through the community.
Vision, Money, and Sustainability: Bringing in Renters while Building the Dream
Posted on July 29, 2014 by2 Comments
In the quest for sustainability, long-term goals can yield to short-term needs and opportunities, fertilizing new growth in unpredictable ways.
Sharing Spaces, Sharing Values: Entrepreneurship at Dragon’s Nest Cooperative Homestead
Posted on July 18, 2014 by“Founder’s joy” can wear off very quickly in the chaos of financial instability and unclear agreements.
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Wrestles with Growth
Posted on July 8, 2014 byFor an income-sharing group in Virginia, economic success presents challenges and opportunities.
The Entrepreneurial Dilemma
Posted on June 28, 2014 by2 Comments
Integrating entrepreneurial energy into cooperative communities often proves both difficult and necessary.
Cooperation and Competition in the Ecovillage
Posted on June 21, 2014 byEarning a living based on responsible competition involves both sharing what we have and asking for what we deserve.
Dancing Rabbit’s Exchange Local Money System: The Promise of Local Currencies and Interest-Free Financing
Posted on June 14, 2014 by4 Comments
Place-specific currencies can provide critical financing to the small businesses that keep local communities connected and thriving.
Business. Busy-ness. Coincidence?
Posted on June 5, 2014 byImproving our relationships to work, money, and entrepreneurship can dramatically enhance our sense of community and quality of life.
Digging into Community: A reflection from Tamarack’s 1000 Conversations Initiative
Posted on June 2, 2014 byTamarack Institute’s Conversations campaign reveals shifting expectations of community among youth and seniors, varying perspectives on group identity and boundaries, and diverse attitudes toward technology.
Business Ventures, #163 Contents
Posted on May 31, 2014 byIssue #163 explores the fertile ground where cooperation and commerce intersect. How can we earn a living while still upholding our values? How can we bring cooperative principles to business activities? How can we nurture our communities, neighborhoods, and towns by creating sustainable livelihoods that serve the greater good? What obstacles do we encounter, and how do we overcome them?
Opportunity Village Eugene: Pioneering New Solutions for the (Formerly) Homeless
Posted on May 15, 2014 by1 Comment
An innovative self-governing village lifts spirits while modeling new ways to address homelessness.
Margaret and Me: The Iron Lady Becomes an Unexpected Ally
Posted on May 11, 2014 byA squatters’ housing cooperative activist describes how Margaret Thatcher broke with her image to support an early “occupy” movement.
Healing Gender Issues through Community
Posted on May 5, 2014 byLong-dormant childhood gender issues resurface in an intimate relationship in community—and this time avoidance and escape aren’t options.
Feminist Spirituality and Gender: Lessons from Beyond Women-Only Space
Posted on April 27, 2014 byDoes the culture of women-only space still serve a worthwhile purpose, or does it perpetuate division? A long-time leader of women’s circles advocates inclusivity.
