Commons Transition Project

Posted on January 27, 2015 by

Last week, commons advocates the P2P Foundation, Guerilla Translation, and their partners launched Commons Transition, a public forum to further commons-oriented policy-making. Commons Transition is based on the groundbreaking work… Read More


YES Youth Europe Self-Empowerment Cooperative

Posted on January 21, 2015 by

Participants: 28 young people (18 – 30 Years) – 1 from each EU country and 8 from other continents as guests Date: 26th April to 3rd May 2015 Place: Schloss… Read More


Social Media or Social Isolation? Or is there a third way?

Posted on January 19, 2015 by

Avoiding computers can mean losing out on connecting with others when one is desperate for connection, yet a rich, computer-free, community-based social life is also possible.


Reasons why Comfrey is perfect for permaculture

Posted on January 13, 2015 by

Comfrey is a fairly humble looking plant. It has large hairy green leaves and small bell-shaped flowers, typically colored either purple or white. However, what it may lack in striking… Read More


Kindista: Technology for Living More Freely

Posted on January 9, 2015 by

Born of collaboration, an innovative technology helps build community by encouraging trust, appreciation, and giving from the heart.


Best of Communities II: Seeking and Visiting a Community

Posted on January 6, 2015 by

Community Bookstore Special Best of Communities ― The Cream of Our Crop Seeking and Visiting a Community by June, Community Bookstore Manager Best of Communities Volume II Seeking and Visiting a… Read More

Filed Under: All Blog Posts, Newsletter

6 fascinating people who own almost nothing

Posted on January 4, 2015 by

Most of us can only handle stacking, storing and stepping over our stuff for so long before we start to feel claustrophobic. We go on a cleaning spree and give (or… Read More


Followup: Are People Happier Living in Community?

Posted on December 30, 2014 by

Are people happier living in community? Three intentional communities who responded won cash prizes! Laird Schaub FIC Executive Secretary Researcher Bjorn Grinde (top left, visiting Findhorn Community.) Who’s Happier Now? Durham… Read More

Filed Under: All Blog Posts, Newsletter

Technology on the Path to Reality: Snapshots from the Pre-Post-Digital Age

Posted on December 29, 2014 by
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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 by

To 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.


What Would You Give for World Peace?

Posted on December 13, 2014 by

Seasons Greetings from all of us at FIC! from Laird Schaub, FIC Executive Secretary SEASONS GREETINGS FROM ALL OF US AT FIC! This is the time of year when we… Read More

Filed Under: All Blog Posts, Newsletter

Technology: Our External Thumb

Posted on December 8, 2014 by
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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 by
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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.


Best of Communities: Intentional Community Overview & Starting a Community

Posted on November 25, 2014 by
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Community Bookstore Special Best of Communities ― The Cream of Our Crop Intentional Community Overview And Starting A Community by June, Community Bookstore Manager Best of Communities Vol. I Intentional… Read More

Filed Under: All Blog Posts, Newsletter

Technology, Nature, and Community

Posted on November 21, 2014 by

How 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 by

In 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 by
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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 by
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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 by

When 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 by

A small communal family discusses how they got good at cooperating, and other essentials of collective life.


Facebook as Village Gathering Space

Posted on September 28, 2014 by

What goes on in my mind as I stroll along the Facebook village? When I joined Facebook I got quite excited because I could invite people to events that my… Read More


Kawsmos: The Unintentional Community

Posted on September 23, 2014 by

After 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 by

For intentional community members, community comes with added benefits, unique challenges, and a call to authenticity.


Community Conversations, #164 Contents

Posted on September 3, 2014 by

In 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 by

Community 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 by

In an age when prioritizing community is itself radical, self-awareness, self-care, and storytelling are essential to deepening our connections.


Cohousing Conference in Boulder: “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”

Posted on August 30, 2014 by

Regional Cohousing Conference “The Good, the Bad & the Ugly”  The Cohousing Association Of The United States A Sister Organization of the FIC Announcing A Cohousing Regional Event September 26… Read More


Are People Happier Living in Community?

Posted on August 23, 2014 by

Are People Happier Living in Community? The FIC Wants to Find Out Laird Schaub FIC Executive Secretary Bjorn Grinde (top, left) visiting at Findhorn Community, Scotland. The FIC is teaming up with… Read More

Filed Under: Newsletter

The Dirty Business of Growing a Cohousing Community Farm

Posted on August 8, 2014 by

A 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.