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Since 1972, Communities has been the primary resource for information, issues, and ideas about intentional communities in North America - from urban co-ops to cohousing groups to ecovillages to rural communes. Communities now also focuses on creating and enhancing community in the workplace, in nonprofit or activist organizations, and in neighborhoods, with enhanced coverage of international communities as well. We explore the joys and challenges of cooperation in its many dimensions. Below is a selection of articles from our most recent issues.  To these communitarians, all work was holy—but overwhelmed by “the
accumulating weight of such holiness” and other disappointments, they
eventually adjust their aspirations. (From Issue # 154 - Spirituality)  In a world in which food choices
and dietary preferences can
become quasi-religions,
lactic-acid fermentation wins
a new convert. (From Issue # 154 - Spirituality)  A journey through various flavors of spiritually eclectic community brings
us face to face with cursed seeds, the White Brotherhood Team, mystery,
and stardust. (From Issue # 154 - Spirituality)  Even “non-spiritual” groups can benefit through a multitude of simple practices that deepen participants’ connections with themselves, one another, and the sacred. (From Issue # 154 - Spirituality)  Ritual can connect us more deeply to place, mark the passages of our lives,
comfort us in times of grief, and link us in the pure joy of celebration. It
works best when created collectively. (From Issue # 154 - Spirituality)  A dancer’s year at Currents community opens and transforms both her and the group. (From Issue # 154 - Spirituality)  The former Elderhostel coordinator at Holy Cross Monastery explores
personal and monastic history to explain her unlikely presence there. (From Issue # 154 - Spirituality)  If you haven’t heard of hollow earth theory, zig-zag-and-swirl, B-FICs, or
bathing bans, you’ve missed out on some of the more distinctive contributions
of communal spirituality. (From Issue # 154 - Spirituality)  At New View Cohousing, practicing consensus, navigating illness, and simply
sharing lives are continuing spiritual exercises. (From Issue # 154 - Spirituality)  Web Special: Our critic-at-large finds both humor and surprising insight in this cinematic journey into a fictional intentional community. (An excerpt from our forthcoming Summer 2012 print edition, #155.) (From Issue # 154 - Spirituality)  After a painful period stranded in “permaculture heaven,” an Earthaven founder finds her community finally moving back towards balance with its eco-spiritual roots. (From Issue # 153 - Permaculture)  On Hawaii’s Big Island, La’akea Community explores sustainability through myriad experiments—from keeping wild pet pigs in the garden to eating 100 percent locally to mowing with sheep. (From Issue # 153 - Permaculture)  An organic farming volunteer learns surprising new lessons from his Argentinian hosts—such as how to relax, how to enjoy practical labor, and how to contribute more sustainably by putting personal work first. (From Issue # 153 - Permaculture)  Lost Valley Educational Center avoids collapse and reinvigorates itself by applying a new approach to governance combining the best of diverse models. (From Issue # 153 - Permaculture)  Drawing on its long association with permaculture, The Farm in Tennessee institutes on-the-ground projects designed to provide resilience in times of climate change. (From Issue # 153 - Permaculture)  The editor provides a refresher on our theme and suggests some new Zone Zero guidelines to help keep permaculturalists in the game for the long haul. (From Issue # 153 - Permaculture)  While expert at understanding ecological connections, permaculturalists often founder in relating with one another. Applying permaculture principles to group dynamics can help us work together more effectively. (From Issue # 153 - Permaculture)  Degraded slopes, crumbling logs, plenty of trench-digging, seven blueberry plants, and an unanticipated drought combine to teach some important lessons. (From Issue # 153 - Permaculture)   An innovative approach to collective community gardens nurtures a culture of giving while allowing participants to feed both themselves and those in need. (From Issue # 153 - Permaculture)  By reducing our economic impact, we can shrink our ecological footprint, while freeing up time and energy to contribute to community and a more sustainable world. (From Issue # 152 - Right Livelihood)  A fifth-grader takes initial steps toward right livelihood by creating a neighborhood newspaper that embodies and helps bring together her local community. (From Issue # 152 - Right Livelihood)  A collective financial approach that allows individuals to pool their resources in support of favorite projects, crowdfunding both encourages and thrives upon community. (From Issue # 152 - Right Livelihood)  Despite widespread desire for community, structural and cultural obstacles to intentional community in the modern world loom large. (From Issue # 151 - Intimacy)  The author recounts his personal history with the “mentally ill”—social misfits who can show us the way to a better world, if they are allowed to make the journey. (From Issue # 150 - Mental Health: Challenges and Hope)  Howling, shouting, cries of despair, and The Pierced One greet a parent on her first visit to her daughter’s adopted community. Luckily, through lots of talking and listening, things improve. (From Issue # 149 - Elders)
Upcoming Communities themes:
Summer 2012, Issue #155: Diversity
Fall 2012, Issue #156: Ecovillages
Winter 2012, Issue #157: Endings and Beginnings
For submission guidelines, please visit our submissions page. To advertise, please visit our advertising page. And to read our quarterly print edition, including many additional articles, please subscribe! |
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