Dave Pollard's environmental philosophy, creative works, business papers and essays.
In search of a better way to live and make a living, and a better understanding of how the world really works.

	December 10, 2007

The Political and Economic Principles of Natural Intentional Community Regular readers know that I intend to (co-)create, through experimentation, intentional (natural) communities, to serve as models for those in our current society seeking a better way to live, and for those who survive our civilization's collapse later in this century to consider as they search for new ways to live in a world without social, political or economic structure. I have given up on reform of the existing systems and structures, and believe that Bucky Fuller was right when he said that "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."  I remain convinced that Whether you want to change the political or economic system, save the whales, stop global warming, reform education, spark innovation or anything else, the answer is in how meaning, and understanding of what needs to be done, emerges from conversation in community with people you love, people who care. So in a recent post on this subject, I wrote about the social aspects (capacities and principles) of intentional (natural) communities. of which the most controversial was polyamorism (the principle of operation, and the capacity, to love everyone else in the community, exhibiting compersion, the antithesis of jealousy). My research suggests that most intentional communities succeed or fail for social reasons -- their members either have the social skills and wisdom to make the community flourish, or they don't. But I think intentional communities, if they are to truly be models of how to live, should also be governed by certain political and economic principles. Here is a list of some of those principles: Stop at One: In our horrifically overpopulated world, it is inexcusable to bring even a 'replacement' number of children into the world. At the same time, having some children in the community is important for diversity and renewal. Radical Simplicity: Buy, make, consume as little as you must to live a full life. Waste nothing, reuse and recycle everything, cradle-to-cradle. Make rather than buy.  Pledge to Buy Local: Buy nothing that is imported or transported long distances unless there is absolutely no alternative. Seek out and support, reciprocally, local producers and services. Buy organic, natural products.  Leave the Earth As You Found It: Leave no enduring footprint. Amass no personal wealth. Give away everything you don't need, so that when you die, there is nothing left. Practice Bioregionalism and Permaculture: Plant native species that need no chemicals, irrigation or other unnatural maintenance to thrive. Learn what was meant to grow in the place you call home, the place where you belong. Cooperate and Collaborate: Work with the others in your community. Learn, discover and develop everything collaboratively. Practice Consensus Democracy: Let unanimous consensus emerge. Don't resort to votes, divisive debate, manipulation or coercion. Value Everyone's Time Equally: By doing this, you can replace money with time as your 'currency' of human activity. And by putting time ahead of money, you show how trading off your time to get more money, or using money to 'buy' time, are foolish and addictive behaviours. And you make leisure time precious. Study and Pay Attention to Nature, and Practice Biomimicry: When you have a problem living comfortably, study and learn from nature, and discover how she 'solves' the problem.  Be Self-Sufficient: Learn how to do things yourself. Produce only what you need, and give away to others any excess you produce. Buy from others only what you cannot reasonably produce yourselves. Incur No Debts: You can't be a wage slave, or any other kind of slave, if you don't owe anyone anything.  Be Generous, and Pay It Forward: Give without the expectation of repayment. A community knows without having to keep score, and those who take more than they receive will know it, and be discouraged.  Be Organic: Stay Small: Natural organisms self-regulate their size. When they get too big to self-manage, they split in two. Be Responsible: Listen to the larger community, be responsible and responsive to it. Your reputation is critical to navigating through conflicts with conventional social, political and economic institutions. Understand the Power of Relationships: Networking and creating alliances within and without the community is essential to resilience. What's missing? If you were to set up a Natural (intentional) Community, would this (along with the social principles from the earlier article) give you enough guidance to know what to do? Category: Natural Intentional Community 9:11:46 PM  trackback []  comment []

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