Visions of Utopia: International communities - 2500 years of shared living

International communities

http://fic.ic.org/video/communities.html

A brief history of 2500 years of shared living

Insights about what works and what doesn't

Exploration of the "glue" that holds communities together

Profiles of 7 very diverse contemporary communities

Earth Rights Institute is dedicated to securing a culture of peace and justice by establishing dynamic worldwide networks of persons of goodwill and special skill, promoting policies and programs which further democratic rights to common heritage resources, and building ecological communities.

http://www.earthrights.net/

Earth Rights Institute

http://www.earthrightsinstitute.org/

Spiritual Communities

Ananda Village ('68, Nevada City CA)
A large spiritual meditation/yoga community in the Sierra foothills,with several sister communities worldwide. Disciples of Yogananda. http://www.ananda.org

Camphill Special Schools ('61, Glenmoore, PA)
Residential village providing rehabilitation and community for disabledchildren, who live with the staff families. Inspired by Rudolf Steiner.

Catholic Worker House ('85, San Antonio TX)
Urban ministry to the poor, including a soup kitchen and
temporary shelter, support, and referrals for families in need.

The Farm ('70, Summertown TN)
Originally a '60s hippie spiritual commune, now reorganized with a hybrid economy with over 30 nonprofits & businesses.
http://www.thefarmcommunity.com/

Rural Egalitarian Communities

Back to the Land
('78, Hundred miles from nowhere, CA)
A pioneer village of five families on 40 acres in the middle of nowhere. Simple living, permaculture, outdoor survival skills.

Sandhill ('74, Rutledge MO)
Secular, egalitarian, family-style community with organic farm, shared income and labor and resources, consensus process.

Twin Oaks ('67, Louisa VA)
Egalitarian community creating an alternative village culture, with a labor credit system and a planner/manager system of governance.
http://www.twinoaks.org/

Urban Communities

Ganas ('80, Staten Island NY)
Urban, income-sharing core group, with five community-owned
businesses. primary focus on group "feedback" process.
http://www.ganas.org

Goodenough ('81, Seattle WA)
Non-residential community: personal & social transformation; shared
spirituality; offering extensive workshops; community businesses.
http://www.wolfenet.com/~goodenuf/

Hearthaven ('87, Kansas City MO)
Close-knit cooperatively owned household of close friends; faith based,with Christian/pagan influences; environmental organizers/activists.

Purple Rose Collective ('78, San Francisco CA) •
An urban collectively owned household with shared meals, chores, expenses, and weekly house meetings.

Cooperative Communities

Breitenbush ('77, Detroit OR)
New age retreat & conference center, run by a worker-owned
collective, with hot springs, hydro power, and geothermal heat. http://breitenbush.com

Community Alternatives ('77, Vancouver BC)
Cooperatively owned urban apartment house with 9 residential "pods." Each unit decides its own internal structure and systems.
http://fic.ic.org/video/communityaltsinfo.php

Fraser Common Farm ('77, Aldergrove BC)
Cooperatively owned organic farm with worker-owned gourmet salad business. Sister community to Community Alternatives (1 hr. away).

Miccosukee Land Cooperative ('73, Tallahassee FL)
Land Co-op with private houses and community-owned roads and common land. Many voluntary programs among the members.
http://directory.ic.org/768/Miccosukee_Land_Co-op

Cohousing Communities & Ecovillages

Earthaven
Rural ecovillage under construction, teaching permaculture and natural building technologies, operating by consensus.
http://www.earthaven.org/

N Street
Retrofit cohousing in a 1950s urban neighborhood. 13 households tore down back yard fences for common gardens & play areas. http://www.cohousing.org/

Nyland Cohousing
Suburban, large (42 units),very diverse cohousing community built from the ground up. Consensus based pedestrian village.
http://www.nylandcohousing.org/