People or Land: What do we need most?
The Resilient Communities Project (RCP) has recently been engaged in a dialogue about whether people or land come first for building resilient communities. They started with just a concept, found that there are people with land to share, then started finding people who want to live on land in a resilient community. Many of our friends, including Brad S., Terri W., Chrys O., Paul W., Sahale and many other communities are all looking for the right people.
The central question is ultimately, “Can we live together?” I have a very powerful impression that there is a critical need for a lot more people willing to learn, grow, and heal into community living. We don’t seem to be very good at that – YET! Seems we have forgotten our interdependence on each other and all life. But our heart’s dream yearns and pulls us back together again and again. We need each other.
I was curious so I did this Google Search and found some interesting results. AI or SEO may give you a different set of results. Tell me what you find that is interesting. Let’s talk. From one of the more interesting results I will share a quote …
Evolution of a Thinking Community
Leopold recognized that his dream of a widely accepted and implemented set of values based on caring – for people, for land, and for all the connections between them – would have to “evolve… in the minds of a thinking community.”
We are all part of that thinking community. To shape a land ethic for the 21st century and beyond, we must engage in thoughtful dialogue with each other, inviting a diversity of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds. Together, we can form a land ethic that will live on to guide future generations. ~ Source : Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic
This was also a fascinating read: The emerging solidarity economy: A primer on community ownership . They define community ownership as when a “community” purchases property, determines the ownership model that fits its needs, and shares in the risks and benefits of ownership and stewardship as a community. Yet, it is difficult to find a standard definition of community ownership.
When Shelterforce put out a call for readers to define “community control of land” in 2018, the most common responses included principles such as: “the desire to remove land from speculative, profit-driven cycles;” “permanent affordability;” and “creating healthier places to live through collective decisionmaking.”[7] Yet the nuances of community ownership are in the details.
You will read more about the Resilient Communities Project here at NWPCC as they are part of our content team for this website and our newsletters. Please check out their new website. Thank you for sharing RCP with friends looking for community (on land) and thanks for subscribing to our Newsletter.