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Imagine a future where communities thrive because the people live in harmony with each other, the land, and their neighbors. Picture a society where land, buildings, and tools are not just mere commodities but shared resources, managed with the mutual consent of those who utilize them—this is not just an ideal, but a practical vision coming to life.
The potential of regenerative communities centered around consensus decision-making is a vision I am here to bring to fruition. A quick glance at similar projects that have failed show us they were all missing one very important ingredient: healing. The most important aspect of a community is, and always will be, the people. The current landscape of society has inflicted many deep, unresolved wounds in our psyches that must be healed in order to live harmoniously with each other.
When healed people come together, the potential of what they create is unlimited. The land is abundant already. We only need be great stewards to her in how we build, plant, and use it.
Because people are the most valuable resource, this is where we must start. My aspiration is to build an online community with purpose of providing the resources necessary to everyone with an interest to build successful on land community projects. It is going to be a meeting place for people to connect with potential new neighbors with similar values and intentions. It is the starting point for the deep healing required in order to gracefully handle any conflict that might arise in communal living situations.
This is more than a dream—it’s a scalable blueprint for the future, designed to be as diverse as the individuals it will serve. These communities, outlined by the principles of collective decision-making, healing, and abundance, propose a new paradigm where inner peace blossoms into communal harmony.
With a world so ripe with resources yet so fraught with hunger and inequity, these future communities set an example of how to live in gratitude, making the most of the earth’s offerings to not just survive but to thrive and share tenfold.
Let’s maintain our focus on what we desire to create and not allow the societal conditioning to influence our imagination. There is going to be a time to work on integrating this as we move towards building on the land, but for now let’s stay on task and imagine the possibilities of a harmonious and peaceful way of living.
The Essence of Consensus in Resource Management
Consensus decision-making represents the heart of these future communities, infusing life and vitality into every aspect of communal living. By adopting a consensus-based approach, we transform how resources are appreciated, distributed, and maintained.
At the core of this system lies the understanding that a collective’s strength is firmly hinged on the involvement and agreement of its members. For sharing resources – whether they are shared land for growing food, communal buildings, tools, or the equitable allocation of work hours – the sentiment remains consistent: every voice is indispensable. In communities aimed at housing 25 to 250 individuals, consensus decision-making is profoundly effective, although not practical with smaller or larger communities.
This form of governance brings a wide range of benefits, starting with the deep sense of ownership and responsibility shared by all. It eliminates the hierarchical divide, instead fostering a platform where ideas flourish and collaboration reigns. Within this circle of trust, every member feels valued and heard.
Contrast this scene with the prevailing operations in modern communities, where decision-making often gravitates around a select few, leaving many feeling unheard and disconnected. The pitfalls of such a system are apparent, breeding discontent and stifling the community spirit—a stark opposite of the inclusive and harmonious communities we envision.
Through consensus, we lay down the cornerstone for a new society from which sustainable and self-reliant communities sprout.
Healing as the Foundation for Building Successful Communities
As I have mentioned, people are the most important piece of the community puzzle. In order for consensus based communities to thrive, they must be comprised of healthy people in body, mind, and behavior. In the blueprint for sustainable living, we address not just the land and its use but the very soul of the society—the individuals and their intricate web of relationships.
This blueprint underlines the importance of resolving issues from the past. Unresolved pain and grievances can undermine the strongest of foundations. Therefore, these communities prioritize open dialogues about past traumas with respect and empathy, recognizing that true healing requires vulnerability, time, and sometimes guidance.
In this transformative space, the most critical requirement is a unanimous commitment—an open willingness for each community member to engage in self-reflection. It’s about being ready to make essential behavioral shifts that negate harm towards oneself or others. Such behavioral shifts lay the groundwork for relationships built on trust and understanding.
Future communities may employ various methods to encourage this healing, such as regular communal circles where members can express and listen actively, healing retreats, conflict resolution workshops, or personalized support systems. They could also incorporate ancient and modern healing practices, from meditation and yoga to therapy and counseling, all playing their part in nurturing a peaceful coexistence. This online community hub will focus heavily at first on offering the resources for healing, including weekly healing circles offered by Loriel and myself.
When individuals are whole, the community reflects that wholeness. As one heals, we all heal. A lot of our traumas are similar and we can see the same wounds in ourselves and address them. This creates a powerful bond and a knowing that together we can get through anything.
Cultivating Abundance Through Collaboration
A healed mind is one that is able to recognize that abundance is everywhere. Have you ever noticed how one fruit may contain hundreds of seeds, each able to produce a new plant that grows hundreds of fruits? An abundance mindset knows that there is enough for everyone when resources are managed wisely and when each member contributes to the well-being of the whole.
While collective effort is required to grow food, most of the work is taken care of by the land and animals that participate in the ecosystem. Members pool their skills, time, and energy to create agricultural practices that don’t just feed but also heal the earth—permaculture, regenerative farming, and biodiversity are not buzzwords here; they’re a way of life.
In communities where the food is grown on site, money doesn’t need to be used to acquire food shipped in from distant locations through an inefficient distribution system. In fact, a community of 100 people can easily grow food for 1,000 and earn money from the excess if they so choose.
Technology, too, plays its part in nurturing abundance. In addition to the community seeding hub I am proposing, each community may utilize digital platforms. Community members can coordinate tasks, educate one another, share breakthroughs, and collectively solve problems. This digital interconnectivity ensures that no member stands alone; there is always a collective intelligence ready to aid and advise.
This vibrant portrait of abundance is not just about having more; it’s about being more—together. It’s a mindset that recognizes that everyone’s contribution is vital and that combined, we are more than just individuals navigating through life; we are stewards of a future waiting to be painted in the lush hues of shared success and unity.
A New Paradigm: Consensus Living
As we explore this novel concept, it is crucial to reimagine leadership and governance. Consensus living is a transformative way of life built on equitable participation and shared wisdom. Beyond the confines of traditional structures, consensus elevates making decisions to an art form. It is a dynamic and inclusive practice where ideas and diverse perspectives create more nuanced choices for collective action.
Every individual is both a leader and a collaborator, holding space for and adding to the communal vision. This requires an evolution from being passive recipients of decisions made ‘for’ them to active participants crafting decisions made ‘by’ them. Such an environment fosters the growth of trust and empathy, shaping a deeply connected and conscious community.
This way of living doesn’t stop at the fringes of structured community meetings or dedicated decision-making forums; it permeates the daily interactions, from sharing meals to building homes, from planning events to resolving conflicts. Whether it’s discussing the stewardship of communal gardens or the incorporation of renewable energy sources, this process ensures every opinion is heard and every voice matters.
The beauty of consensus lies in its fluidity. It is not a static set of rules but an organic process that evolves with the community.
The Blueprint for Seeding Communities
The core of this blueprint is going to be an online community beginning with a minimum of 25 people dedicated to making this a successful venture. The founding members will practice consensus decision making and be open to and participate in the healing spaces offered.
The first milestone is to get to a minimum viable product to launch and invite people interested in building on land communities. This is mainly going to be an expansion of what the core founding members have been doing. As it continues to grow it may include:
- Member forums for meaningful discussion and connection
- Training and practice with consensus decision making using videoconferencing as well as text based chat
- Courses and spaces to facilitate healing and aligning mind, body, and actions for the highest benefit of all
- A repository of knowledge for gardening, building, energy harvesting, and all other pertinent information to help communities to thrive
- A way to connect people with similar interests and intentions for building a community
There is a lot more that I could add here, but I feel it is important for the founding members to create this list based on our shared vision of what this community seeding hub may become.
Community Structures
Imagine a community structure that flows as naturally as a stream, accommodating the bends and curves of individual needs while maintaining a unified direction towards collective living. In this section, we explore the multifaceted spectrum of community structures, from the autonomy of individual homes to the intimate interdependence of fully communal living.
Communities are unique in their composition, as every individual brings their own energy, ideas, and experiences. At one end of the spectrum, we find individual homes – standalone havens where the people enjoy privacy and self-sufficiency within a larger community much like the modern neighborhoods we see today. There is a concept of kins domains popularized in the book series The Ringing Cedars, where people live self-sufficiently on a hectare of land surrounding by other kins domains. No land is communally shared, but resources, such as tools and food, may be shared among the community.
Moving through the community structure spectrum, the picture gradually shifts. Co-housing offers a blend of private dwellings and shared spaces, promoting a sense of community without compromising individual autonomy. Shared gardens, common rooms, and community kitchens become arenas for connection, embodying the ideal middle ground between isolation and communion.
At the far end of the spectrum lies the fully communal living experience. Here, architecture and shared spaces are designed not just for individual functionality but also to foster community life. Living spaces become dynamic and multifunctional, adaptable to the shifting needs of communal activities, workshops, and gatherings. It’s the epitome of interconnected living, where the lines between personal and shared spaces blend harmoniously into one.
The look and feel of the community, ultimately, is going to be decided upon by the people that choose to live there. Each is going to be unique and offer a rich experience to those living there and to all who visit if that is permitted.
This is the future of living: fluid, flexible, and built on the unshakable bedrock of consensus. Let us embrace the fluidity of community structure as we craft living spaces that flow with the rhythms of our lives and the cadence of our collective heartbeat.
The Call to Action: Building Together
This is where inspiration transforms into action and where you become the architect of change. It’s a call to weave your ideas, resources, and spirit into the very fabric of these communities we aspire to shape. Your voice is not just invaluable; it is essential.
A lot of people are starting to talk about this way of living, but very little action is being taken to make this happen. A lot of people are waiting for the plans to be in place, and that’s ok. If you are interested in getting updates about what is going on with this project, you can sign up for our email newsletter and you are welcome to increase your participation whenever you feel called to do so.
But for those that are you brimming with ideas for sustainable living, this is your invitation to connect with us and see if this is a project you would like to contribute to. Do you possess skills that could nurture community growth? We are ready to start the seeding process and hope to have the first on land community project start within the next year.
The journey from ideation to creation is as exhilarating as it is challenging, but it’s a journey we embark on together. Whether you’re a dreamer, a doer, an organizer, or a supporter, there’s a place for you here. Your hands can shape the clay of our collective future.
So, we invite you to join us on a Zoom call that could mark the beginning of something extraordinary. If your heart is quickened by the thought of building a community from the ground up, if you’re ready to contribute to an online community seeding hub that promises growth and connection, now is the time to step forward.
Reach out and let us link arms virtually, so we may later stand shoulder to shoulder in the communities we’ve nurtured together. This is more than a meeting—it’s the start of a movement.
Don’t let this moment pass by. Seize it. Embrace it. Make it your own. Let’s connect, let’s collaborate, let’s create. Together, we are unstoppable.
Are you ready to answer the call? If so, we can’t wait to meet you on our Zoom call. Let’s turn our common vision into a shared reality.
Together, we are the builders of tomorrow. Let’s lay the first stone today.
Conclusion
The future doesn’t have to seem so far away and out of our control.
Imagine a world where communities are havens of creativity, empathy, and resilience. Envision the moments of shared triumphs, the quiet satisfaction of collective progress, and the personal sense of fulfillment that comes from contributing to a project that could shape a beautiful future for mankind. This is the future we are all capable of creating—not through solitary efforts but through the combined will of many hands and hearts.
I would love to hear your thoughts on communities of the future, and if you feel called to be part of this movement at the ground level, schedule that connection call with me and let’s see what we may create together!
To a bright and peaceful future!
Arcturus
10 Responses
Hi I think you did a great job here. I like how you said that every voice is valuable. It’s so often that we downplay our own value. When really it is so much greater than we think. We have so much to contribute in this world and we are all incredibly valuable. Especially to our communities.
Thank you, Jake. It is such a common thing to experience where people downplay their value and is something that would be addressed through the healing spaces as we empower each other to see the amazing contributions they can bring.
Hi,
What an inspiring blueprint for the future of communities! The emphasis on consensus decision-making, healing, and abundance resonates deeply with the vision of creating harmonious and sustainable living environments. It’s refreshing to see a focus on the people as the foundation of community, recognizing that true harmony starts from within each individual.
– Scott
Thank you for your supporting comment, Scott. You can have everything seemingly lined up perfectly, from the buildings, agriculture, animals, business plan, etc., but when the people aren’t in harmony with each other, it creates issues, some of which can destroy the community.
Blessings to you!
Arcturus
What a fascinating read! You’ve presented a vision of the future that is much more appealing to me than the current consumer-driven, dog-eat-dog world we find ourselves in now. I particularly liked the section on Consensus Living. In my experience, two heads, or three or four, always turn out better ideas and better decisions in the long term. Can you give an example of anywhere in the world, a culture or people perhaps, that live this way in modern times?
Hi Matt. Thank you for reading and sharing that this vision resonates with you. I am determined to see this happen during my lifetime, but as of now I do not have any examples to show you. I’ve observed many attempts at creating what I’ve described and the one thing I’ve noticed that is missing is the healing aspect. Conflicts are going to happen among people who are conflicted internally because they are holding onto false beliefs. Healing is about removing internal conflicts which leads to harmonious relationships with self and others.
May we one day rise to the joys of living in balance with each other and nature.
Arcturus
This is truly visionary, even revolutionary. Despite the simplicity of this vision, it almost feels to me like when mankind first looked up at stars in the sky and developed the aspiration to one day visit those stars. Yet, see how much progress has been made in the area of space travel today. I feel that there are little pieces of this communal way of living in small pockets around the world – like the Kins Domains you mentioned, however, I am hopeful that a full-blown implementation of the vision you have outlined in this post will be a reality very soon.
You mentioned several times in the post that the most important piece of this blueprint is people who are healthy in mind, body, and conduct. I wonder if you have considered a process of separating people who subsequently develop or start to exhibit deviant behavior within the communities. I am concerned that even healed people can be injured again and may need a fresh round of healing before they can be re-integrated.
Hi. Thank you for your thoughtful comment and wonderful question. I do hope to see this in my lifetime and know that eventually, it is going to spread worldwide.
In regards to your question about dealing with deviant behavior: the process is something that would be put in place during the formation of that community by consensus. I don’t expect anyone in any of the communities to start to reach a point where they are fully healed, but the determination, openness, and willingness to look into the wounds when they surface is the requirement. The healing is going to be ongoing until we reach a point where all of our children are raised without inflicting the unhealed wounds from the adults.
Hi Arcturus, I am happy to have read your blueprint for future communities. Anyway, as a student of quantum healing myself, there is a point missing in this plan: the contrast. As you surely know, the contrast in life causes expansion of the universe, and of ourselves in smaller scale. And the other point important to underline is that healing is a process where every person follows his or her own pace. These 2 elements are extremely important factors to consider if you want to base the future communities on the healing principles.
Hi Suomii, thank you for reading and sharing your healing insights. Yes, the universe could not exist without the contrast and everyone has their own unique healing journey. A lot of the healing is going to happen before moving onto a land community with others.
Blessings to you on your healing journey.
Arcturus