Community Supported Community (it's not just about Community Supported Agriculture anymore), or the modern Underground Railroad out of modern slavery.
click here for rationale (the why)
Click here for a more generic Vision and Mission
land and home ownership:
pods (aka families) own* their home and 2 acre land around their home.
responsibilities of land ownership (at pod level, not individual level. Individual responsibilities are handled by each pod separately):
1. To produce goods and/or services (these are desacralized by consumer capitalism, but here they are used in a sacred way, as the gifts that bind us to each other and the land, and allow us to express our best) that are needed by at least 3 other pods/families. Training will be available for those who don't already have useful skills.
2. To prioritize providing the goods and services that are needed by villagers to the villagers, before trying to sell or provide them outside the village. Only excess of needed goods and services can be provided to the outside.
3. To prioritize sourcing goods and services (including those needed for one's work in providing goods and services to the village) from other villagers, before sourcing them from outside the village. If a good can't be sourced from inside the village, the next place to source it is from outside the village, but either from nature or another village, and only use the global economy as a last resort for sourcing.
4. To negotiate prices or exchange rates with other pods (could be gift based)
5. To keep looking for new villagers who can close loops and provide for village needs and markets
6. See also Community glue below:
costs:
initial costs to reimburse land owner who paid the global economy for it from their own energy. Scholarships available (from other members and matching donors?). Some worktrade, but have to be careful not to create a have/have-not caste system.
Benefits of land ownership:
1. Each pod has artistic creative freedom, without interference from rest of community (but individuals may be subject to interference or collaboration from within their own pod)
2. Each pod has its own domestic space, where more intimacy is possible. They can choose to invite people into their domestic space for well defined occasions, instead of having to be with other villagers when they just need to be in their nest.
Elder Care
Each pod is responsible for their elders when they are no longer able to contribute as much as when they were younger. Elders are encouraged to provide childcare if they are no longer able to do much else (the amish have made good use out of this match between gifts and needs). They are also encouraged to monitor agreements and make consensus decisions in an elder council about what to do when agreements are broken. Wisdom is hopefully acquired by our elders, which they can share with the rest of the community. And of course elders are valued just for being. And for all they have done before.
Child Care
Each pod is responsible for their children, but pods can form childcare coops or a school together. A school can accept children from outside the community.
Outside Work
Allowed for income, but if there is a need for goods or services from this work in the village, it must be prioritized before outside work (even if the compensation is less monetarily). This can be limited to 8 hours inside-of-village work per week per person, (less if the need can be satisfied with less) with anything over that being optional. The goal is to reduce reliance on outside work, and outside markets and sources so we can be more interdependent with each other and the land. But we need a transition time.
Conflict Resolution
Pods are encouraged to resolve their own internal conflicts by whatever methods they choose. Conflict between individuals in different pods can be brought to the conflict resolution council (made up of 1 representative from each pod), who will mediate the conflict using NVC and restorative circles. They will get paid for their time by the conflicting parties at an hourly wage that is negotiated at that time. They will thus have incentive to resolve the conflict among themselves before involving others.
People who are accused of violating agreements have to come to a restorative justice circle, at the end of which the peacemaker council has to decide consequences for them (or none if the accusation was inaccurate). Perhaps the consequences are simply feeling the impact they had on others, but they could be as serious as expulsion.
Animals
Animals must be kept within pod land boundaries, unless otherwise negotiated between pods. Also dogs must be kept from barking outside from 9PM till 7AM (unless they are good livestock guard dogs who only bark when livestock are in danger?)
Communal, pod and individual work
If the community decides to have a community business, this can be an example of communal work, but it could still be subdivided for individual or pod specialties. It is expected that occasions where the whole community will have to work together on something will be rare. Same goes for community meetings. Most work will be by individuals and pods, allowing for creative freedom, and progressive improvement towards mastery of one's work.
Community glue:It is also expected that people will participate in a minimum of 2 hours per week of community-wide cultural events (with at least 90% of people attending), and another 4 hours per week of cultural/spiritual events that involve at least 2 other people form other pods. Examples include dances, music making and listening, lectures, workshops, storytelling, plays, yoga, heart shares, meditation, chi gung, rituals.
Governance
Most decisions will be made by individuals and pods. If decisions affect other individuals, they have to be consulted. If a decision can't be negotiated between individuals, it is brought to the pod level (if it only affects people within the pod) or community level (if it affects people outside the pod). Each pod affected sends a peacemaker from their midst to the peacemaker meeting to discuss the case. Community meetings can also be called by at least 2 individuals who find it necessary and then all pods must send peacemakers. Other people besides peacemakers may attend and contribute, but the final decisions are made by peacemakers, in a consensus minus one manner. It is expected that most decisions will be within the pod, not affecting people outside the pod. Each pod can have its own internal governance mechanism. Also, new pods' representative peacemakers have to be approved by the existing peacemakers.
* ownership in the sense of stewardship, like a cell or an organism owns its interior--by owning land that we have to make a living from, and being in a CSC, we enter into a mutualistic relationship with that land and the beings on it. We might consider the whole community a common pool resource for its members, but with Ostrom Principles. Legally, pods would lease land from a non-profit, who would legally own the land.
