by James | Mar 1, 2019 | Exploration I
How will age affect the process of entering the community?
While in many entries there has been discussion of this there should be a clarity of what it means to ‘enter’ the community. In many communes, monastic groups around the world there are full-time members living in the community perpetually, there are transitionals (laypersons), novices, candidates and even, pilgrims etc. Depending on the type and beliefs of the group in question.
In fact the monastic orders of old were in a constant state of change due to changing ideas of what it meant to be a monk, philosopher or aesthetic.
It seems universal though that a lifetime membership should be just given out to people on a whim, a layperson can help at can be someone of any age giving up their limited leisure time if they believe in the community, or a student could be a transitional merely at the community to obtain experience and an education.
Someone deciding to move into the community on a permanent basis must be firstly old enough to by civil law to leave home or in foster situations, orphaned etc.
While it is not the intention of the community to become another foster system for the plight of abandoned children following the reasons for founding the community, every provision must be made in such circumstances, where possible, in final analysis no child should ever be abandoned.
Similarly someone who wishes to join at an advanced age and brings a huge wealth of experience, or a dedicated effort into the community exceptions can and should be made. Essentially ageism should not blind us to all prescriptive members.
All decisions (as stated in e108) should go through a group selection committee.
**Addendum: Members should go through a lengthy novice and training period to ensure that they will be happy within the community in the long run.
by James | Feb 25, 2019 | Exploration I
How will the hierarchy of the community be decided?
There shouldn’t be a huge hierarchy, any sufficiently complex hierarchy creates too many divisions between those elected and those not elected into positions of control. We are all different levels of our chosen disciplines.
An elected official only holds power only within the purview of his office, any major decisions can be challenged to a debate of peers or a board of review if there is sufficient cause.
Furthermore, people will be randomly assigned to communities and all people within the community have a minimum of 20% of the their hours doing menial chores.
If the community should grow beyond one location there should there be another elected group above the individual communities at a regional, national or international level?
On a large scale representation of each discipline also needs to remain as equal as possible to avoid a bias towards a particular field of study or science. This of course would depend on how many people exist and could take the time to partake in such committees.
by James | Feb 22, 2019 | Exploration I
How would the community grow over time?
I would like to see the community only grow at a natural and stable pace that if correctly managed will have savings for hard times, provide for the members and prepare a fund for a future community .The rather elegant system of biology and mitosis would seem an appropriate growth methodology (if done at a reasonable rate). when the community reach a certain size it first of all will remain stable gaining enough resources and savings to create a secondary community and training its members up to a sufficient level so when the savings and abilities of the communities reach a predefined level a secondary property is renovated by all available members followed by around half of the original community leaving to populate it.
As per mitosis and cell division each community can start to specialize and work on a specific expertise, science etc. and be a place where members can go to gain mastery in a discipline, the public can go to be educated or where organizations go to get technical support and help on a particular subject. One should always be careful of over specializing, over specialization breeds in weakness, it’s slow death.
by James | Feb 18, 2019 | Exploration I
How would the community be viewed by a government?
Which, to clarify means as a charity, foundation, enterprise, a Higher Education Corporation etc. etc.
Due to the intricate issues of law dependent on the country that the community resides this is not easy to answer. For example how would Islamic laws on finance affect savings for the community, how would a co-operative status in France adjust the way money is stored or given to individuals. What about healthcare, company obligations to pensions?
This is all further compounded by the community working for charities, taking money and “paying” members, generating “paid-for” services, ultimately then each community must chose the most appropriate available status based on what is available in the host country.
Ideally, the community shouldn’t be treated in a special way and should grow on its own merits, it should be an example of a functional independent society that provides a valuable service to the local community, nation, world and humanity without some hidden agenda and without proselytizing.
it should ask for favoritism either but rise or fall on its own merits.
by James | Feb 15, 2019 | Exploration I
How should relationships and families be integrated into the community?
The community, while sharing similarities with monastic orders has far more in common with a campus university or kibbutz. A working collaborative commune in which people will invariably fall in love, have families and of course disputes. Evidently, there should be no restrictions on what kind of relationships are formed nor should there be any discrimination against any kind of sexual preference of any consenting community members. Children and co-habitation should also be permitted and there should be at no point the feeling that community enforces an ideal state of on the family or relationship model (unless of course there are signs of abuse).
If someone wants to join the community who already has a family and potentially with a wife or spouse who is outside the community there should be some deliberation of the entrance committe.
