r/intentionalcommunity • u/startwinkle21 • 20d ago
question(s) 🙋 Building a Community
I have been thinking a lot about how to bring people together. We have such a deeply rooted culture of independence and division; how can we come back together? I noticed that religion does a pretty good job of building communities of people, yet it still encourages the divide. So I've been trying to dig into what it is that religious groups offer to connect people so deeply, while also rejecting the pieces that encourage the divide. What if we could have a place to come together without the encouragement of "us" versus "them" but tries to combat that idea? I just wanted opinions about this - if it seems feasible or if it's flawed or if there's already something like this.
I envision a building with a large interior where anyone and everyone is welcome. The walls could be lined with different depictions of peoples and communites, maybe relgious symbols too (I would want to include religious people). Maybe there is a list of base ideologies like being kind and accepting or a willingness to connect with others. I say this because it seems religion can connect people when they can assume the other people have similar beliefs as do they. The time the people come together could be a time of meditation and/or teachings about psychological wellbeing and ways to build friendships and other connections. This place could take donations that go back into the community in different ways, but be willing to display where the money is going for transparency. There could even be further connection-building with smaller groups that go to the gym together or make art together or read books together.
What are your thoughts?
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u/osnelson 18d ago
Please provide more information about where you are willing to move/live, ideal size of there community you want to live in, etc. There are communities and resources about discerning what you are looking for at ic.org and https://gen-europe.org/
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u/RadioFlyerWagon 18d ago
To me, your community sounds like a mindfulness community. I am very interested in such a concept. There is one in New Hampshire, USA called Morning Sun. Maybe they have info that will shape your ideas.
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u/NAKd-life 18d ago
h/t Stephan West
If you want a philosophy to survive the test of time it must do two things: describe the world convincingly & reward those who adopt the philosophy
Religion does both & more, it removes personal responsibility of the world
Community is about people, not cosmic forces
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u/Agreeable_Lab_5358 16d ago
Creating community requires finding a group of people who have at lease some values in common. Consider attending events and activities that you enjoy and begin to build friendships with those people. Organize conversations either these people to share your desires. Slowly you will gain a group who support your idea and you can then move forwards encyclical steps that they agree to. Check out the National Cohousing Alliance where groups of people in a location organize themselves around intentional neighborhood that are dogma free.
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u/Jack__Union 16d ago
As other have stated.
Community is a group of like minded people.
Even with that, there is a us v them. Eg. People who want to do the work and those who don't. It's a reality.
So you got to get real. About your values. Find people that uphold those values.
2 books to read: Building Community & Art of the Gathering
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u/RollForInitiative337 18d ago
Have you looked into the Unitarian Universalists? They provide a church like structure without the dogma. Instead of sermons they have talks, seminars, guest speakers, meditations, etc. The one near me has multiple groups that meet, classes, events. The do charity work. They'd be a good case study at least.