The development of this project continues to be
fascinating in all the directions it has taken us. Through meeting people that
are interested in building community, I've been introduced to many other
projects that show that our neighbors can be the ones to help us achieve our
goals, whether it is living sustainably, supporting each other when we are in
need, growing and eating healthy food, or turning art into action. So many
articles to read now! It felt like a
watershed; once I discovered one group that had this focus (Our Time Bank), everyone shared
their experiences and soon I learned about so many local and national
organizations. A few of those are the Transition groups, the Learning Garden, nonprofits
that group members have started, and the You Are Here project.
I am so happy to partner with the project "You
Are Here: Intentional Community Los Angeles" to host events throughout the
next year. Please find us on www.meetup.com
and join the events: http://www.meetup.com/You-Are-Here-Intentional-Community-Los-Angeles/
“You are Here” is a group that holds discussions
about building community and skill-builders like group communication.
This is a larger group of people than the cohousing discussion group, and most
events are open to the public. It has a broader scope of topics, of which cohousing
is one, and it is a good complement to our discussions and search for resources. There is much more to this group and its history
than I can add here. We are learning so much about facilitating group
conversations, and it has been overwhelming how much people have responded to
the style of dialogue that the facilitator has guided us through using principles
from the book “The Art of Convening.” In
a short time, I feel like I have gotten to know many of the participants and
their stories. What it means to have a
sense of community or neighborhood is different in Los Angeles! We talk about the challenges of getting to
meetings and making the time, which are real barriers. I have been so impressed
that many people deal with busy schedules and brave the traffic because they
are so committed to this issue. The group is very open to ideas and suggestions
for topics, field trips, and organizations to partner with. Please post your
thoughts in the discussion board of the Meetup page. I'm looking forward to
future conversations.