7-1-2009     With expectation comes disappointment, and, man, am I a sucker for it; hits me like a truck I didn’t see coming. I try to have general ideas about and be prepared for what I might encounter, but I also try to remain open to being wrong. Being wrong, another one of those things that takes getting used to. It’s good when you do, though. It’s like seeing the world through a photographer’s lens; there just seems to be more there.    The community environment, the continued learning and sharing, and the awareness of the connectivity of our lives, our surroundings, and their interactions are all core values I believe the IPEC eco-village embraces. I imagine the consensus decision-making processes, shared chores and care-taking, along with group building and dialogue will be comparable to some of my experiences within the “activist” community; i.e. community minded people that organize affinity groups and enact change.    A deep concern for the entirety of species that inhabit this living planet and a concerted effort to reduce our species’ footprint on it are also qualifications I feel an eco-village would inherently possess.     In my mind, selfless values, group determination, and the implementation of sustainable processes comprise the foundation of an eco-village community. The people within it must be ready, willing, and able to adapt to changes in their community, just as the natural environment around them responds to its own fickle nature.     An eco-village can manifest in the “real” world, but it will be, and should be, a continuing process or evolution. Personal choice on a collective level determines the success or failure of any endeavor. Therefore, I do not expect much from ideas. They do not have inherent intentions. An eco-village is a sound and possible idea. However, it’s fate lies in the wills of the members (long and short term) who make up an eco-village’s community.     For the individual and the group, there can be many hurdles and hoops a eco-village must jump over and through in order to maintain its survival. There will always be debates about directions and processes that should be followed; and there should be, as the result affects the whole community. Debate allows for the refinement and improvement of an idea. Despite the occasional frustration, debate and dialogue can be helpful and welcomed.     Challenges can occur from outside the “intentional” community of an eco-village as well as from within. Local governments and changing administrations could be hindrances to starting and established eco-villages through various regulations and taxes. Businesses and individuals could challenge land rights of a proposed eco-village location. Additionally, other local communities, in both urban and rural settings, may be hesitant to work closely with an eco-village as a result of a preconceived idea. Of course, the environment in an area could also change drastically, presenting new challenges for the community.     Despite the possible scenarios. I believe I could live in an eco-village during my lifetime. I feel like I have a lot to contribute, contributions to make, and the will to create change. Life on an eco-village can have clearer purpose and greater rewards, seeing the fruits of the collective effort of one’s eco-village community. Laborers today are rarely given the satisfaction of completing a project as jobs become more specialized. Eco-villages intend to maintain the sustainability of the community. Therefore, individual knowledge is more fluid, covering a greater area, and making the community as a whole more adaptable.  Any problems that might arise would be overcome as a group. Together, as was our species’ original mode of living, people can surmount a variable number of obstacles.

Peace and Solidarity***RAIN***