Next First Friday

Exploring successful intentional community: Findhorn

The US and the world face multiple crises of epic global proportions. The AIDS pandemic, religious fundamentalism and war, global climate change, and other overwhelming problems cannot be dealt with by the social and political structures that have provided our cultural infrastructure for many decades, if not centuries.

Amid the enormity of the problems, millions of people find themselves united in a longing for simple human connection, for integrity, dignity, familiarity, common purpose and intention. Creating the new structures, or nurturing them to emerge, is the task of the 21st century.

Developing new models for community and polity rooted in simple, organic forms and practices is key to shifting the world away from a suicidal track of injustice, consumption, inequality, and resource extraction. Finding fresh ideas and examples to build on is an important step to creating real change.

Ancient and revisited models of community are crucial to this work and fortunately, resources for us to learn from do exist, in both the past and the present. The epitome of a successful intentional community is Findhorn, near Inverness in the northern coast of Scotland. Begun some 40 years ago, today Findhorn is home to 350 members and their families, with a larger extended community living in the surrounding area.

This exceptional community was founded on the principles of faith, trust, creativity, and manifestation. In the 1960s, Findhorn drew the attention of the back-to-the-land movement throughout the world with the gentle nature of this community and its prodigious organic gardens nursed out of harsh, cold, sandy northern soils.

Still thriving, the Findhorn Foundation (its current name) embodies a blend of spirit and practicality, living out a refreshing and hopeful vision for the world.

Mark Nedleman has spent time at Findhorn and made presentations on their behalf for four years. Mark will show a short film, talk about his Findhorn experience, and then facilitate a discussion on the potential for creating community in cities, in rural areas, in our neighborhoods.

First Friday

First Friday is a time to meet good people, share good food, exchange ideas and information, and connect with community. Bring a vegetarian or vegan dish to share if you can. The food is always great, the conversation lively, the topic discussions thoughtful.