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MEP Introduction
Our community consists of anyone dedicated to exploring physically and psychologically healthy alternatives to the modern Western mainstream life-style.
- We're passionate about the concept
- We're not "married" to the content
- We're open to change
This material is atraditional while supporting tradition
What to expect from the MEP
- Study Circle format
- Provides a paradigm
- A set of assumptions, concepts, values, & practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them [AHD3]
- Provides experience working in the paradigm
- We're facilitators not experts
- We're equals
- Sharing knowledge & experience
- Community format: Learning Circle / Talking Circle
What do we get out of this?
Increased awareness of:
- our implicit values & "rules."
- the relationships between individuals within a community.
- our spirituality & our relationship with the sacred.
- our place & function within the universe.
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Costs
- Time
- Resource materials — books, CDs, tapes, DVDs, on-line fees
- Obligation to pass it on
In participating, you have an obligation:
- to adapt it to your community's values. (Use what you find useful and discard the rest.)
- to use this information to promote healthful growth of and within your community.
- to pass it on to the next generation.
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Intentional community
- Everyone is equal
- An hour of your life is worth an hour of my life, and vice versa
- Everyone is expected to become an adult
- Accepting responsiblity
- Abiding by the standards & values of the community
- Every adult is expected to become an elder
- Every elder is expected to pass on their experience
- Elders are not expected to fulfill all possible functions of an elder
- Everyone has an obligation to return the energy they have received from their community
- Diversity is supported, while maintaining commonality
- Survival
- Long-term viability
For change to occur an individual or a group:
- needs to be open to change.
- needs to have clearly define goals.
- needs an emotional commitment.
- needs to maintain focus on the goals.
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Consensus
- Is not 100%
- Is the great majority (90+ %)
- Everyone is expected to abide by the consensus, for the good of the community
- Does not prohibit openly working to change the consensus
Dealing with "troublemakers"
- Acceptance into the community
- Withdrawal / non-coercive behavior modification
- Ostracism
An it Harm None
- An impossibility
- Living "softly"
- An ideal to work towards
- Take only what you really need
- Making the smallest possible wave
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