Write as if it’s 2050 and Earth is a cooperative place. How did that come to pass?
Looking back, few would have believed that such a simple concept would change so much. And yet, the idea of bringing neighborhoods together as Villages caught on like wildfire.
But few saw what would happen next, as local connection ushered in a more resilient, more tolerant, more connected era of society. Many now agree that the huge steps in our grand reconstruction were made possible because of this powerful movement for local connectivity.
It all started when I finally accepted my calling.
In a moment of clarity, I realized that as much as I loved thinking about the grand problem, and how to orchestrate a grand solution, I wouldn’t be of much help without focus.
I’ve always enjoyed and been good at bringing people together. So that’s where I focused – through the forest of ideas to save the planet, I saw the tree of my contribution – bringing people together in their local neighborhoods.
Next I started forming Villages in workplaces, nonprofits, and neighborhoods. I got to know people with very different views on things, and instead of selling an idea or action, I simply became a friend, and offered a space to stay connected.
It was a strange concept to most – that we would come together with no agenda, only to connect. Most on the left really wanted to talk about environmental disasters, vegan diets, and minimalism. And on the right, folks wanted to avoid the politics and just get to know each other. Could such a divide be crossed?
New Villages sprung up, led by passionate community organizers who also saw their tree in the forest of solutions as local organizing. The first gatherings were sparsely attended. Those who showed up were either new to the area, or already invested in the idea of community building.
Still, each core group turned into hot furnaces of leadership for their neighborhoods, and within a few short years, they attracted hundreds to join their Villages, with weekly gathering attendance between 20 and 30.
Villages began to spring up in neighboring neighborhoods and cities, and national media helped form a narrative and generate excitement for folks to give Village a try.
The secret to the Village model, and why it was accepted by such a diverse group, was its liberating structures: just enough to keep things orderly, but not so much that people felt preached to, patronized, or constricted.
What happened next was truly remarkable – emergent. After building relationships within these neighborhood-based Villages, members who had passions for specific causes or ideas had space to share these, and other members listened. Minds were opened, and people began to change, slowly, to find value in the ideas others were sharing.
A decade later, when the proposal to change the national base powerload from coal to nuclear was being debated, Villages had spread to every state, and became the place where the many sides of this debate were discussed.
And when the Refugee Reformation Act was proposed to begin accepting millions more South Americans into the States, local communities responded quickly by offering to host new residents. And as they arrived, they quickly found a home at their local Villages.
Step by step, through the waxing and waning of wars, the changing of presidents, Villages continued to grow and connect people in ways that felt right, and respected the values most hold dear to their hearts.
Today, we are at a monumental place in human history, having finally released the shackles of greed and corruption that has burdened our journey towards justice for eons. For the first time, we have faced our demons as a united human race, admitted our wrongs, and are working productively to correct them.
As this grand project of healing our planet and our collective traumas unfolds over the coming generations, thanks to Villages we may also deeply enjoy each moment of life, connected, playing, creating, and sharing experiences together.
How did we do it? It took a Village.
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OLD
It all started back in 2020, when I invited a bunch of friends together for a potluck, and a gathering. I pitched the idea of starting a Village that would meet every month, so we could deepen our relationships and learn about and from each other. I wanted the feeling of a church without the doctrine or preacher. Much to my delight, people loved this idea!
Our gatherings moved to virtual and weekly during the COVID lockdown, and while many of the original group ended up leaving, new people joined with passion for the project. We became known as Village Seattle.
I kept experimenting by starting Villages in others communities, then things really took off in 2024, when pilot projects in Seattle and Boise began bringing neighbors together in regular gatherings.