Our First Intentional Community Seminar with Diana Leafe Christian

Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities

by Diana Leafe Christian
foreword by Patch Adams



An intentional community is a group of people who have chosen to live or work together in pursuit of a common ideal or vision. An ecovillage is a village-scale intentional community that intends to create, ecological, social, economic, and spiritual sustainability over several generations.

Creating a Life Together is the only resource available that provides step-by-step, practical "how-to" information on how to launch and sustain a successful ecovillage or intentional community. Through anecdotes, stories, and cautionary tales about real communities, and by profiling seven successful communities in depth, the book examines "the successful 10 percent" and why 90 percent fail; the role of community founders; getting a group off to a good start; vision and vision documents; decision-making and governance; agreements; legal options; finding, financing, and developing land; structuring a community economy; selecting new members; and communication, process, and dealing well with conflict.

Sample vision documents, community agreements, and visioning exercises are included, along with abundant resources for learning more.


Flip chart minutes from our IC Shehaqua seminar with Diana:

Handouts from the IC Seminar with Diana - downloadable by topic

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Differences Between Governance & Decision-Making in Communities
Difference between Governance & Decision
Adobe Acrobat Document 160.1 KB
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Twelve Antidotes for "Structural Conflict"
Twelve Antidotes for Structural Conflict
Adobe Acrobat Document 147.3 KB
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The 19 Steps: How People Typically Start a Community
This is the short version - summary
The 19 Steps How People Typically Start
Adobe Acrobat Document 112.8 KB
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The 19 Steps: How People Typically Start a Community - LONG VERSION
The community is not "finished" with Step 19, of course, but continues through time , as an ever-evolving learning process of creating the physical, economic, and social/cultural/spiritual infrastructure. Here are more details about each step or process:
The 19 Steps How People Typically Start
Adobe Acrobat Document 273.9 KB
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The Great Land-Buying Adventure
The Great Land-Buying Adventure.pdf
Adobe Acrobat Document 274.8 KB
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Selecting Land for an Ecovillage or Intentional Community
Selecting Land for an Ecovillage or Inte
Adobe Acrobat Document 143.2 KB
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Why Your Forming Community Needs a Legal Entity
Consider the consequences if you don’t have a legal entity. Serious, potentially community-stopping conflicts can arise.
Why Your Forming Community Needs a Legal
Adobe Acrobat Document 132.8 KB
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Why to Not Use Tenants in Common or Joint Tenancy
Any of you may sell, mortgage, or give your ownership interest in the property to anyone you wish — someone who isn't a community member — and the new owner becomes the new Tenant in Common with the rest of you. Any disgruntled community member can force the sale of the property to get his or her money out.
Why to Not Use Tenants in Common or Join
Adobe Acrobat Document 116.5 KB
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Legal Entities & Legal Documents Used in Communities
Ten reasons why intentional communities use legal entities (and legal documents like leases, deeds, & contracts, and legal processes like easements) and how they choose them:
Legal Entities & Legal Documents.pdf
Adobe Acrobat Document 211.9 KB
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Four Kinds of Legal Entities Communities Commonly Use to Own Property
Four Kinds of Legal Entities Communities
Adobe Acrobat Document 95.2 KB
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How Four Intentional Communities Combine Multiple Legal Entities
Because this project is so unusual, we have had to create a complex framework to fit both our needs and the expectations of the legal and financial worlds.
How Four Intentional Communities Combine
Adobe Acrobat Document 190.6 KB
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Vision, Mission, Aim of a Community
Vision Mission Aim of a Community.pdf
Adobe Acrobat Document 233.2 KB
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The Consensus Method of N St. Cohousing
With resources and sample agenda
The Consensus Method of N St Cohousing.p
Adobe Acrobat Document 345.2 KB
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A Clear, Thorough Membership Process
State the kinds of qualities you want in members (mature, confident, etc.), with the kinds of interests and skills you want.
A Clear Thorough Membership Process.pdf
Adobe Acrobat Document 202.9 KB
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Qualities of Founders
Cost, Number of Years, Number of Founders, Qualities of Founders
Qualities of Founders.pdf
Adobe Acrobat Document 172.9 KB
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Community Start-up Expenses
Probable/Possible Costs to Forming-Community Groups
Community Start-up Expenses.pdf
Adobe Acrobat Document 165.2 KB