To Matter and Belong with Gina Sim:

“People who don’t know they matter are more likely to cause harm than those who have a clear sense of their place in the human family.” Miki Kashtan. So many of us long for living among folks who see us for who we are and appreciate our gifts; a place where when we return home to our little villages, we feel a beautiful sense of belonging and interdependence. This is the driving force bringing us to cohousing communities around the world. When we achieve the goal of making it to the very place that we know will fulfill our dreams, we are likely to have the expectation that our need to matter and belong will be instantly and forever met. It is when that need gets threatened that the potential for conflict arises. Conflict within communities is both natural and painful. This is why we need systems in place connecting with conflict from the simple to the complex. Just knowing these systems are in place can give us peace of mind. It is my intention to share the basics of what it takes to sustain our communities where conflict is concerned. You will learn about the elements of effective empathy, how to give and receive feedback and hopefully much more from the systems that Pioneer Valley Cohousing Community has put in place through their Care and Counsel Circle.

Permaculture: Ecological Design for Communities in the Climate Change Era with Connor Steadman: 

By understanding and regenerating the patterns and processes of ecosystems, communities can be designed for resilience in the face of climate disruption.

This workshop will explore permaculture design principles and solutions for climate adaptation in communities in Connecticut and beyond, including stormwater; drought management, biodiversity restoration, resilient home and agricultural food production, and the social and community implications of landscape; building design. We will move between studio and field experiences using the property development process at Rocky Corners as a living case study for community-scale ecological design.

Dynamic Governance or Sociocracy with Ted Rau:

Many communities, including cohousing communities worldwide, are using Dynamic Governance (DG, or ‘sociocracy’) to self-manage, enjoying its clarity and ease. DG is fun to experience, so in this workshop, we’ll try it out and reflect together: how can we hear all voices and still get things done?

Sustainability Panel with Connor Stedman, Jim Childress and a Rocky Corner Community Member

Toward an Ethic of Food Sharing, from Farm to Table. Discussion prompted by Dick Margulis, facilitated by Ted Rau:

Breaking bread together is an ancient way to promote community and comity. But what if that “bread” is food you’re morally opposed to eating? The social center of many communities revolves around shared meals. What are the ethical considerations when shared community values give way to diverse personal values? How do those considerations affect the kinds of food grown on a farm the community owns in common? How do they affect the kinds of food served at common meals? And how do they affect the viability of the community? Participants will model a sociocratic proposal-forming process to demonstrate a way to discuss these potentially contentious issues.

Permaculture in The Field with Connor Stedman:

Let’s take what you learned this morning and see how it applies in the outside real world! ATTENTION: Stay tuned for a unique delivery description of this session as we shift this event online.

Rocky Corner Tour:

At the end of this day we invite you to join us for a walking tour of Rocky Corner. As we show you the grounds and interiors of a few of our homes, we will talk about our the sustainable construction and permaculture design. And if you are up for a longer hike, we will follow our Land Trust easement path that connects to wooded and lakeside conservation trails. ATTENTION: This session will likely be in the form of a virtual tour of the common house, homes and the property, stay tuned as we shift this event online!