Cohousing-L Mailing List: Group vision/goals: Examples

[Rob Sandelin (robsan]

Nancy wight wrote:

 Here's an example of what we called our "primary goals" -
that with which we felt we could not do without:
        1. Less burdensome lifestyle (i.e. sharing, neighborliness, watching
           each other's kids, etc.)
        2. Affordable
        3. Ecologically sound practices
        4. Natural beauty, healing and serene (surroundings)
        5. Age diversity
        6. Not based on a particular idealogy or dogma
        7. Good schools (in the town we choose)

_______________________________________________________________

I would be intersted in seeing groups post their visons/ goals/ values 
statements.
Follows is Sharingwoods Principles and Commitments:

We have joined together on this land to create a mutually supportive 
community where there is respect, caring and appreciation of each other 
and our surroundings.

*  Where each person feels accepted and valued as they are.
*  Where decisions are reached through consensus.
*  Where responsible environmental choices are encouraged.
*  Where children and adults can play, grow and learn in a nurturing 
atmosphere.

I will do my best to:
        
 * Become conversant with the Articles, Bylaws, Declarations and any other
policies decided upon by the Sharingwood Community
 * Be attentive to the needs of the Sharingwood environment and community.
* Contribute my skills and talents to the Sharingwood Community.
* Be an active participant in the committees and governance of Sharingwood.
* Help resolve troublesome differences in the Sharingwood Community.

We also have a values statement which I don't have handy but states 
that we support the values of freedom of religion, family and sexual 
privacy, cooperation, non-violence, fairness and equal access.


It is interesting to note that none of these are inheirently political, 
yet in definition they are very political. For example our value of 
non-violence has been expressed in certain behaviors which  discourage 
kids from playing war, terrorist and toy guns are also frowned upon.  
They are not forbidden by any rule, just that the "cultural norm" of 
Sharingwood is that toy guns are inappopriate and several parents 
openly tell visiting kids that if they want to play with toy guns, 
their child will not participate.  When a new couple with two boys 
moved in they came with a small arsenal of toy guns.  There is no rule 
that toy guns are forbidden, but they picked up on the "culture" and I 
haven't seen a toy gun for months.   The value of non-violence  itself 
it pretty generic, the expression of the value is very political.  One 
of our works in progress is to clarify and define at least what some of 
our values are expressed as so that the "cultural norm" is clearly 
recognized and written down.  I think if we had started by stating no 
toys guns are allowed, it wouldn't have worked.  I think to write up 
our practiced norms, now that we live together, will be pretty easy 
because the behaviors are already being practiced.

Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood