Cohousing-L Mailing List: Intergenerational Focus: Twin Oaks Communities Conference, Aug 29-Sep 1

[Michael McIntyre (michael]

I highly recommend attending this Twin Oaks Communities Conference.

This year has a strong program piece (below) on Intergenerational issues.
A great opportunity to explore the topic in more depth and visit Twin Oaks
community in Virginia!

-michael
        Sunward Coho has openings now in Ann Arbor, Michigan!
        www.sunward.org




---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 06 Jul 2003 08:40:04 -0400
From: Communities Conference <mccune [at] twinoaks.org>
Subject: Labor Day Conference 2003


This year's Communities Conference is being held on Labor Day Weekend
(August 29 - September 1, 2003). We invite you to join us. See old friends
and meet new ones, and immerse yourself in an environment of others who
value cooperative living.

We'd like you to know about the new program piece: Through the Generations
of Community, Stories from Community. We're also bringing back last years
successful new program piece, Utopian Architects, so plan to stay till
Monday afternoon.

THROUGH THE GENERATIONS

We're building a new society, and for it to last for generations to come
it must encompass the whole life cycle, from birth to death. Pioneering
communities are often filled with 20-, 30- and 40-somethings. But as a
community stabilizes, grows and ages, the age range of people that the
community will appeal to will broaden. And when youth and elders begin
living in a community, it is faced with a whole new set of important
challenges. A feature of this year's conference will be a series of three
panel discussions: Elders in Community, Youth in Community, and a
Cross-Generational Dialog.

ELDERS IN COMMUNITY

As communities age, so do their members. The communities movement has been
around a while and many communities benefit from having a diverse age
range of members. Issues about generational cultural differences, and how
to physically care for elders are emerging. It goes way beyond caretaking
of course. Elders can offer enormous gifts to a community through their
accumulated skills and wisdom. What can we learn from the mistakes Western
society is currently making around its treatment of Elders and have our
communities be places were people of all ages make valuable contributions?

YOUTH IN COMMUNITY

To say it bluntly, the return rate of community children is not good, with
some notable exceptions. Are we failing to provide for the social and
cultural needs of the next generation? This will be an opportunity for a
panel of young people living, raised and/or interested in community to
share and discuss about what worked, what didn't, and how it could be
better.

CROSS-GENERATIONAL DIALOG

We'll hear the important messages from each panel. We'll explore what
messages Elders and Youth have for each other, and how elders and youth
can be allies and support for each other.

STORIES FROM COMMUNITY

We recognize the importance of stories as developing a sense of our
cultural history, a feeling of togetherness, finding common
ground/bonds/experiences -- helping us know that we're not alone. Stories
are a way to convey/share lessons, to celebrate people, events, and look
at how far we've come and what we're doing - a source of inspiration and
strength. We want past and contemporary stories and anything from starting
communities to overcoming traumatic events to individual stories about
transformative experiences in community to funny interactions with
mainstream people or institutions.

UTOPIAN ARCHITECTS

Last year about 40 dedicated attendees stayed for the full four days to
try out this experiment in group visioning, networking and action
planning. Our imaginations journeyed to the year 2102, when the
Communities Movement has been wildly successful, and experienced that
world. We saw ourselves in that world, who we are and what we do. We
brought it back to the present, identifying the important areas of society
to be working in towards this vision We ended the session by self-tasking
Twin Oaks Communities Conferencethe next steps in making the vision a
reality. We're fine tuning this
piece and bringing it back to top off our four days of Community
experience and exploration. As always, it is your input, participation and
assistance that makes the Conference work. Here are some ways you can help
make the magic.

1 Post the enclosed flyer at your local co-op, alternative bookstore,
women's center, or anywhere you think interested people might see it.

2 If you are interested in the program pieces listed above, have a
workshop proposal or would like to lead a more informal activity (arts and
crafts, yoga, massage, etc.) contact us at conference [at] twinoaks.org .

3 Check out our web page: http://www.twinoaks.org/conference . You can
find out more information about the event, and register online.

4 Remember to register early. It helps us with planning.

5 Tell your friends about the Conference!

Whether or not you are able to help in any of these ways, we hope you will
be able to join us to celebrate our lives, share late summer moons, and
create community.

In community, Valerie, Sky, and Anissa


                  Information and Registration
                     conference [at] twinoaks.org
               http://www.twinoaks.org/conference

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