Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Cohousing-L Digest, Vol 89, Issue 9

[kkudia (kkudia]

I think that ideological issues as a National Organization differs than 
individual CoHo Communities. Individual CoHo communities arrived at their 
various values/action/life style positions by consensus.They reflect their 
members, the issues in their community etc.Kinda of grassroots impact. The 
National CoHo organization represents a variety of CoHo Communities and 
represent them. Perhaps there needs to be a National CoHo consensus 
mechanisms when these issues come up. I am all in favor of a united stance 
in challenging and confronting injustice etc, on various levels both 
individually, community and Nationally. Perhaps issues like these could be 
discussed in CoHo communities voted upon then pooled into a National CoHo 
consensus. That would require each CoHo community to be  in agreement with 
the issue, a powerful statement although I wonder if it could work? How 
could National CoHo arrive at a consensus? I suspect it would certainly 
prioritize. Or is there a mechanism already i.e. board? Then there is the 
international level of joining with other CoHo Communities to make global 
statements?

Just thinking out loud.

Karen
Anthony Fl



> Maybe on some abstract level cohousing communities have no ideology,
> but since everything we do (or choose not to do) in life,
> as individuals or as a community, expresses some ideology, I think it
> would be a great step forward if the idea that communities
> have no ideology gets replaces by an honest effort to own up-front to
> what are the values/ideology a given community does possess.
>
> In our community, on many occasions when someone wished to do
> something to promote an environmental agenda, someone
> would object on the grounds that "we have no ideology"...  To put it
> another way, the reigning ideology for those who object
> to an ideology is the capitalist/status quo world we live in and
> with.  Yet, most of us (in my community, and I suspect in many) does
> want to promote an environmental agenda, as well as some other
> progressive agendas.  Defining which issues we support, and *to what
> extent*
> we commit ourselves as a community to support them might be a better
> way to go than adhering to the current mantra.
>
> Racheli.
>
> >
> > I've never worked at a place that had a union so I guess I'm in the
> group that Sharon refers to. However, I don't think that automatically
> makes me unsympathetic or automatically makes me see the issue as
> unimportant.
>
> I actually see the issue as VERY important. But I also separate that
> view from my decision to act. I do that because I see many, many issues
> as important and I have to select from them all which ones I actively
> support. So please forgive me if this particular issue does not rise
> high enough on my personal list of causes.
>
> Looking at Coho in general and the US organization specifically, I
> wonder if this issue rises close enough to the top of the organization's
> list of issues for the organization to act on it. From the discussion so
> far I would say probably not. At least my sense is that we are not close
> to consensus.
>
> Doug C.