Eastwing Intentional Community documentary

[Ultralight]

This is a great short-form documentary about the Eastwind intentional community in the Ozarks.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpvClTxHBe8

The interviews and scenes are candid and intriguing. I highly recommend this!

[dado potato]

As they say, they are reaping the benefits of simplicity (and cooperation, and consensus).
It was stated by one of the East Wind members that their incomes were below the poverty line, so I assume their medical care is provided by MO Healthnet (Medicaid)

The egalitarian basis is labor hours: each individual needs to make 35 hours per week, and the managers of the various labor centers are responsible for accurately logging each individual's hours. (The managers are elected by the workers from among themselves... imagine egalitarian managers!) I understand from the East Wind blog that over 15 years, 607 people contributed labor in three "Realms": Industry, Farm and Domestic. I note that labor hours are credited for pregnancy childcare and schooling and regarded as being in the Domestic Realm.


The Board of Directors is selected randomly from the membership for an annual term. The Board meets weekly. The policies decided by the board (over the years since 1973) comprise a 100-page document entitled "Legispol".


Some members have been there for many years. I do not have any information on how they might develop equity that they could "take with them" (sell to the commune) when they leave or retire. Is it like being vested in an Employee Share Ownership Plan? Or when a person decides to leave, must they leave all their sweat equity behind. If 607 people contributed labor, and 70 are continuing to do so, then it seems likely that up to 537 people have left, one way or another. I am curious if they left East Wind empty-handed, or what?

[rosarugosa]

Wow, that was really cool. Thanks for sharing, Ultralight.

[lmerullo]

I enjoyed this, thanks!