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Charles Eisenstein's avatar

Hey everyone, I brought the concerns raised in these comments to Marcelo, the main co-founder of the project. Here is the recording of the webinar in which he addresses some of them (see below). https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/7YtYG89tUK8OYY61-3InAjfs_ANs1hqKFV6my6bVfYn7Pcbtyh-7xvuIroZ8uVKQ.EfmtfCMgRKxMBeM3He invited me to be on a webinar with him on Thursday, where he will take some time to address them. He says it is much more locally integrated and practical in its social and environmental commitments than people assume. But I will raise the questions in the webinar. It will be on Thursday, 1pm EST. I will post the link when I get it. Obviously, I won't be able to raise ALL of the concerns posted here, and I want to give him the space to espouse his vision and not just answer criticism, but he is willing to engage and I think these questions are important. OK Here is the link https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sDpyWntPTIao3DlOnlWlew?utm_campaign=Lauching%20Campaign&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=245833077&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_QZ1V8TEYDuxWXV0dXuwQDZU97V9YhC8R07_pTpQ2Q2jnF_N1l7yqsDOhv8F93l0yiJB78VbBCmi3W6XKR8rAsHZFokg&utm_content=245833077&utm_source=hs_email

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Brian H's avatar

I am skeptical that the morphic field created by the privileged creating liferafts abroad (I presume mostly American expats that profited from the madness of being in the imperial center before escaping) will do much to heal the world.

It seems to me that it will only create more fear and loathing in the have-nots, which will eventually spill over into violence, requiring totalitarian methods from the privileged to protect their life boats (more police, more militarization). Not too long before they turn into the equivalent of country clubs. Havens of seeming peace that require brutal violence elsewhere to sustain.

For these ecovillages to create a morphic field that can truly heal the world, inclusion of the downtrodden in the places you are fleeing, and the people of the places you are settling, needs to be more than an afterthought. People need to feel that these are life rafts for all of humanity, not just those who managed to amass a fat enough bank account. Otherwise, we will only be perpetuating the old paradigm of power over and control.

I think the world needs bolder visions than this. Truly post-capitalist ones, if communities like this are to succeed in the face of growing social unrest and inequality.

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