RE: My ecoVillage model
As for return, I hope and plan for the Ecovillage to be a place where no one pays a percentage to the village. Instead, people invest their money in their community.. For instance, I want a new compost area in the village, and I have some money I made from my massage. I can take that money, and buy the community a new compost area. (bad example, as you would build one, but you get what I mean..)
I see it as Fukuokas compost theory. Instead of going around, chopping down, building compost piles, turning them, and then going around spreading it throughout, why not just chop and drop, and let the ground do the rest?
Instead of going around, asking people for money, meeting, deciding what to do with the money, going around and giving it back to the people to do the work, why not instead just let people keep their money, and they will invest it themselves.
This may sound naive, utopian, and downright rediculous (as some people have told me) but I've seen it work.
In fact, it's the only way to ensure quality work. When people a feel invested, not just with their buck, but with their heart.
we have to chat some of this out ,, maybe this is one point that we see things differently,, im not 100% if i am reading it right.,. are you saying that anyone making money does not share any of it with ecoVillage?
Instead they just ' do their own thing; in terms of financing their ideas?
What i like about sharing some of the percentage back is:
Theres more actually, but that gives you an idea of my thinking.
Also worth mentioning that the process of spreading this out can be done quite easily if its though through well. First off is anyone making money would give a portion of profits direct to ecoVillage rather than to individuals (unless they are paying people for their time (staff).. THat makes that step very easy. Then ecoVillage will distribute that to the community as appropriate (this part needs some careful thought)..
Maybe something along the lines of:
1 40% of the money received is distributed equally among all members
Thats just a rough idea.. but you get the idea.
this might be one to chat verbally on as its gets a tad complicated
some people will do, some people not, that can create a bit of tension if the people that do it, expect everybody to do it but they shouldn't expect that, it's gonna be interesting :-)
So, how multiracial, multinational are you thinking? Will you be very oriented towards people from your country or do you think that will absolutely not be the case? It is my experience that Hebrew finds Hebrew and it quickly becomes a Tel Aviv experience. The problem being that not many non Israeli's speak Hebrew and it is also not easy to learn.