dialog re: “I’d like to hear from you”

2004-03-23

Richard Moore

Friends,

Here are responses that came in to Sunday's posting. Notice that contributors 
email addresses are now disguised. "-at-" is used instead of @ too fool spam 
engines.

A request: please tell your friends & colleagues about this list if you
think it would be interesting for them.

cheers,
rkm

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From: "Claudia Woodward-Rice" <ricesofhi-at-hilobay.com>
To: <•••@••.•••>
Subject: RE: "I'd like to hear from you"...
Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2004 14:53:24 -1000

Hi Richard:

Even tho I'm a pretty independent soul, I have found myself thinking
more and more about intentional communities...as survival nodes in a
world becoming more and more authoritarian and zombie-like.  Wondered if
your visit in So. Oregon prompted similar thoughts? Are there small
cities or communities of like-minded people there?  In other countries?

Claudia
Hawaii

--------------

Dear Claudia,

I'm no expert on where one can find intentional communities, but I
suspect there are many of them around.  You might do a search on the
web. I did visit a co-op house in Eugene, and I felt that provided a
supportive and energetic environment for those like-minded folks. I
could see myself benefiting from such an environment economically,
socially, and as an encouragement to my work. But for now I find some of
the same benefits by living in a small town in Ireland where I can walk
everywhere and there is a real community spirit.

* Perhaps others can send in references or links to intentional
communities which I can publish *

cheers,
rkm

btw> what island are you on?

--------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2004 19:07:50 -0700
From: Winston Weeks <w.weeks-at-comcast.net>
To:  •••@••.•••
Subject: Re: "I'd like to hear from you"...

I am an old secular anarchist.

I really do appreciate your wonder efforts Richard.

Very bests,

Winston

-------

Dear Winston,

Thanks for your feedback. Can you say more about what 'secular
anarchism' means for you?

rkm

--------------------------------------------------------
From: "G. Gutenschwager" <gutensch-at-uth.gr>
To: <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Re: "I'd like to hear from you"...
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 09:31:21 +0200

Dear Richard, I appreciate very much the effort you put into your
reports and the information you make available to all of us. There is
just a small correction on your interpretation of democracy. It comes
from the ancient Greek DHMOS, OR DEMOS in English, where the H is the
letter HTA, or ETA in English, and it means as you rightly say, THE
PEOPLE. The word  CRACY comes from the Greek word KPATOS, or KRATOS in
English, and it means POWER, or more appropriate to this context the
STATE. (KRASI, by the way is the Modern Greek word for WINE, with its
own interesting etymology). Keep up the good work. G. Gutenschwager

-----------------

Dear G,

Thanks for your clarification of the etymology, but that was not my
interpretation of 'democracy', rather that of a contributor.

My own view is that the Greek system was not really democratic (even if
we ignore the condition of slaves and women). Too much authority was
vested in officials once they were elected, as is true of our system. My
understanding of true democracy involves participation by people
generally in setting policy and making decisions. This happened some in
Athens, but not enough for my definition of democracy. In addition,
Athens was an imperialist power, and for those outside Athens who were
affected it was not a democracy at all.

rkm

--------------------------------------------------------
From: "Brit Eckhart" <juniper-at-gis.net>
To: <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Re: "I'd like to hear from you"...
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 02:58:11 -0500

Dear Richard,

Here's a short, anecdotal definition of 'democracy' from C. Wright
Mills' "The Sociological Imagination" - might be useful to you:

"Democracy is, of course, a complicated idea about which there is much
legitimate disagreement. But surely it is not so complicated or
ambiguous that it may no longer be used by people who wish to reason
together.

....In essence, democracy implies that those vitally affected by any
decision have an effective voice in that decision. This, in turn, means
that all power to make such decisions be held publicly accountable."

Cheers, Brit

PS Have you a postal mailing address?

------------

Dear Brit,

Nice to hear from you; it's been a while.

I see that C. Wright Mills has an idea of democracy more in line with my
own, thanks for sharing that.

My address is:

        Quay Largo 
        Selskar Street
        Wexford, Ireland

Donations are welcome, but not tax deductible. Checks in any currency
accepted.

all the best,
rkm

--------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 11:56:52 -0500
From: Tom Healy <applepress-at-netdirect.net>
To: •••@••.•••
Subject: re: "I'd like to hear from you"...

Richard:

Since you asked to hear from us, I've attached a copy of a story I wrote
for a local Peace Journal about the Procott group's first "PlayShop."
Simply, procott is the opposite of boycott but you'll have to read the
whole thing.

Beyond acting as a consumer movement, procotting ties into your interest
in facilitation technology. I hope you can use the list to provide links
and contacts for all types of facilitation technology that avoid "power
over" relationships and stimulate "power with" interactions. It would be
helpful for us in the Peace & Social Justice Movements to put these
practices to good use.

Thanks for asking!

IN Peace, -Tom Healy

-------------

Dear Tom,

Thanks for your contribution. I like the positive flavor of procotting,
and the emphasis on facilitation.  Probably the best link to
facilitation technologies is Tom Atlee's site,
http://www.co-intelligence.org/.

(Please contact Tom Healy if you want a copy of his story.)

cheers,
rkm

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