According to the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), there are four dimensions, pillars or ‘areas of regeneration’ when it comes to designing ecovillages. These are… social, cultural/worldview, ecological, and economic.

This page focuses on the social dimension. This is relevant not just for ecovillage design, but for any project involving a group of people working together towards a common goal.

Below are a variety of concepts, tools and techniques that can support groups co-creating and developing their projects.

Dragon Dreaming: co-creating collaborative projects

Dragon Dreaming is a design system for consensual participatory strategic planning for community-based projects. According to the Dragon Dreaming website, it was first developed by John Croft and his late wife Vivienne Elanta while they were working for the Western Australia Gaia Foundation, which they co-founded. (The ‘dragon’ reference derives from the Wagyl, a manifestation of the Rainbow Serpent in Australian Aboriginal mythology).

Dragon Dreaming is “a living systems approach to build successful organisations and projects for the Great Turning”. By way of explanation, one of the website’s factsheets states: “We are approaching what some call ‘the Great Turning’. It is as if the world itself wants us to be different, to act in a completely new way, and until we find that way, the pressures will keep growing, the risks rising, the stakes getting forever higher”.

The Dragon Dreaming has three principles for its win-win-win approach: personal growth, building community, and service to the Earth. And it focuses on four personality types: the dreamer, the planner, the doer and the celebrater. To increase the chances of a project succeeding, all projects need dreaming, planning, doing and celebrating; and also people who can bring those four energies to play within each stage.

A dreaming circle is a key part of the process. And John Croft recommends starting with a smaller project for 6-9 months before starting something larger.

For more on Dragon Dreaming, check out the links and video further below.

Communication skills & conflict management

• Group vision and identity – it is important to write down a vision and identity for the community group or project.
• Group agreements – these are usually live documents where a project or community group sets down how they intend to work together / relate to each other. Agreements can relate to punctuality, openness to dialogue, allowing each person to speak, confidentiality, no triangular conversations/gossiping, etc, etc.
• Group roles – these can include moderator/facilitator, time keeper, note taker and heart keeper (a person keeping an eye on the energy of the group).
• Non violent communication – this is an approach to communication based on the principles of nonviolence; aiming to increase empathy and improve the quality of life of those who utilise the method and the people around them – see video below.
• Feedback and appreciation – feedback should be ‘clear, specific, balanced, constant, yours’; and appreciation is a form of feedback.
• Rainer Maria Rilke (poet) – in summary… be patient towards unresolved matters, and rather than seek the answers, live the questions.
• Friedrich Glasl’s model of conflict escalation and resolution – one takeaway from this is… voice the conflict so others can be aware.
• Conflict is part of community. Conflict can even be an opportunity. Don’t make assumptions. Don’t try to resolve a conflict too early, without understanding the social factors that underlie it. Focus on the needs and feelings of yourself and others. Not all conflicts can be resolved. External support may be needed.

Leadership & participatory decision-making processes

• Leadership can be linked to a role or arises naturally. Who is the most competent in the moment? This can change over time (because like geese flying in a V-shape, the leader expends more energy, and others may need to take their turn). Self-leadership can also be important.
• A good leader holds space, protects the space/the community, brings the biggest energy, is at ease with the group, and leads by example. “Power with” (partnership, cooperation) may be preferable to “power over” (hierarchy, competition).
• Decision-making processes include autocratic (one person), consultative, oligarchy/minority, democracy/majority, and consensus.
• Consensus is most used in intentional communities, and involves active participation and empathetic listening. A variation is consensus minus one or two participants.
• Other common processes include sociocracy (a simple process that is faster than consensus) and holocracy (a more structured approach).

Relevant books

• The Work That Reconnects by Joanna Macy is about a form of group work ‘designed to foster the desire and ability to take part in the healing of our world’.
• Leading with Dignity by Donna Hicks is about ‘how to create a culture that brings out the best in people’.
• Sitting in the Fire by Arnold Mindell is about ‘large group transformation through diversity and conflict’.
• Confronting Conflict by Friedrich Glasl is ‘a first-aid kit for handling conflict’.

Acknowledgement

This page has been prepared using material from GEN’s Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) and the facilitators, speakers and participants on the course.

Videos

John Croft… first 4 to 5 mins introduces dragon dreaming

What is Non Violent Communication?

External links

Dragon Dreaming project design

Skill Building for a Culture of Collaboration (GEN-US)

Sociocracy for All

Related pages

Courses & connections

Intentional communities

Ideas for projects & communities (Cymru)

This page is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as advice or recommendation. It may not be comprehensive or up-to-date, and may omit important regulations, policies or criteria. You should do your own research and seek professional advice as appropriate before deciding your way forward. See website disclaimer / terms of use.