We were introduced to the concept of the mandala process for identifying goals through a workshop led by Robina McCurdy, co-founder of a community in New Zealand, who works internationally in community development and permaculture design.
A mandala is a circular design which, in this context, is a tool for diagramming an intentional community's core values, principles and attitudes, and activities. It is our hope that by agreeing on our core values, our principles and attitudes will naturally grow out of those core values. And likewise, our activities and structures on the land will be in alignment with our principles and attitudes in each topic area.
When you click on each section of the graphic below, you will see the concepts we have discussed in each topic area and at each level, with items on which we have reached consensus marked with an asterisk. We have found this process to be a way of grounding ourselves in our core values and defining our principles and attitudes as we plan our specific activities and structures on the land. We have found it relatively easy to agree on the core values, while it has been more challenging to translate those core values into principles we can articulate and specific activities we can agree to carry out. When questions arise around a controversial or confusing topic, it has proved to be very helpful to return to the mandala for guidance.
Click on each section of the Mandala to view the items that PTEV members have consensed on.
View PDF format of all the tables of consensed topics: Click Here to download it.
PROCESS:
ACTIVITIES
*asterisk items consensed:
Seek consensus
Facilitate
Resolve conflicts using conflict resolution tools such as NVC, etc.
Create celebrations and rituals
Create sacred space
Plan and carry out community-building activities
Promote the use of the mandala for goal-setting
PROCESS:
PRINCIPLES & ATTITUDES
*asterisk items consensed:
Honest, compassionate and direct communication *
Inclusive decision-making *
Maintain alignment with core values *
Nurture the spiritual dimension *
Stimulate community interdependence *
Address all conflicts
ECONOMICS:
ACTIVITIES
*asterisk items consensed:
Have at least 2 rentals *
Apply for grants *
Internal loan fund *
Use the Ecological Footprint as one tool to measure group consumption
Use Operation and Maintenance (O&M) costs as part of true cost projections
Apply for grants, donations, subsidies, including for low-income access *
Create not-for profit entities *
Economic/class diversity trainings *
Car sharing *
Develop community businesses to generate income *
Hold educational activities as a community business *
