“New worlds we shall build” Urszula Jabłońska
Some say the world as we know it is coming to an end. But within our world, there are other, smaller ones – in Europe alone, there’s hundreds of them. Some call them "communes" (although this word is associated with the disappointment of the generation of the 1960s) or "utopian communities" (a term for the more exalted ones among us). Others feel the word "community" is descriptive enough (it evokes a group of neighbors working together on their shared garden). The root of their foundation lies in common problems: the crises of democracy and religion, global capitalism or climate change. They often bring hope. Sometimes they struggle with authoritarianism.
The inhabitants of the Portuguese Tamera created a large lake on dry land, exhausted by cultivation. They believe that the philosophy of permaculture can help regenerate the world's arid areas, but this will be made possible only after the people manage to repair their damaged relationships.
In Christiania, Denmark, decisions are made by consensus of all of its 900 citizens (no matter how big or small – even when it comes to renovating a roof).
In a cooperative in Provence, everyone decides individually how much time they spend working (and whether they will bring hay or plant cabbage), but people don’t receive financial compensation for their work. Currency is unnecessary – everybody simply write down their needs on a piece of paper and the community makes an effort to provide.
It is a personal story of a reporter who feels helpless facing of the situation in the world. She sets off on a journey through European intentional communities - those that still exist and those, that did not manage to survive.
While some people say that the world as we know it is coming to an end, others keep reinventing it.
