In this season of spring cleaning and yard tidying and seed sowing, I've been thinking about how wonderful it would be to have a community of people share in this work with me – and of course to share in the satisfying results as well. Thoughts of various kinds of communal living have been floating through my mind, many of them carrying me back to Windsong, the inspiring co-housing community I visited this March in Langley, B.C.

With its colourful homes, various clubs and activities, and the commitment to community that each of its members has made, my short time at WindSong has stayed with me, and got me reflecting on the meaning of home, and on what kind of home I want to create.

This season, as you dig deep to spring clean your house, I invite you to not just clear out the cobwebs and boxes of unneeded items, but to also find ways to shift your ‘house’ closer to being your best ideal of home. Building welcoming, supportive homes where family and friends gather together is a key part of creating welcoming, supportive communities.

HANDPICKED HIGHLIGHTS FROM SEEKINGCOMMUNITY.CA

A re-emergence of my New Years Appeal [By: Paul Born]

The second week of May  might not seem a likely time to highlight a New Years appeal, but talking about the power of community to change, well... everything, seems to me like a topic for any time of the year. In January, I wrote that community is where the best hope for a peaceful and sustainable future lies. With that in mind I asked that everyone who is part of seekingcommunity.ca engage generously with the site and use it to share thoughts and dreams and wisdom and questions about community. Now, with many new members joining us, and others who we have yet to hear from, I am sending this request once more. I built this site with a vision for creating an online forum for community conversations, a kind of virtual kitchen table around which there is room for all. Thank you for being part of seekingcommunity.ca, I hope to soon get to hear from and converse with each of you. Read More >> | Engage with Paul >>

Do We Exclude?
By: Donna Jean Forster-Gill
Read Blog >>
Engage with Donna Jean >>
Tortillas at Dawn
By: Joyce Hollyday
Read Blog >>
Engage with Joyce >>Courage - to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart
By: Laura Stavro-Beauchamp, featuring inspiring TED talk by Brene Brown
Read Blog >>
Engage with Laura >>Community: Beware, it might be counterfeit or just another commodity
By: Bruce D. Watson
Read Blog >>
Engage with Bruce >>

IN THE LIBRARY

i - What Do I Want More of in My Life

This is part five of a five part series called Why Am I Seeking. In this section I discuss my desire for 'easy' community building, or at least easier and less structured ways to encounter community and make meaningful connections. Read More >>

emergency preparedness - Peaceful Society

This is part two of a five-part series called Community Engagement and Healing in Times of Disaster: Retrieving the Wisdom of Those in Need. Among other thought questions, this section asks us to consider how we can respond to disaster with dignity and act in accordance with the lived experience of others. Read More >>

LEARNING TOGETHER

Sharing is easy on Seekingcommunity.ca [By: Nola Poirier]

Read a really great blog or want an easy way to share your own? You can use the 'share' features on the bottom of each blog to easily send one of your posts (or someone else's) to your Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn account, or even send it as an email. Simply click on the logo of the site you want to share to from the bottom of the blog you want to share, and with just a couple more clicks, it will appear on the appropriate account.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• June 14 & 16: Conversation, Collaboration and Community Change Workshop featuring Paul Born
• Oct 3-7: 2011 Communities Collaborating Institute

More details >>

CONTACT US

The Seekers Journal is brought to you by:

Tamarack - An Institute for Community Engagement
5 Father David Bauer Drive, Suite 106
Waterloo , Ontario N2L 6M2
Tel: 519-885-5155
Fax: 519-885-4454
Email: admin@seekingcommunity.ca
Web: http://seekingcommunity.ca
Web: http://tamarackcommunity.ca

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