Greetings dear friends!
This is an invitation to gather and begin the visioning and initiation of the 1st official Local Earth Village!
(Please READ this ENTIRE invitation – there is important information all throughout!)
I am specifically inviting YOU because I see and feel you as an AUMazzzzinggg human being that is dedicated to living with intention and purpose in a way that honors the health and well-being of the planet as a whole. I see you as an inspiring steward and lover of Gaia… Pachamama… Mother Earth. I see you as someone who respects others and lives from a heart-centered space of love and compassion. I deeply respect you and would be honored to co-create and live in commUnity with YOU!
Please RSVP ASAP to CONFIRM your attendance so we can plan accordingly for the logistics of the gathering. Saying “YES” on Facebook does not confirm your participation… to CONFIRM please complete the form linked toward the bottom of this invitation. Please READ ALL of the information in this invitation BEFORE completing the form.
The intention of this gathering is to form our initial core village team & support team. There will 3 distinct ways people can participate in this gathering and move forward with the project.
- Zone #1 (Village Residents) – those with an interest to plan, design, develop, build and LIVE in the 1st Local Earth Village as residents (we will most likely be starting with 12 core team members that want to help plan, build and LIVE in the 1st Living Cluster).
- Zone #2 (Co-Creation Team) – those with an interest to be part of the co-creation process (yet not necessarily live in the village)… planning, design, development, building and implementation of the 1st Local Earth Village (with option and potential interest to be full-time Village Residents at some time in the future).
- Artist Residency (Development Team) – artists with an interest to co-create an Artist Residency program and live in the village part-time (with option and potential interest to become full-time Village Residents at some time in the future).
This is an INVITE ONLY event specifically for YOU… please do NOT share this invitation with others. If you feel there is someone that is meant to be part of this gathering that is not already invited, please contact me and let me know the details. If it feels aligned and resonant I will send an invitation.
Details and Logistics
Location: Local Earth Village @ Ecotopia Ranch (10622 W Lilac, Valley Center CA 92082)
Date: 3/20/20 – 3/22/20
Thursday (optional arrival day for those camping & dinner)
- Anytime after 3:00pm people can arrive to set up camp
- Everyone invited to dinner @ 6:00 at the Yellow Deli in Valley Center
Friday (Day #1 private – event participants only)
- Welcoming & Opening Circle – Connection
- Sharing overview of vision, intention and plan
- Facilitated exercises to connect, cultivate teamwork and build trust
- Facilitated exercises to clarity the village vision and development strategies
Saturday (Day #2 public Equinox Celebration)
- This is a public celebration of the equinox and Phase 1 completion of the village
- Potluck – share yummy, healthy food
- Panel Discussion with members of our village and other nearby villages (topics will include governance models, decision making, interpersonal relations, village communication, highlights and biggest challenges)
- Cacao Ceremony (we are asking everyone to consider a $5 donation if you would like cacao – if you are camping and already contributed your $20 there is no need for further donation)
- Fire Circle – music & dancing
Sunday (Day #3 private – event participants only)
- Strategic planning sessions & development discussions
- Village location options, details, land & finances
- Team formation, next steps & initiation!
Monday (potential/optional visit to the Twelve Tribes Community in Valley Center)
- This is just a potential option at the moment (we have not confirmed availability from Twelve Tribes yet)
- Visit and tour of the community and farm about 10 minutes down the road to see a real world example of an existing, successful intentional community for inspiration! (twelvetribes.com)
- Time and details still TBD
There is an option for those that want to camp here at the village during the gathering. This is a FREE commUnity gathering… yet we are asking those who choose to camp overnight to contribute $20 (total – not per night) to Ecotopia Ranch and the village as a thank you for use of the land and basic amenities (here is our PayPal link: paypal.me/LocalEarth). You are more than welcome to use the indoor or outdoor shower and composting toilet. We have an outdoor kitchen that participants will have partial access to (we want to make sure that village residents still have full use of their kitchen space). There is also a nice camping ground called Lilac Oaks Campground about 5 minutes away with a swimming pool, electricity and actual bathrooms if you are feeling the desire for more luxury and amenities! (lilacoaksrv.com)
For those that are camping, you are welcome to arrive here at the village anytime after 3:00pm on Thursday afternoon (the 19th) to set up camp and get settled in. The official gathering will begin on Friday morning @ 8:30am!
Everyone is invited Thursday evening to eat together at the Yellow Deli in Valley Center @ 6:00pm… this is a restaurant about 10 minutes from the village that is designed, built and operated by a worldwide network of communities known as the Twelve Tribes (twelvetribes.com). The Twelve Tribes have inspired many components of the village model we are developing… they have successfully built many long lasting communities all around the world for many decades. Our vision/model does not include the religious components of their communities, yet we respect their choices and beliefs. Make sure not to confuse this with the Yellow Deli in Vista… the address where we will be eating is (32011 Lilac Rd, Valley Center, CA 92082).
Everyone will be responsible for their own food and meals. We have a 3 burner stove in the community kitchen that we will likely be able to use… yet if you feel you absolutely need a stove, consider bringing your own camping stove. If people want to take it upon themselves to organize and prepare food/meals together, that is welcomed and encouraged! Anyone who wants to initiate/do this can use our shared planning google doc here (bit.ly/Visioning_Event_Spring_Planning). Please also use this document to coordinate carpooling and camping plans.
The residents of the current village living at Ecotopia will begin entering into our transition mode on Monday… so we kindly ask that everyone has their camp & stuff packed up either by Friday evening after our gathering, or by Monday morning at 8:30am (before we leave for the Twelve Tribes visit) so we can begin tending to our transition responsibilities.
Things to Bring
- An open and inspired mind… loving heart… and a passion to create healthy, beautiful, thriving communities all around the world!
- If camping… all of the gear you will need (it has potential to get a bit chilly at night)
- Any food or ingredients you will need to keep yourself nourished for the 3 days. It is best to bring a cooler if you have food that needs to be kept cold (think of this as basically a 3 day camping trip). There is a refrigerator in the community kitchen that we may have partial access to as needed… yet we need to make sure village residents still have space for their personal items. The closest market is about 10 minutes away… the closest health food market is about 25 minutes away in Vista (Sprouts).
- Cooler/campstove (if needed)
- Something to sit on during sessions and/or around the fire. We do not have a ton of extra chairs/seating here on the land. Recommended to bring a chair of some sort or pillows and blankets to sit on and be comfy. We will be on the ground (or whatever you brought to sit on) for some of the sessions.
- Notebook or laptop to take notes
- Your own cutlery, water bottle and towel
Foundational Values & Agreements
If you are interested to be a Zone #1 resident that lives in the village… it is very important for you to READ the preliminary draft of the Village Values & Agreements. These are foundational values that will be part of the bedrock of the villages. It is also important to watch this YouTube playlist of videos explaining the foundational values and agreements in more depth. After our initial core team is formed we will co-create the additional values, ethics, agreements and vision from that time forward.
- Preliminary Draft Document: (bit.ly/Prelim_Village_Agreements)
- YouTube Playlist: (bit.ly/Visioning_Values_Playlist)
…
RSVP Confirmation
Please COMPLETE this RSVP FORM to CONFIRM your participation in the gathering… thank you!
…
I am so grateful & honored to know each and every one of you… and extremely excited to BUILD this 1st village (and eventually a network of communities around the world) with those of you that want to be part of it!
With love & gratitude,
Joshua
