[Borneo]

Hi Nicole, we met at APC11 in Turangi several years ago, and again after your talk in Auckland last year. We have many Kiwi friends in common, e.g. Laurence Boomert. I just found this article and thread on CarolynBaker.com and note that some have commented on what could be called the cost of entry into the Atamai community. Given the scale of the project and the difficulties encountered at the beginning, that doesn’t surprise me in the least, and I agree with Charles Alban’s comment that “…Atamai Village is very much a half-way house on the way to full community. Full community means sharing everything…”mutual gift-giving.”
I started a much smaller community in the Northern Kaipara in April 2013, on a rather different model. It would take pages to describe in detail, but to the point of this message, an equal share of Ahika costs a fraction of the Atamai buy-in. Certainly all manner of communities are forming at this time, we’re springing up like mushrooms after a rainstorm. No two are identical, and they’re all experiments. I think of Ahika as “tribal”, and a “contribution economy”. Ours hasn’t been a particularly easy ride to date, but that’s actually had a positive effect on our bonding process–the key to success of any community. It’s also been an incredibly productive year, with a lot of fun along the way.
Like Atamai and other such communities, Ahika is looking for expressions of interest. Some of the skills that are on the Atamai want list are on our list as well…but we are only looking for three, maybe four families/couples/individuals, and a good fit interpersonally is of far greater importance than background and skills. Anyone who wants to check out our team can visit the rather basic website at https://sustainablesettlementnz/weebly.com I should mention that at the present time we four trustees own the land mortgage-free, but this is a transition period and not all of us are living full time on the land yet. There are interesting opportunities for the right people.
To share an opinion about the current global economic situation in the context of earlier discussions about “what happened to collapse?” For many years I have independently held almost identical opinions to just about everything you lecture about, Nicole. I have acted accordingly, and Ahika was my response to the new realities, just as Atamai was Jurgen’s. Based on research and observation, I believe the balloon will go up in less than twelve months, and humanity will experience a defining moment. As the Dalai Lama says, “Act in accordance with reality.”
Cheers, Bill Watson

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