Hemen – A new intersectional commune

Would you like to found and develop a politically-intersectionally oriented community (commune) in the countryside, avoiding animal suffering, with people from different social positions?

[Social positioning means which place a person has or can have in society – i.e. which rights and which opportunities the person has or can have and how other people encounter him or her].

We have found a beautiful and convenient location for this at the edge of the forest near the village of Hausen at the nature reserve “Hoher Meißner”. We are still looking for people with similar interests to establish a new group in the North Hessen network of community projects.

Roughly summarised, our motivation looks like this:

 

Political-intersectional oriented, because…

something should definitely change in society – towards good living conditions and more equal rights and opportunities for all people in the world, less suffering for people and animals, less destruction of our livelihoods.

 

Communitarian community because…

political goals become more achievable together. In sum, we know more people and organisations and have a bigger network when we need it. Together we have more ideas, skills, opportunities and resources. We can support, help and disburden each other to move towards common goals.

when we live in reliable solidarity and in a group where we are accepted and valued, we find it much more pleasant and meaningful than alone. In addition to the immediate feeling of well-being, there will also be a long-term change in how we think and feel about ourselves and other people: For example, by paying attention to each other in a group, caring for each other and sharing our resources (including money) with each other. We turn away a bit from the competitive thinking of capitalism, from wage dependencies (unless, for example, residence status depends on it) and individualism.

that holds many great opportunities: We can only do what we can imagine. In contact with others, we always find out how we could also look at or do something (completely) differently, and then have new options to choose from – continue as before or take on what we like more or what it has inspired. In this way, we can all continue to explore how we want to be and develop.

We are aware of the conflicts and tensions that will arise.

But over time we should also develop a different feeling about this by pursuing the goals of living together in the long term with commitment, questioning and developing our images of ourselves in the context of the world and our corresponding feelings, patterns of thinking and interaction far more comprehensively than can be described here in brief. Finding and establishing form(s) of social togetherness that for us are better than the usual ones, allowing ourselves to be accompanied continuously by other people/groups in the process and not ending up revolving around ourselves.

 

Socially differently positioned people, because…

we achieve our objectives this way more realistically!

We did not grow up to be sufficiently aware of the living realities of people positioned differently. Since we want a better life for all people, it helps us to directly experience many structurally different realities of life. In this way, we can expand our sense of social “normality”/our orientations and try out and establish better forms of social interaction for ourselves.
Moreover, when the community is so diverse that no person feels (structurally) exposed, everyone is freer to be relaxed and show up as we are!

 

Avoiding animal cruelty because…

it hurts. 

Furthermore, the boundaries between “who belongs and must not be tortured (like this)” and “who is on the outside” are frighteningly easy to shift, depending on the context, if we basically agree on torture and that violence is okay – only against living beings that do not belong.

What should unite us is the desire for a stable, diverse, appreciative community of about 15 – 25 people who share the self-image of the Kommuja community network https://www.kommuja.de/politisches-selbstverstandnis-der-kommuja-kommunen/. As a group, we want to be diverse and active on different levels and influence in order to contribute in making the world a better place and/or preventing worsening.

So it is not just about avoiding actions that (will) cause suffering to other people or animals. Although no one can and wants to do it all – but together we can look at how we can combine our passions, competences and skills in such a way that we engage against the climate crisis and its consequences, against capitalism and its consequences, against discrimination and exclusion, and for access to important resources for all people, for freedom rights and good living conditions for all, for environmental protection and climate justice …

In addition, there are our individual topics and priorities.

Therefore, we want to give ourselves a lot of time – to listen, to develop empathy, to reflect, to understand and to transform. Moreover, we want to share our resources (knowledge, property, access,…). To do so, we want to be willing to look at our own needs in the context of others and release such concepts as the logic of exchange and ownership, “good/evil”, “right/wrong”, “guilt” and “different values of people”. Instead, it becomes important to expand our self and social skills, such as cultivating attentiveness, serenity, honesty, trust and forbearance, and also a certain confidence. We will transform ourselves.

Self-determination in action and lifestyle should to be thought together with responsibility/ taking good care of oneself, other individuals and society/environment as a whole.

 

It is also important for us to be connected in multiple ways as a community, to be able to create inspiring exchange, mutual support and cooperation with other groups. We found a place the “Schwalbenthal” location in North Hessen at the Mountain “Hoher Meißner”. Here it is possible in many ways in the near surrounding area: the Interkom network of commune projects, the “Region in Change” and many ecological initiatives, such as the one against the construction of the A44, provide many opportunities for links and cooperation.

High up on the Meißner is a large old buidling – constructed as the Mineworkers house and later used as Restaurant with guest-rooms. It is large, offers a beautiful view and is far away from industries. It is quiet and sourronded by a nature-reserve forest but not far away from the next village and with a bus stop right in front of the door. There is space for living, work and creative activities, social and meeting activities, seminars and workshops and a coffee place with beautiful Terrasse… There is a lakeclose by and the surrounding forests are inviting for walks and hikes. At the same time, the place is easily accessible by public transport with a bus that connects the small towns of Eschwege and Hessisch Lichtenau (each with trainstations). Klick here for more details about the place.

A perfect place to come to rest but also for exchange, inspiration, reflection, and so on.

All of these goals seem ambitious and probably not all of them will be achievable. It is important for us not to tear each other down or break up the group because of this!

Another small collection of ideas, what we could perhaps realise together there beyond what has been written above: Mini village shop (with orientation towards comprehensive sustainable production and gift corner), ( exchange logic-free?) vegan café, storytelling and theme evenings, village sauna & bathing pond, socio-educational projects, (solidarity-based) space for time-out, (self-)reflection and recreation, activist training, climbing and sports, mobility transition projects, lending networks and DIY workshops, renewable energy (networks), forest & garden, inclusion…

You, the person reading this, will certainly at least partly fill the words with different associations than each of us. But if you find yourself in it so far, then let’s get in touch and see if we might (sufficiently) want the same thing! – What are your themes and utopias?

And if you have any questions about the content or would like to know who is already involved and what our positioning is, please feel free to get in touch:gemeinsam_mehr_erreichen@riseup.net

We look forward to meeting you and can’t wait to get started! =D