What is required to build a Space of Love?

You would expect me to start with listing such things as knowledge, dedication, support of family and community. But. And before I continue with the "but" part, allow me to take a short excurse into the recent events.

In university I was one of those unhappy teenages not really knowing what to do or where to go. The problem was that I felt obliged to study, to get a good job, and so on but never felt I wanted to. Didn't find this future to be worth doing anything, let alone slaving on a job or university. Obviously, a change in mindset had been required.

Of course, when you need something the Universe gives it to you so this is what happened: an alternative had been shown to me in a couple of books that got into my hands at that time. One of them was the Ringing Cedars of Russia series by Vladimir Megre. Haveing had read this book I was still as clueless of what to do and how to go about it but what is important is that I had planted a seed of alternative point of view. From "it happens" it changed to "I make it happen". And here is where we come back to the "but": I would have started with listing the requirenment for the Space of Love, but instead I started with change in consciousness. And that is the first thing that happens and need to happen in order for you to get anywhere.

Well, to continue the story, after having had read the books I went looking for people who are working in the same direction, we have met with local Toronto like-minded individuals and had formed a "Source of Life Association" - a group dedicated to assisting with building ecovillages based on the ideas described in the Ringing Cedars series (an ecovillage that consists of so-called Kin's Domains two and a half acres each).

Meeting, creating and managing various projects (such as Kin's Domain Library at http://www.sourceoflife.ca/Library/) we have come to several conclusions:
(a) an ecosettlement is a place more suited for comfortable living,
(b) life in an ecosettlement creates better conditions for productive work,
(c) basically ecosettlement is were we all want to live.
My next mindset issue, or even our collective mindset issue was finances. And now we are working on financial sustainability of our project: each one of us in his or her own way.

Next time I'll continue with the story, for now I'll briefly cover other important things that are planned to be done:
1. Financial sustainability (businesses, skills, sustainable garden, sustainable house, sustainable infrastructure within the settlement)
2. Creation of the vision of ecosettlement, setting up the governance system, by-laws, registering non-profit organization
3. Building stable relationships within the group of activists. The more I think about this the more I realize that there is much we need to learn which was well known to our ancestors in this area. Often, closed or narrow mind, causes disaster
4. Inviting more people to join as to have a full strong durable ecovillage that would stand the time and weather. The aim is to have 100 - 150 families in this ecovillage.

As for the knowledge, it appears to be readily available. Much information is available freely on the Internet with all the other groups doing the same thing. There are sustainable houses, sustainable gardens (permaculture), home schooling and lots more. I will get into details in the later posts.

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While keeping harmony of soul and body, is it possible to stay within the norm and rules?
(Lao Tzu)

Introduction

For starters, let me introduce myself. My name is Leonid Belov. I am 28 year old, have a Bachelor in Computer Science, experience of about 20 different jobs here in Toronto, including software development and 5 years of working experience in RingingCedarsofRussia.org.

A little bit about RingingCedarsofRussia.org. It is the company that is closely related to the Ringing Cedars movement. It is all about raw, untreated, chemically, biologically and genetically pure products from ecologically clean environment of Siberia. RingingCedarsofRussia.org also provides tourist trips to Russian dolmens, and sells hand-made products from existing Ringing Cedars settlements.

A little bit about future plans.
To me, a Space of Love consist of a family, income with own business or soul-inspired profession, which allow for flexible schedule, sustainable garden on 2.5 acres of private property, and in a settlement with like-minded people with a normal school. Normal school is a school that educates rather then handicaps children as public schools do.

So how would I get there from here? Read my next post.

My way to an ecosettlement

Hi and Welcome!

This is a blog-opening post. I'll be posting here information on my
experiece of moving away form a big city to an ecosettlement.
Having had moved from Moscow, Russia, to a smaller city of
Toronto, Canada I have not felt much a difference: big city is a
big city no matter where you are.

I feel that right now I am just above the point zero: almost have a family, almost have a solid group of likeminded individuals, almost 
have my own business, what's left to do is to get it all together. 
And on the way to tell you in the hopes that it will help somebody 
who is following my path. 
Although there are more and more ecosettlement every year it is
still almost as hard to make that move.

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If you have discovered that you are riding a dead horse - dismount!
(Dakota wisdom)