A Common Vision for the Park Ecovillage Findhorn Community

Overview

Introduction

Agreed Purpose & Voting

Candidate Aims

Results of Aims Poll

Full Table of Aims Poll Results

Background

The Process

Purpose Interim Results

Aims Interim Results

Introduction

This webpage documents the work of the Visioning Group of the Park Ecovillage Findhorn Community, whose members are: Gordon McAlpine (NFA), Marilyn Hamilton (LPP), Patrick Lewington (NFA) & Tessa Brock (EF). The group was set up as a cooperation between NFA, EF and the LPP group, who all agreed that the community needs a common vision at this point in time to help us steer the community in the direction wished for by its members in this time of profound change, where the Findhorn Foundation Trust is winding down and the community is taking over ownership and stewardship of its own assets.

The remit of the Visioning Group has been to facilitate the community in choosing a Common Vision in the form of a shared Purpose and a shared set of high priority Aims for this current time. The process has involved several community gatherings that have generated draft statements for purpose and aims, which have then been analysed and edited by the Visioning Group with help from the NFA Council and a group of Visioning hosts.

Agreed Purpose and Voting

At the community meeting on 2nd September 2024, the following was agreed, using the process shown in this video, as our shared community purpose after a process in which the results of the voting were considered:

To be a thriving, regenerative community, consciously co-creating with all life, putting our spiritual principles into practice to support and learn from each other, as a positive contribution to planetary service and transformation.

Prior to this, 150 votes were received from NFA & EF members, along with Park residents. And the results were as follows:

Long form of Purpose

Please note that the purpose statement is meant as one amongst many instruments that can help to steer our community, so our choices are cohesive and purposeful; so that in times of doubt or conflict we can reflect on whether or not our thoughts, actions and words are aligned with our purpose. It is not meant to be something we can remember word for word when we meet a visitor to the community, but more to be something that we can express in our own words, just like our Common Ground.

Short form of Purpose

In addition, we suggest that at the gathering on 2nd September the community also votes on a short, snappy purpose that is “rememberable”. We propose the following 3 candidate short versions of our purpose:

(Regenerative is a word that is increasingly being used within ecological and holistic movements to describe initiatives that go beyond being “sustainable" to focus on "facilitating ever higher levels of life, health, and wellbeing to unfold”.)

Candidate Aims

To be of any use to the community, whatever aims we agree need to have a high level of support as being the highest priority goals for the community for the next 1-2 years. Further, they require a high level of commitment from the majority of community members to participate in some way in implementing them.

The aims need to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timebound.

We first need to agree on what our highest priority aims are. After that we can consider how we are going to actually implement them.

Progress on the whole set of aims will be reviewed quarterly using appropriate means, such as:

• Reports and feedback as part of general community meetings
• Dedicated review meetings
• Online surveys

First of all, note that one high priority aim has already been agreed by the community: namely, the buy out of a large part of The Park from the FF. And this is already the main focus of EF’s work. Here are the other aims:

Interpersonal Relations

Over the next 12-24 months, to more strongly focus on cultivating a culture of peace (i.e. of respect, kindness and cooperation).

Outcomes:

• Conflict resilience education modules developed
• Communication agreements agreed
• Communication systems implemented & used
• Conflict facilitation system implemented & used

Criteria for evaluation:

• Community members feel that:

• conflicts are being resolved more often than before
• that communication and relationships are more respectful
• there is a higher degree of well-being and cooperation

Governance

Over the next 3-6 months, to agree and implement an expanded governance system that meets all of the community’s current needs (including accountability, transparency, inclusiveness and effectiveness).

Outcomes:

• Governance system implemented and in use
• Full, formal review after 12 months of use

Criteria for evaluation:

• Community members feel that:

• They have a satisfactory say in matters that affect their lives.
• Individuals and entities to which power has been delegated are functioning with transparency and accountability.
• The operations of the community are running effectively.

Community Engagement & Alignment

Over the next 6-9 months, to create an Action Plan to:

     • Refresh and strengthen the culture of the community through encouraging and supporting all community members to engage with our shared purpose and ethos, as well as with community building events and community affairs;

     • Attract and retain the people we need and who are aligned with our purpose and ethos, hereunder younger people and families.

Outcomes:

• Action plan (including evaluation criteria) produced & agreed

Finance

Over the next 4-6 months, to create an Action Plan for promoting and supporting enterprise as a means to serve the whole, and for generating sufficient income to pay for running the community (i.e. all the running costs of community services & systems as well as all community-owned facilities that are not already financed in a secure & sustainable way).

The Action Plan may include the following income-generating sources: grants, donations & legacies, membership subscriptions, HoCo charges, community-owned businesses, tithing from other businesses which the community supports to thrive.

Outcomes:

• Action plan (including evaluation criteria) produced and agreed

Proposed questions for a poll

For each proposed aim, to ask the following 3 questions, all to be answered on a scale from 0 to 10:

• How vital is this aim for the well-being and thriving of our community?
• To what extent are you willing to live in alignment with this aim in your own life?
• To what extent would you be willing to contribute to implementing this aim in the community?

Results of Aims Poll

A poll of these aims was carried out between 17th September and 13th October 2024. The poll was completed by 82 community members. The poll showed very strong support for all the proposed priority aims.

Here is a summary of the results as a table:

% of votes that were in the top 2 of 4 levels of support (“very vital” or “absolutely vital”)

Here are the same results shown as a graph:

In the last question of the poll (5A) we asked if there was any aim missing that the respondent would give a higher priority than some of these.

• 12 people responded that there should be more emphasis on spiritual connection, inner listening and cooperation with the intelligence of nature. There were a couple of suggestions that this should be included under the Community Engagement and Alignment Aim, e.g. by explicitly mentioning collective spiritual practice as part of our ethos.
• 3 people responded that growing our own food is missing as an aim for them
• 2 people mentioned rebuilding a community centre
• 1 person suggested “Developing an education programme and culture. (Editor: This could be included in the Interpersonal Relations and Community Engagement aims.)

The full results of the poll can be found here as an Excel spreadsheet.

Full table of Aims Poll Results

Levels of support expressed by question by aim

KEY:

IR: 1st AIM: Interpersonal Relations

Gov: 2nd AIM: Governance

CEA: 3rd AIM: Community Engagement & Alignment

Fin: 4th AIM: Finance

Background

The roots of this community were Eileen, Peter and Dorothy’s dedication to serving God through inner listening and following their guidance through outer action. They did not set out to create a community, but God’s plan was an “intended spiritual community”. As the fruits of their dedication attracted more and more like-minded people, a small community came into being, and from that seed educational activities in this path of inner listening sprang forth, and led to the formation of the Findhorn Foundation. Still more people came and joined this Foundation community. Our intention was clear: to serve the work of this centre of light, to help raise human consciousness by demonstrating a way of living together based on inner guidance, work is love in action and co-creation with the intelligences of nature.

Eventually, some people chose to leave the Foundation but stay around in the area. And thus, the community started to become something larger than the Foundation. More people came and joined the community by joining the Foundation and receiving its induction and learning how to serve through a set of core principles and shared practices.

Gradually, more people started to join the community through other paths than the Foundation - perhaps by volunteering for the Foundation, or by supporting its spin-offs, like the Steiner School, the Phoenix Shop & Cafe, the Findhorn Flower Essences, Aromantics, or by retiring to a place they feel is their spiritual home. All good causes, all part of the community. And yet as we continue to expand, this knowing of why we are here, why we are together as a community has perhaps become a little less clear. And our physical expansion has not been guided by any clear and agreed set of aims for why we have been expanding.

We know we share common values and common principles. But exactly what are they? And are we all on the same page? We have become much larger and more diverse. Do we still feel like we are in an intentional spiritual community together? Or do we feel more like a village with many inspiring activities and spiritual and social connections?

When facing such big challenges as the taking over of the community’s main assets at The Park, perhaps we need to ask ourselves these questions. And if we do still feel like an intentional, spiritual community, then what is the intention that we share together? What is our common vision and purpose?

We believe that only if we are clear about our “Common Vision” do we have a chance of succeeding. That also seemed to be the message of the systemic constellation Giselle and Deborah held in September 2023: a Common Vision needs to come first.

Ever since then we have felt that we need to address this question as a community. We believe that only by generating a clear common vision, purpose and aims can we create the stronger shared sense of purpose that is necessary to meet the major challenges we are facing and to evolve into a more thriving and more sustainable multi-generational community that truly embodies the values we share.

The Process

The NFA therefore joined forces with EF and the Local Place Plan (LPP) Working Group to create a process that gives all of us an opportunity to create this Common Vision together. EF needs a clear vision and set of aims to guide its work in taking care of the community’s main assets and in developing the ecovillage on the physical dimension in collaboration with our other community organisations. The LPP working group needs a common vision and aims in order to provide Moray Council with a Local Place Plan that is in accord with the community’s needs and wishes. Thus we have created one process to cover all these aspects.

We first held a Transformation Game on cultivating a coherent and purposeful community, and a GEN-inspired session (in May 2024) on our current status with respect to the 4 dimensions of an ecovillage.

Then on Sunday (2nd June) from 2:30 to 5:30 pm we offered a Purpose Quest gathering in The Hall, which was designed as a variation of a “Conversation Cafe”. In small clusters we explored five inspiration statements to generate potential new purpose statements. Participants cross-pollinated to other clusters before returning to their home cluster. Then they combined with one other cluster and discovered what most resonated for them. We then shared all the results and together generated a Draft Purpose Statement, which a small group of Wordsmiths then refined.

The NFA Community Meeting the following evening 3rd June 7pm- 9pm explored how this Draft Purpose Statement could be reflected, integrated and lived on 3 levels: I - Individual (personal growth), We – Group/Community and World – larger context (serving the whole). This session was interactive, allowing us to use all our dimensions: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual, to reflect if this is our purpose statement, if we can live the purpose statement on a daily basis and how that feels.

And at the 3rd session on Sunday 9th June from 1:30 to 4:30 pm we went beyond a statement of overall purpose by generating a set of 4-6 primary aims that are our very highest priorities: an articulation of the most important issues we need to address to evolve as a community at this specific time. The idea is that this set of aims can help guide all of our community decisions in the next few years, so we co-create the community we wish for.

From these primary aims, we then generated more specific aims in the ecological, spiritual, social and economic dimensions as part of  the Local Place Plan and for EF’s planning. This was done during July, August and September

These events were not just for Park residents, but for the whole of the spiritual community that is now centred around the Park Ecovillage Findhorn. We set up offers of child care so parents could also attend.

The Visioning Group took the draft purpose statements generated on 2nd June and edited them so they were more coherent and concise, and tried them out via discussion and polling amongst the NFA Council and some of the hosts from the Purpose Quest. This resulted in the 3 clear favourites listed in the “Agreed Purpose and Voting” section above, which also lists 3 shorter versions generated by the Visioning Group.

We then asked EF and THA to join us in polling their members and Park residents with these 3 statements. Here is a link to the poll.

At a community meeting on 2nd September the following was agreed as a shared community purpose:

To be a thriving, regenerative community, consciously co-creating with all life, putting our spiritual principles into practice to support and learn from each other, as a positive contribution to planetary service and transformation.

We got to this outcome via an experimental process which demonstrated one way of reaching decisions as a community. The process started with an open community gathering on 2nd June where groups of community members drafted candidate purpose statements. These were then refined by the Visioning Group with feedback from the NFA Council and Visioning hosts. Then we held a poll of NFA & EF members, plus all Park residents registered with the THA. Finally, at Monday’s community meeting all those present considered the feedback to the results of the poll. This included sitting in silence to attune, listening to the different voices, testing the level of support for several potential adjustments of the most popular candidate statement, and listening to the spirit of the room. The statement above was the one that the highest number of people attending felt is good enough for now and safe enough to try. We agreed to use this as a working purpose and to review it again in one year’s time.

The recording of the session can be found at www.bit.ly/findhorn-vision-3. About 19.5 minutes into the video the Purpose results are presented. The interactive process starts at about 30 minutes in, and finishes around 60 minutes in.

The vote also included a short form of the Purpose, but this was not discussed at the meeting, due to time constraints. The most popular choice was:

To live as a loving, regenerative, spiritual community.

For all the results in full, as well as a fuller description of the process, please use this link: bit.ly/findhorn-vision-1 .

Finally, we also looked at the 4 high priority aims listed in an earlier section that have been generated by a similar community process. There was very strong support in the room for the first 2 aims regarding Applied Spirituality and Governance. And there were several helpful comments on how these could be improved and renamed. The final 2 aims regarding Community Alignment and Finance were presented, but not properly discussed as there was not enough time. The Visioning Group will consider the feedback and hold another meeting and send out a poll on the revised aims later this month.

Purpose Interim Results

Initial Purpose statements used for inspiration:

• Whole Community Purpose:

As a conscious community we strive to demonstrate a practical spirituality in harmony with Nature and play our part to positively transform humanity and the Earth.

• Strategic Framework (FF/CAL) -

1. Evolving, developing and co-creating in harmony with each other and with nature,

including all beings both seen and unseen;

2. Honouring our purpose in the world: fostering a caring community and living in spirit

with each other;

3. Accessibility to all through affordable housing, prioritising people over vehicles,

inclusive design, and space to make a living;

4. Living in harmony with planet: carbon neutrality, growing our own food, planting and

caring for nature, and nurturing wildlife;

5. Reaching out to the world: being an example of how to live, educating, welcoming

visitors to live and learn with us and going out into the world as advocates.

• Global Ecovillage Network Vision

The Global Ecovillage Network envisions a world of empowered citizens and communities, designing and implementing their own pathways to a sustainable future, and building bridges of hope and international solidarity.

Mission: To innovate, catalyze, educate and advocate in global partnership with ecovillages and all those dedicated to the shift to a regenerative world.

• Marko Pogacnik (Crucible, Pituitary Gland of Europe)

o Ecovillage Findhorn is a Crucible of Life situated on the Lagoon of Findhorn River, North Sea and crystal sand

o PEF is the Pituitary Gland of Europe (located in the chakra system where Scotland is the Third Eye of Europe).

• Dorothy MacLean

Throughout the many years of doing workshops with Dorothy two questions always were asked of her - 'What is God?' and some version of  "What is the purpose of Findhorn?'.

To the first she would always reply - "God is love'.

To the second she would recount the time of being told by a deva 'that an idea, once in human consciousness, spreads around and does its work'.

Findhorn's job is to put two ideas or notions into human consciousness. One - that we can all have a direct and personal relationship with the Divine, no intermediary required. And two - that we all have the capacity to co-operate with the intelligence of nature."  She would go on to underline her knowing that we all have the capacity to do both of these things.

• Patrick Lewington

Let’s express the 3 founding principles  in more contemporary language…

• Inner listening/Outer Action…it is not just listening to a higher power but doing the next right action
• Work as love in action… being present with whatever we are doing
• Cocreation with nature/Gaia …is developing an intimate connection with Gaia

Our collective purpose is already clear….it is to achieve work towards mastery and maturity in all 4 realms…the physical, the emotional, the mental and spiritual, and we are together in fellowship to support each other in this endeavour.

Draft purpose statements generated at community gathering on 2/6/2024

1. (Inspired by Strategic Framework): We are an inclusive, vibrant spiritual community exploring co-creation with all life, seen and unseen. We are a caring community here for the benefit of all.

2. We take personal and collective responsibility for our own spiritual practice and from this place of deep connection we are of service to the world.

3. Evolving, developing and co-creating in harmony with one another, with nature, spirit and the planet, whilst fostering a kind, caring and vibrant community.

4. (Inspired by Dorothy MacLean): We intend to cultivate a personal relationship with the sacred mystery and the capacity to co-operate with the intelligence of nature and all beings, seen and unseen, and to encourage awareness of spiritual laws and develop ways of living in harmony with them.

5. (Inspired by Patrick Lewington): In the spirit of community we continue to evolve and support each other to live in alignment with our roots of inner listening, recognising all action as an opportunity to be present with love in co-creation with all, in recognition of our interdependence.

6. (Inspired by Global Ecovillage Network (GEN)): We aspire to live a life of applied spirituality, creating a regenerative, resilient and loving community of interconnectedness with all life.

7. (Inspired by Whole community purpose): To live together as an intentional community in harmony with nature, putting our shared values and principles into practice in our daily lives, to support each other on our spiritual paths and enhance the quality of our lives.
8. To demonstrate practical spirituality, finding unity through inspiration and diversity, creating a safe environment to expand compassionate consciousness, to grow mature humans who naturally and unavoidably demonstrate and inspire transformation for themselves and others, and aspire to embody a multi-dimensional practical spirituality.

Edited versions for feedback from NFA Council and Visioning hosts

1. To be a vibrant, caring spiritual community exploring co-creation with all life for the benefit of all.
2. We take personal and collective responsibility for our spiritual practice and from this place of deep connection we are of service to the world.
3. To develop and co-create in harmony with one another, with nature, and with spirit, whilst fostering a kind, caring and vibrant community.
4. To cultivate a personal relationship with the sacred mystery and the capacity to co-operate with the intelligence of nature, and to live in harmony through awareness of spiritual laws.
5. To support each other to live in alignment with our roots of inner listening, recognising all action as an opportunity to be present with love in interdependent co-creation with all.
6. To live a life of applied spirituality, creating a regenerative and loving community of interconnectedness with all life.
7. To live together as an intentional community in harmony with nature, putting our shared values into practice to support each other on our spiritual paths.
8. To demonstrate practical spirituality, finding unity through diversity and compassionate consciousness to become mature humans.
9. To be a thriving, regenerative community, consciously co-creating with all life, putting our spiritual principles into practice to support and learn from each other.

From the polling of these groups, 6, 7 and 9 were the most popular. And wee therefore chosen as candidate statements - see earlier section.

Aims Interim Results

Draft High Priority Aims generated at the community gathering on 9/6/2024

Edited & collated versions for feedback from NFA Council and Visioning hosts