What does “community” mean?

Latest

Homeless in San Francisco with a Limo parked nearby. The article on this page points out that community is about sharing and taking care of one another.
PHOTO/SHANI HECKMAN

 
BERKELEY, CA — To some people, “the community” means “the people who live here” and to others it means “the people who pay to live here.” To me, a community is not a group of people, but a group of people unified by a common culture and spirit.
In the Peace Corps, I lived for two years in an ancient village of the Mbukushu people. Traditional Mbukushu housing compounds feature one- or two-room houses and shared kitchens and toilets. Nuclear families share small courtyards, and a ring of nuclear families surrounds the extended family’s greater courtyard. The entire compound is surrounded by a reed fence. The fence’s gates are never locked. Culture, not force, produces order.
The government housing projects tend to isolate people. They inhibit the formation of community by assigning roommates randomly and organizing the entire population under a hierarchy led by bureaucrats. This order produces a culture, but it is not a culture conducive to the development of independence, cooperation, or initiative.
The government coerces people into their programs by refusing to dignify life on the streets with any measure of legal standing. They claim that their programs are voluntary while “service resistant” homeless are routinely harassed by the police and dispossessed of their survival gear. This constitutes coercion. Government shelters, in their present form, can never be homes and barely qualify as shelter: in fact, they more closely resemble prisons.
Mbukushu compounds are usually shared by families, but the model can be adapted to serve intentional communities. By recognizing multiple respected leaders, but not a single master, and by sharing resources to maximize their utility, we can liberate and uplift people simultaneously. By giving people the freedom to take charge of their lives, we can cure them of dependence and produce true empowerment. But only a community can do this, not a bureaucracy.
I’ve seen what a community can be, and First They Came For The Homeless is as fine a community as has ever existed. It is ruled by consensus democracy, not bureaucratic hierarchy. It keeps order by culture, not force. It creates prosperity by granting freedom, security and prosperity through mutual aid and support, practicing a new lifestyle which is, in reality, the oldest lifestyle on Earth. Local governments resist it for two reasons: firstly, it disrupts established orders; and secondly, the inability to produce radical solutions is a job requirement for these politicians, imposed upon them by their masters, the real estate developers.
Adam Black is a homeless resident of the ‘First they came for the homeless’ intentional tent community/action, the Poor Tour, in Berkeley CA

+ Articles by this author

The People’s Tribune opens its pages to voices of the movement for change. Our articles are written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Articles entitled “From the Editors” reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: peoplestribune.orgPlease donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement for change. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff. The People’s Tribune is a 501C4 organization.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

Fragile Ceasefire Victory and the Role of the Global Movement

In 2024, 125 nations of the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister. This and countless other unprecedented acts of resistance took place against a “war” that revealed itself daily as outright genocide. The world’s people expressed their common humanity through actions and voices...sustaining this epic unity for the battles that lie ahead is critical for real peace..."

“No Kings” Protests Set to Sweep US Even as Trump Increases Attacks on Activists

Republicans are already smearing the protesters, but their intimidation tactics are out of touch with reality.

ICE Fears Put Pregnant Immigrants and Their Babies at Risk

Fear of deportation is deterring people without permanent legal status from critical care. Doctors are worried for the health of pregnant immigrants, and the health of their pregnancies. This story was originally reported by 19thnews.org.

Government Shutdown and the Blame Game

Using a bold-faced lie President Trump and Vice President Vance blamed immigrants, particularly the undocumented, for the government shutdown now in effect throughout the country. The Republican plan would increase Obamacare payments and make Medicaid cuts.

Emmy-Winning Journalist Deported After Reporting on Anti-Trump Protest

Emmy award-winning journalist Mario Guevara was deported to El Salvador – a country he fled over 20 years ago — in retaliation for filming law enforcement activities, says the Committee to Protect Journalists.

More from the People's Tribune