What does consensus mean? How does it work? What are its benefits and pitfalls? Is it for you? This is a forum with local experts on the subject of consensus - a decision making process as experienced in many of today's communities and organizations. Doors open at 6:30pm.

Please join some of the Pacific Northwest’s leading permaculturists, Jude Hobbs, Toby Hemenway, and guests, as they teach theory, design, and practice of ecological design through lecture, discussion, slide shows, design projects, and hands-on experience. This certification course's topics include: Permaculture Ethics & Principles, Mapping and Design Exercises, Natural Cycles and Pattern Recognition, Observation & Site Analysis, Reading the Land, Garden Design & Establishment, Useful Plants and Planting Strategies, Water Harvesting, Management, and Conservation, Soil Building and Ecology, Animals in the System, Forests, Agroforestry, & Tree Crops, Eco-Building & Appropriate Technologies, Urban Permaculture & Village Design, and Cooperative Economics. Six Weekends 2007. January: 20, 21, 27, 28, February: 10, 11, 17, 18, March: 3, 4, 17, 18 Times: Saturday 8:30-5:30 Sunday 8:30-4:00

NICA is the Northwest Intentional Communities Association. It helps people connect with NW Intentional Communities. The board seeks members from other NW communities and is reaching out to other interested communitarians. We've got a lot of exciting things going on. You can learn more from the NICA website. This meeting will be at 6:15pm at Elliot Bay Bookstore in the cafe to better facilitate involvement by others. Questions? eMail Nancy@songaia.com Elliot Bay Bookstore 101 S Main Street Seattle, WA 98104

Time: 4pm. Date: Sunday, Jan 28th, 2007. Location: Details on website. Flyers for this event are found in the right hand column on our website. Please print out flyers and post in your area. This event is completely free of charge. If you are interested in building and living in ecovillages, housing co-ops, landtrusts, affordable student housing, educational housing, hostels or any type of shared housing group, please join us at this event! You are encouraged to bring your ideas and proposals regarding building a new community. We also greatly welcome those who are just curious or interested in living in a community and planning the creation of a community. Thank you. Contact us through the email list on our website. Reservations not required. http://www.WeInviteYou.org

NICA is the Northwest Intentional Community Association. This year we have an exciting opportunity to visit a brand new community, Bartimaeus! The folks there are inviting us to hold our winter gathering in their common house. This gathering is also our annual meeting and includes community singing, stories of community, news from NICA and other community networks, more singing, a focused conversation about life in community,a pot luck lunch, and a tour of the host community. We begin the day together at 10 AM sharp and conclude with the tour at 5 PM. It is a day of fun, community support, and connections. Please join us!

Time: 4pm. Date: Sunday, Feb 25th, 2007. Location: Details on website. Flyers for this event are found in the right hand column on our website. Please print out flyers and post in your area. This event is completely free of charge. If you are interested in building and living in ecovillages, housing co-ops, landtrusts, affordable student housing, educational housing, hostels or any type of shared housing group, please join us at this event! You are encouraged to bring your ideas and proposals regarding building a new community. We also greatly welcome those who are just curious or interested in living in a community and planning the creation of a community. Thank you. Contact us through the email list on our website. Reservations not required. http://www.WeInviteYou.org

Are you hungry for the sweetness of spring? Please join us for an open house to celebrate the return of the season together. Now is your chance to meet the caterers on our exclusive 2007 list, sample their creations and unwind with a glass of locally produced beer or wine. Jean Vollum Natual Capital Center 721 NW 9th Ave. Portland, OR 97209 6pm- 8pm

Search for historic houses in the SE Buckman neighborhood. Help with Historic Housing Inventory. Win Prizes. See the sights, enjoy spring flowers, shop stores & mini-garage sales. Sponsored by Southeast Uplift. Free contest

LINK 2007 is a permaculture, peak oil, healthcare design and multicultural community conference that offers experienced instructors and workshops from all over the world. LINK welcomes everyone to this public planning meeting (April 22, 4pm. Olympia Freeschool, 610 Columbia Street, Olympia , WA 98501) for the LINK Symposium which will occur in September and October 2007. Thus far, Speakers include Mike Pelly, the president of Olympia Green Fuels (visit our website to hear the National Public Radio Interview), Dr. Bonnie Gifford and Fraanc Gifford of the Gesundheit Institute in West Virginia, Chriset Palenshus (Evergreen College Center for Community-Based Learning and Action; Women of Color Coalition;), Alvina Wong (Evergreen College Independent Media Group) T (from Olympia Ecovillage, the SURGE Film Festival), Evan Schoepke - (Raccoon Collective, Eco City Olympia, Beehive Design Collective) a tour of Garden Raised Bounty (GruB), and more! Visit our website www.blueskylink.org

In the Nanaimo Art Gallery – Uptown’s (900 FIfth Street, Building 330, Nanaimo, 740-6350) latest exhibition, "The Physics of Power: Victoria artist, Heather Thomas, focuses on the notion of conflict and the use of language in historical and current conflicts of war. Thomas poses the thought – provoking question, “if hundreds of billions of dollars worth of weapons provide security, why are “free” nations steeped so deeply in fear?” Nanaimo Art Gallery Curator, Gregory Ball defines Thomas’ “theatre of war” installation as allowing the viewer to ponder their own opinions and judgments in reference to the existing condition of nations caught in conflict and the extent that national security is mobilized against internal and external violence. Opening reception and an opportunity to meet the artist is on Friday, May 18th, 7.00 – 9:00 pm.

SURGE 2007 - The Third Annual International Social Uprising, Resistance and Grassroots Encouragement (S.U.R.G.E.) Film Festival, Conference and Film Festival Network: Dedicated to international and unparalleled outreach in order to promote progressive activism through Film, Visual Arts and Music. You will learn about social movements, including the intentional community movement, in which activists are involved.* SURGE enables people worldwide to bring the festival into their area of the world through the SURGE film festival network! * Admission is free! *SURGE accepts Do-It-Yourself and Professional Movies on DVD or VHS. This enables people from all different financial, cultural and ethnic backgrounds to submit films. * Any entries that are not included in the SURGE festival are still published along with all the other entries in our International, Multilingual Film Festival Directory! This enables all entries to network worldwide! Great films, music, people, parties and activism!

Want to maintain balance in your family life? Want to create a community of like-minded parents and supportive others who will help raise compassionate, caring children and help keep all of us sane? Cohousing is one way to create that proverbial village. We're creating a multifamily, multigenerational, affordable, diverse, family-friendly, nonviolent community in which to share meals, childcare, some common tools and toys, and support. Come to the open house and discuss your dreams for community, and have any questions answered (to the best of our abilities). We'll have general cohousing information, and specific information on potential sites, architects, builders, grants from the city (they're very excited about cohousing possibilities), and more. Light refreshments will be served and toys will be available for interested offspring. Sunday, June 3rd 3-5PM Douglass-Truth Library (2300 E. Yesler Way, Seattle)

This dynamic program is about learning solutions to modern environmental and social challenges. We help develop the skills which foster ecologically regenerative, socially cooperative, and personally satisfying communities. Through a combination of instruction and hands-on application, the course immerses participants in the theoretical, physical and social aspects of ecovillages, community living, and permaculture. In addition to a full permaculture design course, the longer time frame allows for more experiential education, through extended activities and the profound experience of living in community. An incredible team of experienced residential instructors and nationally known guest instructors provide knowledgeable and engaging facilitation. Please visit our website for further information.

With Jude Hobbs and Tom Ward at Aprovecho. Empower yourself to advocate sustainable living and design! In this dynamic, interactive and fun course learn powerful teaching techniques to communicate whole systems education and Permaculture principles in a wide variety of settings. Jude and Tom have a combined experience of over 40 years of teaching and in the design field. Their commitment to encouraging diverse learning styles helps build upon your unique strengths and talents. They model various teaching and learning styles including lecture, discussions, lesson planning, module building and group presentations. These provide the essential learning experiences for this course. Each participant will be offering several presentations which provide essential hands-on experience. This is a Certificate Course offered by the Cascadia Permaculture Institute. Tuition: $650-$725 (includes course materials and all meals & camping) Prerequisite: Completion of a PDC or experience in Permaculture.

Northwest Intentional Community Association (NICA) invites you to join us for the (very low cost) 2007 NICA Summer Gathering at Sahale Retreat Center near Belfair, WA on June 29th to July 1st. Our theme is "Sharing Approaches that Work in Creating and Living in Community." It will be a time for sharing and discussing community topics such as ritual and traditions, sustainability practices, relationship skills, economic models, governance and decision processes. There are accommodations to meet everyone's needs; from tenting to private rooms, but please get your registration in early as there is limited indoor space. Visit our website for details on costs, accomodations, and other information.

Mors Kochanski is the author of “Bushcraft ” and former editor of Alberta Wilderness Arts and Recreation magazine. His reputation throughout North America for extensive work in outdoor survival education and wilderness living has made him one of the foremost authorities on wilderness skills. Identification and sampling of 60-100 varieties of plants during the weekend is expected. Tuition: $220 Cdn(+GST)

We are busy organizing a caravan to DC for the IMF and World Bank meetings from Oct 19th - 21st. We'll be pulling out of Seattle on October 1st and picking up folks as we roll. This has led me to begin fund-raising and at present I have musicians that will be touring through the Pacific Northwest from September 17th - 23rd they are stoked about doing a benefit show for our caravan to DC in Oct. If you have a venue or are a performer who wants to help fund-raise feel free to contact us at replacementsneeded@hotmail.com or drop by at myspace.com/replacementsneeded our weekly updated posters and archives of all those from the past can be viewed at http://replacementsneeded.com At present we have some reporters and cinematographers interested in the trip. We are looking to make our way across the country to St. Louis to rendezvous with other groups from the Midwest and together make our way to DC for this historic meeting of the worlds leading financial institutions.

Mary Inglis is a long-term faculty member and former trustee of the Findhorn Foundation . Mary leads courses and trainings in personal and group development and creativity worldwide. She also runs the UK branch of InnerLinks, the company which researches and develops Transformation Game products, programmes and trainings at Findhorn. Bring yourself and your life, and/or a creative project you are working on or that you would like to develop. There will be opportunities to work with writing, artwork, movement, sound or other mediums of your choice. Tuition $242 Cdn(+GST)

Mary Inglis is a long-term faculty member and former trustee of the Findhorn Foundation .She runs the UK branch of InnerLinks, the company which researches and develops Transformation Game products, programmes and trainings at Findhorn. The Transformation Game was created 30 years ago at Findhorn. It has since become an international icon with its “ Angel Cards ” a familiar part of the cultural landscape. What is the game about? It's a tool for self-discovery, understanding and transforming the way you play your life. It can also be used as a powerful interactive tool for solving problems and achieving desired goals by triggering your innate creativity which unleashes your full power and potential. Tuition $242 Cdn(+GST)

Join Jude Hobbs, Tom Ward and others for a fourteen day, 72+ hour Permaculture Design Certificate Course at Aprovecho. Located in the foothills of the Coast Range, Aprovecho is a working community and educational center focused on organic agriculture, sustainable forestry, and appropriate technology. Nestled within 40 acres of forests, gardens, and orchards, Aprovecho is a working demonstration of the ideas of human-scale technologies in practice. From our sustainably managed woodlot, to our bountiful organic gardens, to our buildings made from locally harvested materials, Aprovecho offers an opportunity to see many of the principles of Permaculture in action. This course will cover Permaculture ethics and principles, natural cycles and pattern recognition, design process, observation and site analysis, water catchment, organic gardening, plant ID, edible landscaping, animal husbandry, eco-building, urban strategies, village economics, and much more!

Mary Inglis is a long-term faculty member and former trustee of the Findhorn Foundation .She runs the UK branch of InnerLinks, the company which researches and develops Transformation Game products, programmes and trainings at Findhorn. In this collaborative format of the Transformation Game, she will focus on relationships -- our experiences, hopes, challenges, dreams and disturbances. How can we connect with each other, ourselves and all aspects of existence in a way that enriches and honours these connections, and expands our ability to engage meaningfully with the mystery of life? Tuition $385 Cdn(+GST)

Greg Ramsey, principal and chief designer of Village Habitat Design, LLC comes from a 30 year family tradition of conservation planning and architecture. He is the year 2000 recipient of the United Nations World Habitat Award and the American Institute of Architects 2001 National Award for Sustainability Design. This course will cover site selection, master planning and pattern design for ecovillages, financial aspects, work issues, best practices. The Kakwa Ecovillage site will be used as a “hypothetical client” for a major design exercise. This practicum is for serious students looking for a professional on site ecovillage design experience and all those contemplating becoming residents at Kakwa Ecovillage. Tuition $770 Cdn(+GST)

Continuing the Climb. . . The Role of Practice in Life - Behaving Maturely, Wisely, Positively and Creatively, hosted at The Sahale Learning Center and sponsored by The American Association for the Furtherance of Community and the Goodenough Community - The Evolutionary Climb...and the Role of Practice: It is natural for life to evolve, becoming more complex, adaptable, and conscious. The human being, under the guidance of its DNA and the spirit-potential of mind and heart, reaches toward its own perfectibility. We become human through acts of courage while on the hero's journey to a full life of growth and learning. Behavior is the primary means of such self-actualization. We cannot improve through thought or feeling alone—we must behave our way into improvement and a better life. Practice makes possible long before practice makes perfect. This Laboratory will introduce a set of practices for daily life for individuals, partners, friendships, teams, and communities.

(NICA is the Northwest Intentional Communities Association) Songaia Cohousing hosts this exciting event. Where on Earth are we going? And what can we do about it? These are two of the questions that lie at the heart of the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream. Come explore the link between three of humanity’s most critical concerns: environmental sustainability, social justice and spiritual fulfillment. Using video clips from some of the world’s most respected thinkers, inspiring short films, leading edge information and dynamic group interactions, the Symposium allows participants to gain new insight into the nature of our time and the opportunity we have to shape and impact the direction of our world with our everyday choices and actions. Symposium: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Cost: By Donation, you decide your contribution. Please register, as this workshop is limited to 40 participants. It is being cosponsored by NICA, Rite of Passage Journeys and a local group of Earth Elders.

Wise-Acres Cooperative Association, Indianola WA. Summer Party and Open House Saturday, August 25, 2007 5:00 pm -? Live Music, Dancing, Potluck Dinner, Garden and Grounds Tours All Ages Welcome! RSVP: Mary 360-297-5842

A Celebration of Ceremonial Song and Dance in Circular Devotion to the Regeneration of Humanity & the Earth. A teaching and sharing gathering including: whole-group singing circles & small song-circles, dances of Universal Peace, playing & learning musical instruments, voice & breathwork, midwiving new languages & reclaiming the ancient ones, bardic legacies & storytelling, creating & sharing songbooks & songbook art. Traditions (Song Tribes) include Rainbow, Rasta, Shamanic, Daime, Orisha, Osho, Amma, Sufi, Gospel, African Chanting, Native American, Kirtan, & omward . . . Themes and Invocations: World peace, Divine Mother, grief & praise, planetary acupuncture, the Devic realms, human flowering, children circles, and harmonic toning. ~~This is a Participatory Event~~ Singers and Musicians (ALL ranges) are invited to share songs, and/or facilitate a circle, for communal singing. $50 pre-registered, $60 at the gate, reduced rates for teens and children. Free Camping onsite.

The Annual International Love, Imagine, Network and Kindness (LINK) Symposium 2007 is a permaculture, peak oil, healthcare design and multicultural community symposium! Registration includes admission to the Millersylvania Park Environmental Learning Center, room, board, computer use, all workshops, study materials, resource binders, a CD with seminar materials, workshop tours, the multicultural unity cruise and more! Look for details in the Spring and Summer (pg 78) issues of Communities Magazine; the July/August issue of Z Magazine; the August 1st, 2007 issue of Permaculture Activist Magazine and many more! Speakers include Mike Pelly, the president of Olympia Green Fuels (visit our website to hear the National Public Radio Interview), Alvina Wong and many more! Visit our website www.blueskylink.org for a photo gallery, flyers and more. We hope that you’ll join us! Sponsored non-corporate Ads (click on 'ads and sponsorships') and speaker proposals accepted. Early Bird discounts.

The essence of The Heart of Now is the practice of being present with your whole self: your emotions, your thoughts, your body, and, beyond that, the part of you that is connected to everyone and everything. By living in the present, we free ourselves from past limitations and are able to create our dreams, visions and be fully alive. Through a blend of individual exercises and group interactions, participants find healing, clarity, and connection, as they become aware of what they feel and what they want in each moment. A loving, supportive community is formed that encourages deep, authentic connections. Some more concepts we explore are: the practice of honesty, letting go of limiting ideas and fears, releasing repressed emotions, making clear choices and noticing connections between mind, body & emotions. A $55 registration fee includes organic,vegetarian meals and lodging. Suggested additional contribution $300-$650 requested at end of course.

LINK 2007 is a permaculture, peak oil, healthcare design and multicultural community conference that offers experienced instructors and workshops from all over the world and also offers participants hands-on instruction in an enjoyable learning environment. The registration fee includes admission to the Millersylvania State Park Environmental Learning Center, room, board, computer use, all workshops, study materials, resource binders, a CD with seminar materials, curricula, workshop tours, the multicultural cruise and more! Early bird discount (before May 1st, 2007) is $525. Basic registration is $575. Late fees after June 23 Deadline. Every one who attends at least 5 workshops receives a certificate and we can assist participants in obtaining credit from their colleges or in setting up research, class or internship credits. Look for more details about LINK and Design for a Loving Future Conferences in newspapers and issues of Communities and Permaculture Activist magazine. Join us!

Got Problem Students? Here's your Problem Student Problem-Solver Conference. You name the problems and this workshop delivers hundreds of immediate, problem-stopping answers. You will leave with innovative, more effective strategies for school failure, truancy, dropping out, work refusal, violence, delinquency, bad attitudes, depression and more. College credit and clock hours available. Free sample interventions, and free monthly Problem Student Problem-Solver magazine available at our web site, http://www.youthchg.com, or via email (dwells@youthchg.com), or call toll-free to 1-800-545-5736. Work-study financial aid available for all classes. Call for details.

The power of the coaching conversation benefits everyone. In any community, communication is key. As a professional Life Coach, I have seen the amazement in my clients when they discover the simple techniques that are used and how they can easily apply them to their everyday interactions with others. As NLP Solution Focused Coaches, Kate Michels and I have created an event that will cover coaching, the mind, and several processes that all add up to a fun participatory evening. Our vision and commitment is to see this world transformed one conversation at a time through the use of coach position. We have found the best way to do this is to introduce everyone to the coaching experience. Our passion is to spread the message of coaching; to unite people with coaches, coaches with people, and coaches with coaches. We look forward to meeting you! Alberta Little Church 5138 NE 23rd Portland, OR 97211 Cost: $20 Thursday, October 11, 2007 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM Be well, Deb Ochoa

Diana Leafe Christian, author of both "Finding Community" and "Creating a Life Together" and the recently retired editor of "Communities" magazine is visiting Seattle! Her presentation and the Community Fair is for people seeking intentional community and others wanting to learn about local communities. It will help you learn how to research, visit, evaluate, and join an intentional community. The Community Fair includes tables with members of more than 10 Pacific NW communities that are open to new members (see website for list). Come learn about how to have more community in your life! For more information, email: craig@songaia.com

In addition to the Oct 12th, Friday night event for those seeking community, Diana Leafe Christian is also with us on Saturday, Oct 13 for an all-day set of interactive workshops and presentations. In addition to authoring "Finding Community," Diana also wrote "Creating a Life Together" - a key resource for forming intentional communities. This event will include workshops by Raines Cohen, of Berkeley Cohousing and the FIC Board; and other Pacific Northwest area communitarians. For more information, email: craig@songaia.com

The essence of The Heart of Now is the practice of being present with your whole self: your emotions, your thoughts, your body, and, beyond that, the part of you that is connected to everyone and everything. By living in the present, we free ourselves from past limitations and are able to create our dreams, visions and be fully alive. Through a blend of individual exercises and group interactions, participants find healing, clarity, and connection, as they become aware of what they feel and what they want in each moment. A loving, supportive community is formed that encourages deep, authentic connections. Some more concepts we explore are: the practice of honesty, letting go of limiting ideas and fears, releasing repressed emotions, making clear choices and noticing connections between mind, body & emotions. A $55 registration fee includes organic,vegetarian meals and lodging. Suggested additional contribution $300-$650 requested at end of course.

Living in community, like being in any relationship including marriage and family, is a challenge filled with mystery and much time passes before we really understand what we are dealing with. However, we become quite quickly aware that community, as relationship, exaggerates tensions that we feel: the tension between our autonomy and the demands of community organization; the ever-present tension between competing commitments; the impact of community dynamics on marriage, family, child-rearing - are just some of the stresses that begin to shape our lives as members. We are hoping to bring together individuals from many groupings to share in good conversation. - Cost: $30 per session - Presenters: Dr. John L. Hoff and Colette Hoff, M.Ed. have worked as marriage and family educators and counselors serving the Goodenough Community and many other living groups for almost 30 years.

Come and experience coaching and leave with a new State of Mind for the Holiday Season. We all have mixed feelings about the holiday seasons and though we know it is a time of friends, family and community we will at times delve into unpleasant states due to old memories, feelings, thoughts and beliefs. Before you take on your old state of mind and share any unpleasantness with those in your community, come and create a desirable state that will carry you through the holiday season, now and always. As NLP Solution Focused Coaches, Kate Michels and I have created an event that will cover coaching and several processes that all add up to a fun participatory evening. We look forward to meeting you! Alberta District - Little Church 5138 NE 23rd Portland, OR 97211 Cost: $20 $5 discount if you mention Intentional Communities. Thursday, November 15, 2007 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM Begins promptly at 7 PM Be well, Deb Ochoa

The essence of The Heart of Now is the practice of being present with your whole self: your emotions, your thoughts, your body, and, beyond that, the part of you that is connected to everyone and everything. By living in the present, we free ourselves from past limitations and are able to create our dreams, visions and be fully alive. Through a blend of individual exercises and group interactions, participants find healing, clarity, and connection, as they become aware of what they feel and what they want in each moment. A loving, supportive community is formed that encourages deep, authentic connections. Some more concepts we explore are: the practice of honesty, letting go of limiting ideas and fears, releasing repressed emotions, making clear choices and noticing connections between mind, body & emotions. A $55 registration fee includes organic,vegetarian meals and lodging. Suggested additional contribution $300-$650 requested at end of course.

facililated by Jude Hobbs, Rick Valley, and Marisha Auerbach Integrating Sustainability for the Land, the Built Environment, and for Human Communities on the Village Scale and Beyond... Learn solutions to environmental and social problems that you can implement in your own life, in your local community, and on larger scales. Develop skills that will help you foster communities that are more ecologically regenerative, socially cooperative, and personally satisfying. The 2 week Permaculture Design Course provides a holistic overview of the concepts and practices of permaculture. Topics include: • organic gardening • forest gardening • natural building • eco-forestry • appropriate technology • renewable energy • social sustainability • urban applications For more information, or to register, check out www.lostvalley.org

Christian Youth Theater proudly presents Annie. Come see this well known and well loved Broadway musical performed by kids 8-18. For showtimes and tickets go to our website www.cytvanport.org.

Living in community, like being in any relationship including marriage and family, is a challenge filled with mystery and much time passes before we really understand what we are dealing with. However, we become quite quickly aware that community, as relationship, exaggerates tensions that we feel: the tension between our autonomy and the demands of community organization; the ever-present tension between competing commitments; the impact of community dynamics on marriage, family, child-rearing - are just some of the stresses that begin to shape our lives as members. We are hoping to bring together individuals from many groupings to share in good conversation. - Cost: $30 per session - Presenters: Dr. John L. Hoff and Colette Hoff, M.Ed. have worked as marriage and family educators and counselors serving the Goodenough Community and many other living groups for almost 30 years.