LIVING TOGETHER
At Groundswell, community life depends on the good will and participation of every member. We believe that working, eating, creating, listening, trusting, learning, helping, playing, and celebrating together builds relationships that are the foundations of community. To foster community building, we share in daily tasks of our village, each contributing her or his energies and capabilities. We support community meals several times per week in our Common House – meals made from food that is locally grown and sustainably raised, much of it from the Yarrow Ecovillage Community Farm. Our intention is that members of all ages, from different cultures, backgrounds, incomes, family configurations, and abilities feel respected and empowered. We welcome the personal growth and social responsibility that living in community can inspire.
COMMUNITY AND THE INDIVIDUAL
With Groundswell, we are building an inclusive community where members are connected, supported, useful, and appreciated. Our pedestrian oriented neighbourhood promotes social mingling yet preserves privacy, provides safe space for children to play, and is accessible by differently-abled people. We support individuality in our community through communication, mutual respect, and facilitated dialogue.
LIVING SUSTAINABLY
As part of the Yarrow Ecovillage, Groundswell strives to reduce our ecological footprint by consuming less, driving less, sharing resources, upcycling, and recycling. We support sustainable building practices and work to reduce save energy use through technology as it becomes affordable over time. Insofar as we are able, natural sustainable principles will guide our development of housing, energy, food supply, landscaping, waste, soil, and water systems.
GOVERNANCE
We are self-governing and use consensus decision making. We evolve in our decision making and learn through creative controversy over time. Through respectful dialogue, we respond to principled objections and concerns as an opportunity to of improving a proposals and reaching an optimal solutions.
We treat each other and communicate with each other in ways that reflect kindness, consideration, openness, honesty, neighbourliness, and non-violence.
CHILDREN IN COMMUNITY
We seek to create an environment that is safe, supportive, and inspiring for our children. We include children in community responsibilities, projects, and celebrations, especially during times of seasonal and life transition. We welcome children as active participants in our community decision making.
WORLD CONNECTIONS
We recognize that we do not live in isolation and are a part of the Yarrow Ecovillage, the greater Yarrow community, the Fraser Valley, and beyond. We seek pathways of connection to local and global communities and we take opportunities to work with the Yarrow Ecovillage and the greater community to provide on-site learning.