Shadow Puppet Storyteller

Community *of note

I was curious about the information available about the Playa encampment at Black Rock Desert NV known by fastival goers and watchers as "Burning Man."

This was on the site; a position I was ignorant of -- I guess it's not just an overblown rave
"BURNING MAN IS AN EXPERIMENT IN TEMPORARY COMMUNITY. Because many people only know a world shaped by institutions, service workers and commercial transactions, they may not even recognize the signs of a community. Here are a few indications:

* CAPACITY Communities are built on the recognition of the unique abilities of every member. Commerce and the public service sector define us on the basis of deficiency and need.
* COLLECTIVE EFFORT Community is cooperative -- uniting us as varied members of one body. When, by contrast, we consume a service, we're made passive. 50 million people may view a television program or consume a beverage in complete isolation from one another.
* INFORMALITY In the community, transactions of value take place without money, advertising, or hype. Care emerges in place of structured service.
* STORIES In universities, people know through studies. In businesses and bureaucracies, people know by reports. In communities, people know by stories.
* CELEBRATION Community activities incorporate celebration, parties and other social events. The line between work and play is blurred and the human nature of everyday life becomes part of the way you work. You will know that you are in a community if you often hear laughter and singing."

A very interesting statement of purpose and vision. It is not necessarily a unique vision, but it does speak well of goals which all could aspire to, don't you think?