This blog is the first iteration of what has now become www.OneCommunityGlobal.org, please visit that site for the most current details on this project.
Here is a list of very interesting and good questions to consider... I've tried to break them up into general categories for easier reading.
Here is a list of very interesting and good questions to consider... I've tried to break them up into general categories for easier reading.
Consensus and Governing Structure
Q: With consensus EVERYBODY seems to want to get their 2 cents in, the meeting goes on forever, and then you're scheduling another meeting with assignments and goals in the interim to move the ball forward. How do you avoid everyone sitting in a lot more meetings than you want to?
You don't. This is a self correcting system. Reading Peck's book on Community... the torturous quagmire of non movement is what is necessary to get to community. There WILL be a ton of meetings in the beginning and then people will see the ridiculousness of it all and choose their issues... that's when the real fun and 'eloquent fighting' I mention starts because only real issues become worth arguing about or the people who want to argue about everything are obvious and the rest of the group gets to argue with them about that... all in all part of the process. The key is commitment to the consensus process meaning 'there's no turning back and we're in it for the long run'; in this case all night if need be since we live in the same community.
Q: What about the person who always has an opinion and everyone in the room just wants them to shut the f**k up?
LOL... If we can't bring this up as an actual issue with the person in question we have not achieved genuine community, we are in 'pseudo community' and it is absolutely imperative that we DO bring it up and go through the chaos and emptiness stages necessary to get back to genuine community. Situations like this are exactly what is necessary for our growth and we embrace the opportunity to work them out.
Q: Isn't your business model for entrepreneurship communism?
Business Structure and Operation
No. Communism is "a sociopolitical movement that aims for a classless society structured upon communal ownership of the means of production and the end of wage labour and private property." While we are a community that does not support wage labour almost nothing is communally owned. Property Owners own the property, Investors own their homes, and entrepreneurs own and operate their means of production with assistance from the community when requested and agreed upon by consensus because it benefits the community.
Q: What kind of guarantee can you give me if I invest in One Community?
There are serious repercussion for violating securities laws and making guarantees in a free market economy where there are no guarantees. Read the 3 Tiers of Investment page, however, and look at how your investment is secured. The stability of the model is founded in the decentralization of the investment; each person owning their 'slice of the pie' and supported by everyone else so that there is no one person responsible for, or capable of misdirecting, the investment success.
Q: Can I live in One Community and work outside the community?
Yes, as long as you also meet the requirements of being a Community Member. If you cannot meet community contribution or other requirements of being a Community Member we suggest exploring being a Community Investor instead.
Q: What about the jobs nobody wants to do? What if I absolutely hate gardening or doing laundry?
The community is large enough that nobody has to do anything they absolutely do not want to do. Jobs that are least desirable are discussed and divided amongst community members by consensus.
Spirituality
Q: Is this a cult... am I going to need to buy special shoes and drink the kool-aid?
No. While genuine community is exemplified by elevated states of consciousness often associated with spiritual awakening, the spirituality of One Community is just acceptance and celebration of our differences and diversity.
Q: I'm an atheist (Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist), can I join One Community?
Yes. All religions, non-religions, and all belief systems are welcome. The general feel of One Community is of deep spirituality and connectedness but not denominational or religious.
Investment
Q: Property owners earn 15% of GROSS revenue for One Community, how is this sustainable?
The key is self-sustainability and low overhead. As a business owner I can tell you that my operating costs for location and electricity alone have always equaled much more than 15%; yet I still turned a very healthy profit because I accounted for my overhead. 15% of gross revenue to the Property Owner and 10% of gross revenue to the community is significantly less than a person would pay to start up a business with a storefront anywhere else and One Community provides labor and management assistance to keep costs down.
Q: How do Community Investor buildings and other structures benefit Property Owners when the value of the property is assessed by subtracting the value of the structures?
The same way a growing neighborhood benefits its neighbors; the healthier and more beautiful the neighborhood becomes the more valuable the land and each house becomes. In the case of Property Owners, the more the property develops and becomes a successful community, the more the property itself is valued at and the more community revenue goes up. Property value also goes up because Property Owners have First Right of Refusal on all structures, second only to Community Members, at 80% of structure market value.
Q: How can building a structure be a good investment when Community Owners and Property Owners have First Right of Refusal at 80% of market value?
This is possible because the cost of building materials and labor are low enough to build structures and sell them at around 50-70% of their market value and still profit One Community. This means anyone selling their structure at 80% of market would still profit from the sale. We do this because we desire to grow One Community as quickly as possible and provide quality short term and long term investment opportunities. These sales must also close and be paid in full within 30 days.
