This list is limited to people over age 50, not only to honor those intentional community elders who have spent several decades (if not a lifetime) of focus on ICs, but because fortunately there are so many great young upstarts that a full list of who’s who would be far too long for our modern attention spans.
Diana Leafe Christian
Diana gives a 13-minute video overview of what it takes to create a successful lasting intentional community and a 45-minute presentation on how ecovillages benefit the wider culture.
Notes from a talk on resolving the three types of conflict in ICs are a preview to her upcoming book.
Major Contributions
Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities, and Finding Community: How to Join an Ecovillage or Intentional Community. Contributed chapters to several other popular ecovillage-related books. Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) trainer for Gaia Education, and editor of Communities magazine for 14 years.
Affiliations
Diana currently works with the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) as a board member of GEN-US and lives in Earth Haven Ecovillage.
Recent Focus or How to Connect
She is writing an additional book on ICs. She teaches online courses and workshops, “Sociocracy for Intentional Communities,” “Helping Your Community Thrive,” and “Starting a Successful Ecovillage or Intentional Community.” Connect at https://dianaleafechristian.org/
Laird Schaub
Laird gives a 5-minute interview of some aspects of intentional community. He teaches an excellent online course Designing a Community Membership Process through the Foundation for Intentional Community website.
Major Contributions
Laird helped begin the Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC), where he served as the main administrator for 28 years. Laird has lived for four decades at Sandhill Farm, an income-sharing rural community that he helped found.
Affiliations
He currently serves as the FIC Executive Secretary.
Recent Focus or How to Connect
Other courses he teaches include “Consensus for Communities” and “Examining Intentional Community Living for Seniors,” both thru FIC, as well as consulting. He has been a regular contributor to Communities Magazine and included IC topics in his blog.