Burning Man intentional community?

[Nothing]

Anyone know if there is a year round Burning Man intentional community out there? I suppose it could be classified as an art colony but maybe something else? It's hard to imagine that some group of burner types haven't got something along these lines going by now and I was wondering if anyone knows of a specific place that's been created. I'd looked into this a while ago just for kicks and I saw there was some undeveloped land in Northern California near the Cascade Mountains set aside for a "burner community". Then if memory serves there was a tropical lake in Central America with a time share component that people were trying to develop. Anybody know what I'm talking about? I'm especially interested in something that is up and running currently since most mentions of this type of idea are aspirational rather than actual. My inner anthropologist is curious!

[theCryptofishist]

That island was a dud. It was unconsolidated soil from lehars. which meant that it was very difficult to move around in general, or not move around in the rain. And that if the volcano ever blew, whoops you're cinders, man.
I've heard rumors, but I don't pay attention. I got rid of the living rough idea by doing it, and it was no good for me.

[Trishntek]

Is that not the beach in the movie The Beach?

No way! You sayin' that wasn't real? DAMMIT!

[mexicoburn]

The Bosque Village in Mexico was inspired in part by temporary autonimous zones such as Burning Man.
And part of it's design is to go beyond the unsustainable aspects and shallowness of Burning Man.

http://bosquevillage.com

And they have a little festival each year in April called Cumbre Yah.
http://cumbreyah.com

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/bosquevillage
and
http://www.facebook.com/cumbreyah

So far the population has mostly been transient, but the longer lasting intentional community aspects are developing as well.

[oneeyeddick]

http://permaburn.org/

[darcitananda]

Auroville in India has been around for quite a long time (since the 60s), attracting international types. http://www.auroville.org/ They have a "free store", solar oven restaurants and an "intentional" community. I think these sorts of things always veer toward cultish which is why I'm wary of them.

[Nothing]

Thanks for the info y'all

I'm pretty familiar with Auroville being a huge Aurobindo and Mike Murphy fan but I haven't been there... yet.

All of the references are exactly what I was looking for and have started to look into them a bit, awesome!

[bluesbob]

The Bosque Village in Mexico was inspired in part by temporary autonimous zones such as Burning Man.
And part of it's design is to go beyond the unsustainable aspects and shallowness of Burning Man.

I wouldn't touch Mexico with a ten foot stick.

[gyre]

It's no worse than any other conflict zone where people are being skinned alive.

[mexicoburn]

Actually Mexico is a great place for an intentional community.

I hope that people don't actually create their interpretation of reality based on the media. The US certainly comes of very very badly in the world's view if it based on the media. Mexico is an amazingly diverse place. It is almost as weird as the US, but far less violent and oppressive.

*We are up in the highlands so the weather is great all year long! While people in the north are suffering the cold and drizzle we are casking in the sun. It is never too hot and humid.
During the winter when the beach is nice we can head down there and enjoy for free what other people pay thousands of dollars to get to.

*We have a very high level of freedom here. In some ways there is less cultural freedom, for example Mexican culture isn't used to nudity, but then I guess most people in the states are not either. But in most all ways, we can live how we like and not be constantly invaded by control systems. Back in the states I would not have even been able to setup a food stand in my yard to sell food to my neighbors! We could never do what we are doing if we had to deal with all the control systems in the US. Despite it's frosting of freedom, Burning Man itself has to be part of the system or it cannot exist. Sad really.

*At this point we have hosted thousands of people from all over the world. The kind of people who come to Mexico these days are able to see beyond the bigoted stereotypes. Some come looking for some idealized Mexico... but they all find a very complex society which, like the US, is a cultural melting pot. Yeah there are things you can easily find worse or better than the US. Mexicans who move to the states find the same thing. It is interesting that Mexico and the US are more similar than different when you compare them to the rest of the world.

*Where we live is far safer and less violent than most places in the states!
Despite the news, things are very peaceful here. I have been here since 2004 and it is really great! Lots of local festivals with families and kids.

*The weather allows us to live closer to the earth. We can grow our own food and also buy exotic food grown in nearby climates. The avocado capital of the world in only 40 minutes away and we have our own trees too! We can build homes with adobe and cob right off the land.

*Mexican culture. Everyone know about the traditional Mexican culture, but there is also a huge population of young people blending all the world's cultures. They are hungry to create, but have little conceptual framework to use. And it would be great to introduce some of the Burning Man principles to them. We do it all the time... it doesn't take much to introduce them to new ways of thinking.

Anyway.... Most people up north don't know anything about Mexico.
it is too bad I guess, but it is easier for them to stick with what is known to them and believe what they see on TV.

[mexicoburn]

Oh, by the way...

Here is an article about the State Department warning for Mexico:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/04/26/me ... tml?hpt=C1

I live in the lower state with is colored red... It is Michoacan.
So I live supposedly in one of the worst places....
Yet everything is fine... why would that be?

I guess we all choose where to get our information.
You could get your travel information from the state... and you could get your advice on your sexuality, ethics, morality, chemicals... from the state.

I would rather live in a culture which has less fear about the diverse possibilities of human experience!

There is the scary language barrier... and that can be disconcerting. But Spanish is easy to learn.
In the tourist areas people do speak English, but not where I live. In the Bosque Village itself, we are bilingual, but everyone here should learn the other language. There have been times when at the lunch table there are 5 or 6 languages around the table... but usually it is just English and Spanish.