Why is the FEC important?

by Raven

The Federation of Egalitarian Communities, or the FEC (not to be confused with the FIC, the Foundation for Intentional Communities, the umbrella organization for all types of communities including cohousing, co-op/collective houses, and ecovillages) is a very small organization consisting of a few income-sharing communities. All the communities do not have hierarchy (as in no bosses, gurus, etc, thus the term ‘egalitarian’) and are secular (rather than religious) communities. All the FEC members are in North America–there are European communes (especially in Germany) and the Israeli kibbutzim are also income sharing but they aren’t included. Most of the communities in the FEC are in the US but we have had Canadian communities.

All of our communities agree to seven principles (holding land, labor, and income in common; being responsible for the needs of their members; practicing non-violence; using a form of fair decision making; working for “the equality of all people”; conserving natural resources; and creating good communication and participation processes–see the FEC website for the full wording).

However, the FEC mostly exists to connect the communities. What folks who first find out about it don’t understand is that it has no power over any of the communities. I’ve compared trying to keep the FEC together to herding cats. And over the last few years, the FEC has been at it’s smallest, what I have been calling our “low ebb”. Currently it has just four full members (Twin Oaks, East Wind, Acorn, and Glomus) and it’s not clear if we have any real Communities in Dialogue–although I think that Serenity is about to apply for membership.

Twin Oaks folks

This is distressing to me for two reasons. One is that I’d like to see more communes but the other is that I think that the FEC is important. There are several reasons for that.

First, keeping the communes connected means both moving folks around (the FEC collects dues, much of which goes to fund trips between the communities) so that people in one community can visit another, and passing information around so everyone knows what’s going on in other communes (part of that is through talking with visitors from other communes but also there is a monthly FEC phone call where we discuss business, but also do updates on the various communities on the call). The FEC is sometimes called a gossip network–but I think gossip is important.

East Wind folks hanging out

As far as I’m concerned, the most important thing about the FEC is that it exists. Income-sharing communities are a major contradiction to the individualistic, isolated, nuclear families and one bedroom apartment tendencies of US society. Sharing is important, not only in the communes but between the communes. Thus, rather than a bunch of isolated communes all over the US (and occasionally in Canada), you have a bunch of communities that are very aware of and interested in each other, and that share with each other. (At Glomus we have Twin Oaks hammocks, East Wind nutbutters, and the seeds that Acorn sells.) This can create a very vibrant network where we are pretty involved with each other. The pandemic has slowed this down, but we are trying to build back.

Acorn members a few years back

Another important function of the FEC is to support the creation of more income-sharing communities.

This is why I’m most distressed about how small the FEC has become. We should be growing. I’m excited that Serenity Community is happening and that they are joining the FEC but we need more communities. If the FEC is going to be that vibrant network again, we are going to need to grow.

Glomus Commune members a few years back–with me in the middle

That’s an important part of the reason that I will be leaving Glomus Commune in July and moving to Boston. As much as I love living here, it’s too small and rural for me, and most important, the FEC needs more communities. My intention is to create a new income-sharing community in New England. Wish me luck. I will need it.