Page 3 - C.A.L.L. #32 - Summer 2010

2) Present and possible future activities of the International Communes Desk include:

• Twice a year, the International Communes Desk publishes the English-language
journal C.A.L.L. (Communities At Large Letter). This magazine reflects the extensive
exchange of information and correspondence with organizations and communal
groups abroad. Furthermore, it features articles and information about what’s going
on in both the classic kibbutz and follows closely the development of the new wave
of urban communes in Israel. Could we publish C.A.L.L. three times a year?
• The International Communes Desk represents the kibbutz idea and practice, and its
contemporary successors, at various Israeli and International forums (e.g.
International Communal Studies Association conference, which this year is taking
place in Israel on the occasion of the centenary since the establishment of Degania).
Could we attend more of these international gatherings?
• The International Communes Desk maintains a website in both English and Hebrew.
Could we update the site more regularly? Could we create a more interactive
website, with articles, blogs, forums, and even live chat?
• When members of intentional communities travel abroad, they sometimes make an
effort to visit a local community. Can we at the International Communes Desk
initiate and organize visit exchanges?
• There are international communities conferences for academics, and there are
regional/national conferences for members of communities, but there isn’t a truly
international conference for people living communally to come together to share and
learn from each others’ experiences. Can we at the International Communes Desk
organize an international communities gathering?

3) Funding for the International Communes Desk:

• We are currently supported by the Kibbutz Movement, but we are searching for
additional sources of funding to put us on a more solid, long-term financial footing,
and to enable us to not just continue our present undertakings, but to broaden our
activities. Can we employ a professional fundraiser? Do we have partners abroad
that can help us with fundraising? Can we start collecting dues from ‘members’?

These are some of the questions that we are grappling with here at the International
Communes Desk. We wanted to share with our readers these dilemmas in order for them
to become our dilemmas. I would love to hear your responses.

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to remind you of the International Communal
Studies Association (ICSA) conference which is taking place from 28 -30th June here in
th
Israel. I look forward to seeing many of you there, and I am hoping to convene a forum of
‘Friends of ICD’ to discuss some of the issues I have outlined above.

You can still send us your suggestions, corrections, contributions and retributions
regarding C.A.L.L. to the usual email address,

Anton
anton@kyovel.org
www.communa.org.il

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