I have many friends at Burning Man right now. I've never been (yet). For those whom are not familiar with it, I'm not sure I can adequately explain. Let's say it's a community and cultural festival. I was very intrigued by their own description of what Burning Man is (listed below).
One of my goals is to visit all the major communal communities in the world - my list includes Auroville in India and Arcosanti in Arizona. I've already spent an intensive two weeks at Damanhur in Italy - I have a whole hefty notebook full of my notes from that experience. It's fascinating to understand how an entire culture is formed and emerges.
The tone of Burning Man's description of its own culture is non-commercial and they mean it. No advertising or logos are to be displayed whatsoever. Everyone is a producer. Giving and receiving are inseparable. When one of my best friends told me she attended some classes last year, I assumed that they were prepared and given by the organizers. Nope, each camp (a group of people) forms into a collective to offer something to the community at large. It could be a martini lounge or a class in spirituality or a work of art or anything the group desires to create and give.
Burning Man is an Experiment in Temporary Community
Because many people only know a world shaped by institutions, service workers and commercial transactions, they may not even recognize the signs of a community. Here are a few indications:
Capacity
Communities are built on the recognition of the unique abilities of every member. Commerce and the public service sector define us on the basis of deficiency and need.
Collective Effort
Community is cooperative - uniting us as varied members of one body. When, by contrast, we consume a service, we're made passive. 50 million people may view a television program or consume a beverage in complete isolation from one another.
Informality
In the community, transactions of value take place without money, advertising, or hype. Care emerges in place of structured service.
Stories
In universities, people know through studies. In businesses and bureaucracies, people know by reports. In communities, people know by stories.
Celebration
Community activities incorporate celebration, parties and other social events. The line between work and play is blurred and the human nature of everyday life becomes part of the way you work. You will know that you are in a community if you often hear laughter and singing.
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