Auroville
The question often comes up, what environment would allow us to easily embody our beliefs and lead a life free of hypocrisy. Communities are an excellent, even if not the only solution. The gathering of diverse people based on a similarity in their aspirations and interests forms a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. One of the most successful attempts at forming such a community is Auroville, located in southern India.
Auroville came into existence in 1968 and, at that time, comprised largely of the followers of the Mother. The Mother was a French disciple of the Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo who became a spiritual leader in her own right. The Mother wanted Auroville to be a city of human unity and international understanding and she formed the Auroville Charter:
1. Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But to live in Auroville one must be a willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness.
2. Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.
3. Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring toward future realizations.
4. Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual Human Unity.
Although the Mother’s Charter is almost exclusively spiritual in its content, almost from the very beginning the citizens of Auroville added a strong earth-care focus to the founding ideals of the community.
Today, Auroville has grown into a community of almost 2000 people from nearly 30 different countries. The main township consists of four zones at the center – the industrial, cultural, residential and the international. This is surrounded by an afforested green belt. The town is divided into about 80 ‘sub-communities’ of various sizes, separated by village and temple lands.
The citizens of Auroville are encouraged to take part in any activity that is in accordance with the community’s ideals. This does include profit-making business as well. The activities of the people include afforestation, organic agriculture, educational research, health care, village development, renewable energy, town planning and cultural services. The township now organically grows about 40% of its food and generates 35% of its own electrical and thermal energy.
A community is comprised of a group of goal oriented individuals with similar beliefs and expectations. Currently the term is used interchangeably with society, the town one lives in and even religion. A less shallow interpretation suggests that community embodies a lifestyle unique to its members. Similarities within the group establish bonds along with ideals, values, and strength in numbers unknown to an individual. Ideals and values ultimately impose the culture that the constituents abide by. By becoming part of a community, socialization...
Trois-Rivieres is a place of cultural, economic, and physical diversity. Located in a country with a deep history, which is also growing into modern times, Trois-Rivieres shows its 375-year-old history by contributing to modern development. Economically, Trois-Rivieres has many resources, but the main economic resource is manufacturing which is always changing. In particular, the St. Lawrence River is connected to the three-armed delta that gave Trois-Rivieres its name. The natural vegetation is as diverse as the city as it ranges from forests to grasslands. Trois-Rivieres is small city with much to offer.
History has shown us that in order for a society to flourish there must be some commonality within the society. Sharing similar values, interests and cultures may be the basis for forming a community. The true test of a society is when communities can comprise, merging together as a larger, stronger, united society. For this process to even begin, there must be a common factor, be it foe, economic reasons, etc., a common goal amongst the communities. A prime example is the creation of a united American society. To truly appreciate the complexity of forming a united society you must first understand why these groups of people came to this strange new land. What similarities they shared, the differences which divided them and the force which unified them.
“Are Too Many People Going to College?” by Charles Murray poses a question about the mass majority of students going to college. Murray states various reasons why some recent high school graduates will not succeed in college, if they attend at all. Some students are not deemed as “fit” for college or possess a trade they are superb at that can be continued in lieu of college. Charles Murray displays his reasoning’s in such a way that the reader may start to believe his viewpoint of college are correct while simultaneously questioning the approach he uses to present his opinions.
Safari the Globe. “France: Culture and Identity.” Safari the Globe. Feb. 2012. Web. 7 Oct. 2013.
There is an agreement in the literature that “when people share a strong sense of community they are empowered and motivated to change the problems they face and are better able to mediate the negative effects over things which they have no control” (Chavis & Wandersman, 1990).
... adding a new law will not change anything. When teens are out after curfew, they are committing a crime, and therefore by default, adding to the list of juvenile criminals. Consequently, curfews do not decrease crime rates.
Curfew laws provide greater safety for the residents of the city. A survey was conducted by the U.S. conference of mayors in 1995 stated that 86% of the cities believed that applying the curfew law for the youth helped make their streets safer for their residents (USCM). with more people outside being fatigued or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, curfews can help teenagers stay away from the greater risk that can come as hours gets later states Carl Pickhardt, Ph.D., a psychologist writing for Psychology Today (Hatter).
Compared to other countries, France’s economy is the fourth largest in the world. France is a very industrialized nation, yet it has kept some of the cultural characteristics that contribute to its old-world charm. The economy is “exceptionally diversified” (“Economic Structure”, 1). It produces everything from aircrafts to pharmaceuticals.
In lieu of the “City of Light”, I’ve taken interest in a less conventional option. The AIFS Study Abroad at the Private “Collège International de Cannes”, in Cannes, France offers the most intriguing and m...
Global and local communities seek the greatest opportunities for prosperity and self-fulfillment, but there exists certain criteria that must be met in order to achieve those ends. The most successful communities incorporate the inherent values and virtues of a specific group of people. Communities ought to establish goals to be attained by their members, giving them a sense of cohesion and cooperation. Ideally, communities dictate a rule of law to lead them towards some elements of justice and mutual benefit.
The whole society in Brave New World is based on community. No one is ever alone. Solitude and loneliness are unheard of. Everything, as well as everyone, belongs to everyone else. There are constantly community gatherings, such as Orgy-Porgy and community-sings. Depending on what caste you are part of, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta or Epsilon, you attend different events. Community is the basis of life in the civilized world.
As a matter of fact, in some cases, applying curfew laws have actually increased juvenile crime rates. Teens begin to associate police officers with the curfew, and police officers begin to see a...
Alsace is in the north eastern part of France and borders Switzerland to the south and Germany in the east. It is the smallest region in the country, covering only 1.5 percent of the total surface area of France. The area has quite the spreadsheet for historical events and wars. This particular part of the country belonged to Germany several times before eventually being ruled a French province once again. Alsace has harsh winters and warm summers, making it more of a summer time destination above anything else. However, the area is studded with mountains and ski lodges for those who enjoy wintertime sports, so there is something to please everybody. The food in Alsace is as diverse as the province itself because of its huge Germanic influence throughout the years. Furthermore the cuisine is far from ordinary, housing some of the world’s best Chefs. However the style itself is quite rustic and unpolished but none the less sophisticated in its own way.
In the 1971 Webster Dictionary the last part of the definition reads, or region linked by common interests. In today’s society most people living in a community aren’t linked by common interests. A lot of people have different interests, beliefs, and way they go about living their lives from their neighbors. A more accurate definition, is, a group of people living in the same locality and under the same government (Dictionary.com). Now wouldn’t that definition be more suitable? It probably best describes most of today’s community actually. Take for example here at Michigan State. There are people most all different cultures, backgrounds, and sexual preferences (please don’t take to offense). Communities are just, for the most part, made up of people who live around each other. They may not like each other, or be like each other but one common interest they do same is they all have dreams.