We encourage potential members to research Diana's work to learn the processes The Village Project might employ and the topics that will be discussed.
Here is a brief synopsis of the steps we intend to follow and topics we intend to discuss:
Core Group Formation
- Communicating Vision - share, communicate and participate in outreach to individuals and related organizations
- Vision Circles - brainstorm and collaborate in groups, collecting ideas and answering questions
- Potential Core Group Meetings - gather in groups with interested potential members to test out compatibility, values and goals
Refining Vision Documents
- Researching and Visiting Communities - initiate research stage to prepare for refining The Village Project's vision, processes and policies
- Refine Vision/Mission/Values/Goals - refine vision documents based on core members' idea contributions and research
- Decision Making Tools - learn decision making tools such as consensus, voting, etc, and choose one or more that serve the community
- Conflict Resolution Strategies - learn various conflict resolution techniques and define strategies to deal with potential conflicts that may arise
- Structure Meeting Processes - refine processes for running meetings, recording minutes, creating agendas, holding ourselves accountable
- Create Guiding Principles & Policies - begin structuring basic policies such as membership processes, pet policies, accountability techniques
- Form Committees - form committees to carry out various tasks efficiently (ie: finance, building, programming, membership)
- Choose & Set Legal Entity - consult professionals and choose legal entities for land ownership, arts centre and eco- programming
Finding A Space
- Narrow Location Options - consult professionals and choose location based on site criteria, zoning laws, sustainable building limits, etc
- Refine Financial Plans - refine buying and developing budget, pooling donations, borrowing power, grants and existing assets
- Finance and Purchase Property - consult realtors and other professionals to finance and purchase property, boundary survey, water/soil testing, etc
Develop Property
- Negotiate Zoning and Building Permits - adjust zoning to correlate to the four-fold use plan (residential, agricultural, conservation and commercial)
- Refine Development Plan - based on property, create building priorities and timeline
