Este trabalho analisa a percepção dos agricultores familiares atuantes no Programa de Agentes Comunitários em relação às práticas de autogestão e solidariedade no Cooperativismo Solidário da Cresol Francisco Beltrão. A Cresol é uma cooperativa de crédito rural, de perspectiva solidária, constituída e gerida por agricultores familiares desde 1995,inicialmente constituída no Sudoeste do Paraná, a cooperativa propagou-se em diversos outros municípios. A Cresol Francisco Beltrão foi uma das primeiras a serem criadas e, hoje, destaca-se perante as outras cooperativas por seus indicadores econômicos. As cooperativas Cresol desenvolveram um programa de formação para associados denominado Programa de Agentes Comunitários há 15 anos. Após este período de execução, em 2015, observa-se que os agentes comunitários possuem o papel de estreitar as relações entre a direção da cooperativa e os demais associados, entretanto, os agentes apontam que o princípio da solidariedade encontra-se fragilizada, pois ao observar a relação dos demais associados com a cooperativa, percebem que estes a consideram apenas como uma instituição financeira. A autogestão, que se manifesta na forma como os associados tratam de temas gerenciais e administrativos e como se desafiam a criar mecanismos que ampliem os espaços de consulta coletiva para a tomada de decisão da cooperativa. Neste sentido, observou-se que há algumas práticas que estimulam a democratização de informações e relatórios acerca da gestão, bem como o trabalho do agente comunitário em estimular a participação de outros sócios em reuniões comunitárias. Contudo o fluxo de informação é assimétrica, ocorrendo da cooperativa para a comunidade. Os agentes comunitários da Cresol Francisco Beltrão afirmam ser necessário que a direção desta cooperativa organize eventos e reuniões envolvendo mais associados para ampliar e fortalecer os princípios da solidariedade e autogestão no cooperativismo solidário, bem como da cooperação. / This paper analyzes the perceptions of family farmers included in the Program of Community Agents about solidarity and self-management practices in Solidary Cooperativism of Cresol Francisco Beltrão. The Cresol is a rural credit cooperative, with solidarity perspective, organized and managed by family farmers since 1995, initially established in Southwestern of Paraná, the cooperative has spread in several other municipalities. The Cresol Francisco Beltrao was one of the first created and today stands out against the others cooperatives for its economic indicators. Cresol created a training program for members named Program of Community Agents 15 years ago. After this period of implementation, in 2015, it is observed that community workers have the role of closer relations between the direction of the cooperative and the other members, however, the agents point out that the principle of solidarity is fragile, because by observing the relationship of the others associates with the cooperative, they realize that the others consider it only as a financial institution. The concepts of self-management that is manifested in the way associates address management and administrative issues and how they challenge themselves to create mechanisms that expand the spaces of collective consultation for cooperative decision-making. In this sense, it was observed that there are some practices that encourage the democratization of information and reports on the management and the work of community agent in stimulating the participation of others associates in community meetings. However the flow of information is asymmetric, it pass from the cooperative for the community. Community agents of Cresol Francisco Beltrão claim to be necessary that the direction of the cooperative organize events and meetings involving more members for expand and strengthen the principles of solidarity and self-management in solidary cooperativism, as well as cooperation.

Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, an intentional community of roughly 70 members in Northeastern Missouri, is working to create societal change through radical sustainable living practices and creation of a culture of eco-friendly and feminist norms. Members agree to abide by a set of ecological covenants and sustainability guidelines, committing to practices such as using only sustainably generated electricity, and no use or storage of personally owned vehicles on community property. Situated within the context of a sustainability study, this thesis explores how Dancing Rabbit is creating a more socially and ecologically just culture and how this lifestyle affects happiness and well-being.

Thesis. 1975. M.Arch.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. / M.Arch.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D. (History)) --University of Limpopo, 2009 / Key to this study is the history of Makgabeng, mainly focusing on creation of rural communal identities in that area. Defining identity will be an important aspect for this study in which a deduction will be made on how the Makgabeng communities viewed themselves and were also viewed by those outside their area. The various aspects which shaped and led them to view themselves and be viewed that way over time will all be explained. The history of Makgabeng was never included in the mainstream just like the history of most of the previously marginalised communities in South Africa. The early history of such communities was documented by Europeans, while those communities did not participate in the production of their own histories and the history of South Africa in general. The history of indigenous communities has been told from the other people’s perspectives resulting in huge gaps as well as distorted, prejudiced and subjective accounts of the past. The past of these indigenous communities was mostly preserved in oral traditions and oral history. Therefore, one of the principal aims of this study is to work towards filling the gaps as well as attempting to rectify distortions and myths prevailing in the current texts which were made by authors alien to the indigenous people.

The Oregon Territory and later the State of Oregon have had a well-deserved reputation for encouraging free thought and liberal ideas. By tradition, Oregon has been the scene of rugged individualism, a proving ground for ideas and movements. The commune of New Odessa was one of the lesser known attempts of a group of immigrants coming from persecution in Russian to a new way of life in America. This thesis is a study starting with the background of Russian Jewry, the social climate in the United States and particularly Oregon which allowed for the development of communes, the story of New Odessa, and the reason for its disappearance. New Odessa was unique in Oregon as it was a Marxist commune founded by Russian Jews. The portion of the thesis on New Odessa was based on original research: the studying of periodicals of the time, original documents, and field research in the geographical location. The more accepted and productive New Odessa became, the faster the disintegration. The geographical and cultural isolation of Oregon proved to be too great for the members of the community, most of whom had been students and urban residents in Russia. A difference in ideology between the two leaders resulted in a gradual decline in membership. By 1887, the community had been declared bankrupt.

Thesis (MPhil (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / The word ‘ecovillage’ is evocative of a kind of human settlement that exists in complete harmony with nature and examples of such settlements are indeed in existence almost everywhere in the world, some nearly half a century in the making. The Gqunube Green Ecovillage near East London can hardly be described as one of a proliferation of such settlements in South Africa, but it is anticipated that an examination of that project will contribute to the limited academic literature on the topic of sustainable human settlement. In Chapter 1, this thesis introduces the Gqunube Green Ecovillage and, in the following six chapters, traces its origins and demonstrates how models for ‘ideal’ human settlement developed. It explains how and why an international ecovillage movement reached South Africa and how Reverend Roger Hudson responded to that movement by starting the Gqunube Green Ecovillage in South Africa. The conclusion is that Reverend Hudson has achieved his primary objective, namely the establishment of an ecovillage, but the challenges described in this thesis have been significant. One of the most significant potential stumbling blocks to the future smooth management of Gqunube Green is its own regulatory environment that dictates the relationship between the settlers and their ecovillage. The proposed sociocratic management style, combined with a strongly spiritual, eco-theological objective, is driven by a strongly worded and rule-orientated ecovillage constitution that is shown in Chapters 2 and 3 to have the potential to both alienate and unite the inhabitants of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage – depending on how it is interpreted and enforced. The external regulatory environment, both enabling and restricting development, is analysed in Chapter 4. National, provincial and local government legislation, policies and guidelines intersect to influence the progress of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage, creating opportunity for controversy between conservationists and developers. However, the debates between the various interest groups over the appropriateness of various development options for the east bank of the Gonubie Estuary were largely incidental and somewhat irrelevant to the delays in the development of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage that are described in Chapter 5. Although bureaucratic delays in the formal process of development have restrained the full rollout of the ecovillage project, the Gqunube Green Ecovillage was eventually established at the end of 2005 and the chronology leading to this milestone is described in Chapter 5. Chapter 6 of this thesis examines the timing of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage project within a changing and enabling paradigm shift, enabled by cooperative local government and efforts at the integration of legislation and policy to align with the constitutional aims of sustainable development. The concept of an ecovillage is not always acceptable to everyone as the ideal development model, especially when big business has a stake. However, it has been argued that the very fact that the establishment of an ecovillage has succeeded where big business was about to establish itself is a victory in itself for the founders of the Gqunube Green Ecovillage.

Thesis (MA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / It is generally agreed that the concept of sustainability should play an increasing role in future urban development world-wide. In order to ensure ecological sustainability, cities around the world have to decrease their environmental footprint. Two aspects are important in this regard: the decrease of energy consumption and the decrease of waste products and its subsequent management.