Introduction
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Our Living Manifesto
NeighbourGoodTM is a place where we remember tribal wisdom and blend it with our constantly evolving modern society in order to bring ourselves and our world back to alignment with the divinity inherent in the spirit of nature. It will be a place of joy, thriving. wellbeing and evolution.
Much as nature is always and continually evolving, so will this document. It will live and breathe in tune with the needs, wants, desires and purposes of each of us, of our community and of our land.
OUR VISION
Our NeighbourGood is a regenerative eco-village that brings together the community spirit of a Marae, the abundance of a food forest and a culture of gifting & sharing.
We focus on fresh, homegrown food, happy children and drinkable rivers in a vibrant village atmosphere.
Through consent based decision making and self governance, we harness the wisdom of the village to collaborate on businesses that positively impact our local biome & the wider community.
We aspire to achieve our vision through:
creative positive action to build NeighbourGoods across New Zealand
starting small and building up to 144-160 neighbours.
all members having the power of sociocratic consent in our community.
practicing non-violent communication principles (NVC)
cultivating best practice methods of regenerative food production including regenerative land practices for fertile soil and regenerative water practices, use of Permaculture Design and initiating a circular economy model of sharing land, resources.
trading with alternative economic tools such as time banking, local currency & a gifting economy
running conscious businesses that neighbours share the income and work of.
tailoring our businesses based on how we best serve each specific NeighbourGood land and community
WHY
The current systems governing the world are unbalanced. Ecosystems are being destroyed in the name of profit. Soil, plants, animals, water and air have become commodified and are being sold in a degraded state. Since health and well-being are the centre of a better quality of life, it is time to live in a balanced relationship with nature and acknowledge the interconnectedness and sacredness of life.
WHAT IS NEIGHBOURGOOD
NeighbourGood is a community of local and international visionaries, way finders, kaitiaki and everyday people who believe in living in harmony with the land and each other. It is a developing network of regenerative villages of 144+ neighbours across Aotearoa, New Zealand. It is a co-creation of an equitable society that values all its members and creates harmonious relationships between humans and nature. NeighbourGoods aim to be autonomous and self-sustaining with decision making power shared among all members to harness the wisdom of the village. NeighbourGoods will thrive through businesses that are socially responsible and ecologically friendly.
Neighbours aspire to live an abundance lifestyle contributing to greater happiness, health and well-being. We raise connected children and value the wisdom of our elders.
Through exchanging gifts, sharing resources and engaging with regenerative practices such as permaculture, organic farming and renewable energy, neighbours will be able to spend more time focusing on what truly matters in life: reciprocity, our relationships, personal growth, and meaningful experiences.
“Our children love their growing responsibilities. Our elders care for and enlighten our children. Our mothers and their children are at the heart of the matter. Our gardeners grow more than enough food for us and for sharing. Our cooks co-create one delicious feast a day for us to enjoy. Our healers keep us healthy and balanced. Our musicians keep us dancing. Our artists keep us inspired.” NeighbourGood, 2024
OUR VALUES & PRINCIPLES
The values and principles found here will form the basis for how we live and grow together and of our governance systems intended to function from principles applied on a case by case basis.
Harmony - within ourselves, with each other and with nature
Compassion: We cultivate compassionate hearts.
Peaceful Cooperation: We have effective conflict transformation processes.
Joy: We live life fully.
Fun: We don’t take ourselves too seriously.
Respect: We speak heart to heart and have due regard for the feelings, wishes and rights of others.
Nature - celebrating and living according to nature’s principles
Innovation: We embrace change and encourage new ideas.
Conscious Business Practices: We create businesses that support all life.
Less Is More: By sharing resources we all have more.
Regeneration: We plan for future generations.
Responsibility - for our personal growth and the planet
Self Determination: We are innately free to choose.
Self-Responsibility: We are adults and accept responsibility for our choices and keep to our agreements.
Self-Transformation: We are dedicated to our own personal transformation and are willing to grow and learn from each other and our interactions.
Health & Wellbeing: We look after our health and wellbeing as a priority.
Inter-Generational Participatory Governance: All neighbours have an equal voice and are required to use it including children.
SELF & NEIGHBOURGOOD ACTUALISATION
It is widely understood that when basic human needs are met, personal choices can be made towards higher aspirations of self and social actualisation. Basic human needs include social connection, food, water, shelter, clothing and warmth. Beyond these, self actualization is the act of making a reality of the values, beliefs and opinions we hold as individuals and collectively.
NeighbourGood members always aim to strive for their full potential -psychologically, emotionally, spiritually and in every other way by living in our sweetspot of being uncomfortable so that we can learn, grow and expand our perspectives.
With a mindset of social actualization; the self-development of each villager also aspires to positively impact those closest to us, the village, and the wider world. For example a personal goal might be to develop skills in public speaking. A social goal might be to speak in public to educate society on a beneficial idea.
Hence, the common intention of NeighbourGood villagers is to learn, grow and expand our perspectives in all levels of progression. The NeighbourGood community will provide a toolbox of options for achieving these aims.
CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION
We have a clear conflict resolution process that everyone in the NeighbourGood needs to agree to during the onboarding process. Read it here.
NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION
In essence, a community is a set of relationships. Successful relationships are built upon excellent communication, a willingness to embrace personal growth and connection.
NeighbourGood uses Nonviolent Communication (NVC), a communication process developed by Marshall Rosenberg. It is aimed at resolving conflicts with empathy and understanding. NVC invites us to listen to the feelings and needs of ourselves and others. By engaging with curiosity and the intention to connect we cultivate empathy, compassion and understanding.
Workshops to NVC will be a part of our initial induction to all members joining NeighbourGood. Existing members will have opportunities to continue learning in practice circles to ensure this tool is regularly utilised and refreshed.
CHILDREN IN THE NEIGHBOURGOOD
“Children at the heart.”
In the NeighbourGood, adults and children live, work, learn and play together. Children are nurtured by the beauty of the natural environment, their parents, their elders and all villagers.
With children at the heart, NeighbourGood’s vision is to move towards a way of life where children are consciously conceived, born and raised fully awake to their purpose. The vibrant village atmosphere will be an environment conducive to self-actualisation of the whole child for lifelong well-being. It provides the love, support and resources they need to gain all the skills, knowledge and wisdom they need to participate in creating a healthy world.
Learning in the NeighbourGood is grounded in best educational practices. It draws on:
Forest schooling: a nature-based antidote to an increasingly digital world. Children spend their days out in the forest connected with nature and each other in a face-to-face way to develop positive social and personal skills. They learn building, using tools, wildlife observation, plant identification, gardening, storytelling, creative expression and develop healthy exercise habits through play, climbing trees and digging among a plethora of other possible activities.
Democratic schooling: wherein children are involved to varying degrees in the decision-making of the school and engage in learning activities of their choice. In the NeighbourGood children will learn sociocracy and be able to participate in the wider decision-making of the village to the extent they desire.
Agile Learning: a model born of the democratic schooling movement that offers dynamic tools for collaboration and decision-making.
Project-Based Learning: a pedagogical tool allowing for skill building through real world projects.
Internships and Apprenticeships: we will provide opportunities for children and youth to learn from adult masters in areas of their interest including working in our businesses or starting their own.
Through these pedagogies, NeighbourGood will provide a learner-directed, experiential approach to learning with the flavour of a character school. The NZ Curriculum and University Entrance Some parents worry that a child-directed learning experience limits children’s possibilities for future study and for success in mainstream life. The programme on the NeighbourGood will allow for children to access any and all aspects of the NZ Curriculum that will help them become skilled experts in their chosen fields. Whatever career path children choose will be supported including gaining entrance to tertiary studies. Children from traditional learner centred schools do exceedingly well in mainstream education if they decide to access it and often do better than their counterparts who have never been offered the option to discover their own way forward.
Rites of Passage: NeighbourGood embraces life in rhythm with the cycles of nature which children learn through celebration of the turning of the seasons . Upon reaching maturity, children are given the option to join the NeighbourGood as full members.
ADULT EDUCATION
Learning is a lifelong journey. We will have education for all ages.
We will design a pre-birth to adult learning culture guided by real life needs, wants, and passions.
Regular speakers and workshops.
Courses offered to the larger community.
Retreats and trainings.
Member onboarding training.
NeighbourWork training.
FOOD
Growing, preparing and eating our own food is an integral part of the NeighbourGood. Our health and wellbeing are dependent on how we fuel our bodies. Therefore, our food will be regeneratively grown in healthy, living soil to ensure nutrient density.
We will grow more than enough to feed all of our villagers and from our excess, we will supply the wider community. From this abundance, villagers will share a daily plant-based feast to build connection, cohesion and coherence.
Dietary Policy The following policy was consented in August 2023 based on input from over 20 people who participated in the April 2023 hui and those who attended General Circle meetings which were open to everyone who attended the hui.
NeighbourGood serves local, organic, delicious whole food fresh from our gardens whenever possible.
Our dietary policy is accepting of all ethical and regenerative diets. All diets will be comprised of whole foods, predominantly local and seasonal, and be chemical free.
All food preparation shall be carried out with respect, care and consideration for all neighbours. There will be a separate space for the storing and cooking of animal products.
There will be no factory farmed animal products, only ethically* raised, consciously killed and wild caught where possible. Animals may be caught, raised and processed with loving respect on NeighbourGood’s land only for consumption on the NeighbourGood and not raised for outside sales.
‘Ethically Raised’ meat is when the animal is well taken care of. They are fed a natural diet as close as possible to what they would eat in the wild. They are kept in as natural an environment and lifestyle as possible to ensure their mental and emotional health. They are treated with respect and kindness. They are slaughtered in a separate designated space in the most humane way possible so they don't suffer, and they do not witness this happening to others before them, so they are not in fear.
OUR CONSCIOUS BUSINESSES
While families and food are the heart of the NeighbourGood, business is at the head. NeighbourGood businesses are committed to fostering positive change through regenerative supply chains and a holistic approach that considers cultural, economic, environmental and social impacts.
Regenerative businesses play a crucial role by offering villagers meaningful and purposeful financial opportunities. These ventures develop skills, co-create value, and generate income, empowering villagers to achieve financial independence. Additionally, profits and capital gains from NeigbourGood businesses are equitably distributed among villagers and reinvested in community village growth and development.
Each NeighbourGood business is shaped by the unique characteristics of the land and region, as well as the expertise, skills, and interests of the villagers. Together, these elements inform the direction of our enterprises, ensuring a sustainable and thriving community. All NeighbourGoods prioritise abundant food production. With any surplus food being sold or traded to neighbouring communities. This commitment aligns with our goal of providing high-quality, nourishing food for everyone in the wider bio region.
NEIGHBOURNOMICS
THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS TO FIND OUR GIFT THE MEANING OF LIFE IS TO GIVE IT AWAY
NeighbourNomics (NN) is an umbrella term for our unique and innovative financial and gift giving system.
A gifting economy is likely the highest form of economy humans can achieve. In the NeighbourGood we aspire to fully embrace a gifting economy as we achieve greater and greater autonomy by having our own energy, food and shelter provided within our community.
NeighbourNomics will need to meet the needs of a hugely diverse range of Villagers; from 20-30 year olds with loads of energy but often no financial capital, to families with children cars boats caravans etc and some capital, to 60-80 year olds with less energy and in some cases lots of capital.
NN tribrid model will include;
gift giving to each other, and to the land and village infrastructure
paid work done for NG businesses
donations to the NG Incorporated Society (Constitution).
In the village it’s all about gift giving and sharing, meanwhile the work villagers do for NG businesses will be paid in dollars and taxed in the current system.
If your gift is in the financial and or alternative financial systems, we’d love you to join the NeighbourNomics Circle and help us co-create the NeighbourNomics blueprint.
INTERNAL EXCHANGE STRUCTURES
What follows are structures for internal exchanges some of which could expand to allow people outside the NeighbourGood to participate. Some, all or none may be adopted by villagers. There is also space for new ideas to emerge over time as humanity evolves our ideas and identities around money, finance, abundance and prosperity.
Timebank: In collaboration with our larger community we can trade time for time on an egalitarian basis. One person’s hour is worth the same as another person’s. Time can also be donated to a common pool and used to make projects happen. We are also considering the timebank as a way to multiply NeighbourMahi and/or NeighbourGift hours, Credits can be awarded and used to access other services in and out of the village.
LETS: H.A.N.D.S A locally created Golden Bay currency that stores the community wealth in the community and keeps it circulating. We could create our own internal currency based on items of real value such as honey and so forth. These could be issued as vouchers that we trade.
Gifting: A gifting economy is likely the highest form of economy humans can achieve. An incredible example of this is practised at Burning Man, a ten day yearly event where a 60,000 person+ community is built in the desert of Nevada, leaves no trace and no money is exchanged. In the NeighbourGood we aspire to fully embrace a gifting economy as we achieve greater and greater autonomy by having our own energy, food and shelter provided within our community.
Savings Pools: Interest is the cause of the current financial debt structure wherein there is never enough money created to pay interest. Savings pools are a system of interest-free peer-to-peer lending created in New Zealand. A villager would be able to borrow money for a project and pay it back with no interest over time and on a schedule that works for the villager.
OUR HEMP STORY
Industrial Hemp (iHemp) is experiencing a remarkable global resurgence, and NeighbourGood is thrilled about the potential of this versatile companion and master plant.
While not all NeighbourGoods may choose to cultivate hemp, those with suitable land and enthusiastic villagers are likely to embrace it for the following seven reasons:
The key to hemp lies in its whole plant utilisation. From the seeds and leaves, which provide regenerative foods, to the stalks that can be used for construction, biochar, charcoal, and graphene, every part of the plant has value. The fibres can be transformed into clothing and ropes, while the edible roots offer dietary fibre and can be made into healthy healing balms.
1. Nutritional Benefits: Hemp seeds and leaf are among the most nutritionally rich foods available, packed with essential fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
2. Sustainable Material Source: Hemp is a renewable resource that requires minimal pesticides and herbicides, making it an eco-friendly alternative to traditional materials like cotton and synthetic fibres..
3. Hempcrete for Building: Hempcrete, a sustainable building material derived from the hemp plant, offers excellent insulation, breathability, and carbon sequestration benefits, making it ideal for eco-friendly construction.
4. Soil Health Improvement: Hemp enhances soil health through its deep root system, which prevents erosion and improves soil structure and fertility. Additionally hemp is the world’s number one phytoremediation plant at removing heavy metals and toxins from contaminated soils.
5. Carbon Sequestration: Hemp absorbs substantial amounts of CO2 during its growth, contributing to carbon sequestration and playing a role in combating climate change.
6. Low Water Requirements and Natural Pest Resistance: Hemp requires less water than many traditional crops and naturally resists pests, promoting biodiversity.
7. Diverse Product Range: Hemp can be processed into a wide array of products, including textiles, paper, biofuels, food, and building materials, creating significant economic opportunities for the village.
Growing and processing hemp would empower villages by fostering local entrepreneurship, creating businesses centred on hemp-related products, and providing educational opportunities in sustainable agriculture and regenerative practices. This initiative would not only boost the local economy but also enhance community resilience through job creation and knowledge sharing.
SOCIOCRATIC GOVERNANCE
Living Systems Governance Sociocracy, also known as dynamic governance, is a living system. It is adaptive, responsive to feedback, and capable of evolving over time. It is designed to support the self-organisation inherent to all living systems.
A system self-organises when two conditions are met.
Firstly there must be an overriding purpose driving the organisation such that members find their inner motivation to work towards that purpose.
Secondly there must be equivalence, meaning that no one person is controlling another. In an organisation where everyone has equal power, there is an inherent impetus to take responsibility for keeping the organisation alive and moving.
The sociocracy governance system supports
the three values of transparency, equivalence and effectiveness.
the three principles of circle organisation, double-linking and consent decision-making.
This system works through full implementation of all nine elements below which are mutually reinforcing.
1. Circle - the basic unit of organisation in sociocracy. A circle is a container for members to respond and adapt to conditions within their area of responsibility which is defined by the aims and domains of that circle.
2. Aim - what a circle produces or provides. It gives a clear and visible purpose.
3. Domain - describes how a circle contributes to an organisation by clearly defining its area of operations and policy. Defining domains clearly enables a circle to operate with autonomy to achieve its aim.
4. Round - a process guiding circle members when and how to speak, listen, and contribute effectively in a meeting so that everyone’s voice is heard.
5. Consent - in the context of sociocracy, consent does not require full agreement or consensus from all circle members. Instead, consent means that a proposal is “Good enough for now, safe enough to try and within one’s range of tolerance and can move forward unless there are reasoned and paramount objections raised by circle members.
6. Objections - Paramount objections are concerns that, if not addressed, would significantly harm the circle's purpose, its ability to fulfil its role, or the organisation as a whole.
7. Policy -guides the activities that make up the work of a circle. They are codesigned by all members of the circle.
8. Operations - the day to day of getting stuff done in the circle.
9. Double-linking - a two-way connection made up of a delegate and an operational leader from a broader to a narrower focussed circle ensuring a flow of information between circles.
NeighbourGood has adopted sociocracy as a scalable, adaptive solution to governing ourselves as we grow our network of NeighbourGoods across New Zealand. It will allow for each NeighbourGood to have its own flavour and still be part of the NeighbourGood family.
As part of our membership onboarding process, NeighbourGood is also developing its own internal training programme for sociocracy. Here is a link to more information about sociocracy.
LEGAL STRUCTURE
The NeighbourGood land will be initially bought by private money. The land will gradually be signed over to the NeighbourGood Charitable Trust over a time period to be determined. The function of the trust will be to hold the land and manage the trademark and licensing of the NeighbourGood name and reputation.
Operating in tandem with the trust, each NeighbourGood will be a registered society and will adopt its own constitution based on the constitution of the first NeighbourGood society.
There are certain immutable principles that will need to be adopted in order to be able to use the NeighbourGood name. These principles are embodied in the objects of the constitution.
The 4 main principles are:
1. Having children at the heart and offering a comprehensive model of learning for them within the village.
2. Developing and running conscious businesses.
3. Using sociocracy as the organisational and decision-making system.
4. Regenerative and sustainable practices in all areas of village life.
The rest are still being considered as we strive to balance the desire for freedom to live according to one’s desires and having the name NeighbourGood represent specific recognisable principles. We need the NeighbourGood name to stand for something.
JUDICIARY: NeighbourLore
We will develop and grow an internal judicial system and conflict resolution process. Our model for this is going to be co-created by the first cohorts of the NeighbourGood and will continually evolve along with this living document.
Our judicial system is how we manage adherence to the principles and laws agreed to in the Living Manifesto. We are honourable, sovereign, free men and women and children with the intention to first deal internally with those who choose to transgress the NG principles, rules and guidelines.
Elements we are interested in exploring and adopting:
1. Restorative Justice:
1. Restorative justice refers to “an approach to justice that seeks to repair harm by providing an opportunity for those harmed and those who take responsibility for the harm to communicate about and address their needs in the aftermath of a crime (or injury or any harm).”
2. The three core elements of restorative justice are the interconnected concepts of Encounter, Repair, and Transform. Each element is discrete and essential. Together they represent a journey toward wellbeing and wholeness that community members can experience.
2. Tribal Justice: managed and lead by councils of true peers and elders.
3. Conflict Transformation Processes
VILLAGE DESIGN
Here are our current land requirements informed by our Living Manifesto vision. NeighbourGood Land Design Principles
This ecovillage design merges sustainable architecture, wellbeing, and permaculture. By using architectural elements that consider each region’s unique biosphere we pioneer a mindful way of life where NeighbourGood stands as a model of intentional community development.
Inspired by Maori philosophy of kaitiakitanga, the design is guided by nature-centric values, ecological responsibility and cultural sensitivity. Kaitiakitanga makes us the responsible custodians of the land fostering a symbiotic relationship between residents and the environment.
Through integration of suitable technologies, regenerative design, and cultural elements, we provide for biodiversity, protect the environment and maintain equitable access to land and resources.
NeighbourSuites
The aim of the design of NeighbourGood personal spaces, called NeighbourSuites is to create healthy, sustainable, efficient, and affordable dwellings. The design will effectively comply with or perform better than the current building regulations. Local materials will be used where possible such as pine, hemp, geopolymers, recyclable wood e.g. rimu. There will be a variety of housing to suit peoples needs.
NeighbourGood Residential Village Centre
The NeighbourGood Residential Village Centre (NGRVC) is a common social space that will serve as the heart of the village. It is envisioned as a dynamic and inclusive space that fosters community engagement, sustainability, and well-being. By offering a diverse range of activities and services, the NGVC will serve as a hub for social interaction, learning, and entertainment within the village.
With a focus on communal living and sustainability, the NGVC's spaces will cater to the needs of 144 residents and additional guests, offering shared meals, collaborative meetings, coworking, educational programs, cultural activities, entertainment, well-being and relaxation space for young and old. The addition of a large deck, amphitheatre and outdoor fire will further enrich the experience, providing residents and guests with a welcoming space for gatherings, relaxation, and community connection.
The Common House
Shared Meal Area/ Multi-Functional Space
Space for one shared meal a day for all villagers and guests
Flexible furniture and layout for communal dining and social interaction
Multi-Functional Space (non-meal activities), sociocracy circle meetings, children's education, art, cultural activities, movie screenings, speaker talks, dancing and workshops etc with adaptable layout for various events and gatherings
Commercial Kitchen:
Large, multifunctional, commercial kitchen
Additionally, the space provides food production for village stores and neighbouring communities
Materials Library
We will have a shared resource library which will contain items such as a boat, caravan etc while also having practical items such as work tools and lawnmowers.
Establishing a materials library means that as a collective we can enjoy resources that we may not have access otherwise.
Outdoor space
Large deck for outdoor gatherings and events that host all villagers and guests with seating and tables
Outdoor fire space with amphitheatre seating for cozy gatherings and community bonding
The space is embracing landscape and promoting outdoor engagement with a large nature playground for children of all ages.
Coworking space
A shared space for villagers to use as an office and meeting house
Hi speed internet
Shared resources such as printers, whiteboards, projector, materials
Various use spaces for working alone or in groups: hot desks, small group rooms, meeting rooms
Village Spa
A shared wellness space for villagers
sauna
cold/ hot pools and
therapy rooms for many different modalities.
The NeighbourGood Edge
The NeighbourGood Edge is a public space that is situated just within the boundary of the eco-village as an easily accessible interface between the wider community and the villagers.
This village zone demonstrates the edge effect in permaculture where diversity and growth are maximised. The Edge aims to create a bustling community hub that fosters holistic well-being, environmental consciousness, social connectivity and regenerative businesses.
The Edge integrates mixed-use facilities catering to various needs including
shops selling sustainable products such as clothes, food, arts, and crafts
a healing hub
a restaurant/café
accommodation for Edge visitors
integration of flexible spaces for pop-up events, workshops, and community gatherings
enterprise-related buildings such as food processing plants.
The NeighbourGood Edge is a memorable and welcoming place connecting the wider community to the NeighbourGood values, products, services and lifestyle.
The Edge Healing Hub Offers holistic wellness services and therapies, enhancing physical, mental, spiritual and emotional well-being. The healing hub could include:
reception area, waiting lounge, and consultation rooms for seamless client experiences
massage rooms, relaxation spaces, and salt/light therapy rooms for treatments
saunas and hot/cold pools for therapeutic relaxation and rejuvenation.
The Edge Restaurant/Café: Offers a nourishing and delicious dining experience prioritising NeighbourGood homegrown beyond organic and seasonal ingredients. The cafe will include
dining with indoor and outdoor seating areas
Integration of sustainable and eco-friendly practices such as composting, waste reduction, and energy and water -efficient appliances.
The Edge Accommodation: Provides comfortable accommodation for guests and clients of the healing hub, promoting restorative stays within the eco-village. The Edge Accommodation provides
eco-conscious lodging facilities, including guest rooms and suites.
incorporation of natural elements, locally sourced materials such as hemp, wood, stone, and earth tones, creating a serene and harmonious ambience.
Initial Plan For Living On The Land Neighbours will utilise existing tiny homes and caravans as we build our individual tiny homes known as NeighbourSuites. The first structures will be our communal kitchen/dining, laundry and a 100% self sufficient, zero waste, carbon positive, off the grid composting ablution block designed to build soil. Where possible, structures will be built using sustainable, natural and local materials that our land may provide.
NEXT STEPS
We are currently in the process of developing the first NeighbourGood in Golden Bay, New Zealand. You will find our current timeline and plan here on the website. We are actively seeking individuals who would like to get involved in decision-making and be part of the first village startup in Golden Bay.
GET INVOLVED
Version 2.0 Consented December 2024