ICSA Statement regarding the violence in Israel and Gaza
As a scholarly society devoted to the study of intentional communities, the International Communal Studies Association and its board are deeply saddened and outraged by the terrorist attacks perpetrated against kibbutz communities in Israel on October 7. Kibbutz members were among the founders of our organization and continue to provide vital support, so we share a special grief for the suffering of those affected by these attacks, especially the family of the hundreds of kibbutz residents who were killed or abducted. We mourn for all of the innocent Palestinians and Israelis who are suffering in the ongoing war, and for victims of violence everywhere. Intentional communities can help end violence by modeling cooperation and building bridges across ethnic and religious divides. As we grieve with and for our communitarian friends, we pledge to use our scholarly endeavors to build enduring peace.
The next International Communal Studies Association (ICSA) triennial in-person conference will take place in Lebensgarten, Germany from the 9th-11th July, 2026
Important Dates:
Pre-conference tour: July 6-7, 2026
Taste of Lebensgarten: July 8, 2026
Conference: July 9-11, 2026
Post-Conference tour: July 12, 2026
*The post conference tour will be in the surrounding area of Lebensgarten
The CALL FOR PAPERS and CONFERENCE REGISTRATION are now live.
Please remember that there are three stages to the registration process:
The purchase of an ICSA Membership - only ICSA members can attend our conferences. This can be done through this website here.
Conference registration through the purchase of a conference ticket - this includes attendance and and all meals at the conference. This can be done through this website here.
Lodging - Booking your accommodation for the duration of the conference (and additional nights before and after - especially for those attending the pre/post-conference experience or tours). This can be done through the Lebensgarten portal (with a translation and link here), or directly with hotels in the area.
ICSA Webinar Series
ICSA has embarked on a series of webinars to take place before the next face-to-face Conference in the summer of 2026.
The first five webinars took place in September, 2024, February, May and July 2025. The next Webinars are scheduled for the fall of 2025.
We’re especially excited to invite you to view recordings of all of our webinars free of charge. You can find the recordings here
More about our last in-person ICSA Conference that took place in Denmark, July 14-16, 2022
A conference for the community curious and committed scholar alike.
Our Mission
ICSA’s mission is to support the scholarly exchange of information regarding communal life — communes, intentional communities, kibbutzim and other collective communities throughout the world.
Kibbutz Research Institutes
ICSA is grateful for the financial support of the following Kibbutz Institutes:
