ICSA Webinars

Title: Intentional Communities & Social Change

Date: Thursday, 26th September 2024

Presenters: Bill Metcalf, Iris Kunze, and Jan Martin Bang

Facilitated by: Taisa Mattos

Time: (07:00 Brazil, 13:00 Israel, 12:00 CEST, 20:00 Australia) 

Check your time zone HERE

Format: 90-minute participatory academic session 

ICSA Webinars

ICSA is launching a series of webinars to take place before the next face-to-face Conference in the summer of 2026, where we will celebrate our 40th Anniversary. The first Webinar took place on September, 26th 2024. Each Webinar will last 90 minutes, and we will offer three academic presentations followed by Q&A and discussion panels. The next webinars are planned for January, April and July 2025.

Webinar 1: Tuesday 24th September 2024 on “Intentional Community & Social Change”

Bill Metcalf, Iris Kunze and Jan Martin Bang will present aspects of research, followed by a general discussion chaired by Taisa Mattos. We will see how intentional community has influenced society in the past, and how it continues up to this day. We will also see how intentional communities can offer solutions to the economic, ecological, technical and social challenges facing society today.

Information about the presenters:

Bill Metcalf, Ph.D.

Sociologist and social historian with over 51 years dedicated to living in and studying communes and intentional communities around the globe. Honorary Associate Professor of the University of Queensland. Awarded author of numerous reviews, books, chapters, encyclopaedia entries and articles. Currently building up a massive database of intentional communities in Australia. 

Explore the meaning of “intentional community”, and the utopian goal of living a “better” life, by delving into who gets to decide this, how it is shaped by the politics and history of communities.

Iris Kunze, Ph.D.

Researcher, author, coach and project manager in the field of sustainable lifestyles, community, social innovations and civil society movements since 2001. Currently living in a tiny house rural community in Austria, and offering lectures, coaching, and training for communal living projects. Awarded Starting Scholar in 2011 by the Communal Studies Association (USA).

Intentional Communities as transformative Social Innovations

Jan Martin Bang

Permaculture Designer and teacher, former president of the International Communal Studies Association. Leading activist in environmental projects and ecovillage developments internationally with over 20 years experience in designing and teaching courses. Lived in income-sharing communities for 30 years, in Israel and Norway. Author of several descriptive and comprehensive sourcebooks.

Social impact in a variety of communities: Essenes, Monasteries, Robert Owen and maybe Kibbutz and Camphill. 

Bill Metcalf will explore the meaning of “intentional community”, and the utopian goal of living a “better” life, by delving into who gets to decide this, how it is shaped by the politics and history of communities.

Iris Kunze will talk about Intentional Communities as transformative Social Innovations

Jan Martin Bang’s presentation will be concerned with social impact in a variety of communities: Essenes, Monasteries, Robert Owen and maybe Kibbutz and Camphill. 

Sliding-scale Pricing:

One Session: €15

All Three Sessions: €30

All Three Sessions + ICSA Membership up to and including the 2026 Conference:

€50 Low income, member of income-sharing community

€100 Professional membership

€200 Institutional membership

€200 Individual sponsor

€500 Institutional partner membership