How the Zegg Community in Germany Evolved Since the ICSA Conference at Zegg 2001
I want to present the changes and evolution of ZEGG Community during the past 20 years. Today ZEGG shows clear signs of “community entropy”. The structures and forms dominate human interaction and direct communication. When we have conflicts – which were ample during the last two years – a majority refers to more organization, instead of communication. I learned that Community needs constant input, innerwork and focus on healing of our individual and collective traumata. Ina and me were very focused all those years to counteract “community entropy” which to me is the tendency to yield outer and inner pressure (through public opinion, inner desires etc.) and to finally reapproach mainstream society, settle down and not be challenged anymore.
Since 2001 ZEGG developed as seminar center with many seminars and events throughout the year. We spent lots of power and means to consolidate our seminar business. Our organization grew much more professional. Our official buildings were refurbished and became beautiful. Financially we consolidated. And: we lost inner community coherence and the focus on feedback and personal change. The Community is now 42 years old and I am seeing a painful shift from the innovative questioning of the mainstream life style and what we used to call “character work”.
Yet there is a small group of about 10 committed members with some supporters. We are in close contact with relatively young communities inspired by the same spirit we once had. This connection rekindled our fire to revive our inner commitment for community and caring, and for a new culture. As innovative projects often are challenged heavily, also we experienced a lot of resistance at ZEGG and around leading to social marginalization and cases of loss of job appointments. The crucial question we face in midst of a health, social and overall climate crisis is: Where do we go from here?
