Hazelnut Village: What Are the Non-Negotiables?
beginning the journy of an intential community with a question.
Every community begins with questions. Not just the practical ones, like where will we live or how will we share resources, but the deeper, heart-level ones too. The kind that help us uncover what really matters.
We started our journey with one question:
What are your non-negotiables?
In other words, what would need to be true in a shared living space for you to feel safe, rooted, and able to thrive?
It didn’t take long for ideas to start flowing. People shared about the need for shared kitchens and open green spaces, gardens and growing, communal meals and clear agreements. Others spoke about the importance of consent, creativity, play, and values rooted in justice and non-capitalist ways of living. The responses were many, and beautiful in their diversity.
Here’s a glimpse of what surfaced in our shared conversation:
We quickly realised something important. This isn’t going to be simple or quick. Everyone brings their own stories, traumas, gifts, and hopes. And in a world that so often rewards speed and certainty, choosing to move slowly and collaboratively can feel frustrating, even risky. But it also feels essential.
There is no masterplan here. No single person at the top making decisions. We’re not looking to roll out a model. Instead, we’re trying to listen. To each other. To the land. To the Spirit.
And in doing so, we hope something deeper will begin to grow.
This kind of community is more like a forest than a building site. It doesn’t take shape overnight. It needs time, patience, and mutual care. And it starts with relationships, where we take the time to learn what matters to each person and what they bring into the mix.
That is the slow and holy work we’re beginning.
So we want to ask you:
What are your non-negotiables?
What values, spaces, rhythms, or principles feel essential for you in a shared way of life?
We’d love to hear from you. Add your voice in the comments and experiances.