Factor e Farm Social Contract
General Principles
These are the general rules of conduct for community members of Factor e Farm:
- Everyone is an essential contributor to the community's needs, either in sustaining activities such as food production, or in research and development activities
- Everyone strives to be efficient in the above activities - and aims to optimize their effectiveness continuously.
- We are a learning community - everyone is expected to engage in continued learning in new and diverse disciplines.
- No wage slavery is allowed on premises. Information work, agro-ecological production, fabrication and small industry, research and development are the suggested enterprises.
- Generally-accepted principles of conduct are the law of the land (ex., natural law, 10 Commandments, etc.)
- Everyone contributes to creating an autonomous economy - based on diversified production. Global trade emerges as a possibility beyond the provision of essential needs, which are to be provided from on-site resources.
- Respect for individual needs and rights is first, as long as the individual is making their contribution to the community - an individual's well-being shall not be compromised for the well-being of the community.
- Everyone strives for a high quality of life, with voluntary work replacing the need to make a living to the farthest extent possible, according to the principles of Neosubsistence.
- Everyone is expected to contribute to global economic prosperity by documenting and publishing (internet) any economically-significant information, events, and experiences at Factor e Farm.
- Everyone is expected to contribute to transforming the world by a deep engagement of open source economic development.
- Everyone has respect for the land and leaves it in a better condition than it was found. The land is not for sale, as it is a permanent site of human and natural heritage.
- Anyone breaking rules is given ample chance to reform, and if changes are not made, one is exiled.
- Governance and decision-making is based on creation. The creator controls their creation, ie., has authority.
- The path to the most sound governance is physical and spiritual abundance - and hence the community's inherent drive for empowerment of people (open learning) and for efficiency of productivity (open source production).
- We follow the creation of abundance as the highest goal. This goal is not an ideal, but a rigorous condition of striving for excellence. Such excellence allows one to take care of themselves without hurting others - the most universal formula for peace and prosperity known to humankind.
- Everyone follows an absolutely creative approach for solving pressing issues, both personal and political. We have a solutions-based focus at all times.
Annotations to the General Principles
- Point 1: the primary concern is transcending the material and basic needs of the community. This can be attained only by effective means of production. If a community that calls itself 'resilient' is to compete in lifestyle with the lifestyle of the centralized economic system - it must guarantee a level of economic productivity sufficient for a lifestyle that allows ample free time. In other words, it is the duty and first priority of each participant to become as effective in production as possible. This is achieved by learning to achieve a profound understanding of the activity at hand, use of appropriate equipment, and constant learning for improvement.
- Point 3: This includes personal growth and development. Personal healing comes from becoming an integrated human - making one's actions congruent with their deep needs. As of 2012, while we are a healing space, we are not yet ready to heal those who cannot heal themselves, or who are not open to healing.
- Point 16: This encourages collaborative problem solving. However, there is a deep personal element to that - as one must do preparatory thinking and soul-searching on their own - so they are ready to contribute more deeply to collaboration with others.
