Living or Working in Community … Exploring the idea that work is love in action.
- Community meetings
- Learning about community structures and decision-making
- Taking part in celebrations and rituals in a supportive environment.
Meetings
At Spiti ton Kentavron a typical day starts with our morning meeting. Here we take time to get to know each other and explore the dynamics of the group. We may start with a game or a dance to wake us up. This is followed by time for sharing our feelings, thoughts and experiences … or simply staying silent! We use the Way of Council as our method of communication. This is based on four intentions: Listen from the heart, speak from the heart, practise succinctness and be spontaneous!
The morning sharing meeting is open to anyone and its length will vary depending on the circumstances. After the sharing comes the staff meeting, where the focus is on the work that needs to be done in the community.
Once a week we fill out a rota where we sign up for a number of work shifts either in the kitchen or the garden. Each shift is “focalised,” which means that one person coordinates the activity and serves as a go-to person. Before any task begins there is an “attunement”–a brief moment to connect with each other as a way of building synergy within the team.
Weekly rhythms
The week begins on Friday which is the changeover day when one workshop group leaves and a new one arrives. It is also the day that everyone gets together to help clean the centre. On Saturdays there is a community meeting, which is open to everyone. Here we welcome the new workshop group and introduce ourselves and get to know each other and how the centre works. Every two weeks there is a joint community meeeting together with our sister centre Kalikalos which is located four miles from Anilio in Kissos village. On Tuesdays one or two of the staff go to Volos to shop at the organic market and pick up whatever supplies are needed: the kitchen is closed that evening and the staff and guests typically go to a taverna to sample the local cuisine and enjoy a night out together.
