Community Prep — The Basics

On the previous page I defined a viable community as having these characteristics:

But, since almost no community in North America meets these criteria today, how are we going to get there, even as we dodge the teeth and slither down the throat of the Apocalyptic Beast?

Beats me. But I do, at least, have a few ideas about how to get started.

This is basically a community-organizing task, and the first, natural step in most community efforts is casual one-on-one and two-on-two conversations among neighbors. The Japanese call this nemawashi or "stirring the roots," and they're very good at it. We're not bad ourselves — it's a fundamental human strategy. The basic idea is that if everyone knows what's going on and some consensus has been built, well ahead of decision-making time, then there won't be too many disruptive surprises, and work will go on.

Today, even in a rural community like mine, most people don't want to hear that Apocalypse could be right around the corner. You can confront them with all the sensible arguments and facts and figures you want — they just don't have time for it, and they can't really comprehend a future that is drastically dislocated from the present. You probably won't get anywhere, then (and you might set your effort back) by trying to convene community meetings or jump into community preparedness projects right away.

And then, when the balloon does go up, a lot of people's rational faculties are going to go up with it, at least temporarily. There could be a lot of confusion, frustration, dispair — you name it. You're going to want to be ready for that.

So go around to those friends who are most attuned to the need to prepare, and have quiet conversations with them, over a period of months or even years — right up to the time when larger meetings are called for. And encourage them to talk to other friends. Gently stir and water the roots.

And do a lot of thinking about how community planning and preparation might proceed, when the time comes. Outline the rudiments of a plan, and begin to make it part of your conversations with friends: "If we needed this, we could do that." Think about where bottlenecks and serious conflicts might emerge, and imagine how you could deal with them.

Share your personal survival strategies and resources with your closest friends. Start to form strong, conscious alliances. It might be that large parts of your community will never respond to the need to prepare, and will then fall back on selfish or violent means in the struggle to survive. If your faction is strong, positive, and community-minded, though, you might be able to hold the community together; and if that doesn't work you might at least be able to protect yourselves. Your togetherness will certainly be a big advantage, one way or the other.

Next: Community Prep — Getting Serious