Being part of communities is an essential part of being human, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to belong to and participate in genuine communities. Beyond this I feel that people need to become part of communities for basic survival. Business and government both ostensibly exist to serve people, but nowadays the link between what they do and real human needs is sometimes hard to discern. The hordes of lobbyists that encircle Washington, DC, the role of money in our political process, the impoverished media, and the increasing economic inequality suggest to me that many things are out of balance and that the retreat from the "affairs of the state" (and of the community) may be part of the problem. At the same time that I was beginning to appreciate how critical community is, I was also realizing how inappropriate our traditional notions of community were. For one thing, nothing ever changed in traditional communities. Today change is ubiquitous. We can't construct communities that mimic traditional communities. That is why I developed the concept of a new community. The new community contains aspects of the old community, but it's organized differently to deal more effectively with its realities and dreams. The main "new" ingredients of new communities are principles, purpose, and consciousness. New communities need principles and they need purpose. They also need to be conscious -- to realize and develop their own strength and problem-solving capabilities -- to address these purposes. The new community, in a nutshell, is a powerful and organized social body. It is intended to be an active player in the design of the future -- and this includes the design and deployment of communication technology.

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