For five weeks our community was graced by 26 people taking part in our Community Course. They started with a 9-day intensive training in community development from Achim Ecker and Ina Meyer-Stoll. Then they began to help out in the garden, the site team or the seminar business. This helped them to get to know ZEGG members and the various working areas within the community. It also gave them time to integrate what they had learned and experienced in the initial phase.
A strong sense of community grew within the group and often found a wider expression through creative, artistic actions at mealtimes or around the site. These in turn further strengthened the identity and sense of togetherness in the group. In the afternoons and at weekends there was a varied program of theory (particularly on the topics of love, sex and partnership) and personal sharing from the group leaders and participants. The course also benefitted from the special qualities of Dolores Richter and Sucha Wolters who co-led the group part-time. As ZEGG's Easter Trance Ritual drew closer, attention shifted more towards the physical aspect, reaching its climax with the group's participation in the festival.
A course like this develops its own momentum, with the group itself determining the focal issues. For the ZEGG community, this year's Community Course was a tangible reminder of how enjoyable community life can be. The group's fun and enthusiasm was infectious, enriching our community and providing us with fresh inspiration. If you missed the Community Course this year, there is still the chance to take part in the 10-day intensive training "A new We" in autumn with Ina, Achim and Dolores.
On May 1, 18 former community course participants return to ZEGG to spend part or all of the summer with us. As "Saisoniers" they will have the chance to take part more in ZEGG's everyday life, attending all the regular community meetings. They thus have a chance to further explore the issues from the Community Course and to relate these to the joys and problems we experience on a daily basis. As well as working in ZEGG every morning and attending community events, there are regular meetings for the group itself and of course the work and participation during our main conferences. So their period of "experiencing oneself in community" continues until the end of August.
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