How
and Why It Works: Business
As Usual, Our Way.
Self-sufficiency
Over
the years, people have begun to expect the government to “do something”
about the condition of the land or the lack of facilities for leisure and
education. Most municipalities and
government agencies are overburdened; there just isn’t enough money or
personnel to do all the things that people have started to demand that the
government do. Many of these things
should actually be the responsibility of the people in the community.
Much of the work of Omnia, even as it revitalizes and preserves the land
and invigorates people, will relieve some of the burden that is placed on the
government. Omnia Humanitas will
relieve some of the burden on our local government at the municipal and county
level, by revitalizing land which either belongs to or is open to the community,
offering cultural and educational programs and leisure pursuits to members of
the public, and relying heavily on the people themselves to make things work.
Self-sufficiency
for Omnia means that rather than relying on government to do for us what we
should be doing for ourselves, we find other ways to make things work, through
the generous financial support of individual benefactors, corporations,
foundations, and charitable organizations and, most importantly, through the
efforts of the individual people themselves who support Omnia financially and
through their volunteer work.
Integration and Diversity
Omnia
seeks out bits of land and community to revitalize through sustainable
agricultural and horticultural methods, “green” construction methods, and
the development of programs that will encourage and enhance the lives of the
people who live nearby. As every
site we work to improve will be different, one of our first steps will be to
determine what the best use of the site is – what will enhance people’s
experience of the site and invigorate them.
Once
a site has been physically revitalized, the work of Omnia at each site will be
managed by Groups which include: Education, Land, Artisans, and Communication.
The Groups are composed of smaller working groups which focus on
particular activities which fall within the purview of each Group. Some groups
will be needed for the development of a site and others may not.
For example, at the most expansive sites the following programs can be
developed in concert with one another.
|
Education
|
Land
|
Artisans
|
Communication
|
|
Drop
In Daycare
|
Gardens
|
Artisan
Space
|
Community
Outreach
|
|
Summer
for Kids
|
Animals
|
Open
Studio
|
Volunteer
Services
|
|
Life-long
Learning
|
Green/Natural
Construction
|
Music
Studio
|
Information
Center
|
|
Cultural
Festivals
|
|
Exhibitions
|
|
What
makes Omnia different is the fluidity with which the various Groups relate to
one another; each one is semi-autonomous, but dedicated to helping the others
succeed by sharing resources, space, and personnel. The General Meeting which
advises and the Executive Committee which coordinates the interactions of these
Groups is made up of the people who work and volunteer at the site.
Integrated and yet semi-autonomous, each Group is dedicated to helping
the whole create places where people can be refreshed and find, “All that
which is good for mankind.” Omnia
Humanitas.
That’s
why Omnia Humanitas is so diverse; we’re following the old admonition,
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Diversity leads to strength
whether in ecosystems or human communities.
The educational programs, the arts, the natural building demonstration
site - all these activities will contribute to supporting one another and
expanding the good work we hope to do to as many communities and groups as we
can.
Dedication:
People to Make it Work
One
of the most amazing things about Omnia is the people dedicated to making it
work. All of those of us who are
currently working with Omnia are doing so for the love of the work alone. Nearly
every aspect of the work of Omnia Humanitas is open to other volunteers who have
a more casual interest or limited time and to interns who are eager to learn.
All will be welcome to work and grow with us.
Generosity
& Attentiveness: What Can We Do
For Each Other Today?
Diversity,
integration, and dedication can only flourish when supported by attentiveness
and generosity. Each person is an
individual worthy of attention, a fact that often gets lost in the everyday rush
of our lives. But if you really
listen to some one, really pay attention to them and not to the role they fill
or the trappings of their lives, you discover there are untold depths in each
one of them. And in those depths
are wonderful capabilities worthy of development. If we are really and genuinely
being attentive to one another, interested in what we can do for each other, and
seeking what is best for one another, the result will be another Renaissance.
So, we’re not your typical organization.
We’re a volunteer-based, democratically run organization, where the
people who make the decisions are the people who work here.
Where the bywords are generosity and attentiveness to those around us,
here at hand, in our daily lives. It’s something we all deserve, it’s
something we all crave, it’s something we all long to give to one another.
