DU -- let's hear your ideas for neighborhood organizing to deal with the current situation.

[crispini]

Easiest step and the first one-- get out of the house. Join your Home Owners Association or Neighborhood Association and attend meetings -- see who is out there.

Talk to your six nearest neighbors and make sure you have each other's phone numbers in case of emergency.

Organize an effort to share stuff in your neighborhood ... check out http://neighborrow.com/ ... you can get on there and list things you are willing to lend out -- things like books, ladders, tools -- and other people can also lend out things. I actually co-own a truck with three of my neighbors.

Start a food co-op. (Anyone ever done this? Got any good resources?)

Start a community garden

Have a party, and invite your neighbors. Spend time together just for fun.

Start a group to meet regularly and talk to each other about these and other ideas to work together collectively to handle tough times.

Any other thoughts or ideas? Anyone out there doing these or similar projects who would like to share your stories?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. Advertise your local meetings in the local newspaper

[Buzz Clik]

2. What situation is the cause of this celebration? Or is it a preparation for the apocalypse?

Thanksgiving?

Clinton's pending nomination?

Gobblegate?

[crispini]

4. Crappy economy, approach of peak oil, take your pick.

[Buzz Clik]

8. Getting to know six neighbors and planting a garden?

:shrug:

[crispini]

10. Baby steps.

Getting to know your neighbors can turn into sharing necessary tools that you can't afford to buy on your own. When money's tight, sharing things is nice.

Planting a garden could lead to, well, planting a BIGGER garden -- eating more locally, and more healthfully, and more cheaply.

I'm talking about the building blocks of "community" which we're going to need a lot more of in the future.

[Esra Star]

3. Get familiar with how a LETS system works

http://www.gmlets.u-net.com/

[crispini]

12. Very interesting link.

Thanks!

Edited to add -- I thought of a good one, which maybe is a preliminary step to LETS -- a neighborhood directory (especially to feature businesses, etc.)

[Esra Star]

19. Great idea. Promoting a neighbourhood directory

will be a good conversation starter. "What do you do?" "What do you need?"
"Can you grow tomatoes?". The idea will explode.

Cheers

[JDPriestly]

5. We don't have a community garden, but we exchange seeds

and bulbs and gardening tips. Hard to grow vegetables in Southern California unless you work to improve the soil for quite a while. I'm trying, but my soil is ugly clay.

[Billy Burnett]

6. My neighbors all had McCain signs. Drive large euro SUV's, and think Obama is a terrorist.

I had an Obama sign in my yard (before it was stolen), therefore that makes me an Osama bin Laden supporter.

I think that socialized/nationalized health care would be a good thing, To my neighbors that makes me a "Castro lover".

I had a Vote No on Amendment 2 sign (the "protect marriage" amendment), therefore I am to blame for the breakdown in society.

When their shit hits the fan, they'll be gunning for pinko commies like me.

If my neighbors had my phone number I'd be getting creepy hate calls in the middle of the night.

I really do not want to talk to my neighbors.

I live in Miami.

[crispini]

11. Boy. Yeah. You might want to move.

Sorry 'bout that. :hug:

[Ishoutandscream2]

17. Sounds like my neighbors

It's really sad. I can't stand most of them, and they don't like us. Very, very wingnut community I live in.

[Delphinus]

7. How in the

*hell* do you get your neighbors interested in joining the neighborhood association? Wait until there's a crime-wave?

[crispini]

9. We've had the benefit (in hindsight) of zoning issues we've had to bind together to fight.

I don't know if that is a realistic solution to your situation....

[proud patriot]

13. we already do the nieghborly stuff

in fact we are going to get chickens soon .

[crispini]

14. I'm thinking about chickens.

I think my very next project is going to be a (voluntary) neighborhood directory. I think it would be very easy for one person to do, and would help people get to know each other and the businesses that people do.

[Bigmack]

15. A "Tool Pool" is even more important ....

than a massive, communal garden.

We can all garden individually... even in the 'burbs... but what happens when something needs just a couple to tacks with a welder to make it work? Or a tree is laying on your house?

Who's got a welder?... Who's got a chainsaw?... Who's got a come-along?... Who's got.... you get the picture.

Works with skills, too. Who knows how to pressure-can? Who knows how to fix a pump?

[crispini]

16. I'm thinking about two projects that might work together

1) to get participation on "Neighborrow.com" which is a website that can facilitate a "tool pool."
2) a neighborhood directory to help people get to know each other even more, and which can let people know more about the businesses their neighbors own and maybe their interests.

[crispini]

18. Just one ... kick.