Villaging 2050

Have you heard of a Villaging Economy? 

It might have many names, there's the One Small Town concept, Ubuntu, but the concept is this; being able to free yourself from economic dependence. Think about your monthly bills; how many of them are making large corporations and conglomerates money? 

One day, filmmakers Laurie Simons and Terry Sterrenberg (The Healthcare Movie) woke up and realized, all of their money was going towards making large companies and conglomerates rich. Everything from their rent, car payments, health insurance, and more. So they sold all of their furniture, got rid of their apartment, and hit the road. They set out to find communities who are attempting to create their own, "Villaging Economy." In essence, communities that have taken steps to leverage their collective knowledge and build their own economy, hopefully decreasing their economic dependence on the large system and keeping the wealth in the community. 

Sound familiar? Yes, that is very much in line with our mission for Re:Own. We believe the Westwood community is full of talented, budding entrepreneurs, that with the right training, will launch successful businesses (particularly related to food and art) and begin to build a thriving Westwood. And Laurie and Terry agreed. When they Googled "Community Wealth" Re:Vision came up and they were intrigued.

Monday, July 9 - Wednesday, July 11, Laurie and Terry visited with our community members, Promotoras, and staff (including staff from Westwood Unidos and Community Wealth Building Network) to get footage of our community and the budding local economy. They were curious about how an organization that started with building gardens in people's backyards could evolve into an organization concerned with building up the capacity of its residents and creating a local economy.

But, we aren't here to give you any spoilers. You are going to have to check out the documentary when it comes out (no official date, but continue to check-in with us). In the meantime, check out some of the photos from the  film shoot below.