We often meet people who express their desire to live a more simple and sustainable life, yet they often seem to tell themselves it's an unattainable dream. In a way they are right. It's impossible for one person to possess all the time and knowledge related to sustainable and communal living. Within the Nomad City project, our expertise and contribution is not confined into individuals; it's distributed among the many people within our network. To maximize our understanding, we must work together as a collective brain, tackling challenges as a team. Our project thrived due to the immense support of those around us. Our parents allowed us to remain registered at their address, recognizing the absurdity of housing regulations that make it impossible to register an address for a small home. The School offered us an atelier space to develop the Nomad City concept and construct our homes. While moving these houses we were assisted by both friends and strangers who guided us safely throughout the streets of Hasselt. We also received a scholarship from SOFAM, a cooperative society specialized in copyright for visual artists. This enabled us to invite numerous experts and researchers to share their knowledge and skills with us. Additionally, we were granted free access to the unused lands owned by PXL and UCLL. Instead of a monetary payment, we offered our time and energy to these schools and neighborhoods, providing them with many educational interventions. By eliminating money from the equation, we created a mutually beneficial partnership based on trust, rather than on contracts. Furthermore, we received funding from the city of Hasselt, which allowed us to communicate our events and initiatives through visual branding. This also made it possible for us to publish our Nomad City book, amplifying our message for a wider audience to hear. It's important to note that all of this help didn't appear out of nowhere. We dedicated countless days and nights to writing emails, crafting funding proposals, and negotiating with politicians and educational institutions, persuading them of our project's importance. But in every step of our way we either searched actively for help or we embraced spontaneous assistance from others. The individualistic approach is an outdated one; nearly everything we accomplish with others has a greater impact than what we do in isolation. Our brains are inherently wired to find satisfaction in sharing knowledge and resources, but societal norms sometimes tell us otherwise. To reach our most distant goals, we must relearn the art of communal working and living. It's a skill we may have forgotten, but it's one we can rediscover. When we collaborate within a community, we can achieve anything we want.
Auteur
Date
September 7, 2023