"The core of a civilization is its citizens."
This quote from one of the co-founders of the EPIC Project is the driving goal behind the entire project. Today's civilizations are focused on the civilizations, leaving their citizens behind. Forty-hour work weeks. Fear in the media. Whatever it takes to keep citizens working for the greater good of the civilization as a whole - denying themselves a life filled with their purpose for a life filled with the civilization's purpose.
It doesn't have to be this way.
EPIC Meaning
EPIC is an acronym for Environmental Progressive Intentional Community. Each of these concepts is a pillar of the EPIC Project; the website is laid out to explore each concept in detail.
EPIC Vision Statement
EPIC will strive to become the premier model of sustainable living within a modern setting, seeking out new technologies and new ideas for improving the condition of humankind without harming the environment.
EPIC Mission Statement
Our organizational mission is to:
- Establish and maintain a prototype environmentally responsible, sustainable community utilizing modern technologies and advancements.
- Operate as a living laboratory for studying the benefits and challenges of this lifestyle.
- Demonstrate that through community service and cooperation all may enjoy a higher quality of living.
- Publicize any findings of benefit to humankind.
We will achieve our mission by obtaining land on which we can build a community center initially to also be used as housing until individual houses can be built. The land will be rented out to groups such as the Society for Creative Anachronism, the Camarilla, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Campfire Girls, Role Playing Groups, etc., to provide immediate income. The community center will also be rented out to business groups, etc. Participants to live in the community will be located through sustainable living websites on the Internet, personal friends, community networking, etc. Grants will be sought for the land and buildings, as well as individual donations. We intend to serve as a showcase for the best in sustainable technology, and we will actively solicit donations from vendors that sell dome homes, solar panels, hybrid cars, wind-powered generators, water-powered generators, etc. Participants will be expected to donate whatever funds they can to the building of their individual residences.
We will keep a log of all of our activities and findings. We will serve as a prototype for sustainable, cooperative living. We will associate with appropriate medical, psychological, sociological, etc., organizations to determine the value of our project to mankind.
Participants will be expected to contribute community service hours to the construction and maintenance of the project, or to buy those hours out from external income. This includes such things as cooking, grounds keeping, gardening, building maintenance, home schooling, cleaning, etc. More specialized contributions will depend on the skills of the participants.
We will actively promote the benefits of a sustainable lifestyle by opening our doors to anyone interested in learning more about the community. We will provide seminars at the community center as needed or travel to interested parties as finances allow. We will be very open to participating in short or long-term studies evaluating the benefits of this lifestyle.
EPIC GOALS
Procure and care for a commons – a land trust that will ecologically support a small village of approximately 200-250 members.
Build a self-sustaining infrastructure to support our basic needs.
Create homes, gathering places and guest facilities using sustainable building methods and energy sources.
Maintain an organic stewardship of the land that will provide for our own and others’ food needs while giving back to the Earth.
Create an interdependent social system.
Initiate necessary enterprises to assure economic viability.
Establish educational, leadership, internship, and exchange programs that will enable us to be of service to others, communicate and share our experiences, and link with similar local and global efforts.