Twin Oaks Communities Conference 2025 Event Themes
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About the Communities Conference
For over 50 years, the Twin Oaks Communities Conference (TOCC) has brought together people seeking intentional communities with folks who are already living in them. The TOCC also serves as a bridge to the larger cooperative movement, including cooperative and collective organizations & businesses.
About Event Themes
Since our post-pandemic reboot, each year’s TOCC has spotlighted two “themes” or “tracks“, with one theme focusing on diversity & equity and the other rotating by year. So every workshop slot will offer content on these themes, along with a variety of other workshops on more general intentional community topics.
Announcing 2025’s Themes
In the spirit of this extraordinary time, our first theme is “Resistance and Resilience: Confronting Challenges, Cultivating Possibilities”
The Intentional Communities movement has perhaps the most important opportunity in decades to inspire resistance and build resilience. Within each Intentional Community, conversations are now focusing on how the current political climate shapes our actions.
These discussions range from resisting the rise of authoritarianism to enhancing self-sufficiency—both within individual communities and across broader networks. For example, members are exploring ways to counter restrictive and repressive policies through grassroots activism or share techniques for sustainable food practices and energy production.
We are seeking workshop proposals that focus on actionable strategies, such as organizing advocacy campaigns, fostering resilience through permaculture, or strengthening alliances among like-minded communities.
Workshops will explore promoting self-sufficiency and activism within communities, while also building a wider like-minded IC network. Other possible topics could include how ICs can support sanctuary services and protect threatened communities and individuals.
Our second theme is “Transforming Community Culture to support BIPOC and PGM Representation, Empowerment, and Long-Term Retention.”
“If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm.”
African Proverb
Transformation requires breaking through Inner Resistance, to Become who we desire to Be! This is as true for the larger complex dynamics of Communities, Cultures, and Social Movements as it is for Individuals. Only Cultural Transformation can liberate us from unconsciously and unintentionally mirroring the biases we bring with us from the default society.
We are looking for PGM presenters with engaging and relevant content. This includes, but is not limited to:
- DEI+ (Social Justice, Anti-Racism, Reparations, Bias Correction)
- Indigenous and Ancestral Wisdom
- Creating Pathways of Belonging and Restoration in Predominantly White Communities
- PGM Empowerment vs Assimilation
- Facing the Collective Shadow-side (Resistance to Change) WITHIN the Community Movement.
For evening festivities, we also seek Artists, Musicians, Fire-Dancers, Drummers, Grill-Masters, Face-Painters, Healers, Readers and Undefinable Performers and Entertainers!
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