4. What resilience has to do with thriving?

One of the most important notions when considering the thriving of the network is Resilience. 

Resilience refers to the capacity of a system or community to withstand and adapt to disturbances, shocks, or challenges while maintaining its essential functions, identity, and overall integrity. It involves the ability to absorb and respond to various external and internal pressures, such as leadership changes, resource constraints, social conflicts, or natural disasters, and to recover or adapt in ways that allow the system to continue functioning effectively.

Many studies were conducted in ecological communities and ecovillages analysing the concept of resilience, like Auroville, and Cloughjordan. These communities encounter a variety of disturbances and threats, and their ability to navigate and overcome these challenges is a key measure of their resilience.

Various factors and enablers of resilience, identified are such as leadership, diversity, openness, modularity, self-organization, and a shared guiding philosophy or ideology. These factors collectively contribute to the community's ability to adapt, reorganize, and maintain its core principles and objectives, even in the face of unexpected or unprecedented disruptions.

Resilience is not merely about withstanding shocks; it's about embracing change, learning, and evolving to ensure that the community remains true to its purpose, vision, and values over time. In this context, resilience is a dynamic quality that allows intentional communities to navigate the complex and ever-changing challenges they encounter while continuing to pursue their utopian or intentional goals.