Our community is a social ecosystem that runs on mutual trust; some of us take on roles as pollinators, others as sturdy oaks or humble soil builders. We don’t all fill the same niche, but we count on each other to play our part for the good of the collective. Over time, our community has weathered some tough experiences and learned the hard way that we need to balance trust with systems of accountability.
Emeshe here, and this week I’ll be sharing about a recent situation that has asked us to reevaluate our presumptions of trustworthiness once again. This is a daunting topic to write about, but we are committed to sharing our community’s journey with you, warts and all.
In February of this year, we discovered that Cob, a long-term member of DR, had been diverting funds from our village organizations towards his private grocery business for approximately 10 years. Put plainly, he embezzled group funds. The organizations affected were our car sharing co-op, our electricity co-op, and our infrastructure/amenities co-op (called Cattail Commons Co-op). These organizations are funded by Dancing Rabbit members and guests who pay into them monthly for the use of our common infrastructure and municipal services. Unlike our independently operated nonprofit, they do not take public donations or outside grants. They are, instead, a direct pooling of our collective financial resources intended to fund our community infrastructure and assets. We are very grateful to members of the committee governing Cattail Commons Co-op, who discovered this deception through persistence, hard work, and meticulous investigation. Since this situation came to light, Cob has vacated all his positions and roles within our community ecosystem.
It feels like a large tree has fallen in our forest, disturbing the soil, pulling up deep roots, but also letting in fresh light. In the clearing left behind, others are stepping forward, bringing fresh energy, perspectives, and ideas for how things might be done better. We’ve moved through feelings of anger, disappointment, betrayal, and grief, but we have emerged knowing that we have the capacity to regenerate and evolve. Our vehicle, electric, and maintenance co-ops will now have the opportunity to thrive without being parasitized and new possibilities will open from that reality. These co-ops are reexamining their accounting practices to have greater separation of roles and more transparency. In the future, we also want to ensure that numbers are communicated in a way that is understandable to lay people so that we are less likely to be deceived in the future. We are committed to finding out how we can continue to trust, while designing systems that support integrity, not just assume it.
Although facing this situation has been difficult, it has also provided important opportunities for us to pull together as a community; each species in our ecosystem contributing different skills and gifts. Some of us are serving on newly formed committees, some are stepping into newly vacated roles, some are digging through databases, some are letting people vent on their back porch, and some are just putting their heads down, washing the dishes, and keeping this show on the road.
We have engaged a team of effective organizers to look at the big picture and manage our situation response holistically. Rabbits with experience in accounting, bookkeeping, data analysis, and financial investigation are staffing a committee tasked with combing through the books to better understand the facts of what happened, and offer recommendations for improving financial oversight. In the realm of accountability, a team of Rabbits with backgrounds in restorative and transformative justice, community processes and holding complex emotional and relational dynamics are helping us explore what justice, restitution, healing, and transformation is necessary for us to feel whole again. We have also tapped our nonprofit and land trust’s Board of Directors which includes individuals with legal, accounting, and data science expertise. These folks have provided valuable support as we figure out our road forward. Together we are working to restore balance and equilibrium.
In this time of wounds, weeds, and winds, we cannot stop disruptions from happening in our ecosystems–a great tree falls in the forest or a lightning strike sends fire racing through the undergrowth. However, the test of a healthy ecosystem is not the absence of shocks, but the ability to be resilient in the face of them. As our community approaches its 30th birthday, we continue to mature, learn, and walk the path of balancing idealism with realism. We are imperfect. We don’t have all the answers, but we are here. We are moving forward. It is spring.
By sharing these challenges, we hope to serve as a resource to others who share our dreams and goals. If you have additional questions or would like more information you can reply to this email.
Emeshe Amade serves as one of two executive directors for DR’s nonprofit, the Center for Sustainable and Cooperative Culture. She is a regular contributing writer to this publication.