Sometimes it's hard to believe anything beautiful can still grow in a landscape of toxic soil and paved-over fields. But somehow the tenacious plants with strong roots keep breaking through. Even the side of the New Jersey turnpike is crammed with dandelions and tiger-lilies in June. One of the oldest life forms on earth "” the lichen "” is a combination of bacteria and algae that can digest pure rock and eventually break it down into soil that will feed future generations of plants. All these pioneer species have an incredible ability to reach into barren, damaged places and unlock the magic deep in the earth that can eventually make the land look green and feel like home again.

How can we as isolated individuals reach into the devastated landscape of these times and bring up the kinds of magic that will help us heal ourselves? What we're actually talking about is building community from the ground up. If you know where to look, it turns out that there are all kinds of groups of people digging their roots in and creating living structures that can change the world and make it easier for future folks to find their way. What you'll find in this section is a mix of social movements, healing modalities, and community organizing models. Some are historical and some are contemporary, but what they all have in common is that they're models and tactics of building community and putting power in the hands of the people. For anyone who's had the disempowering experience of being treated by the mainstream medical model, this in itself is revolutionary. Our social and economic safety nets have either been or are in the process of being cut, and the big question is: how do we make new ones with the scraps of what we've got? Instead of reinventing the wheel, how can we use all the pieces out there to create a whole new way to fly?