Rainbow Tech
Over the years, the Rainbow Family (and other alternative communities)
have been working at a new kind of earth-friendly technology. We also
had to come up with our own ways of dealing with the problems of large
communal style group encampments. Every year, the North American
Rainbow Gathering is the largest intentional community in the
world. Many years, for the week of the gathering, we are often one of
the larger cities in the state!
Most of what follows on these pages are my own words when the author
is not specified. I am only one individual in this huge family of
people. Since the Rainbow Family is not an organization, group, or
what not, (we're more a spiritual movement) none of these are what you
might calls hard fast rules. Some of these things are more oral
tradition, than anything else. Likewise, they are also many variations
on some of this. It's all just a lot of common sense, once you think
about it. This is just my attempt to help start the education process
for folks that could benefit from these ideas.
Please send corrections and additions, but also remember, that many
times there are many solutions to the same problem. If nothing else,
Rainbows seem to be incredibly creative.
- Shitting in the Woods
- Ok, hang in here with me... You may not believe it, but how you
shit is a major way to influence your health. This is because flies
*love* shit, and after having themselves a little snack,
they'll then go land on your plate, and give you a little present from
their dirty feet. Go to this link to see how to not infect your fellow
campers as well.
- Cleanup and Restoration
- The cleanup and restoration of a gathering site is something the
Rainbow Family has always prided itself on. It's how we try to "walk
the talk", and show how we care for the earth.
- Radio Networks
- The abilty to communicate quickly is very crucial to any
community's ability to respond to an emergency. In times of security
crises, or life-threatening medical emergencies, communications makes
a huge difference in successful outcomes.
- Peace and Security
- Another important thing is to be able to maintain everyone's
safety in an emergency. At a Rainbow Gathering, we call our peace
keepers Shanti-Sena. Shanti-Sena are more mediators, and problem
solvers than hippy cops.
- Mini Manuals
- The Mini Manuals are a written down and expanded version of the basic
raps one hears at a gathering. These are not official documents of the
Rainbow Family, regardless of what the Forest Service has tried to
convince the judges. These have been modified, added to, shorten,
and corrected by many people. There is no one official version of this
document, so here is a collection of them.
Other sites of General Interest