ICSA Mission Statement, 2026
As we mark the 40th anniversary of the International Communal Studies Association (ICSA), we have taken this milestone as an opportunity to thoughtfully renew our Mission and Values statement. In a time marked by uncertainty, social strain, and widespread misinformation, we feel it is especially important to articulate clearly who we are and what we stand for.
Who We Are
ICSA brings together people from around the world who are interested in how communal living environments are intentionally developed, sustained, and transformed. We create spaces for scholars and practitioners from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, geographies, and perspectives to engage in genuine dialogue and mutual learning about communal living. As an organization, we commit to:
Approach the communities we study with respect and recognition of their complex lived realities while upholding a high standard of scholarly rigor and critical inquiry.
Engage thoughtfully and respectfully with both well-documented communities and those historically excluded from scholarly discourse, in order to cultivate a more comprehensive and globally grounded understanding of communal living.
Situate our studies of communal life with critical awareness of the historical and contemporary political, economic, religious, identitarian, and social forces that shape the emergence and functioning of communities, paying particular attention to the systems of structural inequality and discrimination that influence access, participation, and power within them.
Ensure that diverse voices actively shape our collective understanding by making our scholarly work accessible and inclusive, and by supporting research that reflects a wide range of perspectives.
How We Are Supported
The work of the International Communal Studies Association is supported primarily by the commitment of our members through their annual dues. Additional support comes from collaborating universities, partner organizations, and research institutes that share our scholarly mission. We operate independently and have never pursued or received direct government funding, though the scholarly endeavors of members, partner organizations, and research institutions may receive support from their respective governments. Importantly, our Board members and conference organizers contribute their time and expertise entirely as volunteers.
Where We Are Located
ICSA is truly global in character. Our Board is composed of representatives from over a dozen countries, and our leadership over the years has reflected this international breadth. Our fifteen conferences have been hosted in nine different countries, usually at active communal living communities. Since our inception, our administrative home has been at Yad Tabenkin, a research institute dedicated to the study of the Kibbutz Movement in Israel and a foundational supporter of the International Communal Studies Association.