ABSTRACT
Kibbutzim and communes share social and economic structures based on the principle "to each according to his/her needs from each according to his/her capacity." Kibbutz members were amazed to learn of the similarities between the communes and kibbutzim. The atmosphere at the international conference was friendly but did not create a basis for an international association in part because the worldviews of the communes and kibbutzim differed. Thus the suggestion to establish an international organization was overruled. The success of the conference encouraged scholars from Israel and abroad to establish the International Communal Studies Association (ICSA) to provide a common framework for the scholarly exchange of information regarding communal life throughout the world. The new circumstances of privatization in the kibbutz movement and among many of the intentional communities did not limit or weaken the international activities of ICSA. The establishment of international links and associations is essential to boost the possibilities of having an impact on society at large.
