Future Vision
People often come to Burning Man to enjoy the freedom. They stay, however,
and contribute more each year, because of the community. In 2001, this
feeling of connectedness inspired everyone. More people than ever before
contributed to our cleanup. More people found it satisfying to participate
as civic volunteers.
They have followed down a path that we have tried to pioneer, organizing
and planning over the span of an entire year in order to produce expressive
gifts that they contribute to the life of our community.
In previous years, we have confronted many problems in the aftermath
of the event: the blight of burn scars, the challenge of exodus, and the
notorious state of our portable toilets. This year saw these problems
all but disappear. We have learned how to make a city. None of this would
have happened if we had not grown more organized. And it certainly would
never have happened if our citizens had not embraced participation as
a way of life. They have internalized an ethos, a unique way of being
together. This is a spirit we will continue to foster. Having grown expert
in the art of creating a city, we now plan to extend its culture.
In 2002, we want to reach beyond the horizon of our event and begin
to do things that will nourish a much larger community. We will develop
Black Rock Station as a resource that
is available to all participants. Many of our artists and theme camp groups
now engage in efforts that are equal to the entirety of Burning Man in
its earlier years. Like our own organization, they now need storage and
workshop facilities near our event site. They want to expand on what they
have built. And they are ready to do more.
In addition to this logistical support for event participants, we also
want to help the many groups that are beginning to exist independently
of Black Rock City. As planners and communicators, we are aware of many
events that participants have founded in emulation of Burning Man. Using
our system of regional
contacts, people are meeting and planning and learning to look at
their particular corner of the world in a new way. In 2002, we plan to
create new tools and offer more information designed help this Diaspora
organize itself. We will produce a manual, a kind of "Do It Yourself"
kit, designed to function as a template for creating and organizing community
events, and we intend to meet more frequently with those who undertake
this work. As a part of this mission, we are also planning to greatly
expand and improve the Internet and computer tools
we have innovated. We want to make these tools more available and more
connective so that everyone can make use of them.
2002 will see another Man built and another Man burned. Black Rock City
will rise up again, even greater than before, then disappear without a
trace. But this coming year will also witness the inception of a larger
and more meaningful event. It is ready to happen. Soon it will no longer
be necessary to count each day until, once again, you "come home".
You will already be there. Black Rock City, as we continue to say, is
you. 