Global Ecovillage Network/Solution Library/Imece (collective labour)

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Individual or public work that requires too much time and effort thus necessitates collective labor. Based on unwritten law, imece is a commonly accepted culture of solidarity in villages or little towns in Anatolia. It is a significantly strengthening tradition for the community fabric.

Imece is a term used to describe traditional Turkish village-scale collaboration. For example, if a couple is getting married, villagers participate in the overall organization of the ceremony including, but not limited to, preparation of the celebration venue, food, building and settlement of the new house for the newly weds. Tasks are often distributed according to expertise and there is no central authority to govern activities. Imece is a voluntary (sometimes obligatory) activity, generally realized by a number of 5 to 30 people or more.

Yet it has unwritten rules, especially if members of the community are co-located, when reciprocity is expected. Tasks are often distributed according to expertise and the practice has no central authority to govern activities. The decision to start an Imece is often taken by either by the village headman or the board of alderman. If a problem in a village is decided to be fixed together, or an individual is in need of help, each house is supposed to provide workforce for the communal work where no municipality service is provided. It can be in the form of human force or sometimes money.

The recipient of the Imece provides local food for the collective labour participants. This gathering also provides a space for socializing among village population. Some examples for Imece work:

• Harvesting.
• Preparing the winter food (tomato paste, bread etc.).
• School building construction.
• Sewage system for the village.
• Cleaning of the village meadow.
• Wedding preparations.
• Mosque building construction.
• Cleaning of the village oven.
• Chopping down the trees.
• Collecting money for those who leave for the military service.

• Diversity & Cohesion.
• Leadership & Governance.

• http://www.bizimgazete.bg/k%C3%BClt%C3%BCr-ve-sanat/imece#.UXKfuaKBqnI