At Peaceful Village, no creature is viewed as property to be used or harmed in any way. What comes from nonhuman animals, like eggs, milk, honey, or babies, is not ours to steal and consume. We cherish all life; therefore, everyone, from their hearts, who is physically at Peaceful Village for their entire stay, resonates with the core values and birthrights as written here, eats raw vegan in the communal areas or cooked vegan meals in our private cabin, where we have a small stove.

Vegan is the principle of Ahimsa, an ancient sanskrit word meaning harmlessness, noninjury, or nonviolence, and is the fundamental value and why veganism and raw veganism are essential to living and sharing with others. We refrain from and eliminate the consumption of nonhuman animals, their secretions, and what comes from them as food products, and the use of animals in totality, doing our best to minimize as much harm as possible. Everyone at Peaceful Village does not consume the flesh of animals, “meat”, dairy products from cows, goats, or other animals (their milk, yogurt, cheese, ghee, etc.), eggs from hens and other female animals, bee honey, and insects, etc., and ingredients in packaged items that come from animals. We also refrain from using, wearing, and buying clothing or other fabrics from nonhuman animals that come from sheep (wool and cashmere), silkworms (silk), skin from cows (leather), and rabbits, dogs, mink, or other animals for their fur. Even candles and floss, for example, are usually made with bee’s wax. The manufacturers usually don’t mention this, so we know if they are not soy candles or unwaxed or vegan floss, then the products are usually not vegan. We do our best not to buy products that contain or may contain animal materials, when and if possible. We do not use nonhuman animals, like Horses, Oxen, or Donkeys, for transportation or work. To the best of our ability, we never support products or companies that use animals for testing or experimentation, entertainment, or other uses. Sometimes this may be hard, as many food items and other products from companies that don’t contain animal ingredients are still tested on animals. So, we avoid buying packaged products, especially from large companies. We value all animals’ freedom and treat everyone as members of the universal family. When arriving at our community, please abstain from bringing anything derived from animals as specified above.

We don’t consider any of the following terms to be in alignment with the ethics of veganism: “veggan” (people who claim to be vegan and include eggs in their diet), “entovegan” (people who claim to be vegan who consume insects), “bivalvegan” (people that claim to be vegan who include animals such as oysters and clams in their diet), “vegetarian” (consuming eggs or dairy, but not consuming the flesh of animals), pescatarian, frugivore, veggie, vegie, plant-based, plant-strong, herbivore, meat-free, or any others.

Raw Vegan
At Peaceful Village, we define raw vegan(ism) as an level of consciousness and en extension of veganism, respecting the lives of nonhuman animals, and not viewing their bodies or secretions as things to be used, while not thermally processing and heating/dehydrating above 110 degrees fahrenheit (approximately 44/45 degrees celsius), cooking, or burning food. People here eat various raw fresh whole foods, including ripe fruits, vegetables, leafy greens and herbs, sprouts, fungi, nuts, and seeds. We can include smoothies, juices, soups, and sauces, all raw. As best as we can, we consume the most minimally processed plant foods by eating what Mother Nature provides directly in their fresh and ripe state. Because we emphasize eating whole foods, we don’t internally consume oils (even cold-pressed) in the communal areas. We usually prepare meals without salt, but of course, you are free to add salt to your own food if you like. Sometimes here we will use vacuum blenders, slow juicers, and a dehydrator. As we are transitioning to a completely raw and money-less community we consume commercially available nuts and seeds or nori and other Seaweed, Raisins, Dates, dry fruits, raw cakes, dehydrated or sundried pizzas, burgers, sprouted loaves of bread, raw vegan cheeses, and sauces, even though heated things are not truly raw foods, also when we feel so, we have some cooked vegan meals like vegetable soups, stews, steamed vegetables with Lentils Taro, or Yuca (Cassava).

But Nature knows best; that raw (unheated) and ripe fruit is the perfect food. Ripe fruit, by far, especially if grown harmoniously, veganically, and without monocropping, is the only universal food for humans and the one that harbors the most love and the least harm.

Important Note About Food in Our Community

At this time, our community does not have full kitchen facilities. In the communal areas (with the exception of the section we call Tierra Libertad, closest to the road), all food must be raw (uncooked). Cooked meals may be prepared and eaten only in private spaces.

To keep our communal spaces comfortable for everyone—especially for those who come here seeking a raw-food lifestyle—please follow these guidelines:

✅ Allowed in communal areas (even if not strictly raw):

• Commercially available nuts and peanuts
• Raisins and other dried fruits
• Nori sheets (seaweed)
• Sugar, molasses, and other sweeteners
• Salt
• Semi-heated fruits (e.g., morete/aguaje)
• Dehydrated meals (up to 110 degrees fahrenheit)

❌ Please avoid in communal areas:

• Cooked meals and heated/pre-cooked packaged items
• Cooked snacks (e.g., plantain chips)
• Peanut or other nut butters, unless completely raw
• Cooking oils
• Tofu, pre-cooked legumes, and other processed/cooked products

🌿 Our intention:
We are not strict with individuals, but we kindly ask for mindfulness. Many people come here to share space with like-minded raw-food practitioners and prefer not to be around the smell of cooked meals or processed items.

We encourage everyone to enjoy whole, fresh, raw fruits and vegetables in the communal areas. If people would like to consume cooked meals, they may do so in our cabin or in their private spaces.

To reiterate, if individuals wish to enjoy cooked vegan meals, they are welcome to do so in Tierra Libertad.

We understand that a spiritual life is essential to natural communal living; therefore, we are not affiliated with any particular religion, but instead focus on individual and collective inner peace, unconditional love for ourselves and others, harmony, awareness, interconnectedness, and the evolution of consciousness. We encourage meditation (in groups or individually), Yoga, vows of silence, fastings, gratitude words, connection with Nature, hiking, swimming in natural streams, rivers, and hugging trees, chanting non-religious songs and mantras, participating in music circles and singing with instruments, ecstatic and contact dances, eye gazing, sungazing, and other spiritual practices. At this stage of our project, we still don’t have all the facilities to do yoga classes and other activities, but we can be creative in Nature and have some fun.

We unconditionally love ourselves each moment of the day, respecting our mind, spirit, emotions, and physical body, understanding that we need to rediscover ourselves through spiritual practices, physical activities, and eating a healthy diet with lots of fresh ripe fruits and vegetables. As much as possible, we give the best to ourselves, respecting our physical body by not applying unnatural products to our skin and hair that contain chemical or animal ingredients such as soaps, lotions, and creams, shampoos and conditioners, and wearing any scented products like perfumes. We don’t hide our natural body temple and faces, with vanity facial makeup, hair extensions, nail extensions and nail polishes, eyebrow or eyelash extensions or removal, body cuttings or piercings, vanity cosmetic surgeries such as breast or penis enlargements, etc. We don’t follow any beauty standard imposed by the fashion industry, television, or movies. We embrace our natural body as it is, we see ourselves as beautiful, and appreciate the raw beauty in us: with long beards and hair, hairy arms, legs, armpits, and genital hair. Yes, you’re right, we don’t shave our body hair.

We treat every human-animal equally. We follow the golden rule, “Treat others with kindness and respect, as we would like to be treated”. We honor the presence of every human here, seeing them as the sacred beings that they are. We reject all forms of discrimination, not judging, shaming or sexualizing anyone.

Not to lie, but to speak the truth. As spiritual beings, we understand that truth is a pure manifestation of consciousness. We avoid telling falsehoods or exaggerations, with any action, word, or thought, as well as hypocrisy, fraud, and the gaining of unscrupulous advantage. Be natural and raw, loving and positive, and cultivate an attitude of straightforwardness and humility. The deep inner meaning is not to lie, internally or externally, by seeing others or ourselves as mere material objects to gain something from, but to speak the truth and awaken to every being’s natural wonders and beauty.

This refers to any action of body, speech, or mind that sees another being as a sexual object for our own self-gratification. In sexual engagements or relationships between people, all parties must freely consent to be with one another without manipulation or coercion.

Harmonious communication is defined as the connection of the flowing of energies between the giver and receiver, achieved through the awareness of being fully present in the verbal and nonverbal language, mindfully listening and understanding from the heart, universal needings, and individual feelings, in order to respond positively, empathetically, and respectfully.

There is no community without communication. The terms, community (common unity or common oneness) and communication (to make common) both mean to share what we have in common. Therefore, as an intentional community project, where people from different cultural backgrounds, skin colors, language barriers, emotional and mental wounds, old habits and programming, and personal perspectives, come together living as a soul family with love. This makes it necessary to use verbal and nonverbal communication as one of the tools to unite ourselves, despite the few minor differences we each may have. For this purpose, we use different tools such as non-violent communication, which we are slowly learning and implementing in our lives.

Responsible comes from latin, “respondere” meaning, “Accountable for one’s actions”. We understand that if we wish to live consciously with freedom and harmony, it is necessary to take responsibility for our own feelings, words, and actions, and that, from the heart, people have to respond by restoring whatever damage they have done, even if accidental. This pertains to actions that are done to humans, nonhumans, and even inanimate objects, specifically those items that are part of Peaceful Village.

We keep our minds clear by not using or encouraging others to use alcohol, tobacco, including cigarettes, cigars, vapours/e-cigarettes or other drugs such as cocaine, heroin, LSD, etc. If people would like to heal with medicinal psychedelic plants, like San Pedro, Ayahuasca, or magic Mushrooms, they can do so off the land.

We do our best to minimize harm to Mother Earth. As much as is possible and practicable, we refrain from using chemicals on the land and inputs from nonhuman animals such as manure, urine, bone meal, feather meal, fish meal, blood meal, or farm animals on the land, but use the surrounding natural materials and our own urine and feces for fertilization and mulch.

The environment is important to us, so we are doing our best to protect the rivers, streams, and forests, reforesting with trees and other plants, minimzing the use of chemicals and garbage whenever we can, and learning how to use more natural methods as needed in our building constructions, for growing our food, and cleaning.

Everyone has their fair share of land (which could be approximately up to 2 hectares of land per person or couple) to protect and care for nonhuman animals and the Earth, and plant more fruit trees and other vegetation without intentionally harming and destroying them. The only exception is that we do not appear on other human beings’ fair-share piece of land without their permission and prior notice.

We all have the birthright to govern our own bodies, without interference from outside sources or bodies, as long as we don’t harm ourselves. Not even government, police or military have the right to rule over our bodies or force us against our sovereignty.

Everyone has the birthright to seeds, plant foods, and clean water found in Nature. For that reason, we plant and harvest our food and get our water from Rivers, Streams, Rain, or Springs.

We have the birthright to our privacy and private property of our material objects and land and time/energy. As free sovereign beings, we have our own fair share of land for the sole purpose of protecting and caring for the Earth, without harming and destroying, and for our privacy as well. No one in the community has the right to infringe on anyone’s privacy and private property without permission and consent.

Our birthright is to be nude and walk barefoot. We were born into this world unclothed, and we deserve to walk around anywhere naked if we wish. Walking and being in the world unclothed is the natural way of all nonhuman animals. No animal in nature wears clothes except humans. At Peaceful Village, all communal areas are clothing-optional. The nude body is nothing to be ashamed of. We do not shame or judge anyone, and respect and love the natural human body.