Abstract

Managing the Spiritual Neighborhood is a technical treatise that yields a solution to the problem of crime. The logical structure of the work is supported by anecdotal evidence that places crime in a broader social context. Such placement points towards unorthodox methods of addressing the crime phenomenon. The work proposes a new style of alternative government and describes a new social organization in which local self-sufficiency is encouraged. Documenting the author's experience as a neighborhood manager in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. (Camp Springs, Prince George's County), the work first defines the issues that determine the quality of life in a big city suburb, and then expands on those issues. The approach is best described as prevention oriented, as contrasted with the reactive approach of conventional law enforcement. The book is a leadership guide, and as such it introduces the concepts of the "garden zone" and the "Garden Zone Manager". A ten-point plan of action for local organizers is laid out, the key element of which is the development of collective awareness. An exposition of the notions of responsibility and spiritual growth is presented, and the concept of community is explored, producing a definition for a new term: "Natural Community". The spiritual element of the work derives from a more generalized, abstract understanding of spirituality, rather than a specific set of religious or cultural practices. Special attention is given to the current state of public education, with anecdotal material taken from the author's experience in the Prince George's County school system. The work proposes the introduction of techniques for refining individual awareness in schools and communities. The practice of Transcendental Meditation is specifically mentioned in this regard.