Promoting sustainability through equality, peace, and justice: A luck-dependent decision-making practice in an economically successful intentional community

Abstract

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations address global challenges such as reducing inequality (Goal 10) and promoting peace and justice (Goal 16). Intentional communities inherently support the SDGs through their focus on equality and their decision-making practices to settle interpersonal conflicts to achieve peace and justice for their members. While intentional communities have garnered recent interest as potential models for meeting these goals, research in this area remains limited. In addition, the economic success of the intentional community is crucial for its sustainability and societal relevance. This study investigates how an economically successful intentional community, the Korean popular music group Stray Kids, contributes to Goals 10 and 16 through its decision-making practices that promote equality, peace, and justice. What is unexpected is that the mutually agreed-upon practice for decision-making involves accepting luck and often settling community disputes through the game of Rock-Paper-Scissors—an unusual, though not unheard-of, practice in various official capacities. This study investigates the significant features of this practice and its relationship to group cohesion and individual mental health using the historical research method, considering both its strengths and weaknesses. Insights are provided regarding the potential application of this decision-making method to mainstream society, aiming to improve the social and economic sustainability of its institutions in achieving Goals 10 and 16.