Tribe Wanted

Book excerpt: Paradise or Bust is the fascinating adventure story of Tribewanted, a revolutionary eco-tourism project founded by twentysomething Ben Keene. As featured in the BBC documentary series, Keene's story follows the ups and downs of a global online network of like-minded travellers and an indigenous Fijian community as they attempt to build a new life on a 200-acre island in the South Pacific. All major decisions on the island are voted on by an online tribe that anyone around the world can join. There are many challenges to overcome. A fire sweeps the island, a military coup (delayed until the end of a rugby match!) brews on the mainland, and a tropical cyclone threatens to wipe out the emerging village. Online there are other storms to fight, as accusations of scam artistry, tribal politics and the regular grind of debates and decision-making among Tribewanted's 1000+ members push the adventure and the business to the very edge. But in the end, with a little luck and a lot of hard work, they might just build their paradise... Now a major 5 part series for transmission on BBC2 in winter 2008.