Sólheimar Iceland

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  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Ecological
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 1930

What we do

Sólheimar is a village in southern Iceland, located about 80 km from Reykjavík. Founded in 1930 by Sesselja H. Sigmundsdóttir (1902-1974), it is the first community of its kind in the world, where so called able and disabled people live and work together. Sólheimar is also the first community in Scandinavia where organic cultivation is practised. Today Sólheimar is a village with 100 inhabitants, 40 of whom have disabilities, and spreads across an area of approximately 250 hectares.
Sólheimar prides itself on its varied cultural, social and sport activities. The premises include a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, convenience store, gallery and gymnasium. A theatre group, founded in 1932, is also active, along with a choir, sports club and Scout troop.
Sólheimar has developed a broad-based range of industries and activities including the following: Olur Reforestation Center- the only organic reforestation center in Iceland-,
Sunna Organic Cultivation Center specialising in organic vegetables and products derived from these, Vala Supermarket, and an art gallery focusing on manufactured items as well as handicrafts and art pieces created in our different ateliers. Solheimar is also home to the Graena Kannan Cafe which specialises in organic food and beverages, the Jurtagull Soap factory and herb workshop which produces soaps and shampoos from Icelandic plants, a candle factory which produces candles made entirely from beeswax and recycled candles, a weaving workshop specialising in handmade woven items such as mats, carpets and tablecloths, and other workshops based on carpentry and musical instruments.
The ethos of Sólheimar is derived from ‘reverse integration’, a process whereby the community develops based on the needs of individuals with disabilities and other minorities, and it is the able-bodied who have to adapt to these needs.

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Community type
  • Ecovillage
  • Activities
  • Education

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 1930
  • Started living together
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
120

How to join

Guests are welcome to visit. Accommodation can be booked in guesthouses. Culture festival runs in the summer.

Guest Book

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Location

  • Iceland

Sólheimar Iceland

Promoted Needs and Offers

  • Promoted
Need
  • Promoted
Need
  • Volunteering
1 month ago

Social Media Intern

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Ecovillage Network logo with green leaves inside a circle.
Ecovillage Network logo with a heart-shaped handshake symbol.
Logo of the Global Ecovillage Network with a stylized flower design.
Logo of the Global Ecovillage Network with interconnected figures.
Social Media Intern for GEN International Hours: Up to 20/month, flexible around your schedule and availability Location: Remote, work with Eva Goldfarb Focus: Instagram + LinkedIn (TikTok if you’re into it!) Hi! I’m Eva, and I run social media for GEN International — the global network connecting ecovillages, intentional communities, and regenerative culture-builders across every continent. I’m looking for a co-conspirator to help me tell the stories of the people quietly building the future: off-grid villages in the Philippines, permaculture farms in Senegal, urban cohousing projects in Berlin, elders passing down land wisdom in the Andes. It’s a wildly rich, wildly underrepresented world, and I want more people to fall in love with it the way I have. What you’ll actually do: Dream up and create content for Instagram and LinkedIn (reels, carousels, stories, captions that don’t sound like a corporate newsletter) Dig into our global network and turn your findings into stories people want to share Pitch your own ideas. If there’s a series, a theme, a format, or a corner of the network that lights you up, that’s what I want you to focus on. What we’re looking for: A natural storyteller, someone who can spot the human thread in a project update or a photo from a faraway village Genuinely curious about ecovillages, sustainability, intentional community, regenerative living Self-motivated and communicative; this is a flexible, trust-based role Why this role: This isn’t a “post 3x a week and don’t ask questions” internship. You’ll have real creative freedom to work on what excites you, learn how a global grassroots network tells its story, and build a portfolio full of meaningful, purpose-driven content. Plus you’ll be talking to people living some of the most interesting, intentional lives on the planet. If storytelling for a better world sounds like your kind of fun, let’s talk.
Offer
  • Events
13 years ago

Jornadas de Incubadora de Ecoaldeas

INCUBADORA DE ECOALDEAS Jornadas de Formación Ecoaldeana dirigidas a individuos, grupos, comunidades y otros colectivos en la comunidad de la Base, Girona. Desde el 14 al 23 de Junio 2013 Las jornadas tienen como principal objetivo dar a conocer el proyecto de la “Incubadora”, diseñado para atender a la creciente demanda de formación e información sobre el universo ecoaldeano, la autogestión rural o las comunidades. Dirigida principalmente hacia grupos en formación, o con algo de historia a sus espaldas, pero también para individuos que quieran aprender a sentar las bases de una actividad próspera y duradera. Se trata también de brindar un espacio para que dichos grupos puedan convivir por primera vez en una inmersión comunitaria virtual, una especie de “simulador de vuelo”, tomando posesión de nuestro espacio como si fuera ya el suyo en realidad. Desde un primer momento habrá que ir aprendiendo cómo decidir todos las cuestiones del cotidiano convivir… Una invitación a todas las personas que se sientan atraídas por estilos de vida alternativos, para jugar juntas, bailar, compartir, para volar alto pero también para saber cómo se aterrizan los proyectos. Por algo esto fue un aeródromo… Temas y talleres: Aprenderemos sobre cómo crear un documento de visión de grupo, técnicas de comunicación, cómo tomar decisiones colectivamente, la facilitación, cómo afrontar y aprovechar los conflictos, Permacultura, yoga, salud integral, ejemplos de economía alternativa, monedas locales, bioconstrucción, agricultura ecológica, la espiritualidad en las comunidades, los micro organismos eficientes, el liderazgo, cuestiones de género y mucho más. Calendario de talleres para JIE de diez jornadas, del viernes 14 al domingo 23 de Junio: • Mauge Cañada (Ecoaldea Lakabe): 14 al 19 Bienvenida La aventura de lo plural. La facilitación. Los Conflictos. • Mabel Cañada (Ecoaldea Lakabe): 15 al 18. Liderazgo, estructura y toma de decisiones en los colectivos. •

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