Living differently, more sustainably, and with more meaning: that is something that more people want. How to achieve this is usually an inner quest, often full of questions, alone or with others. The Ecovillage Design Education course helps to map out these questions and to find appropriate sustainable solutions, facilitated by those who’ve been on the journey for some time and are passionate about sharing their learnings. With this, you take the first steps to contribute to sustainable, lasting change.
In the EDE course, certified by UNESCO, GAIA Education and GEN, you learn how successful projects have worked towards solutions, through big picture principles and on-the-ground practical applications. More than twenty coaches and trainers provide 61 online workshops and an experience-based programme on location. In addition, you can gain experience within a project, where you can see for yourself how something works, and draw conclusions as to whether it suits you or how you might do it differently.
This Lowlands EDE course focuses on the bioregion around the Netherlands and Belgium and will be offered in the local language. (For beginners in the Dutch language, some support may be possible.) The trainers are familiar with all the ins and outs of this bioregion, with knowledge of the climate, and local rules of the land. They know the latest sustainable developments and are in networks that fit these sustainable developments in the Netherlands and Belgium. This means they can give you a wealth of experience. The EDE trainers and coaches are there to help you explore the questions you have.
The programme will enable close interaction between teachers and students and between students themselves. Participants with expertise in specific areas are invited to share their knowledge with the whole group. Facilitators will often participate in group and other processes, partly as supervisors/leaders, as well as co-discoverers of the training offered and the learning process as a result of the actual (socio-cultural) context. Exercises will be based on real-life situations so that the learning will be at the same time an understanding of theory, abstract concepts and – often more important – a deepening experience of the applied concepts in concrete socio-cultural situations.
The EDE is not age-dependent. Gaia Netherlands has been hosting the course since 2015 and welcomed the youngest participant of 17 years old and the oldest of 81. Participants from the most diverse backgrounds have taken this course. From a museum director, founder of a natural BSO, students, members of a starting ecovillage, as well as people who are looking for other work within the framework of reintegration.
After previous EDE’s, participants have applied their knowledge and experience in setting up a natural learning line for the BSO, developed activities in nature for a school and a nature centre, wrote business plans for eco-villages and sustainable work collection centres or transferred their knowledge and experience to other members of their eco-village, which gave depth to the project. Several participants have started a handicraft business in the field of sustainability and actually all participants indicate that it has enriched and changed their lives.
From 7 July to 17 October, you can gain experience at various locations. At Landgoed Algoed in Enschede, a team of coaches will be present for a month in July and the beginning of August. In this month there will be a short face to face meeting every morning and afternoon. Questions and experiences can then be shared. During the week, practical experience can be gained in various challenging activities such as working in the permaculture garden, learning to cook locally and sustainably, sustainable chore activities such as working with clay, gaining experience with sociocratic circles, etc. If you choose to gain experience at a different location than Landgoed Algoed, EDE coaches will visit you once and you will have a number of coaching conversations.
Afterwards, you can further specialise, for example, in a GAIA in School certificate or the GEESE train the trainer programme. It may be the first step to a life-changing experience you will never forget!
On June 5th at 19.00 hours a free introductory webinar will be held by Paul Hendriksen.
More information can be found at www.dutch-ede.nl. You can reach us by mail: [email protected] or call +31 614398015 (Monica). *The language for this course is Dutch.*
GEN Staff
