A silent revolution is presently occurring on our planet. Outside the major conurbations – in villages, slums, and town neighbourhoods – citizens are joining together to assume responsibility for their surroundings, for the nature around them, for social themes, and for their ecological and economic behaviour.
In living rooms, in bars and around kitchen tables, ideas are discussed and initiatives are born which directly reduce CO2 emissions, revive communities and create job perspectives. The ecovillage movement is growing as is the desire to live together and share: in all continents, new communities and inhabitants of existing villages or suburbs are consciously choosing the path of sustainable development. In the face of both ecological and economical crises, poverty in the South and social isolation in the urban North, people are coming together to assume joint responsibility for their region, its resources and their social surroundings. In the process they find themselves actors in and creators of their own reality.
The Global Ecovillage Network has accompanied and organized this movement for 20 years. Recently the process has gained momentum: Its regional networks encompass all regions of the planet, it connects ten thousands of ecovillages and communities worldwide. Collaboration with governments in Senegal, Germany, and Thailand, with other sectors of society and other civil movements turn the ecovillages into an initiative that is regarded more and more by the mainstream.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary, GEN invites members, friends, and collaboration partners to the GEN+20 summit, starting from Sunday, 5th to Friday, 10th July 2015 in Findhorn/Scotland – at the place where GEN was founded. At this conference, members from all regions – GEN-Africa, GENOA (Asia and Oceania), the South and North American networks CASA and ENA, GEN-Europe and NextGEN (the youth or next generation of GEN) – will present their work, their challenges, their progress. The summit will be another chance to create links of friendship and understanding between people and projects from the North and South, East and West – a heart connection that enables us to feel that we are working together towards solutions for one planet.
To make this a truly global gathering we need representatives from all regions to attend the summit. All invited delegates are inspiring leaders dedicating their energy and resources to their amazing projects. GEN asks for your support: Sponsor someone to attend the summit by donating to cover the travel expenses! To invite 10 representatives from each region, we are raising $100.000 USD, of which we have already raised over $21,000! Please support this historic event at donate.ecovillage.org/gen20.
The conference is public: interested people are warmly welcome. Please find more information on findhorn.org/gen+20.
In time for the conference, Triarchy Press will publish the book: Ecovillages Worldwide – Local Solutions to Global Challenges. Please find it in the internet and your local bookshop.
