GEN’s 30th Anniversary 30 Years of Regeneration: Celebrating GEN’s Anniversary Year

30 Years of Regeneration: Celebrating GEN’s Anniversary Year

Thirty years ago, a vision took root.

A vision of communities living in deep connection—with each other, with the land, and with the future. A vision of ecovillages as a symbol of hope for our planet.

That vision became the Global Ecovillage Network.

Three decades later, GEN has grown into a thriving ecosystem of initiatives, projects, and people dedicated to reimagining how we live. Dreamers have boldly reimagined communities as living laboratories for regeneration that is both ecological and socioeconomic. Across continents, ecovillages have restored landscapes, pioneered new governance models, and built economies rooted in care. Together, we have proven that another way is not only possible—it is already happening.

Below is a picture of GEN’s founding day at Findhorn, with representatives from ecovillages all over Europe and North America:

A Year of Celebration and Action

In 2025, we invite you to celebrate GEN’s 30th anniversary with us. This is not just a reflection on the past—it is a moment to gather, strengthen our network, and chart the course for the next three decades of transformation.

One of the most exciting moments of this anniversary year will be the European Ecovillage Gathering in Hungary, August 12-17th at Manas Garden. This special event will be a meeting place for ecovillagers, changemakers, and allies from around the world. To ensure diverse participation, GEN will sponsor members from our regional networks to attend, making space for voices that are often unheard in global conversations on sustainability. Gather with us there for an experience we are working to make unforgettable.

The Gathering will also feature an open call for workshops, inviting those with wisdom and experience in regenerative living to share their knowledge. Whether you are a seasoned ecovillager, a social innovator, or a researcher exploring new frontiers of sustainability, we encourage you to apply.

Celebrating 20 years of Gaia Education

This year, we also celebrate a vital part of GEN’s ecosystem: 20 years of Gaia Education. Since its inception, Gaia Education has empowered thousands of people with the knowledge and tools to design regenerative communities and lifestyles.

Rooted in the Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) framework, Gaia Education offers transformative learning experiences that integrate social, ecological, economic, and worldview dimensions of sustainability. The EDE has since been taught in 55 different countries. From in-person courses in ecovillages around the world to online programs that reach a global audience, Gaia Education has been instrumental in spreading the wisdom of ecovillages far beyond their physical boundaries.

As we mark this milestone, we honor the educators, facilitators, and learners who have carried this vision forward, especially our shared founder, Ross Jackson, and the members of the founding team, May East, Declan Kennedy, and Jonathan Dawson, among others. The work of Gaia Education continues to inspire and equip the next generation of changemakers to build a thriving future—one community at a time.

Join Us in This Next Chapter

We are celebrating, and yet we still commit to the work ahead of strengthening connections, sharing knowledge, and growing together. The challenges we face today demand bold action, deep collaboration, and the courage to build new systems of resilience.

Be part of GEN’s 30th Anniversary!

We warmly invite you to join us next month as we celebrate and reflect on the incredible 30 year journey of the Global Ecovillage Network and 20 years of Gaia Education. The ecovillage gathering is packed with inspiring sessions. Plan ahead and catch one or more of our highlighted workshops;

Together, we’ll hear heartfelt stories and visionary insights from GEN’s five regions, our cherished GEN Elders, and the inspiring voices of NextGEN youth. Let’s weave a collective tapestry of memory, wisdom, and dreams for the ecovillage movement’s vibrant future.

🦋 A Butterfly Finale!
To close this year’s gathering in beauty and joy, we invite everyone to embrace your inner butterfly in a colorful and playful final ceremony! Bring your wings—literal or symbolic. 

Don’t have a costume? No worries! Swing by the GEN booth to craft a butterfly mask or costume on the spot and flutter into the celebration with us.

Have an idea for an anniversary project that will help create more awareness about ecovillages? It could be art, event, or research project.

Submit here

---