Earth Deeds' online tools to enable all of us to acknowledge our environmental impacts and support meaningful projects that build local community resilience. We call this new system onsetting. Rather than “neutralizing” our environmental “sins” through carbon offsetting, Earth Deeds says, “Let’s be grateful for all that fossil fuels have enabled; let’s also recognize the environmental costs of burning these fuels; and let’s ‘pay it forward’ in ways that can help heal our world.” … Read more
Earth Deeds Local Solutions to Global Warming
Earth Deeds' online tools to enable all of us to acknowledge our environmental impacts and support meaningful projects that build local community resilience. We call this new system onsetting. Rather than “neutralizing” our environmental “sins” through carbon offsetting, Earth Deeds says, “Let’s be grateful for all that fossil fuels have enabled; let’s also recognize the environmental costs of burning these fuels; and let’s ‘pay it forward’ in ways that can help heal our world.” … Read more
Playing for Change Music to Unite and Inspire Peace
Playing for Change is a multimedia music project, created by the American producer and sound engineer Mark Johnson with his Timeless Media Group, that seeks to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. With fellow producer Enzo Buono, Mark traveled around the world to places including New Orleans, Barcelona, South Africa, India, Nepal, the Middle East and Ireland. Using mobile recording equipment, the duo recorded local musicians performing the same song, interpreted in their … Read more
Swap Markets! A community exchange market to share our abundance
A Swap Market, or Swap Party is a community event, where people can freely exchange stuff that they no longer need, and receive stuff that others don't need. Instead of throwing things to the garbage, we give them away to others. Instead of buying something new, we can receive from others. Whereas consumerist culture pushes us to buy more and more things because we 'don't have enough', the Swap Market poses a joyful, sustainable alternative - there IS enough. There is abundance to share and … Read more
Upcycling for beauty and function! Reusing waste in beautiful and useful ways
Consumerism is reaching everyone, even traditional societies are becoming increasingly burdened with an overload of waste and little appreciation for traditional crafts and goods. By upcycling we can demonstrate that old materials can be reused into new functions, adding value and beauty. It can become an art form, and be a source of income and of gathering community, in workshops and exchanging knowledge. … Read more
Electric Isle of Eigg Island Goes 100% Renewable
On 1st February 2008, the Isle of Eigg entered a new era, with the switching on of the island electrification project, which makes 24 hour power available for the first time to all residents and businesses on the island. Until then individuals were entirely dependent upon making their own power and the clattering of generators was always to be heard. Now, the generators are silent and suddenly they have leapt to the forefront of electricity generation using renewable energy resources. The … Read more
Solving conflict with Love African technique to transform noncompliance
When an individual member of the Babemba tribe harms the peace and unity of the community, this individual is put in the centre of the village and all community members gather around the person. All members then relate to the individual all the good things this person has done, and all the good characteristics (s)he has, in great detail. The ceremony can last for days, and has shown greatly effective in changing the behaviour of the 'wrongdoer', as well as aiding community harmony. … Read more
Merging traditional with innovative building methods African architect uses smart design to build with clay and community
The architect Diebedo Francis Kere from Burkina Faso who studied in Berlin, Germany, went back to his home village to build a school and other buildings with the community. He explains the methodology. By involving the entire community in the building process, he simultaneously created community cohesion and pride, and gives locals the opportunity to acquire skills and knowledge they can use for creating economic opportunities. … Read more
Commitment Cleanup communicating about the impossibility of commitment builds instant new commitment
SET UP: This is a whole-group process from Possibility Management, done in dyads. People sit in chairs or on cushions facing each other in two parallel rows. Reserve 2 hours for this. You may want to go longer after a break, depending on how many people are involved. You may want to have tissues available. You will need one extra chair at the left end of Row A. The facilitator can also participate in the process but must keep track of time. INSTRUCTIONS: (Facilitator says:) Please sit as close … Read more
Ndanifor Permaculture Eco Village Permaculture African Way
Since its registration in 1996,Better world Cameroon has been promoting and implementing ethically & culturally sustainable development through cooperation in its youthcamps and Permaculture training. We apply innovative Eco Village Education and Permaculture Design Techniques to empower youth entrepreneurship. We are building an eco-lodge as a social incubator to improve sharing, learning and global citizenship Goals of the Design: •Using Permaculture Principles to step up agricultural … Read more
