Wars, climate change, economic and social injustices, have made millions of people refugees, with thousands dying, stranded on the borders of Europe, or the United States. At the recent GEN Summit in Dakar, Africa it was re-iterated that ecovillages are an effective alternative to migration, especially for young people. However, ecovillages of the Global North can also assist directly, by providing new opportunities for refugees. This is the story of Fayez Karimeh, from Syria - however, similar … Read more
CASA Latin America: Good News from Mexico
“Why spend time chopping down a tree that is rotting from the inside out when instead you could be focusing on making sure the young trees grow safely?” These wise words seem quite pertinent to the current sustainability movement across Mexico—and the globe. Fernando Ausin Gomes reports from Mexico. Mexico is facing turbulent, systemic collapse. During the last few months, struggles have arisen throughout the country to protest the disappearance of hundreds of people, and of government … Read more
Japan’s AS-ONE Community: The Story of a 14-Year Community Creation Process
In 2001, some volunteers gathered in Suzuka, Japan, aiming to realize a happy society free from fighting and opposition, in harmony with nature. A borderless community named “AS-ONE COMMUNITY” has been created in an ordinary neighborhood of Suzuka, a typical middle-size city and also well known as a city of the Honda company. Hiroko Katayama, GEN ambassador reports. The name ‘AS-ONE’ was taken from a line of John Lennon’s masterpiece Imagine, ‘and the world will be as one'. Nowadays, 38 core … Read more
Water Flows in Damanhur Permaculture Approach to Water Flows in the Tentyris Region of Damanhur
In Damanhur, the community region of Tentyris has a special relationship with water, honoring it as a natural force and enjoying an abundance of it on the lands. In 2011, a team from Tamera, Portugal, came to collaborate on the creation of a large scale water retention system of six lakes, that are now in use. In November 2014, a new Permaculture Design for Sustainability course was launched, focusing on developing the wetlands area of Tentyris as a continuation of the work of utilizing, and … Read more
Permaculture Design Course
- Date: 1 – 16 August 2015
- Language:
- English
- Location: Czech Republic
August 1st - 16th, 2015. Where? Slunakov – centre for ecological activities near Olomouc, well accessible by train, www.slunakov.cz What does the PDC cover? An introduction to permaculture, permaculture ethics and principles An ecology primer, including observation skills, ecological principles, trees, soil, water A wide range of applications of permaculture, including agroforestry, forest gardening, wild food, fungi in permaculture, composting toilets, urban permaculture, people care, … Read more
Nurturing The Future; Bangladesh! The Ground-Breaking EDE ToT of Southern Bangladesh
Building Capacity and Empowering Communities project launched in 2013 aims over a period of 3 years to improve sustainable food security and livelihoods of vulnerable communities of Khulna and Bagerhat, through capacity building programmes and effective climate change adaptation strategies and interventions. The project is a cooperation between BASD, Gaia Education, CIFAL Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government. Its second year saw a group of previously trained community leaders … Read more
A Leap Forward From nettle production to handcrafting
Rural Women and economic well being is often regarded as an unrelated topic especially in a patriarchal society like Nepal. In this context, when village women gather together to empower themselves through their individual effort, it is worth a story to tell. Women of Sankhuwasabha, one of the rural mountainous areas of Nepal, are becoming empowered and economically stable through their own effort. The source of their empowerment is “Nettle Production”, also known as Allo in Nepali. These … Read more
Design Ecovillages & LB Communities
- Date: 23 – 28 March 2014
- Language:
- English
- Location: New Zealand
Tues, 24 March – Sun, 29 March 2015 This course teaches a sequential approach to designing an ecovillage/land-based community using permaculture design principles and methodology, culminating in small group designs which encompass each broad step. The course is designed as an advanced module for PDC holders as well as those well familiar with the concepts of Permaculture. In order to design harmonious human settlements which marry the needs of people with the needs of the land, we … Read more
PROGRESSIVE LIVING certified course
- Date: 25 – 31 January 2015
- Languages:
- EnglishSpanish
- Location: Costa Rica
Dry season. Warm-hot during the day, windy-cool during night. 600mts o.s.l. This course is designed for all those who have a desire to immerse themselves in a unique and deep experience, learning and unlearning. Explore a broad and dynamic program, with useful tools alterative / progressive minded and modern at the same time. Inspired by ancestral teachngs of land use with permaculture, bio construction, decition making in community, alternative education, sacred & medicinal plants, … Read more
Ecovillage Design Education Latvia,
- Date: 15 September 2015
- Language:
- English
- Location: Jejas Variceni, Latvia
The Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) course is a programme of GEN partner, Gaia Education. The curriculum was developed over a number of years by a group of Ecovillage educators from around the world calling themselves GEESE (Global Ecovillage Educators for Sustainable Earth). Launched in Findhorn in 2005, the Ecovillage Design Curriculum is an official contribution to the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development http://ede-smiltene.blogspot.com/p/contact.html … Read more
