With just a few weeks left until the GEN Europe General Assembly in Findhorn Ecovillage, Scotland, it seems appropriate to Robert Hall, Managing Director of GEN-Europe, to reflect on the current situation with the GEN 'office transition'. Perhaps, however, we can start with a historical perspective. GEN-Europe started off in 1996 in Germany at Lebensgarten, later moving to Torri Superiore in Italy. Then the office returned to ZEGG, in Germany, where our current German NGO was founded in … Read more
New Gaia Education Masters Program Integrated Systems Design for Sustainability
It is with great excitement that Gaia Education announces its new Masters programme: Integrated Systems Design for Sustainability - Master en Diseño de Sistemas Integrados para la Sosteniblidad! The two year Spanish programme, offered in collaboration with the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), includes: Ecosystems and Social Dynamics (Ecosistemas y dinámicas sociales) Sustainable Economics and Systemic Thinking (Economía sostenible y Pensamiento Sistémico) Permaculture Design (Diseño … Read more
EDE in Democratic Republic of Congo Second Intensive Ecovillage Kinshasa Workshop’s in Ecovillage Strategies
The second intensive workshop on ecovillage strategies in Kinshasa took place from 4 to 16 May 2015, at the Carter Center, the Center and IBI CEPROSEM village. 29 participants from Kinshasa, IBI village, and the Dévelopment Faculty Institute benefited from this training. Luc Lutala reports. … Read more
Thoughts from Chile Weaving invisible territorial structures
Jaime H. March Fernández, representing Ecochile Network and CASA, reflects on bringing together the ancient wisdom of the land, the cultures, and the new movements for sustainability. … Read more
Women Warriors in Brazil Urban Garden of Women Warriors Quilombo
For three years now, from early 2010 to late 2012, an urban garden has existed inside a squat called Quilombo das Guerreiras (Women Warriors Quilombo), based on agroecological principles. Essentially the result of a collective work, this great intervention is part of the lively scenery of a highly urbanized and careless place, the Francisco Bicalho Avenue, in the city center of Rio de Janeiro. The urban garden gained its own ecosystem, the plants sprouted and grew between the cobblestones … Read more
Sustainability in Bhutan Visiting the Country of the Gross National Happiness Index
Globalization is affecting the life of Bhutan. About eighty percent of food is imported from India even though the country has the capability of growing all its own food. The people are being adversely affected by TV and materialistic values. Mr. Lhundup Dukpa, program director of the School Education Division of Royal Education Council (REC), had been searching for an alternative education system and a more sustainable way of life in keeping with the intrinsic values of natural resources and … Read more
People Care PDC
- Date: 17 – 31 July 2015
- Languages:
- BosnianCroatianEnglishGermanSerbian
- Location: Zelenkovac, Mrkonjic Grad, Bosnia and Herzegovina
We increasingly recognize the vital role of a healthy community in addition to raising awareness of the sustainable ecosystem. We recognize the importance of effective interpersonal relationships and also the relationship of the individual to him/herself . Usually the focus of the PDC is to strengthen the ecosystem. From there, the pattern is transferred to other systems such as the social, the monetary system, the educational system, etc. By designing the People Care PDC we have developed … Read more
Collective Entrepreneurship Based On There's strength in numbers
Collective/Cooperative entrepreneurship can be a solution in many cases. While it is not a panacea, it does have a lot of advantages. A team can add to, multiply and complement each of the competencies and skills of the individuals, bringing a more powerful approach to the challenge. Each person contributes his/her unique skills and relationships to the team, building strength and gaining resilience. The key elements of the cooperative DNA are: democratic management and shared ownership. These … Read more
GEN Celebrating 20 Years in Findhorn Ecovillages Gain More Positive Impact
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. … Read more
Twin Oaks Communities Conference
- Date: 4 – 7 September 2015
- Language:
- English
- Location: Undefined
www.communitiesconference.org If you live or want to live according to the values of cooperation, sustainability, and equality this conference is for you. You’ll get something out of this event whether you’re brand new to communities and cooperatives, or have been living and working in them for decades. The conference focuses on Intentional Communities, including models such as Ecovillages, Cohousing, and Housing Cooperatives, and the larger cooperative movement, including all kinds of … Read more
