The partnership and friendship between GEN and the Sunshine Ecovillage Network (SEN), in China has been growing in the past year, since the first Ecovillage Forum organised by SEN took place in October 2015, drawing around 500 interested participants. Ecovillage Design Education courses have previously been run in China, led by Pracha Hatanuwatr and Jane Rasbash, and many young Chinese have participated in ecovillage training elsewhere. Chinese representatives have been reaching out to GENOA – … Read more
African Response to Climate Change The Pan-African Ecovillage Development Programme: building resiliency and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
The Pan-African Ecovillage Development Programme: building resiliency and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. By Tim Clarke, former EU Ambassador, advisor of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), who was a GEN delegate at the COP 22 Climate Conference in Marrakech. For the past 20 years, GEN has been developing a transformative model using an integrated, multi-sectoral community-based approach to create sustainable and resilient ecovillage communities. Africa is the home of some of … Read more
GEN AFRICA Conference 2016
- Date: 1 – 6 December 2016
- Language:
- English
- Location: Ghana
GEN Africa in partnership with GEN international will hold the upcoming Conference at Ghana Permaculture Institute (GPI) in Techiman from December 1 - 6, 2016. 35 active leaders and advisors of the network will meet in order to consolidate the work we have done so far and plan the way forward. The conference will include the General Assembly. The conference aims at achieving the following objectives: Celebrate official registration of GEN Africa Strengthen GEN Africa, review … Read more
Minimalist Shoes Make Your Own Running Sandals
In his book 'Born to Run', Christopher McDougall discovers that unlike the common myth that humans are physically inferior to other land animals, humans are actually the species that is capable of running the longest distances on the planet! He also came to the conclusion that we humans don't actually need shoes to keep up from harm - we can run barefoot. He spent time researching indigenous tribes in the hills of mexico, and found that not only could they run unbelievable distances barefoot … Read more
Sustainable Approach to the Feminine Moon Cycle or: use your menstrual blood as a fertilizer!
Many women have been taught to feel shame, disgust or exasperation in regards to their menstrual bleeding. The menstrual industry sells us disposable pads and tampons that are toxic and harm our bodies and the environment immensely. However, other options are available to us: 1. Re-usable moon products: Cotton pads, moon cups, etc - do it yourself or buy (preferably from a local). 2. Emptying your menstrual blood: You can re-learn the ancient tradition of emptying the blood into the … 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
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
The Natural Step Framework For Sustainable Development A science based, holistic approach to defining and understanding sustainability
The Natural Step framework is * Based on a scientific consensus of the 4 basic principle ways in which humanity is destroying the biosphere. *Uses these principles as a lens to gain a clear understanding of how a project (business, product,community) is contributing to unsustainability. * Generates a future vision of how the project would look if it was complying with these 4 principles and was 'sustainable' * Allows for cross disciplinary communication using a common language that brings the … Read more
Fine Water Construction of water catchment for clean drinking water
Clean drinking water is a very basic need for people everywhere. Building a simple catchment system like the one in Alegnwi in Cameroon requires only a pipe and some cement, plus local materials like stone and sand. Optionally, the system can be developed further by adding a solar pump and piping to roadside fetching points, once funds are available. The village of Alegnwi is rich with spring water but in the past many suffered from waterborne disease because all water runs on the surface and … 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