The Ecovillage Design Education course (EDE) is a wonderful way to promote eco-tourism. The social, cultural, economic and ecological potential that exists within coastal villages brings new and bigger visions for participants. Sandele Eco-Retreat hosted a second EDE for participants from 10 coastal villages. The participants decided to form PeCEN – “The People’s Coast Ecovillage Network”). It was emphasised that eco-tourism is just one of many possible local businesses and that it could bring … Read more
Localisation-economics of happiness Promoting the renewal of local communities, economies and cultures
The answer lies in shifting away from economic globalization towards localization. Whereas the global economy demands monoculture, both human and ecological, localisation is a process that adapts economic activity to diversity -- a fundamental principle of life. The worldwide localisation movement, including local food and finance, ecovillages, permaculture and transition towns, demonstrate that local economies rebuild our connections to one another and to the natural world – connections that … Read more
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA Building bridges between villages - Setting up direct relationships between growers and consumers of agricultural products -
Guneskoy Cooperative has applied CSA to support sustainable living in traditional villages by ecological food production based on an economy with mutual support between people living in city and a village. Each week vegetables are picked up and distributed to the supporters in the city. The villages in traditional villages could not take any risk for an alternative production, no matter how environmentally friendly it is. When organic agriculture was started in Guneskoy they silently observed … Read more
Portable Gardens – urban food Tackling the Urban food security
Plastic bags can be used or recycled and help in the growing of food Container plants offer a simple way to maximize small spaces. Despite their convenience, planning them properly is essential to success. since it can save a lot of water will reduce the amount of water used and keep containers moist and healthy hence saving a lot of water … Read more
Bread from Sweet Potatoes Creating local food sovereignty
Challenges also includes post harvest processing or storage. This can lengthen the period for which sweet potato can be marketed but may also be relevant for subsistence oriented households to increase the period over which sweetpotato can be consumed, particularly where there is a marked dry season. Improving the sweetpotato value chain should lead to a linked set of impacts on the livelihoods of the poor including: 1) Increased income of those selling sweetpotato with particular advantages … Read more
Biochar from Bamboo Kilns Sequestering CO2 while rebuilding soil
Convert the fastest growing terrestrial plant, bamboo, currently supplying livelihood to 1.2 billion humans because of its many uses and ability to grow in nearly all climates, from labile carbon to recalcitrant carbon through pyrolytic conversion in a low-cost, multiple-yield process. The application of this recalcitrant carbon to soil, or use as a component of building materials, living roofs and other ecovillage applications, establishes a significant, long-term sink for atmospheric carbon … 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
Middle East: GEN Palestine Building the Foundations of GEN Palestine
Hakoritna Farm, one of the winners of the GEN Excellency Award 2014, co-hosted a meeting of GEN and Global Campus Palestine with the Palestine Technical University-Kadoorie, in order to meet the many challenges for peace and sustainability in an occupied country and to prepare the creation of GEN Palestine. Frederick Weihe reports. From the 19th - 24th of November, a historic event happened in support of peace, cooperation, and sustainable solutions to climate change in occupied Palestine. … Read more
Cross the Bridge! My Friend, My Brother! The Salaayel Ecovillage Approach in Mauretania
Severe droughts in recent years have had negative consequences, including impacts on the socio-economic life of our people. One of the most serious consequences was the exodus, which forced village communities to lose some of their socio-cultural values: in hospitality, pride, solidarity, and the cultural space of the village. The initiative, Salaayel, rebuilds original values to establish regional sustainability, in order to re-establish the bonds and bridges between villages, cultures and … Read more
The Evolution of Money: GEN ́s Role and the Proposed Ecovillage Exchange System
GEN could become the place to conceive a new paradigm of money. Jamie Brown (agent of Biomimicry in Switzerland), and Matthew Slater (an economy specialist), share about the background and proposal to create an exchange system of Ecovillages, and launch it at the July 2015 Ecovillage Summit at Findhorn, Scotland. Background: Why GEN Feels Poor Our money system is at the point of an evolutionary phase-change resembling the natural completion of a youthful growth period. Our global system … Read more
