"Peace Ark" Collaboration: Peace Valley (Australia) and Korogonas Ark (Greece)

As these two partners combined live in-person and online participation events they were realising that they have been creating an arc of peace around the world. Both projects focus on bringing inner/outer peace and regeneration and therefore were deeply motivated by the shared vision of building cross cultural understanding, mutual support and honouring each other’s contributions. This has extended the field of their work, contributing to more harmony and the manifestation of the Story of Connection to more people and initiatives in this world. Knowledge and wisdom they were sharing included Unity Singing, Circle Dances, Peace Games, Aboriginal Cultural Burning, Deep Listening, Honouring Circles, and sacred tree planting. With the intention of bringing the best of these practises from both projects together, they created a programme framework for both in-person and online events that would be used ongoing in both countries, starting with four collaborative events. Two included in-person events at Peace Valley Australia which Maria joined live from Greece and led participants in Unity singing & Circle Dance. A third one took place during a full moon women’s gathering in Peace Valley when Maria joined in on-line with her harp and her music. The fourth one was a shared Planting using the «Humanitree» technique. “Intentions’ trees” were planted in both Korogonas Ark and Peace Valley with an identical prayer/intention for peace & kind, empowered life mission planted underneath to complete the ceremony. Sacred circles in Greece occurred during the months (summer retreats, weekly trainings on-line, women’s circle in the nearest big city, Sparti) where deep listening, honouring the present moment and other empowering practices were experienced by the participants. The ability to be of mutual support, to have fun sharing their skills and passion, and to gain exposure to a different culture across the globe was greatly valued on both sides, both personally by the project partners, as well as by their extended communities. Their twinning relationship was shared at the “Caravan of Unity” big event during September 2020, and hosted and ‘guided’ by the “Co-creating Europe” organisation. Their stories were even picked up by KindaSound Radio in Greece and FM88 Radio Station in Australia. It is clear that a deep friendship has been formed (even through online meetings) and there is a clear intention to continue collaborating, with more events already in the works. – Peace Valley Bush Retreat is a residential retreat that provides space to reconnect with ourselves, each other, and nature in a way that honors all peoples and all of nature. Visitors experience simple off-grid community living in tents in the bush, experiential learning of permaculture gardening and bush regeneration work, with facilitated activities from ‘The Work that Reconnects’, ‘Dragon Dreaming’ and ‘Theory U’. It is a mix of inner and outer ecosystem regeneration. Their vision also includes the education of youth to empower them as future leaders as well as using ‘Gift Economy’ for a shift towards a different financial paradigm. – Korogonas Ark identifies itself as a core entity both for personal growth and empowerment as well as for social transformation, working upon and spreading the qualities and practices of unity, peace interactions, offering, kindness, empathy, spirituality in action. It is a multi-faceted, multi-colored, long-term project, a contemporary Ark for the preservation and dissemination of traditional values, information, old and contemporary knowledge as well as elements and methods among which seeds’ banks, natural, organic and sustainable farming, protection of various plants’ varieties, especially wild varieties, water, and Nature’s resources.

Twinning

For Ecovillages, eco-projects, regional and national ecovillage networks

For years there has been the practice of “twinning” within GEN, where ecovillages, eco-projects, and ecovillage networks form special friendships and support each other. Over time, these friendships solidify and evolve into mutually beneficial relationships. We now have wonderful examples of twinning relationships in GEN and are excited to streamline the twinning so more projects are able to find and support each other. GEN is now supporting twinning relationships in a more systematic way, as a ‘dating agency’. When possible, we try to provide modest funds to support collaborative projects. Know more in the Twinning page.

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