Building on the experience of the successful Twinning Schools Project project which completed in January 2023, this project prioritises ecological solutions as a concrete next step and implements suitable technologies based on concrete needs in the immediate vicinity of schools. These focus on issues such as food supply, shelter, water, waste, and ecosystem regeneration, while providing transformative and hands-on learning experiences for students and teachers. At the same time, the project … Read more
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European Solidarity Corps
Real utopias to tune in to the rhythms of the EarthAn article by GEN volunteer Rubén reflecting on his year long volunteering experience in Findhorn Pandemics, the threat of a global nuclear conflict, increasingly frequent disasters related to climate and ecological emergencies... In the times we live in, more and more people, especially young people involved in activism, are suffering from what more and more experts are calling "eco-anxiety". Before my experience as a GEN ESC volunteer … Read more
Hildur Jackson Award Finalists 2022
Once again, we are delighted to honour the very special memory of Hildur Jackson, and to celebrate her legacy by featuring incredible projects around the world, and infusing some resources into some of them. This year's most outstanding project is Kufunda Village in Zimbabwe! Kufunda was founded almost 20 years ago as a place of learning, where people could recover their sense of pride, diversity, and capacity in working with their knowledge to create a healthy and vibrant … Read more
Inspiring Futures: How Ecovillage Design Education Changes Lives
GEN Online Ecovillage Design Course Testimonial by Karen Wyeth Without the knowledge I gained through the Ecovillage Design Education course, I would have never had the confidence to speak to people about something as complicated as forming an ecovillage. I receive GEN newsletters on occasion, and when I learned they were offering an online Ecovillage Design Course, I thought right away that I’d sign up. I’ve been dabbling in community living for over 20 years, having … Read more
Ecovillage Transition in Action An EU funded collaboration to scale up ecovillage solutions
Project Summary Addressing systemic crises will not derive only from international organisations, governments and politicians, they require a greater collective response. Communities, citizens, NGOs and other forms of civil society hold many of the solutions. In a fragmented world, successful cross-sectoral collaboration is key, particularly partnerships that blur the lines between top-down and bottom-up, i.e. partnerships between municipalities and community-led initiatives (CLIs). … Read more
Twinning Regenerative Educators
Launching in January 2022, GEN facilitated 20 educator collaborators to build a community among them, establish direct 'twin' relationships, and co-create three educational resources: a living showcase and toolkit, a teacher training curriculum, and ecovillage principles design cards for children. To explore these resources, visit here. To learn more about the project, read on. Spanning every region, collaborators brought experience from ecovillage schools, traditional schools, and … Read more
Ecovillages: a new way of living with low environmental impact and high quality of life
Are you looking for a participatory learning experience about how to create a new way of living with low environmental impact and high quality of life, bringing together the four areas of regeneration: social, ecological, economic, and culture/worldview? Then this might just be for you. Originally combined into a one-month experience in an ecovillage, The Ecovillage Design Education programme (EDE) is a training created by Gaia Education and the Global Ecovillage Network and certified as a … Read more
Our Annual Report 2021 is here! How the Global Ecovillage Network is catalysing communities for a regenerative world
The Global Ecovillage Network is a growing and evolving international network of regenerative communities and initiatives. This year’s Annual Report presents the activities, impact, vision and mission of GEN and the organisations that make up the key parts of our network - the GEN regions and GEN International. We first provide an overview of GEN and our core frameworks, key performance indicators, and highlights of the year. We then share the accomplishments from GEN’s five Regions and … Read more
Ecovillage Transition in Action!
We are celebrating the first successful launch of the prototype of our freshly developed Ecovillage Transition in Action Training of Trainers in St. Andrews University and our first multiplier event of this 3-year long partnership project which took place in the Findhorn Ecovillage ! Ecovillage Transition in Action is an ERASMUS+ partnership between GEN international, ECOLISE, GEN Germany & the University of St. Andrews aiming to increase collaboration between community-led initiatives … Read more
Filka Sekulova: On happiness, mountains, Academia and transformation.
Filka Sekulova is an activist and a transdisciplinary scholar engaged with Degrowth and the study of meaningfulness, among many other things. In this interview, she reflects out loud on her personal story and early days, but also her last years in Academia. She touches deep topics such as coherence, meaningfulness, social change and connection to nature. The first and the last time I saw this inspiring woman was on a bike. She arrived on her bike the first time I had her as a … Read more
Inspiring Women Healing the Earth: Berta Garriga, a woman with ‘flying roots’ creating community
Berta Garriga Garriga is an herbalist, an environmental educator and a young mother focused on creating community around sustainability, not only in the rural area where she lives but also beyond. In this interview, Berta talks about environmental education through nature but also about its very important role in cities or more urban areas. She shares some of the learnings on a deep Degrowth experiment carried-out on a tipi with a group of volunteers and provides her own insights on … Read more
An interview with Taisa Mattos: How the Ecovillage Movement changed her path
Taisa Mattos is an Educator and Researcher of the Ecovillage Movement. She trains individuals and groups on sustainability, social innovation, and community life. My first contact with Taisa Mattos was online. As part of my ESC programme, I was starting my work with GEN International and I received an introduction to its Education area provided by her, who connected from Brazil. Research on ecovillage living seemed to be one of her biggest passions, something that caught my attention and … Read more
Rewilding and decolonising go together. A conversation with Pupak Hagighi.
Pupak Hagighi defines herself as an artist, activist, writer, and earth healer, among others. In this interview, Pupak talks about her personal journey and its connection with making soil, rewilding, decolonising and healing on different levels. I met Pupak on a Saturday morning. I had attended a Working Party which takes place the last weekend of every month at the edible woodland gardens, as part of the Hinterland Trust Conservation mission. It was the first time I went there since I … Read more
Inspiring Women Healing the Earth: Interview with Shilo Shiv Suleman
Shilo Suleman: “Reclaiming imagination as a prophecy of what we want” Shilo Shiv Suleman is an Indian visual artist & activist. Her work and practice encompasses art for social change, technology and magical realism through illustration and urban art. When I first knew I would have the chance to interview Shilo Suleman I was thrilled. The opportunity came through one of my flatmates, Ann-Chris, who tends to surprise me with her huge network of friends. When she knew I was dreaming … Read more
Ecovillages featured in IPCC report New report on mitigation emphasises the need for holistic, collaborative and networked responses
Earlier this month the International Panel for Climate Change, IPCC, published the final part of their Sixth Assessment Report, Mitigation of Climate change - featuring the Findhorn Ecovillage Community on the cover. The picture shows the East Whins cohousing cluster, part of the Findhorn ecovillage, with superinsulated adjoining homes built with ecological materials. The buildings face the equator for maximum solar gain. They are topped with solar PV and water heaters and have rain … Read more
BLAST – New Resources for Transformative Learning Blended Adult Learning for the Socio-Ecological Transition
Completing a 2 year collaboration, we are proud to launch a series of resources aiming to build capacity for blended and transformative learning for socio-ecological transition. These include: Guides to Blended Learning and Communities of PracticeA competency framework for trainers and community catalystsA Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion methodology All of which you can find below! Collaboration Partners BLAST was a strategic collaboration of transformative educators … Read more
GEN Elders & NextGEN Firechats
The spirit of our ecovillage network comes alive through collective learning and community building. In 2021, the members of NextGEN, the youth branch of the ecovillage network, set out to host virtual fireside chats together with the GEN Elders to celebrate this spirit. These calls were a space to nurture and expand our intergenerational connections at the heart of GEN (Global Ecovillage Network), and to bridge the past, present and future of the ecovillage network. The youth … Read more
Harvesting experiences and insights from GEN’s first Permaculture Design Course (PDC)
Celebrating with you GEN’s first Permaculture Design LIVE Online Course – facilitated by Andre Soares and co-facilitator Lucy Legan, co-founders of the Ecocentro IPEC in Brazil and Global Ecoversity – which turned out to be a great success. The next offering will start on the 7th of May 2022. Lead facilitator Andre Soares has been teaching permaculture education for 24 years all over the world - ranging from Australia, USA, Portugal, Spain, Haiti, Argentina to … Read more
Auroville needs our help!
What’s going on in Auroville? Currently Auroville, an intentional township in South India, is facing an extremely difficult struggle within its community. Some of our forests, watersheds, and homes are subject to threat due to a contentious interpretation of the town's development plan. On December 4th, the Auroville Town Development Council started bulldozing trees, despite Auroville residents trying to protect the area (See the Timeline of the events). Since then, bulldozers have … Read more
Ecovillage & Substack Recommendations Reflections from Nicola (Devi) of Edenhope Nature Preserve, Vanuatu
An ecovillage is a microcosm of creation; for those who live in it and share in its way of life, it becomes a world unto itself, in which the whole order of existence is related from part to whole. By definition, an ecovillage is a group of people committed to living together as a community, relating sustainably with their natural environment. It is by no means a radical proposition, for the concept simply refers to people creating their culture through place — which has been practiced in varied … Read more
GEN at COP26: the time for climate action is now! from GEN Education Director and Lead Link Anna Kovasana
I am writing this from within the COP26 Blue Zone, in the middle of a day full of meetings with Governments and partner organisations all interested in applying and scaling the ecovillage model in different ways. GEN is at COP26 to create visibility for the ecovillage approach to a sustainable present and future, to nurture existing and new relationships that enable GEN to scale and achieve our mission, to reaffirm and expand our agreements and commitments with Governments and partners in the … Read more
GEN at COP26: Collective solution to the climate change emergency A youth perspective from GEN Volunteer Irene Canalís, with support from Lukas Goertz
My first impression of COP26 is that the energy here in Glasgow is very intense. I’ve bounced between feeling small and then, suddenly, very empowered, embracing my opportunities to be an individual who is part of the collective solution to the climate change emergency. My name is Irene, I’m now volunteering for GEN International's Communications Team from the Findhorn Ecovillage office in Scotland, the place I’ve been calling home for the last two months. I grew up in Mallorca and last year … Read more
Twinning João de Barro: Co-bioconstruindo Succes stories of the Twinning Project
Ecovila Nomade / Instituto Çarakura (Brazil) & Ecovila La Rosina (Spain) With macro goals of enhancing natural buildings on the two properties, it was the underlying goals of ensuring comfortable and welcoming spaces for volunteers and guests that really motivated these two teams from Brazil and Spain. Beyond the physical manifestations, as we’ve witnessed with every other twin project, the collaborative partnership was a highlight, as the twinned participants delighted in the opportunity … Read more
Meet GEN’s new Team Members Thanks to the European Solidarity Corps
For several years, the GEN head office in Findhorn has had the privilege of welcoming a youth perspective from participants from across Europe thanks to the European Solidarity Corps (ESC, previously called European Voluntary Service). Funded by the European Union, it facilitates opportunities for 18 to 30 year olds to contribute to community initiatives while gaining work experience and personal growth. This year, GEN will have the pleasure of working with Karoline, Ann-Chris, Irene, Rubén, … Read more
GEN Research featured in the book ‘Climate Adaptation: Accounts of Resilience, Self-Sufficiency and Systems Change’ The Potential of Ecovillages for Transition in Rural Areas
As part of the GEN Research group, Dr. Rebeca Roysen and Dr. Anne-Kathrin Schwab published an article about the transformative potential of Ecovillages for rural areas in the Climate Adaptation focused book which will be launched at COP26. The book looks at case studies for adaptation around the world and strikes a balance between hope and realism. It doesn't conceal or downplay the truth of the climate crisis, yet it enables hope and power. It also provides a sense of inspiration to make … Read more
Connecting communities and academia for a regenerative world: The EVIST Research Project
Rebeca Roysen is a member of Instituto Biorregional do Cerrado, an ecovillage in Brazil, and also an active member of the GEN Research Group and of the CASA Brasil Research Circle. This year, she was appointed Coordinator of a four-year research project called “Ecovillages as Incubators for Sustainability Transitions” (EVIST), supervised by Prof. Dr. Jens Köhrsen at the University of Basel, Switzerland. The aim of the EVIST Project is to better understand the role ecovillages play in … Read more
Hildur Jackson Award 2021 winner: Global Permayouth Project
The Global Permayouth Project is the winner of the 2021 Hildur Jackson Award for Extraordinary Project! The Hildur Jackson Award is a €3,000 annual prize that supports and honours projects around the world that demonstrate regenerative best-practices in all dimensions of sustainability. The prize is awarded to projects bringing the most impactful inspiration about ecovillages/ecovillage lifestyles to a broad audience. In the 2021 edition we have received outstanding 25 applications from 18 … Read more
GEN at COP26: we want to hear your voice! What message do you want us to take?
We’re entering crucial months for the future of humanity! The world is preparing for COP26, the UN Climate Conference in November. The Global Ecovillage Network will send a small delegation to advocate for the ecovillage pathway of regeneration, and we need your support. We want to hear from you! What message would you like the GEN team to deliver at COP26? How is your ecovillage or your project creating the better world we know we can build together? Please share with us by leaving a … Read more
Vidalia Ecovillage, Spain, Building the new normal!
This is the story of Ben. His journey took him to Vidalia Ecovillage in Spain, where he explored community and human relations through the flow of dance. Building the new normal! The climate crisis has emerged because the growing human community has taken more than was sustainable. With our natural resources depleting and more and more ecosystems collapsing – the change begins within. When we feel loved, whole and at peace in ourselves, we can stop taking so much, and begin to love – to … Read more
Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) is a success! Celebrating with you the first EDE live Online Programme!
Celebrating with you the first Ecovillage Design Education LIVE Online Programme - according to the Gaia Education curriculum - which turned out to be a great success. The next offering will start on 12 March 2022, running on Saturdays for 4.5 months. Coordinated and facilitated by two experienced EDE trainers: Taisa Mattos and Macaco Tamerice, with well-known guest trainers from the Ecovillage Movement, from 14 different countries, including some of the GEESE, such as: Kosha Joubert, May … Read more
Help us choose the Hildur Jackson Award 2021 winner! Inspiration From This Year's Most Impactful Ecovillage Projects and Solutions
We are absolutely thrilled to share with you the 10 finalists of the Hildur Jackson Award! The jury has had a challenging time deliberating, as we have received outstanding 25 applications from 18 countries and across all of the 5 regions. Together with Gaia Trust, GEN developed the Hildur Jackson Award, a €3,000 annual prize that supports and honors projects around the world that demonstrate regenerative best-practices in all dimensions of sustainability. Meet our 10 finalists for the 2021 … Read more
Eco-community in Vietnam Building the New Normal!
Today we unite for a celebration of generosity, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform the world. Xóm Bắc Cầu, Vietnam This is the story of Émilie, who, together with architect Franscesco and teacher Hieu and many other volunteers, has given life to Xóm Bắc Cầu to spread sustainable community living in Vietnam. It is a powerful story, especially when realizing that Émilie at the same time is confronting a genetic disease that weakens her veins. Before going back to … Read more
Moray Ecovillage Development
A Model for Sustainable Community Building in Scotland Based in Moray, North East Scotland, the Moray Ecovillage Development Project was the Moray LEADER-Funded transnational learning exchange project between three Showcase Scottish communities and two international ecovillages Kilden (Hurdal, Norway) & Schloss Tonndorf (Germany). It was delivered by the grant holder Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) and supported by delivery partners tsiMORAY. The project was built on a … Read more
Twinning for better engaged community, water and financial sustainability, creating wider impact: Govardhan (India) and Kibbutz Gezer (Israel) Succes stories of the Twinning Project
Starting with an appreciation for the diverse cultural background and geographic contexts of the partners, these twins relied on open communication and a shared vision for better-engaged communities along with ecological and financial sustainability. Through community profiling, they shared a learning journey to understand the different approaches to community processes, decision making, and strategic planning. The long-term plan they created together takes into account the benefits of … Read more
Our Annual Report 2020 is here! How the Global Ecovillage Network is catalysing communities for a regenerative world
“This gathering of human and non-human beings has never happened before and will never happen again.” - Charles Eisenstein, GEN Online Summit. As GEN celebrated our 25th year in 2020, and all the contributions that lead us here, no one could imagine the uncertainty the world would face. While gathering the stories and data to showcase our accomplishments for the year, we felt an enhanced sense of gratitude for the abundance within our members and … Read more
“Terra Preta Composting Twin Toilets” Collaboration: Nuestra Finca Sagrada (Nicaragua) & Familia Feliz (Spain) Succes stories of the Twinning Project
Turning a challenge into an opportunity, this collaboration addressed the realities of rural living with no plumbing or access to groundwater. As water scarcity increases and soil health depletes, partners creatively saw human excretion as an opportunity to re-value and re-purpose this raw material. Through the Terra Preta System (Dry Compost Toilet), a great low-tech solution achieved several goals, minimizing water use, reducing resource needs, enhancing soil fertility, creating closed-loop … Read more
A Year After Winning the Hildur Jackson Award Highlights from T.I. Ecovillage in India
In 2020, the Hildur Jackson Award jury welcomed a record number of 70 applications from across the globe. Celebrating their diversity and commitment to the network, we honoured the top 10 projects, communities, and ecovillages, giving special mention to the top 2, and selected one official 'winner' of the Award. We caught up with the winner, one year later to find out how their community has continued to shine, how it may have evolved, and how they've beneffited from being featured. First, a … Read more
GAIA Netherlands will facilitate a blended (online and in person) EDE, Ecovillage Design Education course Bringing together expertise and experiences from successful projects from across the region to help get new projects off the ground.
Living differently, more sustainably, and with more meaning: that is something that more people want. How to achieve this is usually an inner quest, often full of questions, alone or with others. The Ecovillage Design Education course helps to map out these questions and to find appropriate sustainable solutions, facilitated by those who've been on the journey for some time and are passionate about sharing their learnings. With this, you take the first steps to contribute to sustainable, lasting … Read more
GEN Recognised by the One World Award Transcending the model of a global network communities
GEN is thrilled to be recognised by the One World Award, which honors global people, projects, initiatives, and ideas that make the world more equitable through ecological, social, and economic improvements. Receiving the award on GEN's behalf, Kosha Joubert shared wishes for "GEN and each and every community initiating healing relationships in the very depth of everyday love and responsibility, to flourish and shape our future on this planet." She was joined by Sonita Mbah who echoed … Read more
“Green River” Collaboration: Jacutinga do Caparaó (Brazil) and Catfarm Community (France) Success stories of the Twinning Project
Water resiliency held a central theme in the youth-focused educational collaboration between these two communities, a partnership called Green Rivers. Members from Jacutinga applied their learning from an online course with Plant’agua association in Brazil, collaborating with 10 learners. They visited a local water planting school for inspiration and observed the terrains to develop locally relevant solutions that will guide them for the next 15 years. The results are already felt today, based … Read more
Rio Muchacho, Ecuadorian Organic Farm, Ecolodge, and emerging Ecovillage is recruiting new members Spaces available to immerse yourself in a rewarding and adventurous project filled with possibilities to make a difference
Located 30 min from Canoa beach, Rio Muchacho was the first ecotourism project conceived and developed as a sustainability education model in Manabí and Ecuador. It was endorsed by National Geographic for this unique concept and chosen as one of it’ s 8 favorite places to stay in Ecuador. This social enterprise is now evolving and transforming into an ecovillage! There are 8 membership spaces in total, and 4 are still available. Nicola Mears and Darío Proaño, have blended … Read more
Leading through Action A River of Life Story
Visolela Rosa Namises, a national leader, representative of GEN Africa and advocate for women’s rights has been initiating incredible work in Namibia. With the support of River of Life funds in 2020, Visolela was able to work with women from different communities to develop gardens for food security, nutrition and as a way to improve their livelihoods. She conducted 6 workshops and events in the past year, working in 6 villages and 3 schools, reaching over 850 people, including women, youth, … Read more
“Peace Ark” Collaboration: Peace Valley (Australia) and Korogonas Ark (Greece) Success stories of the Twinning Project
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 … Read more
Tu B’Shvat Celebration on Kibbutz Gezer: The Jewish Holiday of the Trees
The 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shvat, or Tu B’ishvat, is the day that marks the beginning of a “new year” for trees. This is the time when the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel, perhaps most famously the beautiful almond tree, emerge from their winter sleep. Tree planting has always been a Jewish tradition. The bible states that "And you shall come to the Land, and you shall plant all kinds of edible trees..." (Leviticus, 19:23). Almost all the forests in modern Israel … Read more
A “New Story” Collaboration: Centre des Hommes (Togo) & La Bolina (Spain) Success stories of the Twinning Project
With the goals of promoting dialogue about local development and migration while supporting ecologically balanced social entrepreneurship, the twins Centre des Hommes (Togo) & La Bolina (Spain) turned their ideas of a New Story into reality. Together with the additional support from a GEN Ambassador, the two communities produced an educational video series and launched a website for Centre des Hommes. The Community members shared their experiences, exchanged resources, and reflected on … Read more
Ecovillages and New Normalities – Insights from Dr. Rebeca Roysen BNN: Building the New Normal series - powered by Friends of GEN
Building the New Normal is really a matter of day-to-day actions of people living together differently. This emerges naturally wherever there is the persistent will (or coercion) to do so. It sounds simple and it is, but it is at the same time a complex undertaking. Dr. Rebeca Roysen has studied these transitional dynamics for years and has written an insightful academic article1 on ecovillages building new normalities, which she is happy to render here in a less scholarly fashion. She … Read more
Creating healthy, resilient food systems A River of Life story
Linda Kabaira is a dedicated community worker, who runs projects with SCOPE in Zimbabwe and Zambia with young women and schools, focusing on creating home gardens as a tool for ecological regeneration. Linda received funds through the River of Life in 2016 and 2020. Working with young women, Linda focuses mostly on growing staple food crops and using permaculture techniques to build soil fertility, manage water and maximize harvests. During 2016 when she received River of Life funds, she … Read more
Emergence of the ‘River of Life’ in GEN Brief history
In April 2013, 25 African women joined a four week ‘By Women, For Women’ Ecovillage Design Education (EDE), held by Lua Bashala and Kosha Joubert at Umphakatsi Peace Ecovillage, Mpumalanga, South Africa. The women exchanged and learned about ecological, cultural, social and economic aspects of sustainable community living and designed small projects to increase the resilience of their neighbourhoods. On another level, a deep level of mutual trust was built amongst them as they shared stories … Read more
Zegg Ecovillage Building the New Normal! BNN: Building the New Normal series - powered by Friends of GEN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ5WiySYxJ0 This is the story of Ena, of how she and the people in ZEGG Ecovillage have built their Human Connection. Zegg Ecovillage, Germany "We have developed a tool to grow personally and build trust among each other. When I step into the middle I let others be part of my inner life, struggle or celebration. Other community members will give feedback. “Before my life here, people would never point out my potential or blind spots. Here, we try to meet each … Read more
Green Economy and Social Enterprise for Climate Resilient Communities A pilot project in Zambia
Rural communities in Zambia have been strongly affected by climate change and other issues such as deforestation, poverty and malnutrition. To tackle all of these issues, the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) developed a pioneer project adopting a systemic approach, integrating strong social and ecological aspects, but also the economic dimension. Green Economy and Social Enterprise for Climate Resilient Communities pilot project was implemented 2018-2020 in several rural communities in the … Read more
Aldeafeliz Building the New Normal! BNN: Building the New Normal series - powered by Friends of GEN
Every day ecovillages and communities around the world are building a more authentic, connected and regenerating way of life. They want this to be their normal, and rather than wait for the world to catch up, ecovillagers go ahead and build it themselves. They know in their hearts that it is not only possible - it is also destined to be. With the story below, we are launching a campaign to celebrate the many people seeded around the planet who are building their own “new normal” through the very … Read more
Hildur Jackson Award 2020 finalist: TI Ecovillage, India A unique enclave originally on the outskirts of Bangalore
The TI Ecovillage in India is the finalist of the 2020 Hildur Jackson Award for Extraordinary Project. The Hildur Jackson Award is a €3,000 annual prize that supports and honours projects around the world that demonstrate regenerative best-practices in all dimensions of sustainability. The prize is awarded to projects bringing the most impactful inspiration about ecovillages/ecovillage lifestyles to a broad audience. In the 2020 edition, we received a record number of 70 applications of … Read more
Ecovillages are a wonderful world of bird diversity Amena Bal writes about the Mini Bird Sanctuary at the TI Eco Village in India
Amena Bal is a GEN Ambassador that lives in the TI Ecovillage, on the outskirts of Bangalore, Karnataka, India. The project started in 1995 as an experiment in eco-friendly development. Amena brings us the story of her life at TI Ecovillage and their particular relationship with birds. My role as GEN Ambassador and counsel representative in GENOA is guiding me to support the more subtle aspects of our earth care work and nurture and connect consciously with wild life and their … Read more
Launch of Communities for Future, Free Online Webinar Tuesday 22nd September, 14:00-16:00 CEST
With the goal to strengthen collaboration between community-led initiatives and local authorities for regional sustainability, GEN has been leading the Ecovillage Transition in Action project in collaboration with partner organizations. This project will showcase lessons learned to scale up many of the strategies developed by communities. In support of this, ECOLISE is launching the Communities for Future programme which values and puts communities and citizens at the centre of the … Read more
Collaboration: KITA (Ghana) and LOES (Denmark) Success stories of the Twinning Project
The Kumasi Institute of Tropical Agriculture (KITA) in Ghana has partnered with LOES, the Danish Ecovillage Network. From this partnership, GEN Ghana Network was created and started to connect ecovillages and eco projects across the country. 40 young men and women became Ecovillage Ambassadors to promote eco-strategies around Ghana. Both KITA and LOES designed and held an Ecovillage Design Education course for 50 students, as well as an Eco-strategies training, which reached 80 organizations and … Read more
Collaboration: Comunidad de Paz (Colombia) and Tamera (Portugal) Success stories of the Twinning Project
The Comunidad de Paz (Peace Community) of San José de Apartadó has twinned with Tamera, an intentional ecovillage in Portugal. Their cooperation started over the conflicts in Colombia, where the community's farmers had been resisting war and land grabbing, all the while facing threats and killings. Tamera gave support as an advocate, creating bridges with key international organizations. Comunidad de Paz got more protected and respected thanks to the visibility and the acknowledgment they … Read more
Collaboration: Intl. Peace Initiatives and Ecologia Youth Trust Success stories of the Twinning Project
International Peace Initiatives (IPI) in Kenya and Ecologia Youth Trust (EYT) from the UK have been collaborating for years. IPI's focus is on empowering women, young girls, and orphaned children who are in some way affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This twinning collaboration has given EYT the chance to expand their scope of charitable action to a new continent and to make good use of the alliance between GEN Europe and GEN Africa. EYT has created more opportunities for IPI, whether by giving … Read more
Collaboration: RIE (Spain/Portugal) + REDES (Senegal) Past success stories of the Twinning Project
RIE (Iberian Ecovillage Network) and REDES (Network for Emergence and Development of Ecovillages in the Sahel) were twins. Some of RIE’s members have traveled to different communities in the Sahel and supported mainly with capacity building and digging 12 wells, which is a huge increase in the quality of life for a lot of families. The people of RIE can now point out where the Sahel is and which problems they are facing there. This raises their awareness of countries on other continents facing … Read more
Collaboration: Guede Chantier (Senegal) + Damanhur (Italy) Success stories of the Twinning Project
Senegal & Italy: Guede Chantier is the Senegalese ecovillage who twinned with the Italian ecovillage Damanhur, and their collaboration brought beautiful results for several communities in Senegal as well for community members of Damanhur. Thanks to the fundraising done in Damanhur and the willingness and cooperation within REDES, 1400 fruit trees were planted, and more than 100 women from 15 villages were trained in food transformation. This has brought a tangible positive change in the … Read more
GEN’s Ecovillage Design Cards – Launch of the New Edition
The Ecovillage Design Cards are at the heart of the Global Ecovillage Network and allow you to identify and playfully design your unique contribution to a regenerative future in all areas - social, cultural, ecological, and economic, within a Whole System Design framework. They make up a tool for play, reflection, dialogue, learning, research, and design - applicable for individuals, groups, projects, organisations, and communities. The Designing Regenerative Communities workshop (now … Read more
Our Annual Report 2019 is here! How the Global Ecovillage Network is catalysing communities for a regenerative world
What matters the most is that the lands are healthy, the water is pure, the wind is free from viruses, and the human beings are at peace with themselves. - Calixto Suarez, Chief Elders of Arhuaco People, Colombia It is with great satisfaction that we release the Global Ecovillage Network Annual Report 2019. Our staff, partners, and members are diverse, creative, and driven by passion and commitment. We strive to ensure our projects and programmes are engaging, impactful, and contextually … Read more
Starting an Ecovillage with Few Resources The story of a successful experience. Written by Simon Leclerc.
From the outside, the development of the Terre de la Reunion, located in the Laurentians, Quebec, Canada, seem magical. In 2010, my friend Serge Bolduc and I managed, with only $15,000 in our pockets, to create an ecovillage comprising 60 acres of shared mountain forest, 12 housing lots (with 8 houses built or under construction), and a common pavilion to be built. It took a lot of magic, because all this has raised its share of questions, reassessments and repositioning throughout the journey. … Read more
Global Ecovillage Network Ambassador Training in China, by Peter Moore A participant from one of GEN's Trainings in China shares his experience
Hosted by the House of I, China October 13 – 16, 2019 I was invited to attend the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) Ambassador Training Conference by my friend and colleague Dan Hines, a trainer extraordinaire who teaches internationally at many holistic centers. For the better part of this year he has been based at House of I, a center in China that offers programs and services as part of a development north of Beijing improbably named “Jackson Hole”. HOI does its work in a beautiful set of … Read more
GEN at COP25: 8 African Countries to scale up Ecovillage Development Programmes The Global Ecovillage Network signed agreements with 8 African Countries to scale up ecovillage development programmes in response to the Climate Emergency
Spain, Madrid – At the High Level Summit COP25, official negotiations were sticky and focussed on issues of carbon trade rather than the radical transformation of human presence on this planet that is so desperately needed. Whilst, the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) signed or deepened agreements with 8 African Countries for the implementation of ecovillage development programmes. Ministers of Environment from The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Liberia, Nigeria and Burkina Faso signed … Read more
Giving Tuesday 2019: donate to GEN now We invite you to join this global campaing of generosity
The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) is thrilled to announce that we’re one of the thousands of organisations taking part in this year’s #GivingTuesday campaign, to be held on the 3rd of December. And you can help GEN to catalyze the power of community for a regenerative world. GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world on December 3, 2019 and every day. Support the Global Ecovillage Network, … Read more
Eco Village Film Festival Eco Village Film Festival
Announcing the inaugural Eco Village Film Festival – celebrating the rise of sustainable communities around the world. Please share. Eco Village Film Festival Sunday 3 Nov 2019 - 10am to 9pm at The Verandah Room, Maleny Community Centre 23 Maple Street, Maleny, Queensland, QLD 4552 Enquiries: [email protected] Website has full program of speakers and films... https://ecovillagefilmfestival.com ALL DAY pass and single sessions … Read more
GEN Australia – Update by Andrew Olivier
GEN Australia is undergoing some changes internally with new members joining the leadership circle, with fresh energy and input. We are now involved in developing our network within Australia and also developing our external work through projects and seeking funding. Here are some specifics: Collaboration with GENOA to support the Fiji ecovillage network to emerge, with the launch of the Fiji Ecovillage Transition Project in August. Please support this new network on … Read more
2019 Hildur Jackson Award winner: ReScope Programme, Africa African educational programme wins annual prize from the Global Ecovillage Network and Gaia Trust
The ReScope Programme in Africa is the winner of the 2019 Hildur Jackson Award for Extraordinary Project. The Hildur Jackson Award is a €3,000 annual prize that supports and honours projects around the world that demonstrate regenerative best-practices in all dimensions of sustainability. In the 2019 edition, 32 ecovillages and sustainable projects from all over the world applied to the Hildur Jackson Award. The prize is awarded to projects bringing the most impactful inspiration about … Read more
3rd Permaculture Convergence 2019 by Philippine Permaculture Association
WHAT: 3rd Permaculture Convergence 2019 THEME: “Permaculture: A NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL APPROACH.” Let’s face the new climate together. WHEN: November 22-24, 2019 WHERE: Tagbilaran, Bohol Permaculture or “permanent culture” takes its cue from the lessons that teach us how everything in nature works perfectly. However, to enable us to see this, we may have to drop our traditionally boxed-in thinking that has led us astray for so many generations. The concept of the overly … Read more
Ground Up Initiative Keep Kampung Alive
Ground Up Initiative (GUI) may cease to exist if we are unable to sustain our finances. We seek your help and support at this crucial point in time. Once again, GUI faces an uncertain future as our land lease ends in less than 11 months. We need YOUR support to make sure that this Kampung can continue to exist. Ground-Up Initiative has existed for 11 years in Singapore, and for a good reason. We want to connect urban dwellers to nature through direct participation on the land, especially in … Read more
It-neun Janchi (It is Janchi) by NextGEN Korea
It-neun Janchi (It is Janchi), an annual gathering that is organised by NextGEN Korea, is taking place for the 4th time in Yeong-deok, Gyeon-sang province of Korea. The gathering is a space of experimentation where we establish an ecovillage which we envision altogether for a certain period of time in the midst of unique geographical context of Korea and East Asia. Through the last few gatherings where we formed a village along with the friends of East Asia such as Japan and … Read more
Democratic Republic of Congo delivers its annual Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) course
The GEN Democratic Republic of Congo network (GEN DRC) just delivered its annual Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) course in Mingadi, approximately 1 hour outside Kinshasa. With the support of Vodacom, this two-week course provided training for 44 participants from 4 villages and was one of the first steps towards developing an ecovillage demonstration centre for the DRC. This event was the culmination of a very busy six months for GEN DRC and their lead organisation, Luc Lutala and his … Read more
GEN’s Growing Swarm by Mailys Herry - A story about GEN Training Of Trainers held in Narara Ecovillage
Can you hear this humming sound in the distance, moving closer in your direction ? As the native bees of Australia flying in groups, about twenty passionate change makers came together during GEN's Training of Trainers in order to learn how to voice and expand their message about the benefits of ecovillages. This is the sound of our stories. We were all coming from diverse backgrounds such as ecovillage members, humanitarians, students, teachers, healers, events … Read more
Fiji Ecovillage Transition Project
Fiji project: GENOA is heading an exciting project in collaboration with GEN Australia, to support a pilot village in Fiji to transition to ecovillage. Shane (GEN Australia) and Trudy (GENOA) will be facilitating the first introductory workshop in August for key stakeholders, to help build the ecovillage network in Fiji as well as to begin working with the pilot village. Andrew (GENOA Trustee to GEN Board) recently attended the 5th UN Pacific Urban Forum in Nadi, where he met with several key … Read more
London Climate Action Week’s Emerging from Emergency Urgency as a catalyst for action and regeneration
The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) is one of the key solutions at the London Climate Action Week roundtable “Emerging from Emergency: Urgency as a catalyst for action & regeneration”. On Thursday 4th July from 12:30 PM to 5:00 PM (BST), the Club of Rome will host this high-level Roundtable at Chatham House, “Emerging from Emergency“, on harnessing the momentum generated by the growing climate emergency narrative, to shift from mere declarations to action. The meeting will convene the … Read more
Our Annual Report 2018 is here! How the Global Ecovillage Network is responding to the state of Climate Emergency
We are proud to release the Global Ecovillage Network Annual Report 2018. Our staff, partners, and members are diverse, creative, and driven by passion and commitment. We strive to ensure our projects and programmes are engaging, impactful, and contextually relevant. When we reflect back on our accomplishments of 2018, we hope to ignite these qualities in our readers as well. Our annual report provides metrics, as we measure and track our progress and set new targets for the coming year. It … Read more
COP24 Katowice and the Ecovillage Development Programme in Africa
Last December, the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) delegation of 10 people attended the UN Climate Change Conference, COP24 in Poland. GEN hosted an official side event entitled Essential Climate Solutions: Community-Led Development, Renewable Energy and Cultural Heritage together with INTO and the Nordic Folkecenter. GEN also hosted a press conference where focus was placed on the climate change solutions provided by ecovillages and similar projects from around the globe. Several delegates … Read more
Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation (SIF) is our new partner! Changing the way infrastructure is developed by leveraging innovation in today’s digital age
We are pleased to announce our partnership with the Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation (SIF) to facilitate Ecovillages data analysis and impacts assessment, and create a replicable standard for future initiatives. Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation (SIF), a non-profit Swiss foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland is mandated to manage the development of SOURCE. SOURCE is a joint global initiative from Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to address the global infrastructure gap … Read more
Webinar: GEN’s Core Values Be a part of the change you want to see!
With Daniel Greenberg, June 28 2019, free webinar via zoom. We would like to invite you all to review and reconnect with the proposed values so we can explore how we can best live these values (or actually living them) within the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) and how it can guide our actions and work. Daniel Greenberg will guide us through this process in the webinar. Clarifying GEN's Core Values will help us unify our identity and purpose, tell the world what makes us unique and … Read more
Auroville: a large ecovillage turns 50 by Susanne Ratka
Auroville is the second community besides Findhorn that I visited, which has made it to such a commendable age. What happens in a community if it exists for such a long time and how does it affect its surroundings? If you look at Auroville today you see a flourishing, manifold area, a lush green oasis with a rich culture, solid administrative structures, great education possibilities, creative and sustainable businesses, impressive buildings and a lively community going into its … Read more
Seeking Director for “[email protected]”
Seeking Director for “[email protected]” We seek a Director who will provide visionary and creative leadership for [email protected], (LEARN), the educational outreach arm of EcoVillage Ithaca, (EVI) www.ecovillageithaca.org. One of the most well-known ecovillages in the world, EVI serves as an inspiring campus for learning about sustainable lifestyles. LEARN currently offers a spectrum of tours, workshops, internships, and a gap year program. It collaboratively offers accredited courses for … Read more
Intentional Communities Movement has a New Brand! The Foundation for Intentional Communities has a new identity―including a new brand, name, logo, and website.
The Fellowship for Intentional Community is now the Foundation for Intentional Community. “FIC” shorthand remains. FIC is part of GEN North America (GENNA) Alliance, which is a collaborative platform serving the regenerative communities network within North America. New name, new brand, new look, new everything! For over 30 years, the FIC has served as a platform for intentional communities to connect with each other and as a hub for people to discover community for the first time. The brand … Read more
Webinar: Privilege and Inequality in Ecovillages A Global Perspective Towards a New Story
May 2019 Global Ecovillage Network monthly webinar was hosted by NextGEN. Privilege and Inequality in Ecovillages: A Global Perspective Towards a New Story Ecovillages are integral to creating the beautiful world we know is possible. However, some of the same social patterns of inequality also appear within ecovillages. A global array of speakers will share how the inequality has impacted their communities, and we also invite you, the participants, to share your experience and insight. … Read more
Welcome GEN’s new President and Vice President
Welcome GEN's new President Jennifer Trujillo, and Vice President Cynthia Tina. Jennifer Trujillo, from Colombia, is GEN’s new President. Jennifer is a consultant in organisational planning and networking, skilled in hosting the transformation of social movements towards participatory leadership and comes from Colombia. She brings to her new role a high level of enthusiasm, intelligence and skill - and we can already taste the breeze of change she will be bringing to GEN. Cynthia … Read more
Global Ecovillage Network elects new Board of Trustees Open letter from GEN's Executive Director welcoming the recently elected Board
Dear friends, colleagues and ecovillage lovers, It is with one laughing and one sad eye that I share some exciting news with you: Nearly 4 years have passed since the last big transition in GEN Board leadership in 2015, at the GEN+20 Summit in Findhorn. And now that time has come again. Daniel Greenberg has done a fabulous job over this timespan to steer the ship of GEN, as President of GEN, with a light but decisive touch, and with much love and generosity. His preparation and … Read more
Free Webinar: GEN & Climate Change How can Ecovillages best respond to the crisis of climate change?
GEN & Climate Change This webinar was facilitated by Daniel Greenberg, GEN President, along with Kosha Joubert, GEN Executive Director. Here is a brief overview of what we looked at together.... GEN's mission is 'To innovate, catalyze, educate and advocate in global partnership with ecovillages and all those dedicated to the shift to a regenerative world.' Ecovillages really are local solutions to global problems. So, how can GEN best respond to the crisis of climate change, which … Read more
Climate Change and Consciousness Conference 2019 Our Legacy for the Earth, April 20-26
From April 20-26, 2019 the Climate Change and Consciousness: Our Legacy for the Earth (CCC19) will be taking place in Findhorn Ecovillage in Scotland. This Conference will bring together eminent scientists, wisdom keepers, business people, activists, entrepreneurs and young people, to envision and begin to inhabit our joint future. Among our presenters, there are names like Vandana Shiva, Bill McKibben, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez and Charles Eisenstein. It will be an international, … Read more
Gambia’s environmentalists trained on ecovillage regeneration and sustainability At least thirty environmentalists from environmental organisations and institutions have been trained on regeneration and sustainability of the ecosystem, including environmental protection held at the MDI campus in Kanifing.
Organised by the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), the training sensitised participants on ways of regenerating lost ecosystem and maintenance of the disappeared forest cover. Kosha Joubert, GEN executive director said her Network is committed to sure that Gambia is well prepared to regain her lost ecosystem values, saying GEN has a network of different active partners globally who are prepared to safeguard the ecosystem. She said they are not only working for the sustainability of the … Read more
Impressions from COP24 European Voluntary Service (EVS) member from GEN delegation shares her experience of climate change conference
On the last day of a two-week long summit characterised by many encounters and an awareness that pressure to move towards a 1.5 degree planet must increase, I was overcome by an uncertainty about what COP24 had really achieved. Tired faces and hurried bodies, as well as extended negotiations, would suggest not much. Indeed, the changes so desperately needed were not clearly agreed upon and so it seems the regenerative world we have the potential to create remains a distant utopia. I left with a … Read more
Training for Youth Leaders in Ecovillages An update from the NextGEN Europe project - Yes to Sustainability
Thoughts and Words by: Ciska van Stuijvenberg, Pascal Gelling, Stalla Mavr, and Fanni Sall In the middle of October on a forested mountainside in Euskal Herria, in the Spanish state, a group of young people met. They came together in the ecovillage Lakabe to follow a training to become Youth Leaders for EU funded Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges. This training was part of the Yes to Sustainability project, which is an international programme that aims to share knowledge amongst and bring together … Read more
Discovering the Ecovillage Movement Insights from the Youth - Part of a series of curated blog posts and articles written for, by, or shared with the NextGEN Europe team on this years GEN Europe Conference.
Thoughts and Words by: Ciska van Stuijvenberg - Photo Credits: Grace McGade & Thomas Heuser I felt really new to this whole ecovillage movement having only discovered it in March 2018 so I attended the Ecovillage Conference as a way for me to get to know it a bit better and to get to know GEN better. Although I (was and still) am currently working on Communications for GEN Europe in their Office through the European Voluntary Servies, this was the first time that I met so … Read more
Brazilian students learn about Ecovillages at Instituto Biorregional do Cerrado GEN Ambassador Rebeca Roysen shares about recent visit to site of ECCO Conference 2017
On October 11, 2018, thirteen undergraduate students from University of Brasilia visited Instituto Biorregional do Cerrado (IBC) for a day of activities. The students are attending “Interdisciplinary Studies of Cerrado” and came from varied courses: biology, economy, psychology, environmental sciences, and chemistry, among others. They were all very excited with the experience. It was the first time they visited an ecovillage. In the morning, they learned a little about the concept of … Read more
2018 Hildur Jackson Award Extraordinary Project: Nashira Ecovillage Colombian women-led Ecovillage receives annual award honouring GEN's co-founder
[Spanish version follows below] Nashira Ecovillage in Colombia is the winner of the 2018 Hildur Jackson Award for Extraordinary Project. Together with Gaia Trust, GEN developed the Hildur Jackson Award, a €3,000 annual prize that supports and honours projects around the world that demonstrate regenerative best-practices in all dimensions of sustainability. The prize is awarded to projects bringing the most impactful inspiration about ecovillages/ecovillage lifestyles to a broad audience, and … Read more
When NextGEN Europe plays the game of the Talanoa Dialogue Initiated and edited by Marc Domingos
Photo credit: Ciska van Stuijvenberg For the article at its original source, please visit Marc's blog @ https://eco-villages.eu/en/2018/10/03/when-the-next-generation-of-the-ecovillages-play-the-game-of-the-talanoa-dialogue/ Intro: Jake, Clara, Lara, Lars, and Riccardo are members of the core group of NextGEN Europe, the youth arm of the Global Ecovillage Network in Europe (GEN Europe). They recently took the time to experiment a Talanoa Dialogue, a method based on the Pacific concept of … Read more
Finding Consensus Through Storytelling A Reflection from GEN's Talanoa Dialogue for the European Day of Sustainable Communities
A night of storytelling to share thoughts, knowledge and experiences related to climate change. The aim of the Talanoa Dialogue organised by the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) and the Findhorn Foundation, held in coordination with the European Day of Sustainable Communities, was to build consensus and unfold the complexity of a global situation that requires absolute openness and cannot be avoided. As highlighted in a recent speech by the UN Secretary General António Guterres, when thinking … Read more
Empowering the Next Generation Children in Permaculture Consortium grows in Europe
"How would your life be now if you were introduced to Permaculture as a child?" The question posed to participants at the Children in Permaculture (CiP) conference in May invited emotional responses: “I’d be farther along at implementing my work [in ecological and social restoration];” “I’d be less anxious as an adult;” “I would be more connected to nature and have a clearer framework for my life.” The undeniable social and ecological challenges of the present and future … Read more
New Ecovillage Development pilot in Europe seeks to reverse rural exodus A partnership between the Iberian Ecovillage Network and Spanish region of Navarra aims to regenerate depopulated rural communities
The Framework by Alfonso Flaquer Carreras, Ecovillage resident and GEN Elder One of the biggest problems facing governments in many European countries is rural exodus, with the majority of the world's population dreaming of life in cities. In opposition to this trend, certain ecovillages and communities, mostly established in degraded or abandoned rural areas, have reversed downward population trends in certain municipalities and their peculiar development style is reflected in increased … Read more
Guede Chantier, ecovillage principles in partnership Center of West African REDES ecovillage network practices sustainability in collaboration
A lot has taken place in and around the eco-community of Guede lately, including at least three partnership programmes made possible with the financial and technical support of Damanhur and coordinated with REDES (French acronym for Network for Ecovillage Emergence and Development in the Sahel). Some of the work includes planting an orchard with a women's association in Madina Fresbe village (a community of herders), training over a hundred women from 15 villages in food processing, and … Read more
The Centre for Alternative Technology maps a completely renewable future Largest survey of global energy scenarios shows 100% renewables can deliver 100% of the time!
In the largest survey yet of the rapidly rising delivery potential from renewable energy, a new report from the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) shows that clean energy could now meet all our electricity needs, at all times of the day, all year round. The report – Raising Ambition: Zero Carbon Scenarios from Across the Globe – draws on scenarios designed to meet the climate targets of the Paris Climate Agreement, developed at the global, regional, national and sub-national scales. … Read more
Living the 4 dimensions of sustainability at La Cité Écologique in Québec Canadian Ecovillage shares best practices learned over several decades with the next generation
At La Cité Écologique, we believe it takes an ecovillage to raise eco-conscious children. For more than 34 years, we are consciously cultivating an environment where we can all explore our full potential, day by day. Here are some of our best practices among the 4 aspects of our community life: Social: To strengthen our social sustainability, the ecovillage is continually adapting its programme, services and projects according to the flow of life, the evolving needs of its members and new … Read more
Deep Democracy in Communities Processwork and Worldwork workshop at Findhorn and beyond
Inspired by a recent workshop on Worldwork and Process Orientated Psychology led by Ana Rhodes Castro at the Findhorn Foundation, it seemed appropriate to look further into the relevancy and applicability of these processes to communities- including those in GEN. Worldwork was developed by Arnold Mitchell in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It has since been applied to groups, organisations and international events as a way of ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard in the creation of deeply … Read more
Re-imagining the World through Ecovillages Insights from the Youth - Part of a series of curated blog posts and articles written for, by, or shared with the NextGEN Europe team on this years GEN Europe Conference.
Thoughts and Words by: Grace McGrade - Photo Credits: Ciska van Stuijvenberg Imagine an alternate universe, where people are self-governing, sovereign, and focused on nurturing environmental and social change. Imagine alternative currencies, gift economy and a “we” focus. Relationships with substance and joint purpose. Imagine quitting your nine to five and having the leisure to focus on delving into the subconscious, on growing what you love and building a system that serves … Read more
Ghana Permaculture Institute integrates Ecovillage models GPI explores dimensions of sustainability in its carbon footprint and sustainable development
Short introduction of GPI Ghana Permaculture Institute (GPI) is an institute that considers the future feedback of human interaction with the earth or the environment. GPI uses the permaculture principles and ethics of earth care, people care and fair share integrated in its activities. GPI, through its exemplary model of seeing solutions beyond problems, has identified poverty as the core challenge which commits people to initiate certain actions that negatively affect the … Read more
Why I came to volunteer with GEN A reflection from our European Voluntary Service volunteer Viviane Straub
I came to university to study International Relations, hoping, along with many others, that this would provide me with an insight into how to make the world a better place. I had envisioned belonging to a global community in which the majority believed in the good intentions of others and hope prevailed. However, the worldview I was presented with after most lectures seemed to contradict this. The world discussed was often one of power struggles and wars, terrorism and violence, of dominant … Read more
GEN Advocacy at the HLPF: Review and Next Steps
GEN spent the last two weeks in New York at the UN’s annual High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, held under the theme “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies.” It focused on reviewing Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on water (Goal 6), energy (Goal 7), cities (Goal 11), consumption (Goal 12), forests (Goal 15), and partnerships/means of implementation (Goal 17). GEN’s Delegation joined the Forum to share the ways in which ecovillages and … Read more
Internship Opportunity with GENNA
2018 Internship Program In a nutshell: GENNA is seeking three passionate individuals to work as an Administrative Team (aka Synergy Team) from August to December 2018 to support the development of key initiatives within the sustainable communities movement in North America. The expected number of hours per week is 15 hours. We are searching for candidates with a desire to learn more about sustainable living and community! Why is this role important for GENNA? Our internship program … Read more
Exploring Suderbyn Permaculture Ecovillage European Voluntary Service volunteer Tim Boneder reflects on Swedish ecovillage hospitality
Arriving in Suderbyn It was the beginning of Winter 2017 when I applied to volunteer for four months in Suderbyn Permacutlure Ecovillage in Sweden. I felt the subconscious urge to come back to this gem after I coincidentally discovered it that same year while biking through Sweden. In the summer I just spent around 5 days there, leaving a stronger impression on me than I could have imagined. I arrived the night before Halloween, together with a lovely family from Australia who I just met … Read more
Reports from the CASA Conference 2017 Sharing reports from the 2017 ECCO Conference
Below are reports of the ECCO Conference held in 2017 in Brazil. Here you can download the various presentations and other relevant information on the conference.You can also read more about CASA’s activities in the 2017 Annual Report. ECCO2017 brought valuable and profound learnings to everyone involved and successfully accomplished its main objectives, particularly, supporting and strengthening the network of sustainable settlements in Brazil and connecting it with the global … Read more
Reports from GEN Africa Conference 2017 Sharing reports from the 2017 Conference
Below are reports of the GEN Africa Conference held in 2017 in Nigeria. Here you can download the various presentations, both technical and financial report and other relevant information on the conference. For an article about the conference, kindly go back to recent news and click on the link. Thank you. You can also read more about GEN Africa’s activities in the 2017 Annual Report. Ecovillage Development Programme_GEN GENAfricaConference2017_Technical Report The PAEDP is a growing … Read more
GEN Africa Annual Regional Conference Sharing Highlights from 2017 and Announcing the 2018 Conference
It is another exciting year with many developments at local, national and international levels in GEN Africa. Members are engaging with their national governments to implement the Ecovillage Development Program in their countries. In Nigeria GEN Africa is developing and implementing a curriculum grounded in sustainable approaches to empower Masters and PhD students in the Transformation of African Studies at the University of Ibadan. Programs of similar scale are happening in Senegal, DR Congo, … Read more
Community Research Project – Inspiring a New Way
This blog is continued from Susanna's first post, here. Susanne Ratka is a GEN Ambassador, seeker and community researcher who has recently spent 2 weeks supporting the GEN team in the Findhorn office. Simultaneously, she has embarked upon a journey to connect and inspire with her Community Research Project. Here, in the second part of Susanna's article, she generously shares her path to community research and some of her learnings along the way. Community Research Project - Inspiring a … Read more
Cloughjordan models sustainability Irish Showcase Ecovillage measures its climate impact in four dimensions of sustainability
Cloughjordan ecovillage measured its ecological footprint in 2014. The ecological footprint of the average ecovillager was found to be 2 gha (the "gha" or global hectare is a measurement unit for the ecological footprint of people or activities related to the biocapacity of the earth), compared to an average of 4.7 gha for the average Irish person. This gives evidence that the ecovillage is modeling the transition to a low-carbon society through developing its own unique ecosystem of innovation … Read more
How do we want to live tomorrow and what does it take to follow that vision?
Susanne Ratka is a GEN Ambassador, seeker and community researcher who has recently spent 2 weeks supporting the GEN team in the Findhorn office. Simultaneously, she has embarked upon a journey to connect and inspire with her Community Research Project. Here, in this two-part article, she generously shares her path to community research and some of her learnings along the way. How do we want to live tomorrow and what does it take to follow that vision? Those were the questions I was … Read more
Celebrating our Annual Report 2017 How we Innovate, Catalyse, Educate and Advocate in Global Partnership
Celebrating our Annual Report GEN just completed several months of hard work co-creating our 2017 Annual Report! It is a beautiful and many-faceted document and so we will take this opportunity to share some highlights from our programmes and partnerships over the last year that continue today! Since our mission is "to innovate, catalyze, educate and advocate in global partnership with ecovillages and all those dedicated to the shift to a regenerative world," we offer the following examples … Read more
Report from Talanoa Dialogue #GENTalanoa: Addressing climate change through empowered communities pursuing their own pathways of development
Yvette Dzakpasu, GEN Advocacy Director, attended the Talanoa Dialogue on behalf of the GEN Advocacy Working Group, which also includes Executive Director Kosha Joubert and Main UN Representative Rob Wheeler. Yvette filed this report for the event: The Talanoa Dialogue took place in Bonn, Germany on 6 May 2018, bringing the traditional Fijian storytelling tool to the UN Climate Change policy process. As described by the UN, “the purpose of Talanoa is to share stories, build empathy and to … Read more
KITA Stories Innovative Solutions from Ghana become GEN's contribution to the Talanoa Dialogue
Sarah runs the Kumasi Institute of Tropical Agriculture (KITA) Green Market. She co-ordinates with the farmers in the area and ensures that they are growing by organic methods. Most of the farmers around have received training in sustainable farming from KITA. Sarah gets orders from the community and KITA buys produce such as lettuce, cucumber and green peppers from their farmers. Kwame is co-ordinating an upcycling project. The average Ghanaian drinks 4 sachets of water a day. The plastic … Read more
SpeakEATsy at Cloughjordan Irish Ecovillage celebrates the arts and brings community together
Life at Cloughjordan Ecovillage involves hard work, meetings and decisions, and celebration of the finer things in life. While the 100+ residents go about their days in the various roles they play to keep the community running smoothly, every so often they gather together for a completely holistic experience. They balance great food with inspiring food-for-thought. Last month, the regular SpeakEATsy event maintained its reputation as “a unique evening that is so much more than the sum of … Read more
March Newsletter Opportunities from GEN's regions
The Global Ecovillage Network builds solidarity across all planetary regions to catalyse communities for a regenerative world. This month we are gathering materials for our 2017 Annual Report and in the mean time we want to feature just a few key opportunities from our regions: Auroville celebrates 50 years "The City of Dawn" celebrated its Golden Jubilee with a Fire and Water ceremony last month. View photos and hear perspectives on this momentous occasion. Two job … Read more
Auroville turns 50 The Global Ecovillage Network congratulates "The City of Dawn" on its Golden Jubilee
Auroville, "The City of Dawn" founded in 1968, just celebrated 50 years as a "universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities." The community of over 2500 residents from 54 countries in Southern India represents one of the most established models of intentional, sustainable community living worldwide. The Global Ecovillage Network congratulates Auroville on this milestone and looks forward … Read more
Two Job opportunities with GEN Africa Part time, remote work supporting the Global Ecovillage Network across the African continent
GEN Africa is currently seeking highly motivated candidates for two part time positions supporting the regional network. The submission timelines for applications are short so please review the job descriptions, complete all requested materials and submit by the dates outlined on each job description. Job Opportunity GEN Africa Regional Coordinator Job Opportunity GEN Africa Bookkeeper UPDATE We have extended the deadline for this job posting to Tuesday, April 10th, 2018! Click here to … Read more
February Newsletter River of Life
Through the Global Ecovillage Network's River of Life, brave and generous women from the Western World are financially enabling outstanding women leaders to continue their work at the forefront of community-led strategies for sustainable change in the Global South. The friendships and multi-faceted support are mutual. Another River of Life member shares this: "The year 2017 was full of successes and challenges. The ongoing protest in Southern Cameroon did not make work any fun this year. I … Read more
January Newsletter GEN's Ecovillage Development Programme
The Ecovillage Development Programme (EDP) helps: Catalyze Community-led Change Eradicate Poverty Restore Natural Environments Achieve Climate Resilience Implement the SDGs The EDP catalyses the power of community for the national implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Climate Agreements. or the past 20 years the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) and its regional affiliate, GEN Africa, have been developing a transformative … Read more
December Newsletter
GEN's Metamorphosis: Introducing a new visual identity In a time of great transition, change, and uncertainty our organization is evolving in order to adapt to how we can best serve the collective. To reflect this powerfully and align what is on the outside with what is on the inside, we have redesigned our visual identity. Ecovillages have been seeding visions of regenerative lifestyles and communities around the world while surrounded by growing social and environmental chaos. And, … Read more
Ecovillage Design Education at Schloss Glarisegg Last chance to join!
The team of the Glarisegg EDE invites you to join their amazing 34 day exploration of how to be the change you want to see in the world - taking place from January 22 to February 25 2018 in the beautiful Schloss Glarisegg ecovillage in Switzerland. Sign up now to grab one of the last free spaces! This Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) course, certified by both Gaia Education and GEN, is named "Creating a Transformative Culture" highlighting a new way of being and acting that organically … Read more
Thinking about Tipping Points This month, the theme we are exploring in the Ecovillage Resilience Project is tipping points – places where a changing climate could push parts of the Earth system into abrupt or irreversible change.
Thinking about Tipping Points: Reflections from the Resilience Project Are ecovillages ready for navigating crisis? I think some are, because they are already doing it. GEN Ukraine is doing heart-achingly beautiful work extending community and new hope to people in their war-torn country. Many members of GEN Africa are working hard to teach thousands of people how to adapt their livelihoods to rapid changes in climate – even while living through civil war. In GENOA, learning about … Read more
Ecovillage Resilience Project Dives Deep Our Resilience Project just had its first Deep Dive session. In the Deep Dive, we shift our focus from the resilience of social-ecological systems to exploring personal and interpersonal resilience, or the ability of each one of us (as well as our social relationships) to cope with shock, challenging feelings, and social dynamics that arise when we face climate change and polycrisis.
Our Resilience Project just had its first Deep Dive session In the Deep Dive, we shift our focus from the resilience of social-ecological systems to exploring personal and interpersonal resilience, or the ability of each one of us (as well as our social relationships) to cope with shock, challenging feelings, and social dynamics that arise when we face climate change and polycrisis. What is a Deep Dive? It's not easy to face radical climate change and polycrisis. To live through, … Read more
Apply to our Kincentric Leadership Programme! An 18 month journey into placing the intelligence of the natural world at the heart of our responses to the polycrisis
This international and fully funded programme is a chance for leaders of all kinds to expand how they integrate the intelligence of the more than human world into their work, strategy and culture. The Programme includes one week-long in person retreat and 18 months of peer support, online sessions and mentoring. The aim? To lay the foundations for a new paradigm of leadership and polycrisis mitigation grounded in kincentric ecology, weaving human beings back into the wider web of … Read more
The 2023 EDE Begins Tomorrow! Join our global learning community
Join our global learning community You are warmly invited to attend our first EDE session to get a feeling of what the EDE learning journey is all about. This first session will give an introduction to the concept, principles, and practices of ecovillages. We will talk about the history of the ecovillage movement and have an overview of the movement today. You will also have the possibility to share with the other participants deeply about your own dreams or achievements in … Read more
What Does It Mean To Hold a Certification in Sustainable Design? Become a facilitator of transformative learning environments and collaborative action
The Ecovillage Design Education programme (EDE) equips students of all ages with a certification in sustainable design. The EDE was born out of the experiences of established communities and cutting-edge educators of transformative and participatory learning. It aims to share a roadmap to a new way of living - with low environmental impact and high quality of life, bringing together the four areas of regeneration: social, ecological, economic, and culture/worldview. Created by Gaia … Read more
Twinning Regenerative Educators: Escola da Esperança, Tamera Ecovillage (Portugal) & Almar School, Piracanga Ecovillage (Brazil)
Over the course of 2022, both schools faced massive transformation. Escola da Esperanca in Tamera Ecovillage experienced change in their staff as multiple teachers involved with the project left the school. In their partnership with Inkiri School, now Almar School, in Piracanga Ecovillage, Anja was able to find commfort in understanding that the changes she was experiencing were happening globally, that she wasn’t alone. That the effects of Corona were long-standing. “I want to honor the … Read more
Twinning Regenerative Educators: Aldea Feliz (Colombia) & Kuthumba Ecovillage (South Africa)
Uba Qynza at Aldeafeliz Ecovillage in Colombia in South America and The Self Directed Learning Center at Kuthumba Ecovillage in South Africa partnered in the course of a year during the Twinning ReGENerative Education Project, in which beyond developing their connection as twins they shared their experiences in Sociocracy and deschooling, respectively and also participated working together in the cocreation of the project deliverables such as the Living Showcase and Toolkit and the Teacher … Read more
Twinning Regenerative Educators: Ecomundi School (Mexico) & Teachers Center at Auroville Ecovillage (India)
After exchanging ideas, dreams and many possibilities, the twins EcoMundi and the Teachers Center at Auroville Ecovillage came to some important points to share about Mexican and Indian culture and what they have in common. They came to take the idea to create a game. What steps were taken? · Florencia shared about her yoga class and shared photos from her sessions in connection with using them for the creation of the cards. · She … Read more
Twinning Regenerative Educators: Gaia School (Estonia) & Cloughjordan Ecovillage (Ireland)
School meets Ecovillage This article presents the Twinship between Gaia School in Estonia and Cloughjordan Ecovillage in Ireland as part of the “Twinning Regenerative Educators” project. One of the main learnings of this Twinship is how easy it is to use technology to deepen and enhance a meaningful learning experience for students. The project enabled children and youth to learn from and about ecovillages and to foster curiosity for more sustainable lifestyles and regenerative … Read more
