One of the most controversially discussed key tracks during the 5th International Degrowth Conference 2016 in Budapest was “Degrowth and other social movements”. Can degrowth be considered a movement? Does degrowth embrace all kinds of movements struggling for a sustainable future? On one hand, the notion of “degrowth movement(s)” was rigorously criticized for fragmenting the political struggle. It was also critiqued as umbrella concept for creating incongruous hierarchical relations between … Read more
Dimensions of Sustainability
Zambia Upcoming Ecovillage Development Training: August 2017
The first ever Ecovillage Design Education course will be held in Zambia. The course will be jointly facilitated by the Regional Schools and Colleges Permaculture (ReSCOPE) Programme and the Global Ecovillage Network. … Read more
The First EDE Course in Palestine Waters of Hope – Nourishing the Heart of Sustainability
In November 2015, the first Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) course took place in Palestine: two weeks of learning, sharing, and community empowerment. The village of Farkha has great promise for becoming a model of sustainable ecological development. … Read more
September 2015 Ecovillages Responding to Disasters and Crises
Dear Friends and Members of GEN, Dear change-makers throughout the world, With thousands of refugees and migrants arriving on the shores of Europe on a daily basis, the pain and crises in the world are becoming increasingly impossible to ignore, even in those regions which have felt relatively sheltered for a long time. It is a precious moment in history: the connectedness between all people of the world is becoming palpable in a new and urgent way. In many places all over Europe, … Read more
Editorial Newsletter September 2015 Ecovillages Responding to Disasters and Crises
With thousands of refugees and migrants arriving on the shores of Europe on a daily basis, the pain and crises in the world are becoming increasingly impossible to ignore, even in those regions which have felt relatively sheltered for a long time. … Read more
Sociocracy in Colombia: How Sociocracy Rescued Aldeafeliz Ecovillage
The name Aldeafeliz means “happy village.” But the Colombian Ecovillage Aldeafeliz, founded in 2006, had not been very happy for quite some time. Since 2014, they are using Sociocracy as a tool to make decisions and governance. At the end of a recent meeting one of the members said, “If we continue like this, not only will we be happy but also millionaires!” By co-founder Anamaria Aristizabal. (The article originally appeared in the Spring, 2015 issue of Communities magazine.) Colombia is a … Read more
October 8-11, 2015. Youth Ecovillage Summit North America!
Join us for the 2nd annual Youth Ecovillage Summit North America! October 8-11, 2015. Communitarians, students, sustainability enthusiasts, and anyone seeking to live a more connected and conscious life, come and join us! This year’s gathering will be held at Earthaven Ecovillage, a community of eighty residents living close to the land in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Over three days we will immerse ourselves in community life at Earthaven, sharing meals and … Read more
Ecovillage Summit in Dakar, Senegal Results, Challenges, and Consequences
Update - GES Reports The Official Reports from the GES Summit are now available - read them here: GES Report - Supporting Documents Transition 2 Resilience - Participant Reports Fundraising & Program Development GES GEN-Africa General Assembly The Senegalese Ecovillage Network: The Past, Present and Future GEN Ecovillage Transition Strategy 2015 - 2020 From December 10-14, 120 people from 40 countries met for the first International Ecovillage Summit in … Read more
The Miracle in the Desert Sekem / Egypt
Led by the vision to promote sustainable development of the individual, the society and the Earth, Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish began to cultivate the hot, arid sandy ground of Egypt. Here, he initiated a community as an incentive for new approaches to economy, science, culture and societal life. He named this initiative Sekem – the ancient Egyptian Hieroglyph for “vitality”. Dr. Abouleish received many awards for his achievements, including the 'Right Livelihood Award', and an honorary doctorate from … Read more
EDE in Democratic Republic of Congo Second Intensive Ecovillage Kinshasa Workshop’s in Ecovillage Strategies
The second intensive workshop on ecovillage strategies in Kinshasa took place from 4 to 16 May 2015, at the Carter Center, the Center and IBI CEPROSEM village. 29 participants from Kinshasa, IBI village, and the Dévelopment Faculty Institute benefited from this training. Luc Lutala reports. … Read more
