What connects us, brings us joy and is good for all: for ourselves, for our communities and for the Earth? Can civil society think and plan further into the future than those that currently direct global development – primarily politicians and economists? Can an umbrella alliance represent community-lead local development and thereby long-term interests of people and nature, thus radically changing global development goals in Europe or even in the world? These are the questions raised by … Read more
economy
Big Changes in Communities magazine! Now All-Color + 100% Recycled Paper! - Plus Spring Issue "Community for Baby Boomers"
Big Changes in Communities! We’re excited to announce two major changes in Communities magazine, starting with our Spring 2015 issue. Fulfilling a long-held dream of better aligning our production process with our ecological values, Communities is now printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper. Not a single tree fell to produce our new issue of Communities. We are thrilled to be using this beautiful matte-finish recycled paper from our new printer, Ovid Bell Press, and to be … Read more
Ecovillage Excellency Award, 2014 Aurora Community, Romania
Aurora Community is an intentional, eco-spiritual community and a learning center actively working to be an example on new models of living, sharing the best practices for sustainability, supporting a lifestyle with low impact on the ecosystems of the planet, and spreading a more simple way of living, with grace, beauty and meaning. By Filipa Simoes. … Read more
Abundance in Namibia Permaculture is Our Culture
Northern Namibia produces food abundantly for their families, communities close by, and also the Namibian community at large; their food can be found in the local markets of most major towns, as well as the capital city. On a trip to her homestead, Clio Pauly found, tasted and enjoyed a traditional Permaculture and Gift Economy society. I was recently humbled by a beautiful visit to our homestead in IIkokola, a traditional village in northern Namibia. In the last stretch of our 700km journey, … Read more
The Gambia: Sustainable Kartong Ecovillage Development and Responsible Tourism
Kartong in The Gambia is a special place, with a wealth of, hitherto, unrecognised assets including unspoilt, deserted beaches, and great tourism potential. From 21st Feburary to 20th March 2014, a very special Ecovillage Design Education – EDE – took place here. It was the culmination of a long held dream that originated in 2007, when the Secretary General of the Village Development Committee of Kartong attended an EDE in Findhorn Ecovillage. Vicky Stallwood reports. … Read more
Food Sovereignty of Konohana Family Japan: “Before cultivating a field, cultivate your spirit”
Japanese people believe that the land is a gift from the Ancestors. This is why they do not want to sell it. Therefore, local elders often ask the Konohana Family to manage their land. As a result, more than 95% of the land that Konohana Family uses is free, and sometimes the ecovillage gets paid to cultivate the land because the government will charge owners a higher tax if it is not used for cultivation. “The financial crisis happened, but it did not affect us at all since we produce … Read more
Barter and Gift economy
The marketplace allows you to connect a request directly to an offer. That way you create a barter proposal, inviting other users to an moneyfree interchange. A step beyond is the gift economy, sharing in a spirit of abandance and trust. Barter announcements Gifteconomy announcements … Read more
Matthew Slater from Community Forge Self sufficiency, Exchange, and Economic Development
Matthew Slater is co-founder of Community Forge (http://communityforge.net/), and has been building LETS and Timebanking software systems for five years. In this article he explores how ecovillages might benefit from improved economic cooperation. To many ecovillagers, self sufficiency is an obvious principle - but what do we really mean by that? Would not a truly self sufficient being be able to subsist indefinitely in the vacuum of space? Do we mean that communities should not sell their … Read more
Community Convergence The Fast Growing Ecovillage Movement in Romania
The last two years have shown a real trend of growth in new initiatives in Romania, and all over Central and Eastern Europe. There is an accelerating pace in the starting of new projects, and in the connections being made to the existing global and European networks. In June,2013, the new community Aurora, in Romania, will be the venue for Community Convergence. By Andrei Iuroaia Many new communities are being founded in Romania, and a growing number of people are intending to make the … Read more
Ecovillages – Alternatives & Models Ecovillages as Alternatives, Models and Learning Places to Overcome the Economic Crisis in Southern Europe
How are ecovillages affected by the economic crisis in Southern Europe? From the answers of initiatives and ecovillages in Spain, Portugal and Greece it seems that the crisis actually empowers and accelerates the ecovillage movement. As old securities fall apart, people start to look for alternatives. And so, ecovillages face a challenge to demonstrate their knowledge and to develop into best practice models, ecovillage 'midwives', and training places to foster regional autonomy. By Leila … Read more
