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
Findhorn
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
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
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
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
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
Youth Social Innovation for Resilient Communities
Youth SIRCle, or Youth Social Innovation for Resilient Communities,is an EU-funded training and capacity building project for young social entrepreneurs in Scotland, Cameroon, Denmark and Ghana. It is a project largely run by young people for young people. Together we increase our skills in green social innovation and entrepreneurship, finding creative ways to follow our passion, make a living and care for our communities and planet at the same time. Our curriculum is based on work done in a … Read more
Reflections from COP23 Great Interest in Ecovillage Climate Solutions at COP23
The two most promising and exciting things about COP23 for me was the keen interest among so many delegates first in ecovillage development and second in taking the 1.5 degree goal from the Paris Agreement on limiting global warming quite seriously and then on increasing government ambition to be able to do this. For example I heard again and again about various efforts being made to move towards 100% renewable energy; to sequester carbon in plants and soils; and to reach carbon neutrality … Read more
Climate Resilience and Community in Africa
This November the UN Climate Summit (COP23) will be held in Bonn, Germany, where the imperative will be how to massively scale-up and effectively implement the Paris Climate Agreement. The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) strongly believes that sustainable communities are already making significant contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation. … Read more
