To Gaia, life is sacred, because evolving life forms is what Gaia does. To life, diversity is sacred, because diversity leads to stability in the delicately interwoven ecosystems upon which life depends. To one particular life form on Earth, the humans, perceiving sacredness depends on each individual’s personal level of consciousness. Without authentic adulthood initiations what many humans hold sacred is mere survival in the widely adopted culture of capitalistic patriarchal empire. … Read more
Findhorn
What is an Ecovillage? Reflections from the Network
An ecovillage is an intentional, traditional or urban community that is consciously designed through locally owned, participatory processes in all four dimensions of sustainability (social, culture, ecology and economy) to regenerate their social and natural environments. GEN’s definition of ‘ecovillage’ is broad, allowing for many different kinds of communities and projects to be recognised. Because each ecovillage is designed by the people who live there, according to their vision, … Read more
SIRCle Social Innovation for Resilient Communities
The Social Innovation for Resilient Communities (SIRCle) project uses adult education to address one of the most pressing needs of our time - how to marry our love for the planet with our capacity to make a living. An Erasmus+ funded strategic partnership, it involved a diversity of social enterprises, NGOs, cooperatives and academic institutions from Austria (Plenum/Pioneers of Change), Belgium (AEIDL and Still Consulting), Romania (Asociatia Romania in Transizie), Scotland (GEN and the … Read more
GENOA – From Deeper Levels of Insight
Trudy Juriansz shares about GEN Oceania and Asia. Two of GENOA’s key objectives for 2016 were to develop more authentic and trusting exchanges, and organize activities and initiatives from deeper levels of insight. We were able to do this through convergence, community building and through being more mindful of how the budget is utilized. We focused on one sub-regional gathering in partnership with an ecovillage and networks in the region and also on network coordination and strategy … Read more
Resilience and Self-Reliance An Update on Regenerative Solutions for Active EmerGENcies Projects
As the call for global climate action strengthens following the COP22 in Marrakech, GEN’s work in climate change adaptation and mitigation through ecovillage development programs is guided by a design based on both prevention and response. One of the pillars of this framework is EmerGENcies, GEN’s emerging humanitarian program. The purpose is to respond to and try to prevent further deleterious effects of climate change (among other forms of crises), in vulnerable communities around the … Read more
Gambia: Three Upcoming Events Convergence of Ecovillage Events – Music, Permaculture, and Food (December 2016, January 2017)
Get ready to celebrate with an ecovillage convergence of events with music, food, and permaculture – you can’t get a better combination than that. All are welcome. … Read more
Welcome to Auroville Ecovillage India: Vision and Plans for 2016
By Nikethana Venkatesan and Kavitha Urvasie Selvaraj Photographer: Vinay Elumalai Following the GEN+20 Conference in Findhorn Ecovillage, Scotland in July 2015, the GEN Auroville Desk was established (August 2015) in the Pitchandikulam Forest, Auroville Ecovillage, India. The GEN Desk in Auroville has been gathering energy and momentum. As the team formed early in 2016, there were a flurry of meetings, discussing and outlining our imagined potentials. We had a beautiful series of sharing … Read more
January 2015 Ecovillage Transition Strategies for Whole Systems Change
Dear GEN-Network, dear friends of ecovillages in the world, The Global Ecovillage Network was founded in Findhorn, Scotland in 1995. Gaia Education grew out of GEN and was founded in 2005. This year, GEN and Gaia Education will celebrate our 10th and 20th anniversaries together. From 6-11 July 2015, we will return to Findhorn for a focused time of reflection: where has GEN come from, where do GEN and Gaia Education stand now and how can we serve best into the future? What is the future … Read more
March 2015 Celebrating 20 Years of the Global Ecovillage Network
We stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future. To move forward we must recognise that, in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms, we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. Established in Findhorn in 1995, the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) today connects more than 10,000 villages, urban neighbourhoods and intentional communities in more than 100 countries worldwide. Spanning all continents, … Read more
June 2015 Celebrating 20 Years of the Global Ecovillage Network
20 years ago, a group around the Danish couple Hildur and Ross Jackson founded the Global Ecovillage Network, launched at an Ecovillage Conference at Findhorn. They understood that the power of communities and ecovillages to love, work with and regenerate the life systems that they are a part of is essential to building a sane and sustainable culture. From that insight, it was a natural step to dream of a community of communities, a network of trust, mutual support and knowledge transfer … Read more
