A select few local projects in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and South America, made beneficial gains and improvements following a generous donation by anonymous donor. Most projects focused on improving food systems and youth education. They ranged from improving quality of life through active participation of youth; establishing a new ecovillage emphasizing a culture of trust; organizing workshops empowering women to start their own cooperatives; supporting a genetic resource centre … Read more
Africa
the Great Unification Inspiration for the End: "Free Your Choice" - the Great Unification
Yan Golding, a yoga instructor, permaculture teacher, dancer, and community builder, co-founded a pioneering eco-community called Khula Dhamma in South Africa, organised and co-facilitated the first Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) in Brazil, and is now living in Southern Portugal where he intends to co-create another ecovillage. He is also part of the steering group that is spear-heading a bio-regional Transition Initiative of the Western Algarve. He unfolds his plan through this poem. Let … Read more
Gambia Sandele Eco-Retreat / The Gambia - Responsible Tourism
Sandele Eco-Retreat in Kartong is an example of responsible tourism. The lodges are built with compressed, stabilized earth blocks which use a minimum of cement and are frequently stabilized with lime. Electricity, hot water and water pumping are provided using solar and wind power. The Lodges and the Guest Rooms have compost toilets and a constructed wetlands system that minimizes the use of, and purifies, the water flowing from the toilets, showers, hand basins and rainwater. Every step that … Read more
Cameroon Cameroon: Bafut Ecovillage Sparks Entrepreneurship Revolution
About 20 km north of Bemenda, Cameroon, is the village of Bafut, where the traditional "fondom" (kingdom) community living structure remains intact. The goals for the future are ambitious, and inspiring. With the help of matching Permaculture principles with volunteer placements, Better World Cameroon (BWC) http://www.betterworld-cameroon.com is building an African green revolution based on youth, agriculture and environmental conservation. In just two years of linking up with the Global … Read more
The Story of NextGEN The Story of NextGEN: Youth Perspectives Impacting the Ecovillage Movement
For the past several years, a group of empowered young people have been creating an inspiring movement within the existing ecovillage network. NextGEN is a youth-focused and youth-directed part of the Global Ecovillage Network. NextGEN is building youth-oriented projects in every region of GEN and its members represent a wide diversity of youth from around the world. This article by Ethan Hirsch-Tauber will share some of the different voices, in order to give a window into what NextGEN is, and … Read more
GEN and Gaia Education GEN and Gaia Education – a Story of Love and Collaboration
A crucial part of the GEN history was the wish to create a global education for resilience and sustainability based on the experience of ecovillage. Kosha Joubert, President of GEN International, shares the story of Gaia Education. What a joy it was for me to be invited to the 2nd founding meeting of Gaia Education, taking place in Findhorn in 2004! I was one of 24 ecovillage educators to integrate, synthesize and write the core curriculum of the EDE (Ecovillage Design Education). I even … Read more
GEN History The History of the Global Ecovillage Network: 1991-2015
Ross and Hildur Jackson from Denmark were the driving forces in creating the GEN network twenty years ago. For the first time they share the full story from their perspective. All there experience and information is a great gift especially to the young people who now take over the responsibility for the network. The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) has now existed for 20 years and Gaia Education, which began as a GEN project, is celebrating its 10th year in teaching the principles of living … Read more
Editorial Newsletter March 2015 Editorial Newsletter 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, GEN … Read more
Upcoming Events:
Some of the many meeting points of the movement: River of Life - Back to the Source. By Women for Women. Retreat for Community Leaders. March 27 - April 6, Umphakatsi Ecovillage, South Africa The River of Life Project was born within GEN to weave webs of kindness and trust for women’s empowerment, bringing sweet hope to places of harshness. More: http://ecovillage.org/de/node/5217 National Ecovillage Gathering in Chile April 2-5, Tierra de Domos (Land of Domes), Cajón del Maipo, RM, … Read more
Editorial Newsletter 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, GEN … Read more
