It has been an exciting year for NextGEN, the youth movement within GEN. Inspired youth from around the global have been busy connecting young people with the ecovillage movement and empowering them to build the world of the next generation. One of our latest initiatives towards creating this world is focused on constructing a locally owned ecovillage and education center in Togo, West Africa. Cynthia Tina, NextGENNA Representative, reports. NextGEN International Representative, Nick Joyce, … Read more
North America
Fall and Rise in Scotland The Fall and Rise of the Scottish Community
Ecovillages and community based organisations have a different history, but they can lead to a similar effect - the economical and ecological revitalization of regions. The example of Scotland shows how this can happen and why also the government has joined in to support this process. After a decline in the 20th century, communities in Scotland are thriving again. At the ICSA conference in Findhorn, Alex Walter described the rise of Scottish communities, and some of the opportunities that … Read more
Ousmane Pame, President GEN-Africa Dr. Ousmane Aly Pame, President of GEN Africa: Simplicity and Sharing are the Roots of Happiness
New Series: Who are the People in the Ecovillage Movement? I saw him for the first time in the middle of the night, on the way to the GEN Africa conference in Sekem, Egypt. In a Cairo traffic jam, another van stopped next to ours, full of African men. In contrast to the tired mood in our car, they celebrated and laughed. With a funny hat on his head, one man seemed to entertain the rest of the group. Only later I learned that he is a political leader, an innovative visionary and one of the … Read more
GEN Conference, 7-12 July, 2013: Celebrating a Worldwide Movement
Three hundred participants from fifty-one countries came together for five days at Schweibenalp Centre of Unity, Switzerland, to celebrate and share, present projects and ideas, and explore new strategies of collaboration. It was a remarkable meeting of minds and hearts that revealed, in many ways, the new level that the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) has reached in its eighteenth year of existence. Never have the international connections, mutual support, and love between the ecovillages of … Read more
What Makes an Ecovillage? A Perspective from the Yarrow Ecovillage
Yarrow is the name of a wild flower found growing in many places and very useful for medicinal healing. Yarrow is also the name of an ecovillage that was created 11 years ago in the British Columbia, Canada and has 65 inhabitants. As such, Yarrow belongs to the 5% of ecovillages which survive the first ten years, according to statistics. Michael Hale from Yarrow Ecovillage writes about the art of sustainability. Thinking back a decade and more in the history of the Yarrow Ecovillage, one may … Read more
Decision-making in Earthaven Why Earthaven Ecovillage, USA, Changed Its Decision-Making Method
Decision making processes are a big and challenging topic for communities and ecovillages. While many started with the consensus principles, most have changed that in the meantime, as they feel it gives individuals too much power to block the group. Diana Leafe Christian, longtime editor of Communities Magazine and member of Earthhaven Ecovillage in USA, has observed the processes in different communities and gives an overview. “Consensus . . . allows each person complete power over the … Read more
Invitation to the 13th Vision Council: "The Call of Quetzalcoatl" in Mexico
Since 1991, a growing network of alternative projects from all over Mexico has been gathering annually, bringing together hundreds of representatives from different complementary movements and experiences, from Mexico and other countries on the planet. For the last 21 years we have held twelve Vision Councils (Consejos), with people coming from indigenous nations, emerging intentional communities and ecovillages, healers, permaculturists, artists, social activists, youth, children and elders, … Read more
Chance of a lifetime: Interview with International Student Volunteers at Bellbunya
Bellbunya is an ecovillage and demonstration centre for sustainable living in Queensland, Australia, and member of GEN. On 40 acres they have organic food gardens, wildlife corridors, a creek and lagoon, a conference hall and restaurant. Every year they host volunteers from all parts of the world. The following interview was made with two American students of the International Student Volunteers (ISV) program. The students worked on a section of Belli Creek clearing a lot of Lantana and … Read more
