After three years, four days didn't feel like nearly enough for this homecoming European Ecovillage Gathering which was hosted by Ananda Gaorii, LØS (the Danish network),GEN Europe and GEN Ukraine in Denmark this past July. Hundreds of ecovillagers and explorers from across the world joined this exploration and celebration of ecovillage life, many for the first time. This year’s Gathering was characterised by a special weaving of the Ukrainian and Danish ecovillage experience showcasing in … Read more
Personal stories
Aldeafeliz Building the New Normal! BNN: Building the New Normal series - powered by Friends of GEN
Every day ecovillages and communities around the world are building a more authentic, connected and regenerating way of life. They want this to be their normal, and rather than wait for the world to catch up, ecovillagers go ahead and build it themselves. They know in their hearts that it is not only possible - it is also destined to be. With the story below, we are launching a campaign to celebrate the many people seeded around the planet who are building their own “new normal” through the very … Read more
Hildur Jackson Award 2020 finalist: TI Ecovillage, India A unique enclave originally on the outskirts of Bangalore
The TI Ecovillage in India is the finalist of the 2020 Hildur Jackson Award for Extraordinary Project. The Hildur Jackson Award is a €3,000 annual prize that supports and honours projects around the world that demonstrate regenerative best-practices in all dimensions of sustainability. The prize is awarded to projects bringing the most impactful inspiration about ecovillages/ecovillage lifestyles to a broad audience. In the 2020 edition, we received a record number of 70 applications of … Read more
Starting an Ecovillage with Few Resources The story of a successful experience. Written by Simon Leclerc.
From the outside, the development of the Terre de la Reunion, located in the Laurentians, Quebec, Canada, seem magical. In 2010, my friend Serge Bolduc and I managed, with only $15,000 in our pockets, to create an ecovillage comprising 60 acres of shared mountain forest, 12 housing lots (with 8 houses built or under construction), and a common pavilion to be built. It took a lot of magic, because all this has raised its share of questions, reassessments and repositioning throughout the journey. … Read more
There is a Life after GEN It is not better or worse – it is simply very, very different
Max Lindegger, permaculture activist and co-founder of Crystal Waters in Australia, has been involved in GEN for more than 20 years – indeed he was around when the idea was first mentioned by Hildur and Ross Jackson. Although Max has not been active in GEN or GENOA for a number of years, his own life is still very active in community. He shares with us what his life is looking like now. Work for GEN/GENOA has taken me around many parts of this globe and the many friends I have made over the … Read more
Who are we in GEN? Part 3 CASA Representative Margarita Zethelius - Holistic Approach to the Colombian Crisis
In 2013, Margarita O. Zethelius was elected in Colombia to be one the representatives of CASA on the the Global Ecovillage Network board. Michael Buick contributed her profile, edited by Ryan Luckey. Optimism is clearly one of Margarita´s strengths and you can feel her positivity energize the room when she enters. She explains how her work in conservation and sustainability got started. During research trips, immersed in Colombia's amazing natural riches, she and some biologist friends began … Read more