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Recognising the Rights of Nature Recognising the Rights of Nature
Does a tree have rights not to be cut down? Does a creek have the right not to be polluted and dammed? During the GEN Europe conference in July, Mumta Ito from Findhorn Ecovillage, spoke about the concept of Wholistic Law and a rights-based approach to environmental protection. She launched a working group to bring a 'European Citizen’s Initiative for Recognising and Respecting the Inherent Rights of Nature' (the “ECI”). Now, GEN has adopted the rights of nature in their policy. Mumta Ito … Read more
Community Tools: Transparency, Equivalence, and Effectiveness
Diana Leafe Christian explains how what the benefits of using Sociocracy in communities are, especially when compared with using consensus. This article appeared in Communities magazine’s Fall 2013 issue, Sept, 2013; and is serialized in blogs and other Internet sources, including Ecovillages newsletter www.EcovillageNews.org At first the question stumped me. I was giving an informal presentation on Sociocracy one morning in a grass-roof-covered building at Findhorn in Scotland. Sociocracy … Read more
Recognising the Rights of Nature
Does a tree have rights not to be cut down? Does a creek have the right not to be polluted and dammed? During the GEN Europe conference in July, Mumta Ito from Findhorn Ecovillage, spoke about the concept of Wholistic Law and a rights-based approach to environmental protection. She launched a working group to bring a 'European Citizen’s Initiative for Recognising and Respecting the Inherent Rights of Nature' (the “ECI”). Now, GEN has adopted the rights of nature in their policy. Mumta Ito … Read more
Series: Who Are We in GEN?
Part 2: Portrait of Michiyo Furuhashi, Japan, President of GENOA In 2011, Michiyo Furuhashi was elected to represent the Global Ecovillage Network of the region Oceania/Asia. The 48-old lives in the Ecovillage and Lightcenter Kohonana Family in Japan, and her main aim and philosophy is to connect sustainability and spirituality. A portrait by Leila Dregger The participants of the GEN Europe conference won´t forget her so easily: Her voice - strong and bright like pure light - made the whole … Read more
Turkey: Roads To Sustainability – Ecovillage Güneşköy Threatened by a Highway Project
Ecovillages are roads to sustainability, yet it appears that the Turkish government prefers highways to destruction. Ecovillage Güneşköy, close to Ankara, and the surrounding forests are in danger. Inci Gökmen and Ali Gökmen, co-founders of Güneşköy, report. Güneşköy - Sun Village Ecovillage Initiative was started as a cooperative by ten people living in Ankara, the capitol of Turkey. Ten years ago, 7.5 hectars of land, located next to a traditional village was bought. No agricultural activity … Read more
Uniting in Times of Crisis China: Ecovillage Under Threat
In this very moment, the Chinese Ecovillage 'The Second Home of Lifechanyuan', is being attacked and threatened by local authorities and vandals. They ask international friends and GEN for support and solidarity. GEN has set up a petition to the Chinese president to protect the ecovillage and contacted all the GENOA countries to support the case. We also called lawyers for help. Second Home is fighting for their right to exist. Last month Second Home united with Konohana Family (Japan) to become … Read more
Mexico: C.A.S.A. and Rainbow Caravan for Peace in Huehuecoyotl Ecovillage
After one year of existence, the C.A.S.A. Mexico branch of the Latin American Ecovillage Network is very active. Fernando Ausin-Gomez reports from the second annual meeting and the EcoCaravans Gathering. Imagine what it must be like to hold the memories of 13 years criss-crossing Latin America on a caravan of buses promoting peace councils throughout indigenous communities, favelas, schools and rural areas. Imagine trying to process and convey ancient indigenous legacies during prophesied times … Read more
Ubuntu – I Am Because You Are
Mugove Walter Nyika, council member of GEN Africa, was born in Zimbabwe and is a Permaculture teacher in Malawi. He speaks about his memories, about the abundance of nature in his childhood, how it was destroyed, and how the wounds of nature and of the mind can heal. “The name my parents gave me is Mugove, which means 'gift'. I grew up with my grandparents in a village 200 km south of the capital, Harare, in Zimbabwe. From an early age I learned from my Grandfather to plant trees, to collect … Read more
Healing of Colonization in Australia Self-Build as a Healing of Colonization in Australia
The Original Sovereign peoples of Australia are traditionally highly-skilled designers and builders of both permanent and temporary living and working structures and spaces. Remains of homes, middens, sacred ritual spaces, and technologies such as fish traps, have been scientifically dated to at least sixty thousand years ago, revealing a highly developed continuous society and culture. As a role model for sustainable living, traditional Original society demonstrates a highly complex and … Read more
How Can One Own His Mother? Healing Colonialism and the Indigenous Perspective
Manitonquat, 80, from the Wampanoag Nation, USA, has been a storyteller and activist for community spirit for many decades. With his teachings in books ("The Circle Way" and "Our Original Instructions"), and with his camps, he and his wife Elika have inspired thousands of people to build communities and ecovillages. As a Native American - or Indian, as he prefers to say - he can say a lot on the topic of colonialism and how it can be healed. And he has big news. The good thing about the word … Read more
