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Journey to Senegal – Our Common Future An African experience of traditional village transition to ecovillage

Senegal is the first country to utilize ecovillage strategies for sustainable development with a Government Agency for Ecovillages, dedicated to transitioning 14.000 traditional villages to ecovillages! The government was inspired by the work done within the grassroots network of GEN-Senegal, a network of 45 ecovillages.
In February, 2013, Jane Rasbash of the Gaia Education Board, Kosha Joubert, President of GEN-International and Advisory Board GEN-Africa, and Ousmane Pame, President of GEN-Africa, travelled to Senegal to witness and support the progress of the movement - and to plan a Global Ecovillage Summit in Senegal in 2014.

Editorial by Kosha Joubert (and Leila Dregger) Welcome to the GEN Spring Newsletter of 2013! Thank you for taking time to read the news of ecovillages around the world.

Looking at our world today, it is unclear whether humanity is waking up in time to collectively change our pathways into the future. We see growing tensions in Central Asian countries; economic crises leaving people in Europe and USA without securities they have long taken for granted; continuing tensions in the Middle East and exploitation of resources in Africa. We see nature’s species dwindling and climate change intensifying.

New GEN International Office Opened at Findhorn Ecovillage, Scotland

In a quiet corner of one of the newest co-housing developments of the Findhorn Ecovillage in Scotland, the GEN International office is opening its doors for business, as the fresh Scottish spring brings new life to the land. It is a fitting location for the international headquarters of the ecovillage movement, as Findhorn is one of the nine seed group members of the Global Ecovillage Network.

NextGEN Empowerment Training for Ban Pao Youth

Chiangmai, Thailand. There are a number of our young people who are still unemployed after years of education. These youth are feeling failed by society and worthless. Besides those who are jobless, there are also young people who can’t find happiness and meaning in their work and lifestyle in the big city.

Spirit of Asia: NextGEN in GENOA (GEN Oceania and Asia) gaining momentum

Half of the world´s population is under 20 years old. It is the young people of the planet - their resilience and positive power for a change - who are the vital future decision makers and responsibility holders.
NextGen, the youth movement of GEN, has created educational and action tools to empower the youth of the villages - and to make them aware of alternatives to the current destructive power of globalization.
In Thailand, Japan, Ladakh, Bangladesh and Australia, NextGEN has connected with networks and established activities to support young people in their visions and concerns as well as their power to make a change. At the same time NextGEN is building bridges between the youth generations, the traditional value holders, and the spirit of the existing villages.

Center for Transition Shall Help GEN in Australia

The Centre for Transition (CT) is based in Australia and was created out of a strategy planning session of Transition Towns Tasmania in late 2011. The vision for the CT was reinforced at Findhorn Ecovillage in Scotland. Founder and CEO, Andrew Olivier, is also an Ambassador for GEN Australasia.

Community Convergence for the Fast Growing Ecovillage Movement in Romania

The last two years have shown a real trend of growth in new initiatives in Romania, and all over Central and Eastern Europe. There is an accelerating pace in the starting of new projects, and in the connections being made to the existing global and European networks. In June,2013, the new community Aurora, in Romania, will be the venue for Community Convergence. By Andrei Iuroaia

Community Experiment in Israel and Palestine

The Peace Research Village Middle East team (PRV-ME), a member of GEN Middle East, is starting a community experiment in March, in which the project invites friends and supporters to live and work together toward the manifestation of the Village.

Ecovillage Design Course Chile

Gaia Education came to El Manzano in Chile to deliver the first Ecovillage Design Education course of 2013. This was a truly transformative event and now, with a learning community of ecovillage designers forming in Chile, the way is paved for many such more. A report by Javiera Carrion.

Ghana Permaculture Institute

GEN Ghana was founded in 2013. One of its members is the Ghana Permaculture Institute, a non profit organization in Techiman, in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. Paul Yeboah shares the work of this initiative, which has been supported by the UK based company Lush. It shows how permaculture and ecovillage principles provide solutions for regions that are ripe for making the change to a more sustainable lifestyle.

Democratic Republic of Congo: “Hope for all” Trains Pioneers in Ecovillages

fire

In Congo, the heart of Africa, shaken by a long war, the people and the land urgently need healing and alternatives. Due to a variety of issues such as rural migration and lack of education, together with environmental degradation such as deforestation and soil erosion, the self-confidence of villagers, especially around Kinshasa, is greatly diminished. Luc Lutala, Vice President of GEN-Congo and president of Hope for All, organized an EDE course in Congo in December 2012, supported by Lua Bashala, Council member of GEN Africa, and Lucky Kekana, GEN ambassador. 38 people from 13 villages took part in the 11 day training. Lydia Schellhammer, volunteer at Hope for All, reports.

Ecovillages Online Solution Library

As the cradle of human civilization, Africa provides a rich archive of humanity´s wisdom within its tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The online Solution Library gleans this traditional and contemporary knowledge, publishing solutions from the global sustainable development models, and specifically from the cultural heritage wealth of Africa. The initiator, Niveen Adel Morsy, is a GEN-Africa Ambassador and the Islamic Heritage Manager of CULTNAT (the Egyptian Centre for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage).

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.

Los Angeles Eco-Village (LAEV) – an urban eco-village in Los Angeles. An update by Lois Arkin

Every second person on this planet lives in a city or town. We definitely need vision and solutions for a sustainable and humane urban lifestyle. We need in other words - eco-villages in cities. Los Angeles is the second biggest city of the United States and in its urban heart, the Los Angeles Eco-Village of forty inhabitants works to strengthen communities, and bring neighbors, art, and environmental action together. It intends to ‘reinvent how we live in the city’. This update is about three areas where the Eco-Village has inspired the City: urban gardening, a bicycle program after a role-model in Bogotá, and an alternative economy.

Ecovillages as Alternatives, Models and Learning Places to Overcome the Economic Crisis in Southern Europe

How are ecovillages affected by the economic crisis in Southern Europe? From the answers of initiatives and ecovillages in Spain, Portugal and Greece it seems that the crisis actually empowers and accelerates the ecovillage movement. As old securities fall apart, people start to look for alternatives. And so, ecovillages face a challenge to demonstrate their knowledge and to develop into best practice models, ecovillage 'midwives', and training places to foster regional autonomy. By Leila Dregger

The ‘Rain Boat’ of the Amazon

Expedition Barco Iris is a home, a means of transport, a stage of a conscious theatre and an itinerant school that shares knowledge amongst indigenous people and settlers. Barco Iris is one contribution to an intentional sustainable future as well as being Carleton Vaux´ and Henny Freitas´ house, floating through the heart of the Amazon.

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 group.” Caroline Estes, Communities Directory (FIC, 1991, 1995)

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 planting trees. We caught up with them after a few days of hard work to find out what motivates someone to pay money and volunteer time to help out across the world.

The adventures of the EarthCode project

Earthcode

EarthCode is a portal of information that hosts the findings of two adventurers in search of an intentionally sustainable future. By documenting the experiences whilst visiting or residing in settlements, eco-villages and communities, EarthCode’s discoveries report on sustainable aspects of life, be it for intentional or survival reasons. It also documents on the efforts of individuals that contribute to the global awareness of positive life and values local expressions of emotion through whichever artistic mediums are employed.

Tunza International Youth Conference 2013

tunza

In February 2003, the Governing Council of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) adopted a long-term strategy for engaging young people in environmental activities and in the work of UNEP. The strategy was entitled the Tunza Youth Strategy. The word “TUNZA” means “to treat with care or affection” in Kiswahili (a sub-regional language of Eastern Africa). The overall Tunza Concept, therefore, is built around this theme.

Earth Day - Ecovillage Day 2013

This year, for the second time, GEN collaborated with the Earth Day Network to host our first Ecovillage Day – Earth Day. Sustainable communities, ecovillages and interested individuals from around the globe joined. They invited their neighbours and the broader public to an Open Ecovillage Day in their communities to see, taste and experience aspects of resilience first hand. With communities participating from all around the planet it was a beautiful and diverse expression of collective change towards a more sustainable future.

"A huge thank you to all people making Ecovillage Day 2013 such a special one!"

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