econnection 1 (autumn 2010)

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econnectionGlobal Ecovillage Network Europe

Magazine

What happened in Damanhur•

Emergence o GEN Arica•

Summer happenings all over Europe•

Tamera: next years host or GEN GA•

Projects and interesting initiatives•

A u t u m n 2 0 1 0




Magazine

Introduction page

Dear GEN amily 3

Overview about Damanhur

What happened in Damanhur 4

General Assembly o GEN Europe 2010 and

Ecovillages and Sustainable Living Conerence 5

Quick news 7

Initiatives that started in Damanhur: 9

Interview with the Excellence Award winner 13

Tamera: GEN host 2011 14

Kosha’s column 16

Developments in GEN GEN: Family, opening ower or both? 18

Intro o GEN council 20

Emergence o GEN Arica 22

Network news and articles

Recognizing traditional & indigenous villages as Ecovillages 26

Tamera’s true essence 29

Grace Pilgrimage 2010 Colombia 34

V IPage: Ecovillage Brabant in the Netherlands 37Macaco on the Italian ecovillage network meeting 38

FöldKelte (EarthRise) summer camp in Hungary 39

8th Lie 43

A Model or the Future 45

Econnection Team 46

2



Dear GEN family

There is so much inormation available in the world and even in the ecological movement o the

world, it’s easy to get lost in it. We’re all quite used to quick and easy solutions and packaged

inormation.

Sometimes we tend to orget the people behind it, and yet we all need a personal touch and a personal

connection to people.

In this e-magazine we wish to revive the human approach to writing.

Our wish is to move towards an e-magazine that illuminates the people behind the European GEN

movement and all the richness they carry in them, to really stop and take time or appreciating the people

around us and within GEN.

So, here, in addition to news, we’d really like to ocus on more in-depth articles and personal experiences to

really take time or writing, saying what we mean and learn on our way. We really see that in our vision. The

rst issue concentrates quite a lot on results o this year’s GEN Europe general assembly and the conerence

in Damanhur, and it is quite news-like with an aim to give a comprehensive overview o what happened at

this year’s GA, but what we’d really like to do is to move towards deep writing, that you’ll also discover rom

here.

We’d like to try and avoid articles rom websites as much as possible because we have so much o that

already! We all know how to nd inormation, but how to nd genuine connections between people within

GEN Europe, with people who are physically distant rom each other, that is a challenge! And we’re here to

discover the reconnection with writing rom our hearts!

So let’s make this work! You’re all welcome to our team!

Thank you so much, who has made such a heartul contribution to our rst isuse. Thank you, who

cooperated in this project to get launched: Thank you all o GEN Europe’s council members, Ulrike, Capra andMate Borda rom Hungary and Ral (who helped us with a lot technical aspects)

Enjoy reading the rst issue!

Your Econnection editorial team,

Kadri, Dani, Liesbeth, Shannah, Quaglia, Leila and Stella

„If one person dreams alone, it remains a dream.If many start dreaming together it is the beginning of a new reality.“ (Dom Helder Pessoa Camara)

3



Overview

o Damanhur What Happened in Damanhur

By Quaglia, Damanhur

Damanhur was honored to host the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) Europe – General Assembly,

July 4 – 6, and the Ecovillages and Sustainable Living Conerence, July 6 – 11, 2010. Over 150

participants rom 29 countries and 6 continents o the world came together in an inspiring

celebration o ecological living, world connections, local communities and creative joy.

This GEN encounter was a living testimony to the strength and beauty o diversity. Families rom France

shared their lunch table with eclectic Caliornians, German youngsters and clowns planned a theatre show

while Estonians led Heart Chakra Dance Meditations. We honored community projects rom Senegal and

South Arica with Excellence Awards, and riends came to share their eco-experiences rom beyond Europe

in Turkey, Thailand and India. Projects with indigenous villages were planned as organic vegetarian meals

were catered en masse. Discussions on new web technologies happened while healers shared rom the

heart, poolside. Process and constellation work occurred as workshops on xing broken tools took place …

and so much more. Laughter yoga. Songs in 7 languages at least. So many hugs and circle dances and new

perspectives.

We shared glimpses o Damanhur with our special guests, holding interactive workshops on our social and

educational structures, guiding visits and meditations in the Temples o Humankind, oering a concert o

Damanhurian music and Sacred Dance in the amphitheater and an open air dance party with live rock music

and re dance.

New alliances and collaborations were born, as well as new riendships and bonds. All the stimulation and

inspiration continues to brew as we keep in touch rom our corners o the world.

4



Overview o Damanhur

General Assembly o GEN Europe 2010 andEcovillages and Sustainable Living Conerence

By Capra Carruba and Ulrike Schimmel GEN Europe

This year’s General Assembly o GEN Europe took place in the Federation o Damanhur, Italy (July

4-6) ollowed by the Ecovillages and Sustainable Living Conerence (July 6-11). It was the largest

and most international event GEN Europe has ever hosted with 200 participants rom 29 countries,

representing all continents. Various collaborating organizations were present, along with many

new aces interested in the European network o Ecovillages.

General Assembly Important themes rom the General Assembly were: the uture development o GEN, council elections and

the Secretariat report, presenting the nancial report, as well as all projects that have taken place within our

network in the last year. Other themes that were explored: the emerging network in Arica, the development

o guidelines or the transition o traditional villages to ecovillages, the legal recognition o communities,

ecovillages in politics, Next GEN, children incommunities, a new website and newsletter, undraising, healing,

exchange amongst ecovillages, as well as many workshops on social and practical tools.

During a World Caé, a conversational process or large groups, the members discussed a necessary

paradigm shit or GEN Europe, acknowledging that it is no longer enough to be an umbrella organization,

and that we have become a stimulus o change in society with a global perspective.

GEN Europe Council elections were held, conrming our out o ve members, with Troels rom the Danish

network leaving the council, receiving gratitude or all o his contributions, especially at COP15. The new

council consists o Kosha (President, Siebenlinden and soon Findhorn), Macaco (Vice President, Damanhur),

Deniz (Turkish national network) and Toomas (Estonian national network) and Robert rom the Swedish

ecovillage Suderbyn.

5



Ecovillages and Sustainable Living Conference The conerence eatured several workshops on various social and practical tools, presentations o ecovillages

and participants’ projects as well as Open Space or exchange on various issues relevant to the wider

sustainability movement. The most prominent theme throughout the entire event was the emerging

network in Arica, presented by Lua Bashala-Kekana rom Congo and Adama Ly rom Senegal, andsupported by Kosha Anja Joubert. Lua Bashala -Kekana has been designated to hold the role o General

Secretary in GEN-Arica or this period o transition, until the ofcial launch o the network in 2012. Adama

Ly is the General Director o the National Ecovillage Agency (ANEV) and GEN Arica councilor. Supporting

the emerging GEN-Arica Network is one o the most important objectives, and the work in Arica has also

received solid recognition by GEN members: For the rst time in the history o GEN Europe (including Arica

and the Middle East), the Excellency Award or the most groundbreaking achievement o the past year

went to an Arican project, GEN Senegal. Part o the prize money (3000 Euro) will be used to install a well or

potable water in one o the 45 villages o this network.

The remaining money will be used as a start-up und or an Ecovillage Design Education training to take

place in Senegal in 2011. A special award was spontaneously created by the GEN members present at the

conerence and given to Khula Dhamma Ecovillage in South Arica, honoring the engagement o Arican

ecovillage projects.Many initiatives were discussed and developed during the meetings, and will have ollow-

ups, and many members volunteered to bring orth dierent areas: NextGen, a newsletter to improve our

internal communications, a new website that is on its way, and an email list that was created on children

in community. The legal recognition o communities shall be urther discussed on a European level...also

because o these aspects, this year’s meeting has been very special.

Capra Carruba and Ulrike SchimmelGlobal Ecovillage Network (GEN) - Europe e.V.

Twin ofces: Ecovillage Sieben Linden /Germany - DAMANHUR Community /Italy

[email protected] -- http://www.gen-europe.org

6



Quick NewsInitiatives that started in Damanhur

There were many initiatives that got started in Damanhur. We picked 3 o them to introduce to

you. I your initiative is not on the list yet, please do contact us.

Te host of next year’s GAis ameraA solar village, a spiritual centre, an international

peace research centre, Tamera will host us next

year in July 2011. All GEN members and non-

members

wishing to attend the conerence are asked to

book the rst 2 weeks o July in order to be able

to attend. See more about Tamera at

www.tamera.org

Robert Hall starts as a new member of the board

Robert Hall, a representative o the Swedish

ecovillage Network (and a member o Sunderbyn

ecovillage in Sweden) took place as a member o

the board o GEN Europe. The previous member

Troels stepped down.

EDE in Sieben Linden andmany more coming up during

the wintertime!Many EDE-s have happened during the

Many EDE’s have happened during the Ahole

year. Again people are skilled with beautiul

knowledge about how to build ecovillages.

About all EDE (ecovillage design courses that

are coming up during years 2010 and 2011

please see: http://www.gaiaeducation.org/

index.php?option=com_content&view=article

&id=83&Itemid=84 There are many coming upthroughout the whole world!

EDE in IndiaKosha Anja Joubert, Robin Alred and Aili Pyhälä

will travel a long way to India at the beginning

o next year to give an EDE course or the state

o Orissa. In the beautiul natural setting o

India there are many traditional villages that use

ecovillage technologies!

This EDE will ocus on participatory ecovillage

design in indigenous settings. For more ino

please contact:

[email protected]

7



Khula Dhamma in South Africa to win People’s prize at

GEN GA

In addition to the Excellency award a new award

was created spontaneously when the group realised

that non-members were not clearly honoured or

outstanding work. In around 15 minutes people

donated more than 700 Euros and during the night

time more and more oerings appeared to honour

the work o Yan Golding and his ecovillage “Khula

Dhamma” in South Arica. The other candidate

was Nara Petrovic with “Ocistimo Slovenijo v enem

dnevnu” - a garbage clean-up campaign that

brought together 270 000 people to clean garbagerom orests, beaches and hills on one day. This

group was still honoured lately by the Slovenian

president Danilo Türk with orders o merits. Together

with other European countries they aim at cleaning

the whole world at 2012. See more about urther

actions: www.letsdoitworld.org

Yan rom Khula Dhamma will use the “People’s

prize” as an investment or building up their learning

centre.

Senegal started an ecovillageministry: hence the ecovillageExcellency Award goes to Senegal

This year’s Exellency award went to Senegal in

Damanhur. An award, started by Gaia Trust and the

ounders o the worldwide ecovillage movement – Ross

and Hildur Jackson. The 3000 euros award went to

Senegal to acknowledge the huge work o GEN-Senegal

and o Adama Ly and his colleagues in the ecovillage

ministry there. The other candidate was Danish

Ecovillage network with organising a two-week long

conerence in Christiania called “Windows o hope” that

brought together environmentalists and spiritual leaders

throughout the whole world during the Copenhagen

climate coerence in autumn o 2009.

New website almost ready The project o GEN Europe’s new website is in progress at the moment. The new website will have many

modern eatures, such as a news and articles section that GEN Europe’s members can edit.Ulrike and Ral rom the webteam write:

“Work on the new GEN-Europe website is progessing slowly but surely. Andreas Lathan (Sieben Linden)

is stepping in or collecting newsstories that will eed into the new website, as well as Ecovillage News in

Permaculture Magazine and econnection magazine.

Please help us create a lively and beautiul new site. How ?

I you have a news story or an impressive picture please sent it to [email protected] and i you have

deeper experiences with certain aspects o ecovillage lie like communication, green technologies, education,

ecological housebuilding, permaculture, etc. Share and become a kolumnist or the new GEN-website.

Please send a mail to [email protected]

8



There were many initiatives that got started in Damanhur. Out o them we picked two (childrens

initiative and econnection magazine project) to introduce to you. I your initiative is not here,

please do contact us. And i you’ve started an interesting initiative within GEN Europe outside

Damanhur, please do write to us too!!!

Children in Community initiative

By Capra Carruba, Damanhur

On education: During the last GA, several meetings evolved around children in communities. The

intention was to exchange experiences o the best practices around education and living with

children, also to make our experiences visible and accessible to the mainstream as an important area o

excellence.

Besides the sharing o personal experience, the ollowing ideas were voiced:

•CreateanEcovillageEducationAssociationwherewesharecurriculums,techniques,resources

•Conferenceofteachersforcurriculumsorotherintomainstream,conventionalschoolsandteachers•Pedagogicalcenterforeducation:Internationalcommunicationsbeyondlimitationsofculture

•Educateteachers,alsothroughtrainingpossibilitiesincommunitieslikeDamanhurwithinternships.

Create a schoolsystem in Estonia like the one in Damanhur.

•Programsthatcanbereplicable

•Sharingandlearningparentingandhomeschooling-whatwelikeanddon’tlike,understandrst

where we are coming rom.

•Internationalkidscamp

•Connectpeoplewhoareworkinginthiseld,usethestrengthofbeingunited.

•Createanannualmeeting(withchildren)toeducateourselvesthrougheducating

children.

•NextGAwithchildren.

•Sustainableeducation:visitsandexchange.

•Useterminologyofmainstreamlike“environmentalliteracy“,writearticles,alsoinacademicjournals.

The work is continuing via a discussion list, You are welcome to sign up at http://gen-europe.org/

mailman/listino/children-in-community_gen-europe.org. The idea is to exchange strong points o every

ecovillage or community, in order to help each other, also using also tools on our uture new website. In

parallel, we are working on more structured meetings, hopeully unded by the EU. I you are passionateor interested about children in communities, please join our discussion with your comments, ideas,

suggestions and experience!

What got started in Damanhur

9



A team o 6 women who met or the rst time in Damanhur created Econnection! (Shannah Mulder and

Liesbeth van Deemter rom Ecodorp Brabant, The Netherlands), Quaglia and Nina Thalen rom Damanhur,

Danielle Byrne rom UK, Braziers Park, and Kadri Allikmäe (rom the Estonian ecovillage movement).

Econnection is less o a newsletter and more o an e-magazine intending to help GEN Europe become

more visible to it’s members and also engage the general public with more in-depth and personal

articles about ecovillage experiences around Europe and Arica.

Many people have joined the team and taken an interest since our rst meeting. Macaco (Damanhur),

Ulrike (Sieben Linden), our IT-special-support Ral (Germany) as well as Stella (Canary Islands) and Leila

(Tamera) have also joined us as well as many other great people! :-) Capra has written so many pieces or

this Econnection that she probably wouldn’t believe it hersel. Thank you all or your sharing! Thank you

all or your internest and love!

We hope to inspire our riends, ecovillagers and those “outside” o ecovillage living to take part in our

activities and start their own ecovillages i they don’t live in one yet!:) Econnection will be published

every 3 months to begin with, but perhaps with time more oten :) It’s all up to us! We invite and

encourage everyone to contribute!

Please eel ree to inorm us about anything that is going on in your network or GEN at the moment and join our team’s email list at:

http://gen-europe.org/mailman/listino/e-connection_gen-europe.org

And write to us: [email protected]


Magazine

e c o nne c t i o n

G l o b a l E c o v i l l a g e N e t w o r k o f E u r o p e M a g a z i n e

W h a t h a p p e n e d i n D a m a n h u r

•

E m e r g e n c e o f G E N Af r i c a

•

S u m m e r h a p p e n i n g s a l l o v e r E u r o p e

•

T a m e r a : n e x t y e a r s h o s t f o r G E N G A

•

P r o j e c t s a n d i n t e r e s t i n g i n i t i a t i v e s

•

A u t u

m n 2 0 1 0

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11



12

Photos of the conference

Photos rom the conerence by various sources can be ound at the ollowing URL-s

* GEN Europe (various authors):

http://www.acebook.com/album.php?aid=27159&id=117947444887239

* Dani (UK): http://www.acebook.com/group.php?gid=114756658551415&v=photos&re=ts

* Tanja (Finland) http://www.acebook.com/album.php?aid=2050573&id=1006870615&bid=1402425293117&re

=m

* Liesbeth (The Netherlands, Ecodorp Brabant)

http://www.acebook.com/album.php?aid=25185&id=100000476450935&re=m

* Matawan (Denmark, Dyssekilde):

http://picasaweb.google.dk/112882083616121550466/BestOPhotoGenEU10?authkey=Gv1sRgCN3jgJaasr-FpAE&eat=email#

* Merike (Estonia, Lilleoru)

http://www.acebook.com/album.php?aid=24849&id=100000500447099&page=4

* Paavo (Estonia): http://www.pascape.com/priva/gen-ga-damanhur/



Senegal won the GEN Europe’sExellency Award

D a E c n a ,

F i s o a l , a k y v m h f g a t u a t r i f G E N - E u p E x e

A w a 2 0 1 0 n r b S g a l d u i G E N - E u p A m a C i n D a a u

( I a ) .

T z S g a l a u o u m o r ; 1 ) T S g a l E i g P g a m a t n g i n a b h g n u g

m i t g a t n a a p a t n d i m p o i a a g n s u s a i a u a n e

b e i g a t i p a s a t n i s a a i a i i g i g u t u a l

t i t ; 2 .) G E N - S g a l a i i t a t i n a t i p a E i g g - r ; a

3 .) T s t g S g a l i t a l s u i h a t n o S g a l E i g N a t a l A g

a i h a t n o v s M i i n a g o E i g d ! A e l a t i g

s t g a t i n . B a u o a l s i t i a i i i t , G E N - E u p

E x e A w a w S g a l h G E N - S g a l N a t a l A g .T z ( 3 0 0 0 E u ) , I a a , i l u t i u w a

i s a i g a w a i n o 4 5 i g o G E N - S g a l a s a - u f u e g a

F h a g g E D E i n S g a l i n 2 0 1 1 d u f O .M t i f - g a a t i n z y a f u n s u s a i a u a n

e i n E i g a a t i p a g b a l i a t n . A f u

n u i d i g s t g a t i , h a f g s u , i g u - i a

a t i i i n G E N . B r g a ,

A a . A a L Y

D i c u G é é a l l ’ A g N a t a E i g 9 , R u P è M a , H a n , D a a , S é g a l .

Adama’s letter:

13

Every year GEN Europe’s Exellency award is given to an initiative that has had a major impact on

the develompent o the ecovillage eld. This year, or the rst time, the prize went to a project in

Arica! it was given to GEN-Senegal and the newly installed Senegalese Ministry o Ecovillages to

acknowledge their inspiring work and vision ! Below you can read the article by Adama Ly who is

the president o the Ecovillage Network o Senegal.



Tamera is honoured to host the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) Europe in 2011

Tamera, Portugal, August 3rd 2010

We want to give thanks or the possibility to host the GEN in 2011 ater having a very abundant and

creatively eective General Assembly and the Ecovillages and Sustainable Living Conerence in

Damanhur. The community received this message with great joy and excitement.

What is Tamera?

Tamera is a training site and meeting point or peaceworkers rom all parts o the Earth, a uture-lab or the

answers to the global challenges o our time. It is located in the Baixo Alentejo, on an area o 134 hectares,

and was ounded in 1995. Today, about two hundred people live, study and work there. Tamera, with its

SolarVillage research centre or decentralised energy technology, its permaculture water landscape in the

middle o the dry Alentejo and its internationally networked Global Campus peace education, is a site or

experimentation and training or the creation o peace villages worldwide. Building this rst model or the

uture will make the ounding o urther models in other regions ever easier.

In the last year, Tamera inaugurated the Test Field or a SolarVillage: a model or testing decentralized

solar technology that is selsufcient in energy and ood production in everyday lie, inspired mainly by

the physicist and inventor Jürgen Kleinwächter. It is our aim to create a model that can be adopted and

duplicated especially in regions which are rich in

sunlight such as the Middle East and Arica. The

basic political work o Tamera: to create models

or peace which will unction like acupuncture

points on the globe and contribute to the healing

o our planet.

As ascinating and indispensable as the new

technological achievements are, they equally

require new social structures. We know the

problems o hunger and war, crime and

violence, environmental destruction and natural

catastrophes. At the same time, a central area o the crisis o our times is the relationship between

human beings. A key or healing the world lies in

dissolving the collective wound which is stored

GEN host 2011

14



in the cells o humanity, in the cells o all o us. Right here, new oundations o trust and love must replace

the old system o ear and war. Groups o people who are able to communicate in ull trust will combine

a sustainable ecological way o lie, political action, spiritual anchoring and persistent inner work. Such a

committed group will make sure that social structures and living conditions are created which are able to

uncover and transorm latent warlike processes amongst humans. They will recognize that a lie model that

has solved their interpersonal wars will have the eect o changing the whole. In these small but highly

complex pilot models lies a new possibility or saving our planet. Tamera wishes to be a greenhouse o trust,

an education center or peace, a test eld or a new culture.

We welcome you in amera!www.tamera.org

15



Kosha’s column

Dear riends,

The most underutilised resource we have today is the good intentions and

creativity o citizens, and their willingness to make a diference.

GEN is deeply rooted in these good intentions. GEN has created a platorm that shows how it is possible

or people like you and me to take back our power and start living our visions now. We know it cannot be

done alone – we can only do this together! And we know that we can’t wait or those in power to make

the changes necessary at the pace necessary. But we can reach out to their minds, hearts and their wish to

support solutions instead o more o the same problems in dierent guises. In turn, more and more o thosein power are reaching out to GEN and similar movements.

Studies have shown that the vast majority o the world’s citizens long or a lie that serves the wellbeing o

the whole. We long to leave this planet a better place or our children and their children. We wish to create

beauty within our communities. We want to be o service to our wider societies. Growing up and living in a

system which has relegated all this to a back seat in the name o economic progress and egoistic gains has

done nothing to quench our thirst. The problems this system is running into now are serving to intensiy the

longing or a more meaningul lie in many.

GEN has an important role to play in showcasing pathways and possibilities or this longing to be ullled,both in the North and in the global South! The visibility o people’s projects that deeply care or local

community while embracing global community is a vibrant tool or empowerment. Together with a myriad o

other NGOs, GEN spreads hope and unleashes potential at grassroots levels. As we experiment in re-knitting

trustul relationships and honouring low impact lie styles, the authenticity o walking our talk becomes a

source o inspiration. Our strength lies in co-developing and co-designing economic, social, cultural and

ecologic solutions that support local ownership o sustainable utures. Honestly sharing the questions we

ace in this process may be as important as sharing any answers we may nd.

My sense is that within GEN, we are no longer ocussing on replicating the ecovillage model and creating

more and more ‘green islands’ out in the countryside. The demonstration sites we have are invaluable andwe can certainly do with more. But the ocus has long moved on. Today we need every village to become an

ecovillage and every city to become an ecocity. The whole o mainstream needs to transition to a low-impact

liestyle in order to survive. All social networks need to reintegrate values o solidarity and mutual trust in

order to become resilient enough to ace the uture creatively. The ocus o GEN has shited to sharing best

practice - ecovillage-patterns that work!

As media, politicians, academia and business are looking to GEN with a growing interest, are we ready to

meet them with a healthy sense o sel-worth and a clear awareness o how we can be o service? I believe

that it is time or our vision o who we are and can be to grow and adapt to changing circumstances. It is

certainly not about discarding humility. On the contrary, in taking up our role in a moving and questing

society we are asked to leave behind all traces o adolescent resistances and conspiracy theories. We are

invited to bring an inquisitive open mind and our ability to build trustul relationships to the table.

16



The movement o widening GEN to reach more sectors o society needs to be counterbalanced by

deepening and strengthening our roots. Reaching out to traditional and indigenous villages and supporting

the emergence o GEN-Arica may be seen as a part o this. GEN is in an excellent position to establish

partnerships between projects in the North and South. The act that we are visibly and tangibly lowering

ecological ootprints attracts interest and respect to Northern ecovillages rom projects in the South.

Conversely, projects in the North have much to learn rom deep-rooted wisdom still alive within Southernprojects and cultures. Grassroots leaders rom both sides recognise in each other a similar sense o

responsibility or global environmental and social justice. In the ace o climate change, a network that builds

bridges between North and South in a spirit o true collaboration, trust and mutual respect deserves special

attention. The global need or and potential o North-South reconciliation work is huge.

As we continue to build bridges widely and deeply it is certainly a good moment or GEN to be updating its

websites and PR-materials! The time seems to be ripe or the emergence o GEN-Arica. And GEN-Europe is

ready to move beyond being a mere platorm, used by individual communities to promote themselves and

their activities, to a broader vision o collective creativity in the service o broader society.

Thank you to all o you out there who in so many individual and colourul ways are playing a part in ostering

this movement! Let’s continue weaving our strands together into the ever-changing tapestry o GEN…

In community, Kosha

17



We are all doing great work or the change, the Shit, the Great Turning - or however we want to

name it. It’s a big adventure and opportunity. The only question is: what is the potential and plan

or GEN in the coming years?

In the beginning, the reason or starting GEN was to unite ecovillage people rom dierent countries and

continents to become one amily. The amily is unctioning quite well now, so the rst goal has been

achieved - but what else GEN is doing? I GEN wants to contribute more as an organisation, then there’s lot to

do: Members - how to make membership more inspirational, what are the clear benets o being a member

o GEN?

Funds and undraising - the budget is clearly too small or a European-Arican wide organization.•

Training: Learning partnership, some EDEs, but the need is even bigger.•

Emerging network in Arica - how to support it in the best possible way?•

Guidelines on dialgue between o traditional/indigenous villages and eco-villages.•

Communication - there is clearly need or more internal communication, ie monthly newsletter.•

Outreach - going to high-prole conerences, representing GEN there, good videos on Youtube,•

useul

website etc.•

Governments - special ormat to ofer to governments membership, invitation to ministries o •

environment: this is how you can become governmental member o GEN.•

UN - the goal is to have a presentation o ecovillages on UN general assembly and to integrate•

ecovillages into solutions and activities o UN.

Cooperation with Transition Towns, Ecocities and other (global) movements.•

What I am trying to picture is that there is a very big potential, not as an ambition, but what the world is

asking or: people are hungry or solutions, or real things that work. I Findhorn, Sieben Linden were at the

margins o society 5-10 years ago, now governments come and ask how they work. How is GEN answering

these questions? Siebenlinden, Findhorn, Damanhur individually do this work already, but what has GEN as a

Global Eco-village Network to oer to the world?

I I look at this picture rom my management background o launching new projects and activites, I see that

there are very dierent operating modes - one is amily mode and the other is growth mode. We need to

discuss this because i we grow aster, we are in the growth mode and the ower o potential will open.

GEN:Family, opening fower or both?

Written by Capra Carruba and edited by Toomas Trapido

World Cafe opening speech by Toomas Trapido at GEN general assembly in Damanhur..

18



It needs more trust between members, between council, sta, less control because ve persons in the

council cannot control and manage all this growth, they can only have overview o what is happening and

gently encourage activities o all the members.

We are all doing a good job, but how can we expand our activities under the umbrella o GEN is thequestion. We are on the crossroads, it would be very good to discuss these days how and whether we will

go into this growth mode - o i we want to stay within the amily and be content with annual meetings,

which is very good as well. It is a choice to take or the General Assembly.

19



Kosha Anja Joubert (1968, current President o GEN-Europe) I was born and grew up in

South Arica. The system o Apartheid deeply inuenced my lie’s path: I decided to devotemysel to the study and practice o trustul communication and community building in

diverse settings. I have been living in intentional communities or the past 20 years. My last

10 years were spent in Sieben Linden, Germany. Recently I moved to Findhorn, Scotland,

with my two children. I co-authored the Ecovillage Design Education Curriculum (www.

gaiaeducation.org). Today, I organize EDE-courses and trainings on social tools internationally and work as a

acilitator and consultant. I co-edited Beyond You and Me. Inspirations and Wisdom or Building Community,

Permanent Publications, 2007 with my partner, Robin Alred. I just had my rst own book published in

Germany on Collective Wisdom and look orward to translating it into English in the uture. It is a joy and

honour or me to be an active part o the ecovillage movement!

Macaco Tamerice (vice president o GEN Europe, Damanhur, Italy): I have been living in

Damanhur since 1993 and so I’ve known GEN or many years. I have participated actively

in the last our GA’s and in 2008 I was elected into the council and became vice-president.

I was reelected into the council this year or another two years. I have been doing lot’s o

outreach having the opportunity to talk to many people in sight (Sting, Patch Adams and

many others), was the link between GEN and the Earth Charter, represented GEN at the anniversary o the

Earth Charter, at smaller events in Italy and I am the link with the Italian network. I have been working in the

last three years to create a law or the legal recognition o the status o Communities and will be the link

between Next-Gen and the council. Last but not least I organized the last GA at Damanhur.

Deniz Dincel: I’m a biologist. While I was working in Bugday Society or Supporting

Ecological Livelihood in Istanbul, I decided to learn more about ecological living and went

to Findhorn Ecovillage in Scotland. I stayed in Findhorn Ecovillage or about two years and

participated in many trainings. I worked in Ecological Footprint Analysis Project o Findhorn

Ecovillage and Community in 2005. I have visited many ecovillages in Europe and have been

organizing International Workshops on Sustainable Living or the last our years in Turkey.

I’m is one o the trainers o Ecovillage Design Education. Currently, I’m in the council o Global Ecovillage

Network-Europe and live in Turkey.

Toomas Trapido (member o GEN Estonia and member o Estonian parlament, green party).

I’m sure that our planet Earth is developing into one living organism and we, the people o

the Earth, are becoming ‘body o humanity’ as Elisabet Sahtouris is telling in her inspirational

Earthdance. I see as my role, to acilitate this shit and GEN is one o the most obvious

catalysts and wayshowers. But the change goes one heart at the time, so it’s very important

to empower people inside GEN and related to GEN to nd their own power. I’m assisting this

in the ways I can, in GEN council and otherwise. Also, being a member o the parliament in Estonia I see great

need or politics - one o the most conservative elds o lie - to change towards cooperation and working

or everyone and the whole earth at the same time. This could be called Transition Politics that will lead toGaian Politics and I’m passionate about bringing it into reality.

Intro o GEN council

20



Robert Hall (new member o GEN council, Sunderbyn Ecovillage, Sweden)

I have had an interest in ecovillages at least since 1990 when Ingrid and I started visiting

ecovillages. By 1993 we had seen Svanholm, Denmark; Nimbin, Australia, Longo Mai, France

and Auroville, India. But I did not discover GEN until 2005 when I really wanted to nd the

right ecovillage to move to and started to use the website regularly. In the end we opted

not to move to an ecovillage in France but to start one in Sweden. GEN membership was an expressed goal

o our Swedish project rom the start - to become a real ecovillage. So our rst NGO established to gather

people and seek land was set up in 2007 with “gaining GEN membership” as a goal written into the statutes.

As soon as we bought and moved to the land and established our democratic cooperative in mid 2008,

Suderbyn Permaculture Ecovillage applied or supportive membership in GEN. And as soon as we could, we

came to the GEN General Assembly in Keuruu, Finland in 2009 as a new supportive member ecovillage. We

let Keuruu as a proud ull member. Being the only ull member in Sweden we elt a responsibility to get the

national network unctioning and get others to join GEN. Thus Njord, the Swedish Ecovillage Network was

revived in 2009 specically to become GEN Sweden.This year we came to Damanhur as a new ull member

and returned home with a representative in the GEN Council. This was a surprise that I had not expected, but

it is denately an honour to be able to contribute to GEN’s and the ecovillage movement’s development. I

think I can add diversity to the already diverse council and I hope that this diversity o skills and experience

can be used to mobilise members and allow GEN Europe- Middle East-Arica to make a big step up as a

known agent or global change during the next 2 years.

This year we came to Damanhur as a new ull member and returned home with a representative in the GEN

Council. This was a surprise that I had not expected, but it is denately an honour to be able to contribute to

GEN’s and the ecovillage movement’s development. I think I can add diversity to the already diverse council

and I hope that this diversity o skills and experience can be used to mobilise members and allow GEN

Europe-Middle East-Arica to make a big step up as a known agent or global change during the next 2 years.

Ulrike Schimmel (secretary general o GEN, Sieben Linden): Ever since I have taken on

the secretariat in late 2008, my dream has been to really make GEN-Europe (and, as an

extension, GEN) thrive and ourish. I am really open to all kinds o strategies, how to achieve

this: be it Grundtvig, or any other way to create more connection and networking in the

GEN amily,more unding or our projects, attract more members both among communities

and individuals, and spread the word about the solutions we ound to a wider audience, let the world know.

I have been living in Sieben Linden Ecovillage or seven years and generally do a lot o very down to earth

things like cooking or the community and gardening. Most o my energy is dedicated to parenting my threechildren.

Capra Carruba (co-secretary general o GEN, Damanhur)

My name is Capra Carruba, my German birth name is Christine Schneider. I am a member

o the Federation o Damanhur in Italy since 1996 and since 2008, I am secretary o GEN in

the twin ofce here in Damanhur. My work-lie has many dimensions, I most like teaching

and co-creating projects. I have a three-year-old daughter who has been attending the last

General Assemblies and children in community is a personal research interest o mine. I am passionate about

understanding what makes communities work and I am prooundly grateul or my experience in Damanhur,

which provides constant stimuli or both growth and adventure. GEN is a precious occasion or me to impactthe world and connect with beautiul people, many o whom have become dear riends in these years.

21



From left to right: Formica from Damanhur, King of Damanhur,

Kosha, Adama, Lua, Macaco from Damanhur

22



Compiled by Lua Bashala-Kekana and Kosha Anja Joubert

Report on the

Emergence o GEN Arica

Below there you will nd a short overview o what has happened so ar and uture

strategies or the emergence o GEN-Arica as an independent network. Up to now,

GEN-Europe has encompassed Arica and the Middle East, too. Since many years Arica

grassroots leaders all over Arica have been building antastic projects or sustainable

communities. The belie o the core group o Lua Bashala-Kekana, Adama Ly and Kosha

Anja Joubert as voiced in Damanhur (July 2010) is that as ecovillage knowledge is

spreading so ast and wide in Arica, GEN Arica could be launched in the autumn o

2012!

Ever since GEN was ounded in 1995, GENattempts were undertaken at various times to•

strengthen the ecovillage movement in Arica. One o the strong national networks that

grew rom this was GEN-Senegal.Up until now the GEN Europe region has encompassed Arica too. In the Summer o 2008•

Kosha Anja Joubert was elected as president o GEN-Europe, having been born and raised

in South Arica during apartheid Kosha took on the responsibility to move the emergence o

GEN-Arica as a separate region rom GEN Europe within GEN International orward. Kosha’s

work or the anti-apartheid movement in Amsterdam in the late 80’s and early 90’s paved her

path into the ecovillage movement.

In the summer o 2009 the GEN-Europe council unanimously decided to support the•

emergence o GEN Arica as a separate region and make it one o its main priorities. Six

participants rom Arica, including Lua Bashala-Kekana rom Congo, currently living in Khula

Dhamma ecovillage in South Arica, attended the EDE (Ecovillage Design Education) in

Sieben Linden. The depth o work done on the ground in Arica and the potential o an

Arican ecovillage network as a tool o empowerment became apparent in South-South and

South-North dialogues. An understanding o the importance o combining eorts instead o

working in isolation is strongly elt and GEN is seen as a great working tool or this.

23



In November 2009 Lua and two more EDE-participants, Usiel Kandjii rom Namibia and Thomas Mkandawire•

rom Malawi attended the IPC (International Permaculture Convergence) in Malawi to gauge interest

and spread the word (and a newly produced yer) on GEN-Arica. The need and wish or a platorm on

which to exchange skills and knowledge as well as inormation on upcoming courses and events was clearly

dened as necessary.

In December 2009, Adama Ly, as General Director o the National Agency geared towards supporting• 14

000 traditional villages in Senegal in their transition to ecovillages, met with Hildur and Ross Jackson andurther members o the GEN-Europe-network during the Climate Conerence in Copenhagen. Other contacts

to ecovillage-activists rom Arica, including Trinto Mugangu rom Congo and Ibrahim Togolo rom Mali are

made and deepened.

In January o this year Lua traveled to the• Congo (DRC) to contact and visit various ecovillages and ecovillage

related projects in this vast country. She met with the minister o inormation discussing government support

or the development o an ecovillage network in the Congo. The results were very positive and a decision

was taken to send participants endorsed by the government to the Sieben Linden EDE in August and to a

French EDE course in Senegal in 2011.

In April o this year a rst email is sent out to around• 200 interested individuals and organisations rom

all over Arica inviting them to express their interest in becoming a part o the network. The response was

overwhelmingly positive and supportive. More and more dedicated individuals linked up to support the

GEN-Arica initiative.

In June the Senegalese government created the rst Ministry or Ecovillages ever!

During this years GEN-Europe Assembly in Damanhur, Italy Adama, Lua and Kosha met with George John•

rom Orissa, India (supporting a network o 3950 indigenous villages), Jane Rasbah (deeply connected to

village networks in and around Thailand), Aili Pyhala (researching and supporting indigenous groups or

many years), Inci and Ali Gokmen (working with traditional villages in Turkey), Macaco Tamerice (Damanhur)

and Jan Golding (Founder o Khula Dhamma Ecovillage in South Arica) and proceeded to write the rstdrat o an ofcial invitation to traditional and indigenous village-networks to link up to the Global

Ecovillage Network . First guidelines or this process were drated, too.

This overview will be o value not only in the emergence o GEN Arica but globally where traditional village•

networks are still existent. We are responding to demand. Adama, Lua and Kosha are continuously in contact

to rene strategy and next steps or the emergence o GEN-Arica.

And or the rst time in the history o GEN-Europe (+Arica + Middle East) the• Excellency Award or the

most groundbreaking achievement o the last year goes to an Arican project, - GEN-Senegal! GEN Senegal

has played a pivotal role in building the ground or the Senegalese

government initiative or ecovillages. GEN Europe wishes to

acknowledge and honour this work. Part o the prize money (3000€)

will be used to install a well or potable water in one o the 45 villages

o this network, thereby also strengthening the collaboration with the

ministry o ecovillages. The other part will be used as start-up unds

or an EDE to take place in Senegal in 2011.

A• special award is spontaneously created by the GEN-members

present and given to Khula Dhamma Ecovillage, South Arica in

honouring o the engagement o Arican ecovillage projects.

Contacts• are made to individuals linking GEN up to green companies,

universities and developmental aid networks. All involved sense deep resonance with our aims and wish tosupport the emerging GEN-Arica network with unding possibilities as well as technical skills exchange.

Next Steps:

24



We acknowledge that we are in a• period o transition towards the launch o GEN-Arica as a separate

legal entity in 2012. From then on all positions within GEN-Arica will be democratically elected by GEN-

Arica members (council o 5 + 2 sta, representing dierent regions). We propose to mirror some o the

helpul practices that GEN-Europe has come up with e.g. new elections every two years, with any one

person not exceeding 3 terms o two years as maximum.

We realise that both Adama and Lua need• designations now in order to work efciently in the Spread

o GEN-Arica on the ground. So it was decided that or the time being to use the term o ‘GEN-Arica

General Secretary’ or Lua and ‘GEN-Arica councellor’ or Adama. Kosha was re-elected as President

o GEN-Europe or another term o two years. She holds a role o custodian and advisor to GEN-Arica

during this period o transition.

We need to create a• legal entity (in the orm o an international NGO) and a bank account or

GENArica. External auditing will be a part o GEN-Arica bookkeeping rom the outset. Lua will

investigate the question o which country in Arica will be saest and cheapest or a bank account to be

localised. For the time being, unds or GEN-Arica continue to move through the GEN-Europe account.

We envision the• relationship between GEN-Arica and GEN-Europe to remain close through personal

riendships, mutual support and learning rom each other. Also, we look orward to the shared inspiration

and a deep emotional process o South-North reconciliation that is ensuing.

We envision creating a platorm within GEN-Arica where all regions o Arica nd the space to

become visible. Thereore we propose the ollowing roadmap:

EDE in Sieben Linden• : 8 participants coming rom Malawi, South Arica, Congo, Sierra Leone, Ghana,

Kenya, Cameroon, Tanzania.

Other EDE’s• willing to issue special invitations to participants coming through the emerging GENArica

network: Thai (Jan 2011), Kibbuz Lotan, Damanhur (April 2011)

Autumn 2010: work on several• undraising proposals or GEN-Arica (Aili Pyhala and others are willing

to collaborate.)Congo Ecovillage Network Conerence• : May/June 2011

GEN-Europe Assembly• taking place in Tamera July 3-10, 2011: 10 participants rom all over Arica to

beinvited.

EDE in Senegal or rancophone countries: October 2011•

Linked to a• Conerence inviting other governments, interested in ollowing the Senegalese model

o ecovillage development. Guinea, Mali, Niger, Burkino Fasso and Ghana government ofcials have

already expressed interest.

Linked to a• youth project, where youth rom European ecovillages (14-22 years, rom Findhorn,

Damanhur, Tamera, Sieben Linden, maybe others) travel to Senegal to plant trees in ecovillage projectsthere.

EDE in South Arica• or Anglophone countries: April 2012

Launch of GEN Africa: July or October 2012•

25



Recognising traditional & indigenous villages as

Ecovillages

By Kosha Anja Joubert and Aili Pyhala in collaboration with Lua Bashala-Kekana (Congo), George John (India),

Adama Ly (Senegal), Jane Rasbah (UK and Thailand), Ali and Inci Gokmen (Turkey), Yan Golding (South Africa) and

Macaco Tamerice (Italy)

“We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its uture. As

the world becomes increasingly interdependent and ragile, the uture at once holds great peril and

great promise. To move orward we must recognise that in the midst o a magnicent diversity o

cultures and lie orms we are one human amily and one Earth community with a common destiny.

We must join together to bring orth a sustainable global society ounded on respect or nature,universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture o peace. Towards this end, it is imperative

that we, the people o Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community o

lie, and to uture generations.” (Preamble Earth Charter).

We dene the village as a human-scale settlement, ranging rom a hamlet through the conventional

village to a small town or urban suburb. We envision the village to be a key-element in building solutions

to the problems we ace today. We can more easily step into responsibility or our uture and the uture o

our children on the level o the village. On this level, we can oversee and express our concern or healthy

relationships within our ecosystem. We can build community and take action together. The most under-

utilised resource we have is the good intentions and creativity o us citizens, and our willingness to make a

dierence. Urban and rural villages alike are precious playgrounds or civil society engagement to come to

the ore. Village networks can weave local solutions into a new tapestry or resilient societies.

If one person dreams alone, it remains a dream. If many start dreaming together it is the beginning of a new reality.

(Dom Helder Pessoa Camara).

Ecovillages are consciously designed through participatory processes to secure long-term sustainability in

all our areas o the social, the cultural, o economy and ecology. Ecovillages are becoming living and learning

centres or a high quality, low-impact liestyle and seek to be places o inspiration to the wider society.

How can traditional & indigenous villages and intentional ecovillages relate to one another?

Thousands o traditional and indigenous villages around the world are currently in danger o losing their

social, cultural, ecological and economic cohesion. The adverse impacts o globalisation are challenging.

The surrounding orests and lands, the waters and natural resources are privatised and appropriated, eroded

and polluted at a rightening pace. As a result, entire communities are being threatened in their survival.

Understandably, young people are increasingly leaving their homes, seduced by the promises o modern

society and longing to link up to global networks. Unortunately, they seldom nd what they are looking or.

Much value is being lost in this process.GEN was set up in 1995 to support and encourage the evolution o sustainable settlements across the

globe. In the North, ecovillages are geared towards radically lowering ecological ootprint through nding

participatory responses to the challenges o our times. Through greater investment in social capital, they

26



rebuild community and a sense o solidarity in the midst o a culture over-emphasising individualism. In

the South, ecovillages oten are more ocused on preserving and honouring sources o local sustainable

wisdom while combining these with contemporary appropriate technologies. Both ocus on community-

led development and empowerment, which leads to a healthy merging o the past with innovative modern

solutions. In the ace o climate change and resource depletion, a network which builds bridges between

North and South in a spirit o respect, true collaboration, exchange and mutual support deserves special

attention. GEN wishes to deepen its role as a platorm or the South-North and South-South exchange o

knowledge and experience. Through sharing o best practices within the wider network while honouring

local traditions we move towards a diverse yet shared pool o wisdom or sustainable living on our home -

the Earth.

GEN recognises a deep need or:

Resurgence o culture, ethics, and identity, o individuals and communities•

Meetings, both online and in real time, to build personal relationships, trust and collaboration•

Respect or the wisdom inherent in indigenous cultures•

Empowerment o communities to design their own pathway into the uture•Reconciliation and narrowing the gap between North and South•

South-South dialogue and skill-sharing.•

In recent years a growing number o GEN supportive members are rom indigenous and traditional villages.

Some o these villages have been approaching GEN with an interest in becoming part o the movement. In

answer to this, local village network leaders rom India, Thailand, Senegal, Congo, Peru, Malawi, Sierra Leone,

Ghana, Tanzania and South Arica have met with GEN-Europe representatives rom July to September 2010

initiating guidelines or this process. These drat guidelines are now being sent out to a wide variety o

engaged individuals and networks or eedback. We are enquiring into the existence o an internationally

applicable ramework while honouring the wide diversity and richness o local expression and cultural

dierences.

The initiation o local ecovillage-networks has started with educational programs (like the EDE – Ecovillage

Design Education, see www.gaiaeducation.net ). Educational environments provide a much needed space

or reection on common visions. Participatory design processes ensure that all changes are deeply

rooted in and invited by local communities. Local trainers are encouraged and promoted. For instance, the

Senegalese Ecovillage Network (see www.gensenegal.org) was so successul in ollowing this strategy that

the Senegalese government has now decided to transorm 14 000 traditional villages using the ecovillage

model. It is essential that development aid is channelled into these kinds o initiatives, which empower local

populations to take ownership o their uture.

27



Guidelines or the recognition o traditional & indigenous villages as ecovillages:

As stated already, ecovillages are consciously designed through participatory processes to secure long-term

sustainability in all our areas o the social, the cultural, o economy and ecology.

Growing rom a shared vision o our uture we the community o inhabitants raise awareness,

build capacity, take specic actions and reach out to the wider world.

We engage in all stages o the process o design and implementation in our village.1.We adopt low impact, high quality liestyles in harmony with nature.2.

We uphold human rights, build trust among our members and promote gender sensitivity.3.

We support solidarity with each individual nding his or her unique way o serving the whole.4.

We work towards economic justice and overcoming the divide between rich and poor.5.

In ollowing these general principles, we strive to

raise awareness through

promoting cultural identity and respecting diversity.6.

Learning o and opposing the negative impacts o globalization and the privatization o the global7.commons.

Honouring the wisdom o elders and children and integrating the marginalized.8.

Build capacity through,

Educating and empowering all our members and wider networks to actively contribute to sustainable9.

living.

Revitalizing and archiving traditional local wisdom while integrating contemporary methods,10.

technologies and insights where appropriate.

Undertake the ollowing specic actions,Providing continuous access to clean water through sustainable water harvesting and careul use o 11.

water or all needs.

Supporting ecological ood production or local and bioregional consumption.12.

Implementing appropriate technologies and producing clean renewable energy or local and bioregional13.

use.

Preserving and developing the knowledge and use o traditional and natural healing methods.14.

Using local traditions and low impact, innovative techniques in green building to provide high quality15.

shelter.

Taking all possible actions to minimise waste by reusing, recycling, and composting.16.

Reach out to the wider world through,

Functioning as a community-based peace-building tool by promoting inter-village and inter-ethnic17.

cooperation.

Continuously engaging in the sustainable use o natural resources, participatory restoration o eco-18.

systems and conservation o biodiversity.

Working to strengthen locally grounded, globally connected community-based economies that are19.

ethical and transparent.

Being open to collaborating with and accepting support rom institutions, individuals and others,20. providing this does not compromise any o the above values

Building a wider network o like-minded villages and projects.21.

28



Tamera’s true essence

by Leila Dregger

I’ll start with some sentences about mysel. I have been an independent journalist or what eels like

ages. I worked or magazines and radio stations, but I became tired o the news that only seemed to

tell: Everything is getting worse, and there is no alternative. When I decided to live in Tamera seven

years ago, it was the peace work that attracted me, and the many young people. As a journalist I elt

the beautiul challenge to accompany such a global project o committed people, to help with all

my skills in order to make it a success.

In spite o all the processes that occur when you leave your private lie and enter a community - the

challenges to all your habits and thinking patterns, entering a more simple lie - poor in terms o material

luxury, but rich in contact and communication, rich also in conicts and insights about yoursel - some o

them beautiul, not all - in spite o all this I have never regretted taking this path.

When some months ago a message when a message came rom our comrades Momo-Jana and Christoph,

that the next GEN meeting would take place in Tamera, I elt very proud. The GEN meeting is an important

gathering o representatives o many groups in Europe that try to live a lie dierent rom the mainstream

and nd practical and decentralized answers to the ecological and social challenges o our time. GEN helpsus to connect, to share and help each other, to speak our experiences and to orm a common identity -

maybe as a part o a uture culture.

29



I was asked to write about Tamera to give people an idea o what kind o place and community will host you.

“We all know about the acts - that Tamera is an international peace research center, that it was ounded in

1995, that there are 160 - 200 co-workers and students living there, and the site has 134 hectares. You created

a SolarVillage with Jürgen Kleinwächter and a Permaculture Water landscape with Sepp Holzer - we know

that. Please tell us a bit more about the atmosphere,” I was asked. “How does it eel to be in Tamera?”

To get to Tamera you have to go to the ar south-west o Europe: to Southern Portugal. Leave the Atlantic

coast, with its scenic clis and dunes behind, and travel the dusty road inland. It is quiet here. Occasionally

you will pass through the villages typical o this country, with their careully whitewashed houses. Cork

oaks and eucalyptus trees shimmer in the heat upon the low hills. Sheep and goats graze between old

armhouses. Those amiliar with the Alentejo know that this view will change little over the next ew hundred

kilometres.

But now the road rises gently, curving to the let, and suddenly a dierent world lies beore you. A lake

glitters in the sunlight. The terraces by its shore are green and abundant with vegetables, ruit trees and

sunowers. You see the curved shapes o tents, gleaming solar installations and an assembly hall. And you

see people o dierent colours and cultures, working and sitting together, some talking, some reading. We

have arrived: this is Tamera.

About 200 people are working, studying and living here, building what we call a “model or the uture”.

With its Testeld or a SolarVillage, its experiment to heal the land by creating a water landscape, and its

internationally networked peace-education program, Tamera is a highly complex centre or living uturology.

“The Silicon Valley o Peace” was one name given to Tamera by journalists. Others chose “Paradise under

Construction”. And it really is under construction. Many things are still unnished, improvized, pioneer-style,

and visitors are asked to bring good shoes because o the bad roads. Undeveloped areas o the site, covered

with blackberries and rock roses are a reminder o the time beore the project was ounded.

30



At the same time, one senses paradise everywhere. One eels the unusual, the utopian, the orientation

towards joy and contact with all that lives, the courage or the unconventional and the longing or what is

to come. The goal is just as high as everyday lie is here consciously simple and the material acilities basic:

Tamera was ounded to develop suggestions or solutions to global issues.

From the processes o evolution, the biologist Lynn Margulis drew a conclusion or the challenges o humankind, “I we want to survive the ecological and social crises we have caused, we will probably be

orced to give ourselves into completely new dramatic community undertakings.”

The community undertakings considered necessary by Lynn Margulis are taking place all over the world.

Outside o the huge central laboratories, universities and cities, researchers o the uture are practically

applying their developments in places like Tamera.

Dieter Duhm, coounder o Tamera: “The crisis inside o us and the crisis in the environment are two parts o

the same whole and can only be solved rom that perspective.”

A walk through Tamera today takes us through cascades o lakes and ponds, on the shores o which growthe permaculture gardens used or both teaching and ood supply. In the coming years, the water landscape

will be expanded and completed, so that the trees on the hills will also be able to grow again and return to

health. The summer kitchen o the Testeld or a SolarVillage demonstrates techniques or cooking with solar

energy and biogas, electricity generation, ood preservation, and water pumping. Almost all o the systems

were built in Tamera s own workshops.

31



In the research greenhouse, new technologies are tested, which are intended to ree settlements o the

uture rom dependence on centralized energy supply systems. On the building sites, simple traditional

construction techniques are combined with modern architectural concepts. Participants o the peace-

education programs study in seminar rooms and the auditorium. Theatre and music groups rehearse or their

perormances on the stages o the Aonda and the Aula.

The participants o the Youth School or Global Learning are being taught by young adults who were

themselves students here a ew years ago. Men and women rom dierent countries and cultures are

working together, supporting the development o the new systems. They contribute their knowledge and

experience and gain insights that they will use or the creation o autonomous settlements in their home

countries. They benet rom the presence o International experts in the various research areas. The joy o

experimentation is as important as the nished solutions.

The most important aspect in all o this is the coming together - the community.

People who previously learned to perceive each other as enemies, or example Athose rom Israel andPalestine, are working here hand-in-hand. Common work towards a higher goal is more important or the

people on both ‘sides’ than the conict, leaving no space or hostility. Compassion, responsibility or the

whole and mutual support are the basic ethical guidelines or living together in Tamera. In addition to

32



specialist knowledge, participants bring back home the joy o experimentation, greater sel-esteem and

experience o community. Research, education and participation unite in all areas – ecology, technology,

social competence and political networking. Through this combination, a worldwide network o dierent

groups and initiatives has developed, all connected with Tamera to bring its knowledge to their projects, or

to create new projects based on similar principles. Young people love to invest their whole power and joy

into such a planetary perspective.

Sometimes I look at the world with my inner eyes, I dream. I direct my attention not towards today’s densely

populated areas, but to the places where new centres or peace are developing. Looking closely, I discover

the signs o a global renaissance. Gentle yet unstoppable, a powerul movement is orming, a movement

or reconnection with nature and reconciliation with each other in the certainty o a dierent uture – a

movement or a ree Earth. The children o the uture will be able to build on the knowledge and experience

o these centres. I one day our survival depends on choosing new ways; i the breakdown o large economic

and supply systems comes close; i whole landscapes become uninhabitable or social unrest threatens a

peaceul way o living together, then these centres will be catalysts or a new beginning. In this way Tamera

wants to put itsel into service or the world.

33



Grace Pilgrimage 2010

Colombia

Together with the peace village San José de Apartadó and Padre Javier Giraldo, Sabine Lichtenels

will lead a pilgrimage in Bogotį rom the 1st to the 9th o November 2010. The pilgrimage will

travel through power places and places o confict in the surroundings o the capital, in order to

unite peace iniatives rom around the world and to give a signal o hope or Colombia. The peacevillage San José de Apartadó is a seed o hope or the whole country and could become a model

or reconciliation in South America. However, the peace community is still relatively unknown

within the country. One o the goals o this pilgrimage is to help change this, as well as being an

experience o reconciliation and refection, as every Grace Pilgrimage has been.

South America – a region where the extremes are closer together than in almost any other region in the world:

the suering and the strength to break through, the cruelty and the longing or reconciliation, the natural

wealth and nature exploitation. In countries like Bolivia, the rights o Pacha Mamma - Mother Earth - even got

embodied in the constitution. Nevertheless, uncounted people are still being kidnapped, tortured and cruelly

murdered. There are only a ew places where condence and security are possible, due to the drug maa,

paramilitary, guerilla and corrupt governments. However there is hope, which, as a seed o a peace orce, could

kindle a revolution o love. In Colombia there is such an example: San José de Apartadó, a small community,

which has worked to establish a peace model or over 13 years. They laid down all weapons, and despite

constant murder threats, despite being displaced and living under the most difcult lie circumstances, they

have stayed true to their decision or non-violence and orgiveness.

They do not co-operate with any violent conict group and created their own community rules, rules o

solidarity and mutual support.

They say: „Because we wanted to stop the murders in the country, we had to step out o the system o

violence.”

34



Transparency in the community, no drugs, no co-operation with armed groups and no weapons – these are

the conditions or all who want to become members o the community. Tamera has got to know the peace

village San José de Apartadó intensely. Andrea Regelmann: „We have been working together with them or

ve years to develop the Global Campus. “Step out o the system o violence, create models or peace” is our

common motto. This is valid or all o South America and could become a source o strength or a nonviolent

revolution.

But exactly this community, which becomes ever more known internationally and has received many peace

prices, is called a terrorist group within Colombia itsel, and is depicted as a threat to peace. The communityneeds protection by international companions and by being known within their own country.

For this reason, we organise this Grace Pilgrimage.“

It will take place rom 1 to 9 November. It is intended to be a planetary pilgrimage, where people rom all

over the earth who are threatened in a similar way, can join in. International peace iniatives will accompany

and protect them. Tamera´s co-ounder Sabine Lichtenels and Padre Javier Giraldo rom Bogotá will lead the

pilgrimage. Sabine Lichtenels: „Our humanitarian goal is the unison o spiritual and political consciousness.

We do not ght against a system, instead we draw attention to alternatives by artistic and spiritual means.

We do not take part in the globalization o violence and we reuse the abuse o energy resources o Mother

Earth. We work all over the world to build models or a sel-sufcient lie, where the human basic values

become reality: Love, truth and trust, mutual support, co-operation with nature, and a new way o energy

production. It is the same longing or lie which is calling in all o us. We work to establish the Global Campus,

where we can study and realise the building o such models together.”

Such a model is currently being developped in the middle o the Colombian rain orest: the village Mulatos,

which belongs to the peace community San José de Apartadó. This place is to become a planetary center or

Peace training.

35



Eduar Lanchero, a council member o the peace village: „We invite all engaged and courageous people: Help

to make such models become known internationally and receive the protection they need. And through a

nancial contribution you can help to enable people rom Chrisis zones, such as Tibet, Palestine and India, to

take part in the pilgrimage 2010 in Bogotá. Together, let us turn „the miracle o Mulatos “ into a model or a new

hope in South America, so that other communities can also receive the means and the knowledge, needed to

step out o the cycle o murders and violence.“

More: www.grace-pilgrimage.org

36



We have the honor to start the VIPage in the new

Magazine Econnection. We are the latest ecovillage,

so that is a unny coincidence …..?

The initiative started in 2008 with two people. Theymade a website (www.ecodorpbrabant.nl) and now

there are about 250 members. There is no land yet,

so our priority is community building.

To practice working and living together, somebody

came up with the idea to experiment innovative

building, permaculture etc. So this summer we

started the experiment on “De Kleine Aarde” (The

Little Earth) in Boxtel. Every day there were about

40 people working there, also including volunteers.

We were very lucky, we got a lot o unds. Also, The

Housing Association rom Boxtel oered an old

camping place or us to stay there or ree.

In addition to building we experienced FORUM,

which is a way to express eelings in a group in a

sae way. We also played the eXperience GAME,

a card game in which you start with intentions,

and where you can give each other challenging or

support cards.

Both games are excellent to get to know each other

in a nice way. We work with Dragon Dreaming, a

project management methodology which leads toincredible successul projects.

Dream, Plan, Do and Celebrate !

We work with the architect Huub van Laarhoven,

who designs ‘sacred geometry’ buildings

(http://www.vanlaarhovencombinatie.nl)

The picture on the bottom is a geometric gure you

can nd in nature and the let picture and the one

below is the building ECO EXPO we construct now

and later in our ecovillage !

V I P a

g e

As Ecovillage Brabant inthe Netherlands:

By Shannah Mulder

37



Macaco on Italian

network meeting

This year July 22nd-25th the ourteenth meeting o

the Italian ecovillage network RIVE took place in the

beautiul mountains o Tuscany near Massa Marittima,

in the small community Rays. 360 people participated,mainly rom Italy but also rom many places in the

world.

The RIVE meetings are always very simple meetings,

outdoors, as ar as structures are concerned. This gives the

opportunity or many people to participate at a very low

cost.

Every year during this meeting, dierent arguments linked to community lie are shared by the communities

that are part o RIVE. This year, the our days o the meeting, gave the opportunity to talk about economy,solidarity, common choices and love relationships and about how these themes are dealt with in dierent

community realities. There were also many hands-on and social-tool workshops oered by the participants.

The whole meeting was held outside and the weather delivered sunshine everyday. A pizza oven was built,

as well as beautiul outdoor showers and compost toilets, by some RIVE volunteers, which provided comort

during this big meeting.

The energy was high and people were happy with their learning experiences. The group ate great ood

together in a big circle, shared music and danced during the evenings getting a taste o community lie. This

year, many participants came to the meeting searching or a dierent model o living together. We are livingin times, where the old models are obviously crumbling. The meeting oered a taste o the beauty o doing

things together to participants.

The last day the assembly o RIVE was held, we aced several decisions: The President Alredo Camozzi was

re-elected or another year, there was a report about the GEN meeting in Damanhur, and the law proposal

or the legal recognition o communities was discussed.

38



14-18 July, 2010

Zirc, Akli arm, Hungary

Written by Mate Borda

The EarthRise (FödKelte) is an inormal group in Hungary, which was initiated in 2009 ater the

international „Reclaim The Fields“ meeting in France. The aim o the group is to help people to get

back to the Land, and live close to nature. In Hungary, we have also started a community garden in

Budapest with this group.

The FöldKelte group decided in January 2010 to organize a summer camp or all those who think that only

a radical change in our liestyle can bring us out rom the deep ecological, social and economic crisis o the

present day. The aim o the camp was to bring together and inspire these people, and act as a meeting point

where personal experiences can be shared. We didn’t want to organize another conerence, where we listen

to lectures and ater the event everything goes on in the same old way. Instead, we wanted to organize a

camp where participants can have an insight into applicable knowledge through practical workshops and

where the question o „how to go on ater the camp” receives particular emphasis. We wanted to catalyse

the energies ever more present in Hungary in order that the spirit represented by FöldKelte among others

can be maniested in the dimension o real action, beyond the necessary step o thinking together. The camp

took place in a three-centuries-old armstead ounded by the cistercians, near the town o Zirc in the Bakonymountains, Hungary. Surrounded by baroque buildings that have seen better days, in the company o local

racka sheep, pot-bellied pigs, rasta puli dogs and exchaged hens, an intimate space was soon born, with a

riendly atmosphere and sites having their own names given by us. The spirit o the place turned out to be

ideal to bring together the campers and to ll them with the eeling o community in only our days.

More people turned up than we had expected. Not all who had registered came, but quite a ew campers

arrived whom we hadn’t counted on. All in all – including organizers and speakers – we were about 120 at

the peak o the camp. Most o the people were rom Budapest, but some came rom the countryside and

abroad, too. Satja és Virginie ancient reclaimers strengthened the camp rom Belgium, and we also had

guests rom Dijon, Italy and the United States. In the mornings, campers were woken up at hal past six. From

seven we strechted ourselves with yoga and tai chi, then at eight the buckwheat squash prepared by Greg,

the camp’s ofcial French raw-che came, saw and conquered. In the morning sessions that lasted until 1 pm,

three big groups were ormed based on the main topics o the camp – community gardens, community

FöldKelte (EarthRise)

summer camp in Hungary

39



arming and eco-villages. These groups worked on practical models or the given eld with the help o

experienced „midwives”. It soon turned out that vorming smaller subgroups makes the work more uent and

eective. Thus, in the eco-village section or example, a pragmatic subgroup, made up o almost exclusively

engineers was ormed, while in another subgroup people discussed the philosophical depths o community-building.

Ater we nished with Greg and his team’s nourishing biolunch and had a short rest, the aternoon block

made up o practical workshops kicked o. There, with the assistance o experienced workshop leaders,

participants could get a taste o countless activities that are very useul in close-to-nature everyday lie

such as bee-keeping, permaculture, elting,cheesemaking, herb-studies and home-methods o solar-panel

making.

At the dinners, various compositions o salads, ryebread rom the Kiskunság region and cheese made at

the camp’s workshop lled the mess-tins, plates and glazed vessels everyone brought rom home. Having

nished the light dinner, re-lled with energy in the mild evening ater the hot day, on the call o the camp’sshellhorn everyone gathered in the granary, whose second oor served as dormitory or the „tentless”

campers.

Every evening we heard dierent speakers. On the rst day, physicist Zsolt Hetesi, chie researcher with

the Sustainable Development Interuniversity Research Centre held a lecture on the resource crisis and

sustainable land use, which demanded serious brainwork on the part o the audience, too. During his lecture,

he highlighted the causes, logic and possible solutions o the global crisis with the precision o a surgeon.

Tamás Lantos, mayor o the village Markóc located in the Ormánság region, southern Hungary, and leader o

a oundation aiming at the sustainable development o the region, spoke about the everyday difculties o

a tiny village on the periphery, and the possible local solutions o the crisis. The example o Markóc suggeststhat an organic village-development based on strengthening the co-operation amongst members o the local

40



community, the re-introduction o traditional orms o land use, and supporting adaptive ruit arming based

on house gardens and local types o ruit, are all appropriate tools to help a minor town that is peripheral in all

respects to nd itsel again.

On the second evening „pioneers” rom ecovillages Visnyeszéplak, Nagyszékely and Ilonamalom sat on the

stage, talking about their personal experiences and what their weekdays look like ater having cut ties withurban liestyle. They were indeed bombarded with practical questions on livelihood, on the achievable level

o selsufciency or about how much they ollow the news. Well, it turned out that not at all, although Péter

Zaja rom Visnyeszéplak remarked, he knows that the Spaniards won the ootball world cup. What they all

emphasized was that even i they are organized based on a dierent system, they all live in communities held

together by solidarity and mutual help.

On the third evening, in the person o painter, literary translator Gábor Karátson we could welcome one o

the ounding athers o the Hungarian green movement. We learned how he was stirring his ker-ungi in his

kitchen day by day until at the end o the 1980s he was called rom beside his ungi to the activities around

the Duna-movement. He told a parable about a

woman, the roaring alarm system, the unknown

neighbour and social apathy, and quoted rom

I Ching, a classic Chinese text translated into

Hungarian by himsel. It let a great impressioon in

many o us when he recalled his memories rom

the 1956 Hungarian revolution: he emphasized

that the most important but hardly ever quoted

motto o the revolution was „neither communism

nor capitalism”.

Ater the plenary evening sessions, campre,

live music, dancing and wine rom Szent György-

mountain awaited the campers. We could

welcome in our circle Csaba Koncz 1956-émigré,

1968-hippy, musician, maker o musical

instruments and proud caretaker o a 170-year-old

pear tree. On the last evening olk musicians with

violins and double bass took care o dancing. The

ree, candle-and-torch atmosphere o the evening-

uns evoked the eeling o the company o old

riends.

The last morning until lunch was completely dedicated to the issue o how to go on. We did brainstorming in

small groups on the tasks ahead o us, which were then collected and concrete undertakings were born. The

group o Földkelte undertook to edit and publish on our blog the written records o the morning sessions,

to prepare a short video-clip about the camp, to organize a september-meeting in Akli on the occasion

o opening a shop o local products there, and also to organize a FöldKelte weekend in autumn or inter in

Budapest (possibly in a place called Tűzraktér). Besides, task-groups were brought to lie with the aim o

translating into Hungarian a book on community building, entitled „Beyond you and me”; making Hungarian

subtitles or the movie „On modern servitude”; starting a new community garden in Budapest or its close

41



surroundings; helping to organize Reclaim the Fields’ International meetings and 2011 international summer

camp; and nally o planning and organizing various local actions.

The eect o the camp – probably echoing the experience o many o us – was possibly summerized the

most expressively by Zoli Somogyvári, waterman and translator o the camp: „The camp’s eect was so strong

that I returned to the city as a complete stranger. People here

in the city were not strangers to me, I in act, rather elt empathy towards them (this I explain to mysel as

a spillover o the camp’s community experience), but the city’s decoration, the billboards, the light- and

noisepollution was striking. This, o course, didn’t last or long. Soon everything was back on the old track, but

the seed o change remained in me. I’m waiting or it to come into lea”.

More about „Reclaim The Fields“ : http://www.reclaimtheelds.org/

More about FöldKelte (mostly in Hungarian): http://oldkelte.wordpress.com/

Reclaim The Fields“ movement also has some e-mail lists, the biggest one is: european.

[email protected]

42



8th Lie

8thLife – a research laboratory for community sustainable living, http://8thlife.org

An Adventure in Fixing Systems, not Symptoms

8th Lie came about ater 8 years o intensive permaculture action-learning programmes in Finca

Luna, an experimental arm in the Canary Islands. Here we created an environment where people

could take the amazing box o tools that they discovered during our intensive Permaculture Designcourse, and apply it, overseveral months.

We learned so much during this time, mostly how the talents and dysunctions o our post-modern or

“western” culture (the “shadow!”) start to play out quite quickly once we start working in a group committed

to living within a lower energy budget, and also how rapidly these energies can be harnessed, healed or

turned around, using the right models and tools.

We did a lot o experiential learning about how ‘the system’ seems to work, both inside and outside o us.

There really seem to be a lot o ractal patterns at play: the same kind o things happen on a personal level

that happen on a group, societal and world level.

This was tremendously exciting or us, because this is a key to the puzzling popular saying (and common

observation) that “the more things change, the more they stay the same” - which should be a great concern

or system students in these times o great change. I we don’t gure out how to manage our collective

shadow, we simply won’t make it to a rational society.

We oten joked that we should make a movie o the lie on the arm, as it’s so much richer than most o the

‘real lie tv’ programmes we’d seen (which are very popular), but also because “a Big Brother eye” (we were

humble or realistic enough to realise) might well help us all to keep to the discipline o actually applying all

the great tools we had at our disposal.

We could see that we had difcult but very eectivemodels and tools that acilitate great leaps in learning,

eective work and real closeness in relationships. We

were

able to highlight which models and tools work better

than others, and we would like to do more ocused

research into this. We eel very passionately that we want

everyone in the world to experience the joy o what is

possible, and that it is not necessary to settle or pseudo-

community and the very oppressive social games that

are so common still, even in the ‘alternative’ movement.

43



Then we got an invitation to take part in a global “Best Idea or Humanity” competition, which comes

complete with a 7-month online course or Social Entrepreneurs. It’s not oten that someone asks you “so

what’s the best idea or humanity that you can contribute then?” And it’s a very good question! It ocused

our thinking tremendously and.…. 8th Lie was our answer. One way we want to put the wonderul resource

we have at our disposal to the best possible use we can think o, so that it can serve the maximum numbero people who are walking with us towards a sustainable world.

You can see what we came up with in more detail on http://8thlie.org and i you like the idea we would love

your help! How?

Please vote or us – beore the 17th o October! There is a link or this in the rst page, i we get into the

top 50% by votes we will get a much better chance to spread the word about sustainable groups and

communities.

Help us nd the Core People – we want to nd 5 more highly adventurous people or this adventure. They

need to know they way to live in an Ecovillage, and be passionate about research into sustainable systems.

It’s a lietime opportunity or someone and maybe you know them. Get in touch i you are into this type o

research - we want to join up with others doing this type o in-depth, experiential research. Help us spread

the word!

More in the next issue o e-connection about how the Sustainability Lab could work, why it is needed, and

also interviews with pioneers rom other learning communities.

Stella, skype – SteaniaStrega, email – [email protected], http://8thlie.org

44



“I you want to get building permissions or new houses, lakes and solar systems the Portuguese

government needs to know what you are doing and what your vision is - on a regional and on

a global level.” This advice was given by a lawyer in June, and three months later the Tamera

community published a book about its work and vision.

Writer Leila Dregger, a journalist, living in Tamera: “All over the world, projects and individuals are preparing

a new uture with great commitment in the ace o global threats. As a journalist I have the privilege o

getting to know these initiatives. It is my deep wish that my work will contribute to these groups recognising

each other ever more as an arising planetary community with the power to bring about global peace. One

o these initiatives is Tamera. It became clear to me through this writing that it is impossible to do justice

to Tamera in a single book. As every aspect mentioned could be deepened, I have concentrated on those

aspects in which the model nature o the work is already becoming visible. This book provides an insight

into the current state o the work o Tamera in three core areas: permaculture and water landscape, solar

technology and peace-education. The special characteristic o Tamera is that all undertakings are based on

the deep peace and community research that has been carried out by the members over the decades. Andso, also this book was a community undertaking.

I we want peace on Earth, we have to nd out what peace really means. What could a world look like in

which all people have enough ood, in which rivers lled with clear water can reely meander, in which

children trust adults again and where conicts no longer lead to violence but are instead solved with

intelligence and compassion?

More than thirty years ago, a team o pioneers around the world - psychoanalyst Dr. Dieter Duhm, the

theologist Sabine Lichtenels and the physicist Charly Rainer Ehrenpreis - had the idea to develop as

demonstrative, practical and convincing, a model or the uture as possible. The Peace Research Village Tamera, in Portugal, with its international network, developed rom this idea.

Take a look into the uture: a uture ull o heart, ull o lie, ull o possibilities...

or you and all people on Earth.

Email: [email protected]

Read more on: www.verlag-meiga.orgOrder the book at: http://www.verlag-meiga.org/node/229 Price: 19,80 Euro

A Model or the Future: Tamera published a book about its work and vision

45



ECOnnection TEAMDanielle Byrne (Editor)

Up until 2 weeks ago I was living at Braziers Park, a community o 20 people,

in England or 15 months. I went to Braziers originally to conduct eldwork or

6 weeks, to write an ethnography on intentional communities or my Masters

degree in Psychological Anthropology. This experience changed my lie,

opening me up to alternative ways o being and upon nishing my Masters

I decided to change my lie and I applied or residency at Braziers. Braziers’history ascinates me and even though my journey continues on I still hope

to be actively involved rom aar. I am now on my way to visit an Ecovillage in

Nicaragua and then who knows where my path will lead. As well as all this I am

also interested in art as a therapeutic tool - I am a creative person, oten seen

painting, dancing or writing. Through working on Econnection I hope to help

oster knowledge exchange, communication and awareness between beautiul

like-minded people and communities. Danielle [email protected]

Liesbeth van Deemter (Designer).

I live at Roosendaal in the Netherlands. Associated with the Ecodorp Brabant - a

project in Holland to create the rst ecovillage in our country! Creating together

with a lot o lovely people an ecovillage is a very beautiul thing to do. My job

is graphic designer. But rst o all I am a mother o a son o 16 years old. I also

work with woll - elting - spinning etc. Creating Econnection with these lovely

people here, will help to spread the ecovillage ‘ever’ all over Europe! Liesbeth

[email protected]

Shannah Mulder (Editor)

I live in the south o Holland (Nederland) and since January 2010 I am an

enthusiastic member o ecodorp Brabant. First we build a community and

when we are ready we’ll have beautiul ground or the eco-village, wherever

that maybe….. I am 52 and have a daughter o 19. Since January this year

I’m body-wise and mind-wise ull o the eco-village and in July I ound my

GEN-Family. Together with a ew GEN-sisters I want to make a beautiul

ECONNECTION. I hope you will like what we create and you will participate by

supplying the inormation. Lots o warm greetings, Shannah.Shannah [email protected]

46



Quaglia (Editor) (Quail in English).

I am a citizen in the Federation o Damanhur, Italy with American and Chinese

roots. I love to write stories, real-lie ones and inspired ction too. I re dance

and sing in the Damanhur choir, and also serve as a translator and connector or

Damanhur’s international riends and guests. I see econnection as a means to

share the joys and realities o living in an ecovillage, sparking creativity and new

ways o [email protected]

Kadri Allikmäe (Editor).

I come From Estonia. I got to know about the ecovillage movement 3 years

ago in Sieben Linden where I „accidentally“ attended the GA or the rst time.

Since then I’ve been working with Estonian ecovillage network to support

all ecovillage initiatives that we have here that they truly got started. Being

originally trained in public relations, my big love is internel communications.Recently I ound out that the true un o lie is with children (our uture wizards

o the planet), so I changed my area and went to study kindergarten teaching. I

do econnection because I belive in Us and the change we can bring about on

Earth! I eel this is the place where I can give to GEN.

Kadri [email protected]

Leila Dregger: (Editor) 51, independent journalist. I was publisher o the women s

magazine “The Female Voice - Politics o the Heart” beore I decided to not only

write about emale knowledge but to achieve it by living in community. For

this I moved to Tamera in 2003, where I am working in the political networking,especially in publishing the ecological situation. I have worked a lot about

ecological topics and peace topics and accompanied peace actions in many

countries. My dream is to transorm the mainstream journalism rom violence and

sensation orientation towards setting a ocus on peace developments.

Leila [email protected]

Stella Strega-Scoz (Editor)

II live in Finca Luna in the Canary Islands, where I have been passionatelyengaged or 8 years in some permaculture action-research, a story that is

culminating in 2010 in the 8th Lie project, an open Sustainability Lab which

we hope will result in a new experimental EcoVillage. Mainly I consider mysel

a permaculture activist, starting 20years ago in London with various grassroots

community projects. Moving to Spain 10 years ago, my main contribution here

has been to set up an node o the Permaculture Academy where a team o

practitioners provide training at all levels in this great sustainability science. I love

being surrounded by the peace and beauty o our arm, the extended amily o

my partner Julio, sharing with chickens, dogs and cats, growing edible orests,

ood gardens and experimenting with using only waste materials to build our

mini-house structures. Am delighted to be part o E-Connect, as a GEN eort

to ocus on the research, innovation and personal experiences o living in eco-

villages. I look orward to learning a lot rom all o you!

[email protected] 47



Hall of Mirrors, The Temples of Humankind at Damanhur

http://www.thetemples.org/ 48



GEN-Europe is the European ecovillage association promoting

environmental protection and restoration o nature through the concept

o ecovillages as models or sustainable human settlements. We actively

support the development o ecovillages and networks in Europe, the MiddleEast and Arica. GEN-Europe is a membership organisation ounded in 1996

and is open to a wide range o projects regardless o their political, religious

or cultural backgrounds. GEN-Europe orms part o GEN International, an

NGO with special consultative status at the UN-Economic and Social Council

(ECOSOC) commission, and a partner o United Nations Institute or Training

and Research, UNITAR.

„It is possible to change our world.

A diferent world is already coming into existence.

On quiet days I can hear this new world breathing.“

Arundhati Roy

Econnection is the e-magazine started by the people o GEN Europe with an aim to have more

deep sharing within our network.

Write to us:

[email protected]

More about GEN Europe:

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econnection 1 (autumn 2010)

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