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A Personal Reflection of an Asian’s Journey to the European Ecovillage Gathering 2023

September 2, 2023 by Luvian Iskandar

The ecovillage concept has been so attractive in the past 15 years, although I was unfamiliar with the term back then. I have visited a few ecovillages in Thailand and abroad and I have talked to a number of people living in them or wanted to create one. They have similar characteristics of being located in rural settings, entailing non-chemical agriculture or food production components, practicing and offering some kind of practical courses, having some elements of spirituality, and residents of different ages and backgrounds living together either permanently or temporarily. I wanted to create or live in a small co-farming community somewhere in the world. Forming a community with the right people to live with, who you can call family beyond blood connection, is not an easy task.

My plan to visit Europe this year corresponded with the European Ecovillage gathering dates. I had a great opportunity to get a ticket to attend the GEN European gathering in Germany through GENOA. As one of a few Asians representatives who were there amongst 800 other participants from around Europe and elsewhere. It was an exciting chance to meet folks who are actually living in an ecovillage and are like-minded.

On the day of arrival, an Israeli woman and I got a lift from a German non-binary person living in a campervan that was about four hours away from the venue. Our conversation during the road trip allowed us to get to know each other more. We shared our deep thoughts, including the topics of activism, trauma, healing, meditation, and life goals. We arrived at the Nature Community in Schoensee around 6 p.m. We parted at the main entrance where each of us went to the registration desk that corresponded to the accommodation type we booked. An introvert like me on a budget reserved a tent a month ago. I love camping and know I need my own space and privacy during the full energetic 4-day gathering.

During the registration, a woman searched for my name on her laptop and asked for proof of payment. What? Was that really the first thing they wanted to see? Don’t they have it on the database? I showed them the confirmation email anyway. The next thing I knew, no single tents were available for me! Really? My mood quickly changed from excitement to disappointment, confusion, and anger. How could this happen here in Germany? I was trying to calm myself down when the woman told me that the dinner (all organic and vegan!) was now being served and suggested that I eat first while they were trying to locate a place for me to sleep.

I dropped my backpack at a random spot with no idea where to put my head on that cold night. I tried to swallow my dinner and my own anger. Finally, the organizer put me in the only available option, a dormitory where I shared the space with other 30+ people. Excuse me, how will I have any privacy for the rest of the time? Participants who booked a hotel room had no problem getting their room. People who drove were prepared to sleep in their car or van. Locals who brought their own tent got their stuff sorted easily. I traveled all the way from another continent, booked a tent as a tiny private space, and had none. 🙁

The opening ceremony happened that night at 8 p.m. I came a bit late as I was sorting out the sleeping arrangement issue with a troubled mind. A lot of strangers of all ages with smiles and warmth gathered in the same space, coming together for similar causes and hopes and dreams at the Heart of Ecovillage (the stage). Impressive! My mood changed, again for the better. We paid silent gratitude to the North, east, south, west, sky, and earth. We made a group of random 7-8 people as our home group that we meet every afternoon after lunch for a good 45 minutes to share our days. I felt grateful to be able to stand there with the crowd, opening my heart to the experiences to come with zero expectations, despite the worries of having an emotional breakdown. I had a deep sleep in the dormitory the first night.

The first day’s theme was “Coming from Gratitude” starting with a speech from Vivian Dittmar which was so powerful and inspiring. She talked about the five dimensions of prosperity, and moving forward or doing things according to our inner calling, even though it is in the opposite direction to the mainstream. Aren’t we all doing it here? That is powerful to think about, isn’t it? That morning I also attended a workshop titled “Exploring and Integrating Radical Self-Love” led by Maja Takatomi. It was basically a guided meditation digging deep into our physical and mental selves. Near the end of the session, I found myself talking to my own younger self. “Trust the universe. Everything will be alright. Don’t be afraid of the future”. I told Maja how grateful I was to meet her.

The afternoon sharing with the home group helped me know a few members more deeply, and later we exchanged contacts. We shared our thoughts and feelings, in this space each day without being judged. I felt free to talk about whatever was in my head and heart both good and bad. People were surprised that I really liked the food there as the menus were almost the same every day. I told them I could taste the real flavors of the food and my digestion was working so perfectly. During the sharing, some paid full attention by listening deeply, while a few seemed not to be present from time to time.

It is strange to think what life brings us at different times with different energies we have for the moment. This time, I only felt a connection with a few people and we shared certain interests. With the large crowd out there, I did not even know how to start a conversation. People seemed to be occupied, self-indulgent, expressive or ran after something. I did not feel any deep connection to anyone else apart from those few in the home group. It was overwhelming.

Later the same afternoon, more than 20 ecovillages around Europe and elsewhere set up tables and displayed their posters and materials showing activities. So many tall people gathered around each table, which prevented me from seeing anything because everyone towered over me. I managed to squeeze in and talk to some ecovillage representatives. To my surprise, although they lived in the same village with approximately a hundred inhabitants, they did not know everyone who lived there. People seemed to be focusing on Europe and were not very interested in things happening outside their continent. On some level this is understandable as a European gathering, but also, disappointing.

After dinner, I joined the Cacao Ceremony out of curiosity to learn about how it would be different than the tea ceremony. I skipped the Ecstatic Dance Journey which was the later part of the session. I noticed that some could not wait to get into the ecstatic movement, while the majority were still sitting appreciating the sip of cacao drink while waiting for the shaman’s next direction. I felt there would be too much energy, so I left the room where more than a hundred people were about to start the escalation.

The Nature Community had a wellness center opening from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily, which I enjoyed very much, especially in the sauna area. I took a daily shower there instead of using open-air (cold only) showers located at different spots in the public areas throughout the main venue. I have to admit that, although I have had some experiences at naked saunas or nudist beaches in Europe, the mixed open-air showers without a changing room where people walked by and could definitely see your bare body parts, gave me a big culture shock.

The themes of the next 3 days were connected to Joanna Macy’s “Work that Reconnects” which are “Honoring our Pain for the World”, “Seeing with New Eyes”, and “Going Forth”. There were sharing circles, talks, panel discussions, dances, and performances on and around the stage according to each day’s theme. My mood swung a lot from the hopeful first day to the dull second day of embracing the pain. Then we got new hopes on the third day with a talk by Christian Felber about the Economy for the Common Goods, to the more concrete ideas and planning for the future that was discussed on the last day of the gathering.

There were more than 10 parallel workshops happening at the same time in the mornings and evenings. Many workshops had limited space or capacity. It is a shame that some could take only 20-30 people while the whole gathering represented 800+ of us. People talked about FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), but I am rather on the side of JOMO (Joy of Missing Out). On two evenings I took a long walk to the town, enjoying beautiful flowers in front of each house, the nearby forest, and the natural swimming pool. I needed my lone time away from the crowd. I needed those walks.

One workshop I attended, facilitated by Krisztina Barany, set up a continuing communication channel through a WhatsApp group. We talked about closing the gap between urban lifestyle and ecovillage values and practices. Many people see themselves in a bridging role, including myself, as they have been visiting and experiencing several ecovillages while still living in the city. We talked about how to connect the two opposites. We also discussed whether it is necessary to move out of the city when you can actually implement the ecovillage values and practices in the inner city itself, with the support of local authority bodies. When we see ourselves as change agents, more of us together can move big barriers. I expected we continue the discussion online.

From the first day and every day thereafter, I had reflections about what and how I wanted to do about my life. The gathering has helped me realize that I cannot actually live anywhere in the world. I prefer living in a familiar environment where I know how things work, where I know how plants and vegetables I eat grow, and where I know how people would react if I did something outside the social norm. I am no longer hesitant to contact friends who I want to live with and plan our future together. I aim for only 5-6 members who co-create the co-farming-living-learning space together. Living a meaningful life can be like a lucid dream. We have control of the decisions we make every moment, but not the outcome. I decided to love myself, pursue my dream, and benefit to others. The unique journey through this experiential gathering has unlocked my unclear path in a way I have never expected. I am thankful for the opportunity to be born as a human, made it this far, and surrounded by good friends. Special thank you goes to Jane Rasbash who encouraged me to attend the gathering, Thao Ngo (Kin) who facilitated the possibility of connecting with GENOA, and Wongsanit Ashram supported half of the registration fee.

Note that the inspiring Vivian does not live in an ecovillage anymore and is the founder of the non-profit Be the Change Foundation. Some ecovillagers do not produce enough food for themselves nor earn enough income to sustain their lives. They choose to live on monthly government support (which I am irritated with the idea of using other taxpayers’ money to live their dream). Lastly, more than half of the participants drove their fossil-fueled car or campervan from all over Europe to the event. Where is the take-give balance in life and who is it to judge, really?


About the Author

Wansiri Rongrongmuang (Topsi)

Topsi is an environmental activist and spiritual seeker, passionate about promoting inner peace and sustainability. As the coordinator for the Eco-Temple project of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists, she works to spread awareness about the environmental crisis and promote eco-friendly practices within her community. She believes that achieving inner peace and living in harmony with the environment are closely intertwined, and strives to live her life in a way that reflects this belief.

Filed Under: ecovillages, events, Uncategorized Tagged With: community, ecovillage, Europe, gathering, GEN Europe

Dances of Universal Peace Workshops Asia 2023

August 6, 2023 by Luvian Iskandar

The Dances of Universal Peace workshops are coming back to Asia this year! Last year, GENOA supported the Beyond Initiative Project of Dances of Universal Peace International to share this awareness-expanding practice in 5 different countries in Asia. Jorge Arjun Calero, one of the senior mentors of the dances, visited India, the Maldives, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand to hold workshops introducing the dances and wrapped the trip series with the very first international dance camp in Gaia Ashram, Thailand.

This year, Arjun is coming back to Asia to further nurture the seeds that were planted last year. With more people who have experienced the dances and are willing to organize dances in their countries, the sessions this year will happen in 10 different countries of Asia!


About the Dances of Universal Peace (DUP)

The Dances of Universal Peace (DUP) is a very simple practice, suitable for all people and at the same time very special because in circles we relate and harmonize intimately: we shake hands, we share looks, we listen and we sing together. The dances set scriptures and sacred phrases from various spiritual traditions to music and movement of the world.

It can be a powerful and transformative practice, dissolving our illusion of separation, and invoking an embodied sense of unity, presence, and compassion. Offered in an atmosphere of safety, authenticity, and mindfulness, the Dances help us to open ourselves to qualities that emerge and remember the interconnectedness and harmony of life.

There are a lot of dimensions and elements that the practice offer which makes it impossible to describe what it is in a single paragraph. It is a practice of dynamic meditation, prayer, chanting, relating, and much more at the same time. To really know about the dances, it is best to first experience them with an experienced facilitator!


Meet the Facilitators

Mono Arjun/ Jorge Calero

He is part of the Board of Directors of the International Organization for the Dances of Universal Peace (DUP) where he serves as Senior Mentor and Board of Trustees of Sufi Ruhaniat International where he serves as Sheikh. He has taken the DUP to different countries in Latin America, Middle East, North Africa, and Asia coordinating the Beyond Initiative. 

A medicine man with years of experience in the path of ceremonies, sacred plants, sweat lodge, sun dance, vision quest, and travels with these altars.

One of the founders of Atlantida Ecovillage 20 years ago, a community where DUP training and all the mentioned altars are planted. Also cofounder of the Colombian and Latin American Ecovillage Networks. Still active in these networks as an elder and vision keeper as well as organizing education for sustainability. He is a biologist, specialist in ethnobiology and ecology with a M.Sc. in ecosocial regeneration.

Malika Elena

Initiated in the lineage of the Sufi Ruhaniat International. Leader of the Dances of Universal Peace, explorer of different Native American practices, musician, and singer of World Sacred Music. Through her golden voice, she offers a journey for different spiritual traditions of the Earth. Celebrating the human spirit, cultivating the sense of a planetary community full of diversity and beauty, and promoting respect, understanding, and recognition between all religions and spiritual paths. She has released several albums and singles of World Sacred Music.

You can enjoy her music here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ZobXCnIFxHTrxCdFouAYt?si=z-PdWgknSTqMQ046KDylKA 

And learn more about her here: http://www.malikaelena.com


DUP Asia Workshops & Camp Timeline

Check out the dates, location and register for the events!

DateEventCountryMore Info &
Registration
11 -23 September Turkish Caravan Turkey coming soon
13 – 17 September Middle East International Training Camp Turkey coming soon
27 September – 3 October Weekend Workshops Maldives coming soon
27 September – 9 October Weekend Workshops India coming soon
10 – 18 October Weekend Workshops Japan coming soon
19 – 26 October Weekend Workshops Korea coming soon
26 October – 2 November Weekend Workshops Philipines coming soon
4 – 5 November Rhythm of Unity – DUP Weekend Retreat Malaysia Link
11 – 12 November Weekend Workshops Indonesia coming soon
16 – 23 November Weekend Workshops Thailand coming soon
27 November – 10 December Vietnam Caravan Vietnam coming soon
30 November – 3 December Asian International Training Camp Vietnam Link

The DUP Experience

  • International DUP Camp at Gaia Ashram, Thailand
  • Thailand, 2022
  • Thailand, 2022
  • Thailand, 2022
  • Thailand, 2022
  • Thailand, 2022
  • Thailand, 2022
  • DUP Workshops in Indonesia
  • Indonesia, 2022
  • Indonesia, 2022
  • Indonesia, 2022
  • Indonesia, 2022
  • Indonesia, 2022
  • Indonesia, 2022
  • Indonesia, 2022
  • DUP Workshops in Vietnam
  • Vietnam, 2022
  • Vietnam, 2022
  • Vietnam, 2022
  • Vietnam, 2022
  • Vietnam, 2022

Filed Under: arts, events

Tomatoes and Creating the Meaning of Community

July 4, 2023 by Luvian Iskandar

“The tomatoes are ripening. Let’s celebrate with friends!” This is the key idea behind the first “YouGood Tomato Festival”.

From June 22nd to 23rd, 2023, the YouGood Ecological Community, located on the outskirts of Shanghai, hosted the “Tomato Festival,” with over 300 people attending. The plan was to celebrate the diverse rewards nature has given to the community, to introduce the new village community partners of YouGood, and to engage participants in interactive workshops. Everything “emerged” naturally in the unique rhythm of YouGood during the festival.

A small-scale farmer,Miss Zhou, sells her farm’s fruits and vegetables at the market.
The small farmer’s market is set up as part of the festival

The festival calls on both new villagers and indigenous people, as well as participants, to bring their own chairs. The resting area in the fields shows a variety of interesting states: vegetable baskets from the farm, tree stumps from the surroundings, outdoor chairs, picnic mats, long benches from villagers’ homes, wooden pallets, straw mats, French garden chairs and etc.

Using rice bran and collected rainwater to clean cutlery 
Everyone uses their own cutlery and enjoys a joyful dinner in the field

Our skilled community partner, Tiantian, who is good at carpentry, spent 1.5 days using reclaimed steel bars from a villager’s demolished house and discarded building slabs salvaged from the garbage dump, to build the stage for the outdoor music concert and small farmer’s market display. Volunteer Yi Yi used a needle to sew old canvas onto the market display, creating a natural and rustic sunshade. Community partner Cheng Cheng utilized old burlap to create simple tomato navigation signs for the community.

Doris’s poetry recitation
The audience enjoys the music at the sunset

The performers at the evening field concert are all neighbors and friends from the village, while the audience is filled with friends who came from nearby urban areas, and also villagers and local residents.

Wei Hai’s original singing and guitar playing
Sun setting during the festival

Everyone sits in the glow of the sunset, listening to the melodies of the hulusi, poetry recitations, shakuhachi, and rock music coming from the fields. The two hosts, from Northeast China and Singapore, interact with everyone on the ridge of the field. All of these erase the boundaries of people. Everyone’s breathing and smiles truly come from the depths of their hearts.

navigation signs drew my community partner Chengcheng
The preparation team puts up hand-drawn, rustic navigation signs along the village.

The tomatoes at YouGood Farm originated from four old varieties of natural genetic tomato seeds shared by fellow farmers 6 years ago. They are Big Yellow (suitable for soup and raw consumption), Big Red (stir-fried), Flower Ball (raw with sandy flesh), and West Rice Pudding (raw with a refreshing and sweet taste). Since then, the community has been saving seeds every year, selecting these native and robust seeds that have not been exposed to pesticides or chemical fertilizers, allowing the inherent flavors of tomatoes to be passed down.

Community partner Xiao Cui’s tomato seed saving workshop
Heirloom tomatoes of YouGood Farm

In just two days, the 350 kilograms of tomatoes were scattered throughout the community and transformed into our food, artwork, gifts, work tools, and seeds. They became an entity that was reimagined and recognized by hundreds of onlookers.

Cui and the volunteers, San San, sorting the seeds after the Tomato Seed Saving Workshop
“Tomato Reproduction” Art Installation by Lv Yanni and Cy

During the Tomato Festival, some people exclaimed, “Are these tomatoes fake?” while others were surprised, “I didn’t know tomatoes have more than one color!” Following this, these friends experienced how tomatoes are bred and learned about the process of creating diversity in our workshop. They then enjoyed a meal made using tomatoes and praised it as having the “taste of childhood”, evoking happy memories of eating sweet tomato soup with family during summer when they were children. Everyone took home these tomatoes from the market. The understanding of tomatoes underwent a reshaping process.

We witnessed how tomatoes can evoke people’s memories and create a connection with the land
Friends participated in the saving tomato seed workshop
Community partner Tiantian’s tomato and bamboo tube rice workshop
Community partner Joyce’s kombucha workshop

The possibility of gathering people together and reconnecting with their local roots.

The Tomato Festival brought together long-lost companions. It was not just a community gathering for neighbors, but also a collective visit for friends from outside the community. The children in the community were no longer just classmates or neighbors, but also working partners representing our community. Partner Ducks roamed in the fields, partner geese walked in the distance, and the white egret and the cattle egret stay in the field. In the community, we have many working partners.

The eggs from chickens, ducks, and geese were labeled as “partners’ eggs” and priced for sale at the market. The visitors couldn’t resist taking pictures of them.

Some friends started their journey from the center of Shanghai in the early morning, around 6 a.m. They rode their homemade bamboo bicycles and traveled over 60 kilometers. Finally, in the afternoon, they arrived at the event venue.

On the second day of the Tomato Festival, it started raining right before the end of the event. Participants calmly took out their umbrellas and put on their raincoats. They continued to leisurely enjoy their dinner in the fields. Many friends even happily went for second and third servings in the rain, exclaiming, “It’s so delicious!”

Eight elementary school children, dressed in raincoats, stood on a makeshift stage made of wooden pallets and performed a flute ensemble. Quietly and orderly, they played the rehearsed piece they had been practicing for a long time. Despite the drizzling rain, everyone continued to laugh, clap, and cheer.

Elementary school children flute ensemble
Shanghai-style hot wave of wellness workshop

The “Shanghai-style Hot Wave of Wellness” workshop in the village turned Hai Tao (cofounder of YouGood Farm)’s home into a haven for wellness. Activities such as making a traditional sachet for the Dragon Boat Festival, creating mosquito repellent, cooking rice in bamboo tubes, and handcrafting Margherita pizzas were all greatly loved by the children. The coffee grounds mushroom cultivation workshop sparked the fascination of young people as they discussed de-anthropocentrism. The flower and plant game of transforming old dyed fabrics created a quaint and timeless outdoor experience, while He Xuan’s impromptu dancing at the end of the rice fields made participants feel the freedom of movement.

On the first evening of the Tomato Festival, organized by the Earth Hour Film Bureau, a highly anticipated documentary called “Planet Local” was screened. The translator of the film, and our old friends Doris and Ruiqi, were invited to join us for a post-screening discussion.

The film addresses the impact of the globalization of markets on small-scale, diverse agricultural farming practices, which were originally considered “small but beautiful.” It highlights a series of staggering facts: large-scale mechanized harvesting and processing result in the wastage of nearly one-third of the global food supply; small-scale, diversified farms are over five times more productive than industrialized monoculture farms; and small farms currently safeguard 95% of the world’s agricultural biodiversity.

The film addresses the impact of the globalization of markets on small-scale, diverse agricultural farming practices, which were originally considered “small but beautiful.” It highlights a series of staggering facts: large-scale mechanized harvesting and processing result in the wastage of nearly one-third of the global food supply; small-scale, diversified farms are over five times more productive than industrialized monoculture farms; and small farms currently safeguard 95% of the world’s agricultural biodiversity.

The next morning, a Small Farmer Talk was held, where small-scale farmers from the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai areas gathered together to share their current situations, discuss the challenges they face, and exchange ideas on the path ahead.

The Tomato Festival aims to celebrate the diversity of tomatoes and explore localized solutions from the perspectives of food, art, and land. We will continuously invite small-scale farmers to join us in exploring how they can voice out while facing global issues such as climate crisis (agriculture being the most impacted sector) and biodiversity loss. We will discuss whether small-scale farmers can sustainably continue their production while maintaining their way of life and how they can effectively raise their voices.

The “Planet Local ” also resonates with our response: transitioning from globalization to localism is an effective solution and the greatest possibility for exploring sustainability. Increasingly, young people around the world are returning to the land, engaging in ecological education, promoting natural farming methods, and establishing ecological communities. With a focus on their responsibility towards the environment and land, they engage in production and consumption practices that prioritize sustainability.

At YouGood Farm, we practice natural farming methods and permaculture. The ongoing revolution of localization is experiencing such changes: we appreciate the gifts of nature while acknowledging the pain brought about by globalization. Returning to ancient lands, we embark on a new transformation – individuals with courage and strength are leading the revolution of localization.

Experiencing rice planting at the Tomato Festival

Returning to our roots means reconnecting through emotions and shared understanding between people and the environment. We celebrate abundance and diversity, cherishing the objects that coexist in our corner of the world. Through this, we gradually establish a symbiotic relationship with the land using a slow and low-consumption approach. The fields, ducks, plants, and birds become integral parts of our lives, and our perception of ourselves as individuals begins to change.

As the ecological architect Lawrence Halpri said, “I want to participate in absolutely real events, join people and the environment so that life can thrive as a whole.” Tomatoes have achieved our symbiosis this time.

Community partner Ashley shared her feeling about living in the countryside and among community friends, which also concludes our thoughts towards the festival and our community. “In the city, it seems like we have always been chasing an “eternal summer,” an everlasting youth. But in the countryside, we have always been celebrating the process of getting older, rediscovering ourselves and our lives through ancient traditions, discarded objects, and the interweaving of pain and joy that exists within life. In doing so, we uncover a greater capacity for love, giving, and creativity than we never thought possible, and this power of love can extend beyond our own lives, taking the form of community and spreading through the way we live.”


Text: Chengcheng, Ashley

Photography: Li Gaoshan, Qi, Chengcheng, Jasmine

Tomato Art Installation Design: Lv Yanni, Cy

Original Article in Chinese

Filed Under: arts, ecovillages, events, National Ecovillage Network, Uncategorized Tagged With: China, community, event, village, YouGood

Financial Literacy for Communities Webinar: Exploring Needs and Co-creating Resources 

March 3, 2023 by Luvian Iskandar

Have you and your community been experiencing challenges when it comes to financing fundamentals and good financial management?

We at GENOA share this nervousness and recognise this gap in financial education in our system. We aspire to find a way to support regenerative communities and projects to be stronger in the economic dimension, starting with building financial acumen and creating financial literacy for all in our network. 

Join us to have a stimulating conversation around finance with the vision of creating Financially Intelligent Ecovillages and Regenerative Communities.  We want to hear from you, your needs, your strengths and your experience with finance to explore creating learning resources that could meet the needs of communities to become enterprising, prosperous, and abundant.

Accompanying us in this call is Anil Lamba – a renowned speaker and trainer in Finance Management with his mission of bringing financial intelligence for free to at least a billion people. Dr. Lamba has written several books and over 1500 articles. His books, Romancing the Balance Sheet, Flirting with Stocks, Eye on the Bottom Line, and Financial Affairs of the Common Man are making waves. You can read more about Anil here: https://anillamba.com/about-us/ 

This is an invitation to collaborate with Dr.Lamba to train 1 billion people, with 1 million volunteers to co-create a Financially Intelligent World. Join the movement of making money flow where it is needed the most. 

This is not a talk, it is a sharing space where we hear from each other and explore patterns, commonalities, and leverage points in this seemingly hard and difficult topic of financial literacy. 

Regardless of your background, if you have had some experience working with finance in a project or in your community, join us with an open mind and willingness to share.

You can now watch the recording of the call here

Filed Under: education, events, partners, Uncategorized Tagged With: Economy, finance, literacy, money, resources

Embodying Unity and Finding Community at DUP Camp Thailand 2022

December 28, 2022 by Luvian Iskandar

On December 12th – 14th, a group of us came together in the Dances of Universal Peace Camp Thailand 2022 at Gaia Ashram – a learning center and community for ecological lifestyle. This camp is the final event that concludes a series of DUP workshops in multiple countries in Asia and also the first regional camp with participants attending from different countries in Asia. We stayed together for a few days to immerse ourselves deeply in the practice of Dances of Universal Peace, connecting with ourselves, each other, and the universe.

Participants came from Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Maldives, Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, India, Indonesia, USA, UK, Slovenia, Netherlands & Colombia

The diversity of the camp participants was striking. It was a privilege to be a part of this camp along with the presence of 30 people from 15 different countries in Asia and beyond. Each of us enriched the camp with unique culture, stories, and energy making the camp very colorful and interesting. We all engage in this collective dance exploration under the guidance of Arjun Calero from Colombia, our senior mentor of the Dances of Universal Peace, who has been traveling to India, Vietnam, Indonesia, The Maldives, and finally Thailand in the past 3 months to share the Dances of Universal Peace in Asia.

The two-day camp started with us getting to know each other, knowing each other’s names and where we come from. A lot of us knew each other already as we have been together participating in another preceding activity hosted by the center called Gaia Calling. However, there are some friends who came especially for the DUP Camp, so we warmly welcomed them to the group and made them feel at home. And from then, the dances began!

Over the course of two days, we had dance sessions in the morning, afternoon, and evening. By the end of the workshop, we have experienced more than 35 songs and dances from different wisdom traditions of the world including the teachings of indigenous tribes like the Mapuche people of South America and Zulu people of Africa, and various religions of the world including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and more.

In some of the sessions, we had specific themes such as Zikr night where we focused on songs from the Islamic tradition of the Middle East. We also had one session where a representative from the four countries Arjun visited to share the dances (India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Maldives) to lead one dance each. This session symbolically represents the seeds of DUP growing in Asia, as people who participated in the workshops in those countries have started to practice leading dances.

In between sessions we ate, sang, and did home chores together. This was also time for folks who need time to space out from the group to process the experiences that they have had. The space between sessions is just as valuable to us as the dance sessions themselves. It was where we got to talk with each other, exchange stories, and connect on a personal level.

The Dances of Universal Peace Camp provided us with a safe space to open up our hearts, let our sense of individuality dissolve, and learn to integrate ourselves to be a part of a larger entity and the universe. Through singing songs and body movement, we are invited to be in the present, concentrate and co-create beautiful life-affirming vibrations. All throughout the camp we bathe in the energy of love, forgiveness, peace, and the harmonic relationship between all beings.

By the end of the camp, we bonded deeply to the point that we really feel like we are a family that genuinely wishes each other to be well and live wholesome lives, ready to support each other in whichever way we can, whenever needed. It is powerful to be a part of and witness people representing different parts of Asia (and the bigger world) coming together, blending, and moving together in harmony. We each brought home this embodied realization that despite all differences we have between us, we share a common denominator – that we are all human and we are all interconnected with each other.

The camp was a really rich experience for all involved indeed. We’d like to express our deep gratitude to everyone who contributed to making this camp possible. We thank Arjun and the Beyond Initiative Project for the energy and resources they have poured in to share the Dances of Universal Peace in Asia; Gaia Ashram community for providing us with a beautiful, natural, and loving space that allows magical things to happen; and all participants for coming to Thailand and heartfully co-creating a safe and loving atmosphere throughout the camp.

May all beings be well and happy,

may all beings be free from strife.

May all beings return to love,

peace be with you forevermore…


The sense in deeper into the camp experience by looking at reflection pieces from participants:

Reflection of 2022 – Peace a reflection article by Joanne Chua

Filed Under: events, GENOA Inc. Tagged With: celebration, culture dimension, dance, dances of universal peace

Dances of Universal Peace in Vietnam and Indonesia

December 1, 2022 by Luvian Iskandar

We have wrapped up the journey to bring the Dances of Universal Peace to Vietnam and Indonesia for the first time!

Through singing and moving together with meaningful music and lyrics, participants were guided through many levels of emotions, and depths of consciousness together. Community healing happens as naturally as flowers bloom when everything is in sync.

This experience has probably been summed up as the name of this practice: Dances of Universal Peace. Peace, in an intimate way, is about connecting deeply with yourself, and in harmony with those around you.

The Dances in Vietnam

Within 2 weeks from Oct 29 to Nov 6, Three Workshops were held in Hanoi, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City with the participation of nearly 100 young people from all over the country.

Ms. M – A participant in Hanoi shared that this was a magical and memorable experience for herself, like opening a new door to connect deeply with herself, seeing people around with tolerant eyes, and lots of love.

“Now I understand (not only in reasoning) what it is like to connect with myself and connect with everything through this song. I feel like I can love more”

T in HCM

After Arjun and Jessie left Vietnam, the team in Vietnam continues to maintain 2 practice hubs in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The Dances in Indonesia

In Indonesia, we held three workshops in Jakarta that happened over the course of three days from 18th-20th November. The dances were shared with around 40 new people.

Like in Vietnam, the dances are also very well received in Indonesia. After the workshop sessions, participants shared that they really enjoyed the dances, and how it help them connect with themselves and each other.

This is something I really need in my life. In my daily life, I spent a lot of time in front of my computer to do my work and get my entertainment. Meeting people, dancing and singing together like this makes me really happy

R, Jakarta

I appreciate how [the dances] makes me feel more connected and engaged with myself, other fellow human beings and my surroundings.. totally keeping the practice”

E, Jakarta

Acknowledgements

We are deeply moved with how the dances have touched people’s lives during the workshop. This experience is only possible through the collaboration of different people involved. Our sincere gratitude goes to:

🍂 Arjun and Jessie for coming to Asia to share and spread this practice in the spirit of gift for the community here.

🍂The organizers in Vietnam: Kin, Phuong, Ly as well as the team of volunteers in Hanoi, Saigon, and Hue for drawing a beautiful experience.

🍂 Thank you to the organizers in Indonesia: Friends from Rasasastra Community and Semesta’s Gallery: Elghandiva, Andra; and the team at Anindhaloka: Agung, Welin, Eileen, Cokorda Dewi, and Ariel for co-creating these workshops and prepared a wonderful atmosphere for the sessions.

Up next: Thailand

We will be having our final workshop series in Thailand. It will start with a introduction workshop in Chiang Mai on December 8th and followed with the two-day camp at Gaia Ashram from 12-14th. If you’re in Thailand around this time, be sure to join us!

Filed Under: events, GENOA Inc., updates Tagged With: celebration, culture dimension, dances of universal peace, spirituality

Dances of Universal Peace is Coming to Asia!

October 6, 2022 by Luvian Iskandar

Only if we are united, do we stand a chance to overcome the global problems we face as humanity. It’s time to heal the fragmentations of society and use our differences as an enrichment rather than an impediment to our harmonic presence on Earth.

The Dances of Universal Peace (DUP) is a very simple practice, suitable for all people and at the same time very special, because in circles we relate and harmonize intimately: we shake hands, we share looks, we listen and we sing. The dances set scriptures and sacred phrases from various spiritual traditions to music and movement of the world.

It can be a powerful and transformative practice, dissolving our illusion of separation, and invoking an embodied sense of unity, presence, and compassion. Offered in an atmosphere of safety, authenticity, and mindfulness, the Dances help us to open ourselves to qualities that emerge and remember the interconnectedness and harmony of life.

Our Communications Coordinator, Luvian, has recently joined one of the International DUP Camps in Turkey. He shared his experience joining the camp which you can read in this article.

You can also earn more about DUP here: Dances of Universal Peace.

The Dances in Asia

Having mostly been practiced in the West, we are excited to announce that the Dances of Universal Peace is coming to Asia. We will be collaborating with DUP International to hold several workshops and camps to share this beautiful and transformative tool in different countries listed below.

Arjun Calero, Senior Dance Mentor from Colombia

This series of dances in Asia will be led by a very experienced facilitator, Arjun Calero from Colombia, who has more than 20 years of experience holding dance circles in different countries of the world. Arjun lives in Atlantida Ecovillage, in the Andes of Colombia, a place he co-founded in 2003 with friends and family in order to fully embody the search for an alternative and restorative way of life on the planet.

He has worked for years with local native communities, youth groups, movements, and networks to build a better future. He is a senior mentor in the Dances of Universal Peace (DUP) International Network and Sufi Guide in the S.R.I., and is very much involved in the native ceremonies and ancient wisdom of the Americas, serving as a medicine man and ceremonies conductor since 2003.

Details of the events

  • • Vietnam | Hanoi, Oct 29 & 30 | Saigon, Nov 5 & 6
  • • Indonesia | Jakarta, Nov 19 & 20 | Bekasi, Nov 21 (contact: luvian.iskandar@ecovillage.org)
  • • Thailand | Dec 12-14, 2022 at Gaia Ashram – link to register
Register for DUP Camp Thailand 2022

If you’re interested to join the events in Indonesia and Maldives, please mark your calendar and fill in the interest form below, we will inform you of updates and the registration link to your email as soon as it’s ready.

See you at the in-person workshops!🌺❤️

Filed Under: events, GENOA Inc., partners Tagged With: community building, Culture, dance, tools

Engaging Youth for Regeneration in Taiwan

January 26, 2022 by Luvian Iskandar

It was a cool winter and a misty morning. We walked along the giant greenery stairway at the center of Tunghai University shaded by local banyan trees, a common scene in school campuses with long history around Taiwan. Along the two sides of the stairway are modern buildings designed with a touch of traditional wood and brick materials, while the stairway is decorated with Christmas puppets as the holiday vibe was in the air. For Luvian, it was nice to share with Hema fond memories of being a student on this beautiful campus. And for Hema, it was interesting to observe the Eastern-Western, modern-traditional mix of styles around the campus in which Luvian completed his bachelor studies. Somehow this style of cultural melting pot felt relevant to the special mission we had for this trip, which is to bring inspiration from the ecovillage and regeneration movement around the world to young local and international students currently studying here at the International College of Tunghai University.

The Tunghai University Campus

Our experiences of participating and engaging with the ecovillage movement have been life-transforming and empowering, to say the least. In the past few years, Hema has been visiting ecovillages and communities around the world, participated in Ecovillage Design Education and became an EDE trainer, and is also a part of the team behind GENOA’s REGEN-Nations program. Luvian has been studying ecovillage development for his master’s program and is currently a resident of Sun Clover Ecovillage, an aspiring ecovillage community on the east coast of Taiwan. He is also working as the Communications Coordinator in the GENOA Office Team. Both of us have become actively involved in the ecovillage and regeneration movement in the region in various ways ever since we discovered these concepts and practices.

When we found out about the NextGENOA Seed Grant last year, we thought it’d be a great opportunity for us to do something together here. We came up with the idea of holding sessions for us to share about ecovillages and regeneration, our stories and experiences of being involved with the movement to university students. We hope this session will facilitate them to internalize the issues we face today as humanity and realize that the future is in the hands of us, the young generation.

By early December 2021, we had the funding granted, sessions booked, and materials prepared. And on the 21st of December, we made our way to Tunghai University located in the western part of Taiwan. When we met that night, it was the first time we got to meet each other in person. Although we are both living on the same island, we have only been interacting in the online space prior to this. It was a wonderful experience being able to meet friends from GENOA in the three-dimensional realm and work on an on-the-ground project together.

Our session flow

The way we designed our session was inspired by Joanna Macy’s Work that Reconnects. We started our session with an attunement of gratitude. Then we honored the pain of the world by taking an overview of the complex and interconnected socio-ecological problems we are facing as humanity, sinking in the fact that we are living in planetary collapse, and that within our lifetime, we will continue to witness the degradation of our planet. The session then continued by a section where we saw the world with new eyes through learning about the concept of regeneration and seeing the plethora of regenerative action that has already been happening for decades across the globe, including the ecovillage movement. And finally, we offered pathways of how to go forth in integrating regenerative practices into our lives. You can take a look at our presentation slides here.

The Session

We conducted two sessions in total. One with the freshman students of the Sustainability Science and Engineering (SSE) program and the other with the sophomores of International Business Administration (IBA) program of Tunghai University International College. With the different backgrounds of students, it is interesting to see the difference in their responses towards our session. Students from the SSE program are those who already want to learn about how to solve sustainability issues in the world. During our session, they were active in sharing their thoughts, perspectives, and views about the global problems we are facing. On the other hand, the IBA students were not as vocal in sharing their perspectives and opinion in the big group, although they were listening attentively to our talk and did participate in smaller groups. Perhaps this is a topic that they haven’t had much chance to pay attention to before.

Most students found the Map of Regeneration activity very engaging and mind-stimulating. In this activity, students explore the principles within GEN’s Map of Regeneration and were asked the questions “which principles do you feel more energized about?” and “which principles do you feel are most neglected in your community?” It was interesting to see which principles or aspects of the map resonated with the students at the moment. To our surprise, in the SSE class where students are learning about sustainability, a lot of the stones and sticks (where they find most energetic and feel most neglected) were placed in the economic dimension. While in the IBA, where students are learning about businesses, a lot of the stones and sticks were in the ecolo gy, culture, and whole system design aspects of regeneration. 

The tally from the Map of Regeneration Activity of the two classes
IBA students feel energized to learn from nature and practice whole systems thinking

For us as facilitators of the session, the sessions are also insightful. We learned what students in that particular age group are thinking and feeling about the current situation of the world and the idea of regeneration. During the small group discussions, we were able to connect with the students and listen to their sharing- the deep sharing with fellow students by which most of them appreciated.

It is really interesting to have these [discussions and activities] because I learn what other people think about climate change or environmental problems. Actually everyone notices the issues or news, so they have their thoughts about the questions. And when they share their thoughts, I get different opinions.

A lot of students also feel that they know about this problem(s) but have been feeling disconnected from it as they are not feeling the direct impact of the social and environmental problems. Some also mentioned that their attention has been so distracted that they haven’t been able to pay attention to crucial and existential issues. Some shared that they were overwhelmed by the scale and complexities of the situation and they felt powerless as individuals, but they feel more empowered and motivated to act now instead of waiting for others to find solutions. Some students shared in their reflections :

I am happy that I got this opportunity to listen to a new perspective of people who focused themselves on developing their community of sustainability like Luvian and Hema. I was reminded of how climate change is real and is slowly destructing our earth. They reminded us that the world is changing and everyone needs to be alert to contribute to their communities, especially the youth, because the future is in our hands. A lot of youngsters are indifferent, in the sense that they already care about their interests and showed less enthusiasm and sympathy for things that matter. However, we need to start to care for things that are around us. Therefore, we can improve ourselves according to our fields and change in our ways, for the future ahead of us.

I felt inspired to look at my own life and see how I can make a difference in the world so my children can have a better future and Earth. I also learned about regeneration and how I can implement this into my life by becoming mindful of my choices. I have a responsibility to make the world better.

Some students also appreciated the social and community aspects of regenerative living, the students said:

Personally speaking, the concept of sharing and living together of ecovillage fascinated me. I believe having this kind of village around the world glues everyone together. In the present world, people are becoming more selfish than before. Hence, having goals to work together as a community might reduce the self-centered idea.

Some concluding words

Overall, we felt our aim of the project was delivered and well-received when we saw feedback like the following:

“This talk was very engaging. The main topic of this subject is a topic that all of us can relate to. All of us are aware that climate change and the destruction is being inflicted on the environment, this issue should be prioritized over everything. If our survival as a species is threatened, you would think every single person would be motivated to do all that they can to solve this issue. Unfortunately this is not a reality. People care, but are not motivated enough to take action towards making a change in their lifestyles. So I was really impressed with the speakers. It was nice to see two people who have taken it upon themselves to do something, and live in a way where they not only take but also give back to the environment, as it should be.”

We are thoroughly moved by the depth of some students’ reflections and feedback after the session. The whole process of this project has been a deeply rewarding experience for both of us. We got a glimpse of what students in universities from various backgrounds are thinking and feeling about the current state of the world and their response to ecovillages and regeneration ideas. We got to test out our materials and see the response of the students to the sessions we designed and held and now we have a better idea on how to further improve our sessions to better suit the needs of university students.

We’d like to express our gratitude to Dr. James Sims and Dr. John J. Perez from the International College of Tunghai University for kindly welcoming and supporting us to share about ecovillages and regeneration to their students. We’d also like to thank NextGENOA for the seed grant that helped us cover the preparation of materials, travel, and accommodation expenses of the trip. And finally, we’d like to thank all the students who have actively participated in the workshop sessions with us. May the experience we delivered through the sessions be a source of deep meaning and inspiration to regenerative actions for the youth, as well as for the regional activators in the network.


About the Authors

Hema Wu. EDE Trainer & Facilitator/ GEN Ambassador

Hema is an intentional community and transformative process facilitator and an Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) trainer. She has worked in the field of international development around South/Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and South America. Upon seeing the international scene of all types of projects, she was driven to think more deeply about the impacts and sustainability of human development, which inspired her commitment to foster a more conscious culture of human existence on earth. She is currently founding her own school with the goal of rehabilitating relationships between/with humans and all beings.

Luvian Iskandar. Communications Coordinator, GENOA

Originally from Indonesia, Luvian came to Taiwan for his studies. He completed his bachelor’s program in International Business Administration at Tunghai University and master’s program in Humanity and Environmental Science at National Dong Hwa University. During his master’s program, he focused on the early establishment stage of ecovillages. After his graduation, he moved to live in Sun Clover Ecovillage, an aspiring ecovillage community in Fuli, Hualien while working as GENOA’s communications coordinator.

Edited and proofread by: Alisa Sidorenko, Matt Inman & Thao Kin

Filed Under: ambassadors, events, outreach, youth Tagged With: ecovillage, International College, NextGENOA, outreach, regeneration, Taiwan, Tunghai University, university, youth

The Green Unconference 2021

November 29, 2021 by Luvian Iskandar

For thirteen days, as world leaders, community leaders and climate youth activists met at COP26 in Glasgow to make decisions that affect our common future, We at The Green UnConference gathered daily to listen to each other’s stories.

From the mountains and rivers of the Himalayas to the seas and forests of Palawan, Siargao, Dumaguete, Boracay, and Baler. 

From our metropolises in Manila and New Delhi and Bangalore 

From intentional communities in Crystal Waters, Queensland, Bulacan, Japan, Bangalore, Udaipur, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Japan

We have seen rivers of gold and silver stars. 

Healing ourselves, our relationships, our projects. 

Weaving together our golden threads of light, spun from passion and purpose, a touch of magic — affirming that at this critical time in the history of humanity and our beautiful planet — we are here for one another, and for Mother Earth.

TGU 2021 truly connected rivers of people, projects to the ocean ecosystem. 

The journey was the destination. It taught us that life is about the little things. 

We are so grateful to co-travel with Binhi Supper Club, Daloy, Ecoversities Alliance, FarmLab, Good Food Community, Green Releaf, Re:Source Labs, Healthyndahan, Inner Moon Well-Being, Isla Medisina, Jabez Perma Research PH Tala, Jail University (TBC), Kayumanggi Organic, New Deli by Kashmir, Permayouth, Project Thrive, ReGEN Nations, Ritual (TBC), Soul Kitchen El Nido, Swaraj University, The Living Library, The Social Enterprises, TI Eco-Village, Weekend Wild Child, and Local Futures 

Together we distilled and displayed what works for our collective wellbeing. 

Our goal was to weave and celebrate learning and unlearning and together reimagine the new map and blueprint of the beautiful world we know is possible if we indulge and converge for radical collaboration. Collaboration begins by knowing our stories and what makes us flow and grow as living systems. We showcased what we need to do to come closer for collaborations and co-create larger connected systems. 

We established that we simultaneously need a culture of inner and outer transformation and transitions to birth the new humanity that takes compassionate care of mother earth and all life on it. 

We focussed our themes similar to the COP26: Regeneration, Agriculture, Energy, Youth, Gender,  Women, Adaptation and Indigenous People, Social Enterprise, Transitions in Education, Transitions in Tech, Nature, Biodiversity, Transport, Travel Cities and Built Environments.

Please visit GENOA FB Page to tune into the Transition Journeys and stay tuned for the TGU 2021 short Film to be launched soon!

Filed Under: events, partners Tagged With: online gathering, regeneration, thegreenunconference

The Green Unconference 2021: Transition Journeys

November 3, 2021 by Luvian Iskandar

The year was 2015. The first TGU 2015 gathering was in Manila, Philippines. A simple and soulful act by friends, with Karla and Amena wishing to weave their world for healing and wellness. The seed was sown for TGU 2017 and TGU 2019. A biennial gathering, a celebration of all things green, nurturing life with compassion, courage, consciousness, and collaborations. 

The Green Unconference 2019

Now in this time of the pandemic, we are being called on to transition to a way of life that supports our collective health & wellbeing.  

In this time of climate crisis, we are being called on to transition to living in a way our planet can thrive.  

The Green Unconference 2021 is a gathering of intergenerational earth carers, wisdom keepers, healers, activists, regenerators, regen-preneurs, creatives, reimagining and making change happen to birth the new healed humanity and transition our earth to a beautiful world we all know in our hearts is possible. 

This year’s theme is Transition Journeys, and we are partnering with groups who are already transitioning and inspiring others to transition. 

Official partners are

GENOA -Global Ecovillage Network Oceania & Asia 

Kai Farms

Kids for Kids 

Lokal Lab Siargao

MAD Travel

Our timing and themes coincide with the COP26 Climate Conference October 31-November 12, 2021

We are collaborating with many people and groups all over the Philippines, India, Australia, and beyond. 

Our line-up includes online as well as face-to-face events where they are possible. We are also curating transition travel journeys next year when possible. These journeys will allow immersion in projects and interaction with people and communities that are supporting regeneration at the grassroots. 

TGU is a call for friendship, to regenerate our relationships and live from a place of unified loving awareness in service to the wellness of all life. 

We welcome you to journey with us for the kind of joyful, radical collaboration these times call for. 
We are supporting and energizing a culture of gifting. Registration is free. We welcome participants to gift what their heart desires. Funds raised will go towards supporting the regenerative community projects of partners.

Filed Under: events, partners, updates Tagged With: gathering, philippines, regeneration

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