• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

GEN Oceania & Asia

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Donate

News and Stories Archive

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

Ecovillage Construction Workshop in QiFengShan Ecovillage

September 2, 2023 by Luvian Iskandar

In response to global climate change and the challenges posed by economic downturns, Qifengshan Natural Farming Ecovillage in Wuchang City, Heilongjiang, China, partnered with Qiandao Lake Natural Agro-Ecovillage to jointly organize the inaugural China Ecovillage Construction Workshop from August 1st to August 7th, 2023 (with an additional day added due to heavy rain blocking the road). Despite facing extreme climate conditions, such as floods that disrupted networks, water supply, electricity, and transportation, over 20 participants from across the country immersed themselves in a 7-day study within the metaphorical Noah’s Ark, gaining a deep appreciation for the historical mission of ecovillages.

The workshop welcomed Professor Qiu Yiru, a renowned Permaculture Certified Teacher from Tzu Chi University in Taiwan, to share his expertise. Additionally, Mr. He Jianzeng from Gengdu University addressed key issues in the implementation of ecovillage construction. By integrating the wisdom of Chinese ancestors, including the ideas of natural harmony and the unity of heaven and man found in Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, along with practical experiences from domestic and international ecovillages, the aim was to create ecovillages that embody distinct Chinese characteristics and wisdom.

The workshop sought to redefine Chinese ecovillages by systematically constructing ecovillage life communities across four dimensions: culture, community, ecology, and economy. This endeavor aimed to contribute to rural revitalization by harnessing the wisdom of our ancestors and creating international ecovillages that harmoniously coexist with all living beings, resembling paradises in each village. Moreover, the workshop aimed to align with international ecovillage standards and serve as a model of sustainable development for ecovillages and communities.

An ecovillage is not necessarily a traditional “village,” but it is definitely a “community” that embodies a complete sense of shared destiny. Simply put, an ecovillage (community) is like a vibrant organism where people live together as equals, respecting and embracing one another, and making decisions collectively. Everyone is a steward of the village, contributing their unique talents while working towards common goals. The guiding principles of unity with nature and following natural laws shape the pursuit of sustainable development, meeting the basic needs of life in an ecologically harmonious manner. Challenges and imperfections may still arise, but people collaborate to face them and co-create a better home.

Course Content:

1. How to plan and layout an ecovillage to achieve comprehensive integration of landscapes, forests, farmland, roads, and housing, while prioritizing energy conservation and carbon reduction?

2. How does an ecovillage operate economically in a sustainable manner?

3. Effective methods for treating and recycling ecological toilets, domestic wastewater, and waste from livestock and poultry farming.

4. Soil improvement techniques that reduce non-point source pollution from pesticides and fertilizers.

5. Making the most of local resources to transform green landscapes into prosperous economic assets.

6. Harmonizing natural architecture with human needs to create sustainable and livable habitats suitable for local ecosystems.

Filed Under: articles, ecovillages, National Ecovillage Network Tagged With: China, ecovillage, education, event

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

Looking at the Groundwork for a Thriving Ecovillage Network

July 2, 2023 by Luvian Iskandar

Ecovillages and regenerative initiatives are gaining momentum in different countries of Oceania and Asia. Japan, South Korea, and Australia are some of the nations where a National Network has already been established. The exciting news is that we are seeing strong intention from our network members in China and New Zealand in creating a National Network too. Creating a thriving network of ecovillages takes a lot of ingredients. From having a deep understanding of regeneration, inspiring actors who can translate those ideas into concrete actions, communication efforts, ambassadors who can connect and weave different communities and initiatives together, to the active participation of all members, are all essential elements of a thriving network. Let’s take a look at the various activities happening in different countries around the region:

GEN Australia

Our Ambassador Tanya Mottl has been a busy bee going around Australia visiting various ecovillage initiatives cross-pollinating pollens of ideas, skills, and information between them. She visited Moora Moora Co-operative near Melbourne and found that they have advanced solar technologies. During that visit, she did a 90-minute session using the Ecovillage Design Cards. On the other trip, she visited Balaya Buyal and met with Shane Sylvanspring (another core member of GEN Australia); and some others who attended a GEN Design presentation in Tasmania. During the visit, she gifted them the Earthcare Game so they can create local community events to play the game and have conversations.

Tanya also visited Bundagen Intentional Community in New South Wales where a Communities Gathering was held back in 2013. In this community, she witnessed the weekly Helping Hands sessions where community members choose to assist neighbors with projects or activities on their individual properties. She is exploring the possibility of hosting another gathering when the weather gets warmer.

Narara Ecovillage is participating in the Resilience Project that is held by GEN. Through this project, they have been forming local collaborations to deliver resilience workshops for nearby communities affected by fire and flood as it is expected that they will continue to have increasingly ferocious fires.

Tanya also attended the training for the 2030 SDGs Game which she describes as being like “monopoly on steroids. It’s collaborative rather than competitive and is a good insight into what happens when we collaborate on projects”. The game can be delivered in person and online. An invitation will be extended to GENOA sometime in August, so be on the lookout for that!

Moving forward, Tanya is currently putting together a series of How Resilient is Your Community? talk series and scheduling online games. She looks forward to more people being involved in the ecovillage – movement – creating a regenerative impact in Australia and beyond. Let’s celebrate Tanya’s work and wish her the best in her noble journey ahead!

GEN-Japan

After holding their Gaia Youth program earlier this year, GEN-Japan will continue to create similar programs making it consistent. Building on their strength of having ScienZ as a methodology to cultivate dialogue skills which is a key ingredient to having a healthy and functioning community, they will continue to share these findings through their education programs. This year, international participation in the program has increased with participants coming from Singapore, China, Vietnam, and other nationalities. Some of the participants have been inspired to challenge themselves by making more regenerative decisions like deciding to live together with other people to save and share resources and also taking more responsibility like learning how to support and hold programs like Gaia Youth.

NextGEN Korea

NextGEN Korea is currently preparing for its 7th Innun Janchi Connecting Festival. It is an experiment in creating a dream community and a festival where people co-create the festival together and learn from each other through the process. It is also a space of connection with nature, all the people that are involved, and also the self. Check out their registration page here.

In addition, they are holding the next EDE (Ecovillage Design Education) (only for Korean speakers) from Aug 25th ~ Sep 24th At Inje, Gangwon-do. Application form here.

Emerging Network in Aotearoa – New Zealand

The second gathering of the Women’s Revolutionising Housing Retreat (hosted by Zola Rose from Commonground) was attended by a small group of wāhine (women) who ‘packed in a load of information sharing’ over the weekend (24-26 June 2023).

There were inspiring presentations of past/current projects, including solution-based workshops including many insights & learnings, which included dialogue, bringing energy to activate more initiatives. It was a beautiful gathering of women who came from the North and South Islands of Aotearoa (NZ), to gather and discover potential synergies to similar projects across Aotearoa!

Thalea Tane (GEN NSC – GENOA Council) also facilitated a workshop using GEN’s ecovillage design cards – providing an experiential example of how we can utilize the cards to co-create solutions and match our individual aspirations to each card dimension, chosen. What a privilege it was to introduce this awesome tool to these wonderful women! Part of our dialogue session included bringing GEN Aotearoa to life! So, watch this space!!! Thalea Tane has indicated, having new energy to embark on this path, for the benefit of our Aotearoa eco-communities.

We also acknowledge all of our presenters throughout the weekend, including our wonderful host – Zola Rose (GEN Ambassador) for her commitment to organizing our 2nd WRH retreat. Special thanks also go out to Robin Allison (Earthsong Eco-neighborhood) for her continuous contribution to the greater good of humanity, co-housing initiatives, eco-village advocacy, and being an inspiration to all!

Filed Under: National Ecovillage Network, Uncategorized, updates Tagged With: Australia, China, ecovillage, japan, korea, national network, newzealand, regeneration

Ecovillage Resilience Project: Checking-in with BEDS

July 1, 2023 by Luvian Iskandar

The Resilience Project is a project carried out by the Global Ecovillage Network to gain insights into how ecovillages and their current practices might look under the scenario of a 2.5+ degree change in global temperature. What are the strengths, and weaknesses of ecovillages, what needs to be replaced and adapted, and what ecovillages should look like in 2040 are some of the questions that are explored together in this process. The project started in October 2022 where they have gone through a process of sensing, systems scoping, and diving deep into thresholds and potential concerns. Now they are moving to the third phase of forming visions and pathways.

One of the community collaborators from GENOA is the Bangladesh Environment and Development Society (BEDS). They are a non-profit organization focused on community-based development that is committed to maintaining ecological balance and harmony between humans and nature. In 2015, they worked with the local community at Dacope to establish an ecovillage. They have been actively working with local communities in the Sundarbans Coastal Region that are vulnerable to climate change in applying regenerative practices through different outreach programs.

We invited them to share about their experience being a part of the project by asking several questions. Here are their responses:

What have been some realizations (or AHA moments) in the learning journey of the project?

Ecovillage Resilience is such a platform where we got the chance to learn about ecovillages all over the world. It’s a platform where we communicate with each other, and share our ecovillage-related facts, problems, and the solutions also. From the journey of the project, at first, our connection was made with all the eco-villages, and from the workshops and different tasks, we focused on several untold aspects of our ecovillage and the workshops with the community has become like education programs where we act as a media to share the voice of the ecovillage community members globally. 

What tools and pieces of information from the project that you think deserves to be shared with the whole network and how?

From the project, we learned about various tools and shared the tools with our community. Our community has also participated in different workshops. The people in our community have found the system-sensing activity more interesting and innovative. Because when they take part in any type of group work, they use to have a presentation or guideline to perform the group work and after that, they are engaged in finding the result. System sensing activity gave people the chance to explore well-known places in a different way and observe the beauty, happiness, problems, and issues in a relaxing mind. This activity also helps to refresh one’s mind as well as give a deep thought on the surroundings issue.

How was the community activities that you did in the project went for your community? Any interesting implications, findings, or experiences you have?

At first, when we started the activities, it was quite difficult to hold the concentration of the community people for this long time and get their input. With the series of workshops, the knowledge of the community people has been enhanced. The community people only knew about climate change and its vulnerability. When we introduced the problem tree (a problem mapping exercise) with the people in the community, they were very much active in the activity and new different problems have been found which were not properly addressed before. All the activities were quite interesting and different from each other to conduct at the community level. There was also excitement when the final output of the workshop was prepared.

Through the series of workshops, the community in Sundarbans has properly learned about the effect of climate change and how they will be affected by it. The climate tipping point was a totally new term for them and now they are thinking about what will happen 20 years later. The workshops and the knowledge of the workshops help to change their point of view and it has created a broader sense of thinking. I think those activities have built their capacity to take decisions by themselves and also portray the importance of togetherness, and cooperative work to build a better future.

What are the things your community is looking forward to as this project continues?

Through the series of workshops, the community people have perfectly learned about their submerged future due to the effect of climate change. It’s an appeal from the vulnerable community of Sundarbans coastal region to do something for them so that they can cope with the upcoming effects of climate change. We are already trying to raise funds for the local community through different fundraising platforms. We wish this project will continue and in the next phase of the project, we will be able to work for the betterment of this vulnerable community.

Filed Under: ecovillages, updates Tagged With: Bangladesh, ecovillage, project, resilience, Sundarban

Feminist Climate Action on Just and Equitable Energy Transitioning

May 2, 2023 by Luvian Iskandar

Climate change has become one of the most pressing issues of our time. The impact of climate change extends beyond the environment, affecting communities worldwide, particularly the most vulnerable ones. Hence, Climate Justice has emerged as a crucial component of tackling the impacts of climate change. All communities, particularly those most adversely affected by climate change, should be able to share the burdens and costs associated with climate change and its mitigation in a fair and equitable manner.

Energy transition refers to the shift from fossil-based energy sources to renewable or low-carbon emission sources to combat climate change. Energy transition and Climate Justice are interrelated concepts aimed at reducing the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities and promoting a just and sustainable transition of energy in economies to a more low-carbon economy. It is, however, necessary to consider the principles of Climate Justice when planning an energy transition, such as ensuring fair distribution of costs and benefits, protecting human rights, and involving affected communities in the decision-making process. Furthermore, a just and equitable energy transition requires consideration of the social and gender perspectives, as well as the human rights implications across the energy supply chain. This ensures disadvantaged communities; indigenous and marginalized groups who are disproportionately impacted by climate change; are involved in the decision-making process.

Addressing the issue of Climate Justice and Energy Transitioning is crucial in context to Nepal, we are currently driven by corporations and business houses that are bringing false solutions to the climate crisis. The efforts to improve Nepal’s economic capacity and address its crisis have given false hope and caused further environmental degradation, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities, especially women. To address this issue, FCA-JEET aims to provide an intersectional approach to education for young women in Nepal. By empowering them with knowledge and critical thinking skills, they can distinguish between effective and ineffective solutions and advocate for a fossil fuel-free future as future leaders. This initiative focuses on building the next generation of leaders in Nepal. Building the next generation means empowering them and their knowledge to be able to know and analyze wrong and right solutions and approaches brought into their communities. Long-term, they can raise their voices and lead efforts to eliminate fossil fuels.

Thus, Power Shift Nepal a women-led organization in Nepal conducted a national training on FCA-JEET which was held on Dec 10 and 11, 2022. This was annual training for fellows who were selected by an intersectional approach. It aims to transform the knowledge of young females coming from different backgrounds on climate justice focused on just and equitable energy transition and looking at it through a feminist angle for a fossil fuel-free future. The program was more focused on providing different sessions, including:
● Basics of Climate Science by Ms. Sumana Lamichhane (Researcher, Power Shift Nepal) ;
● Introduction to just and equitable energy transitioning from a Feminist angle by Ms. Sagarika Bhatta (chairperson, Power Shift Nepal),
● Climate Simulation and negotiation from a feminist approach by Ms. Prakriti Koirala (Climate Action Activist and COP27 youth delegate)
● False Climate Solution by Mr. Abhishek Shrestha (co-founder of Digo Bikash Institute)
● Climate Finance, Energy and Gender by Ms. Divya Devi Gurung (GESI expert)

15 young females were selected from different fields across Nepal, two of whom were awarded scholarships. The program capacitated the participants on Climate Justice and just and equitable energy transitioning, with relevant group tasks and a climate simulation session conducted for better understanding. The participants developed knowledge of climate justice and explored themes related to fossil fuel-free futures from a feminist angle and they were represented as fellow-feminist climate justice 2022. Among them, 10 of them signed an agreement with the organization to become National Trainer Members of Power Shift Nepal on Climate Justice-2023. Thus, we have contributed to building capacity and empowering young women to lead the fight against climate change and promote a just and equitable transition to a fossil fuel-free future.


Powershift Nepal

Powershift Nepal is a women-led organization in Nepal that work to combat climate change and other environmental issues. We are building and powering young females and women. Through projects such as training and workshops, Powershift Nepal has directly empowered more than 530 young females, 185 women, and 5100+ students. Learn about their organization here.

Filed Under: education, outreach, partners, youth Tagged With: climate, education, women empowerment, youth

Grounding & Growing as Agents of Change: GEN-Japan Gaia Youth 2023

May 2, 2023 by Luvian Iskandar

Accompanied by the cherry blossoms of Japanese Spring at As One Community in Suzuka, GEN-Japan held GEN-Japan Gaia Youth – a mini Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) designed especially for youth. The intensive camp was held from March 25th – 29th 2023.

There were 11 participants coming from different countries including China, Vietnam, and Mexico that joined the program. The participants that joined have a diverse background including university students, yoga instructors, corporate workers, musicians, and activists – all of whom are eager to learn how to create regenerative communities and train themselves to become an agent of societal transformation with a can-do attitude.

In the program, the participants went through the four dimensions and one approach in the Map of Regeneration – following the flow of the EDE curriculum. They started with the social dimension – learning to move from a sense of separation and conflict to a sense of unity and understanding. The social dimension is at the core of GEN-Japan’s programs as they find that the quality of the society is very tightly linked with the quality of people’s relationships with each other and that daily communication is key to. In this dimension, participants learn how to have a heart-to-heart dialogue, how to build relationships that are at ease and with minimal expectations, and how can people communicate authentically with each other. Being at As One Community, participants are also able to see the practices that they learned being applied on a daily basis in the community.

I could learn how to make a good relationship. [It is very] interesting how people could change from [within, being able to soothe and communicate with each other.] [I have hope for] the future.

Gaia Youth Participant

In the Economic Dimension, participants we’re very interested and excited to learn about the economic system of As One Community. They have a running vegetable production and food processing (producing and delivering rice boxes, locally referred to as bento). With more ecological and community-based farming practices, they help the city’s economy and support the local food system which builds trust from local companies and citizens. These community businesses were able to generate income to support the community living. One particular aspect of the community economy that made participants both excited and confused is the new economic experiment of not involving money as a medium of exchange and people were able to freely take anything that are offered in the Joy Corner.

[Sharing] economy [with] more than 100 people is possible. Workspaces [becomes] like playground for adults.

Gaia Youth Participant

Moving to the Ecological Dimension, participants learned how to preserve the natural ecosystem by observing the watershed system of the Satoyama Forest which is determined as an important system by the city to the seashore. And through the community living practices such as minimizing food waste and food loss, they are also able to minimize the environmental impact to as much as half of a Japanese household average.

And finally the worldview or cultural dimension, Masahi Ono – a long-time communitarian and educator, shared his 40 years of experience building communities. He highlights the importance of building mental strength and shares tips on growing as social change makers.

The whole program was designed to facilitate participants to learn about their true selves and realize their inherent ability to co-create a new society. Starting from building a capacity for authentic communication, keeping and maintaining a secure space for people to be present authentically and able to connect with each other easily to collaborate together.

As the program facilitates participants on their learning journey towards becoming a changemaker, it also created space for the training of new facilitators. There were 4 alumni of EDE & Gaia Youth that joined to be supporting facilitators – learning how to hold space and facilitate learning journeys. In the future, they will become full facilitators that can participate fully in the creation of more programs like Gaia Youth.

We’d like to thank all participants, facilitators, and everyone that came to support to make this camp possible. May the seeds that have been planted in this program blossom into beautiful flowers that further inspire change in the creation of a more beautiful world.

Written by: GEN-Japan,

Edited by: Luvian Iskandar

Filed Under: education, National Ecovillage Network, youth Tagged With: As One Community, ecovillage, ecovillage design education, education, GEN-Japan, youth

An invitation to join EVIST – an ecovillage research project

April 2, 2023 by Thao Kin

How are ecovillages impacting their regions?
Participate in the EVIST survey and be in with a chance of winning a USD 200 voucher to be spent on ecovillage courses or consultancy hours!

The research project Ecovillages as Incubators for Sustainability Transitions (EVIST), University of Basel, seeks to better understand the role ecovillages play in local sustainability transitions. The research wants to explain how ecovillages spread their practices and ideas in their regions and what facilitates or hinders this diffusion.
In order to do that, the EVIST team is starting a survey of ecovillages in 27 different countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Senegal, Kenya, Morocco, Ghana, South Africa, Nepal, India, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, US, Canada, Ukraine, UK, France, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany and Sweden.

This means that all of GEN’s regional networks are included in this massive academic survey on ecovillages!

The EVIST team knows that answering surveys is a tiresome and time-consuming task and that ecovillagers already donate a lot of their time freely. This is why the research team is offering two incentives for ecovillages to participate. All ecovillages that complete the survey before the deadline (May 14, 2023) will receive:

  • • A ticket for a sweepstake in which one responding ecovillage from each GEN region will win a voucher of CHF 200 (approx. USD 210) that can be used for: (a) courses from the GEN Learning Platform and regional networks, or (b) consultancy hours from experts from the regional networks of GEN.
  • • An invitation to participate in an online session where the EVIST team will provide a report of the survey results, followed by a discussion and networking session with other ecovillages from their region.

In order to create knowledge that has an impact and that can contribute to both practice and academia, the EVIST team is working closely with GEN regional partners and the GEN Research Group. For more information on the project, including the involved researchers, project partners, and information on the survey (including FAQ), please check the EVIST webpage https://ecovillages.theologie.unibas.ch/en/

The EVIST team encourages the participation of all the 456 ecovillages who will be invited to the survey in order to generate scientific knowledge on the impact of ecovillages around the world! The results without the names of the ecovillages) will be freely available at the end of the project. Be a part of this study and help connect communities and academia for a regenerative world!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Harvesting from GENOA Metamorph project

March 14, 2023 by Thao Kin

In 2022, we conducted GENOA Metamorph project – a process where we dive deep to talk to network members trying to understand more about network needs, GENOA’s role, and how GENOA should navigate the current context of the world. Through this project, we also have developed proposals on how we think GENOA could move forward in the coming years. 

We are happy to share with you the presentations here with highlights from the Metamorph project.

You can also see the slides or dive in our full GENOA Metamorph report in PDF here (we’re happy to provide you with a word doc link where you can make comments as you read – contact us at genoa@ecovillage.org for this). 

Last but not least, please share with us how you would like to get involved with GENOA this year by answering a few questions here (very short!).

Thank you so much!

From the GENOA Metamorph team,
Luvian, Kin, Benjamin, Lila

Filed Under: Uncategorized

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 8
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Top Footer

Be a Friend of GENOA

Donating funds to GENOA is a tangible way to contribute to this concrete and dynamic movement for positive change. Your donation helps to support and to spread ecovillages around the world.

Join our Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter and hear stories from communities and projects in our region and hear about the latest news, jobs, opportunities and events from GENOA.

Volunteer with GENOA

Volunteering supports the network while forming valuable connections, meeting incredible people, and contributing to a positive future. There are many ways you can support GENOA with your time and energy.

Footer

Who we are

  • Our Purpose
  • How We Work
  • Partners
  • Our Team
  • Wisdom Keepers
  • FAQ

What we do

  • Education
  • REGEN-Nations
  • Gatherings
  • Ecovillage Transition
  • Advocacy
  • Hildur Jackson Award

NextGENOA

  • About NextGENOA
  • NextGENOA Team
  • Our projects
  • Looking ahead

Our Vision

We envision a committed, cooperative community and network of concerned individuals and organisations, who share knowledge, experience and wisdom in the creation of communities that use wisdom from all over Oceania and Asia; communities where people live sustainably with dignity, in harmony with each other, with nature and in the belief of evolutionary process.

Copyright © 2001–2023, all rights reserved