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

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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.

Ecovillage Construction Workshop in QiFengShan Ecovillage

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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.

Looking at the Groundwork for a Thriving Ecovillage Network

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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!

Ecovillage Resilience Project: Checking-in with BEDS

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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.

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

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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

Planting Seeds of Hope in Qiandao Ecovillage

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From August 1st to August 15th 2022, a permaculture design certification course took place at Qiandao Lake Ecovillage which is located in the southwest of the Thousand Island (Qiandao) Lake Zhejiang Province, China. 44 Participants from different areas of China spent 15 days together learning permaculture principles. We worked in groups to design group projects and gained hands-on experiences making compost piles, natural buildings, and gardens. 

2022 PDC Participants at Qiandao Ecovillage

Qiandao Lake Ecovillage was founded in April 2014. In September 2013, Venerable Master Konghai was invited by the local county magistrate to serve as the consultant for a government-led project which intended to establish a learning center for traditional Chinese Culture. Master Konghai held deep care for the planet and asked the magistrate to consider making an ecovillage on Qiandao Lake. The local government responded swiftly in a few days and provided convenience for him to visit several possible locations. After evaluating all the places, Master Konghai decided to set a piece of land in a valley. The place was beautiful and quite secluded. 20 years ago, local villagers migrated out of nearby villages to cooperate with the government’s plan for building the Xin’anjiang Reservoir. Therefore, land here had been returned to nature for 20 years before a group of 20 young people came as pioneers for an ecovillage.

At first, there was no architecture except for a thatched shed which later became the ecovillage’s tool hut. 20 young ecovillagers lived in the shed which leaked rain on rainy days. They started growing food and created initial infrastructures for an ecovillage. The local government played a vital role in making electricity accessible, followed by an 800,000 yuan (approximately 112,000 USD) investment helping to build the road connecting the ecovillage to its nearby village.

“When you have a truly selfless intention to benefit the whole world, benevolent forces will synchronize together to support you”

Master Konghai
Dining hall structure with banana circle in front

Nowadays, around 25 regular residents dwell at Qiandao Lake Ecovillage. They carry out courses and workshops for making ecovillages, learning principles about the Tao, and practicing a lifestyle that is centered on spiritual growth. The place had been transforming its residents and visitors, incubating Earth Seeds that create eco projects all over the country. Core courses that took central place for residents and visitors included Mysteries of Dao De Jing Revealed, No Boundary: Eastern and Western Approaches to Personal Growth, and Theory and Practices for Building Ecovillages. Such shared learnings brought all villagers together and provided them with resources for solving disagreements in their community.

Ecologically, Qiandao village had been practicing natural farming since its beginning. Experienced teachers of natural farming and permaculture were invited periodically to give courses. The village has also been storing rainwater, practicing a zero-waste lifestyle, using a banana circle to process grey water, and maintaining their composting toilets. In recent years, natural buildings have also become a key feature and strength. Several small self-circulating systems which consist of natural buildings, rainwater collectors, gardens, and animals had been created by residents near the ecovillage’s center region. The team is now planning an outdoor classroom for children’s education.

Qiandao Ecovillage plants seeds of hope by making itself an example of living in harmony with nature, which is the teaching of both permaculture and the Tao. We wish it to keep flourishing and transform more visitors who are nourished by this land. There’s no time like now that the planet urges us to observe its laws and come into alignment with the principles of Heaven and the Earth.

About the Author

Yuting Yin, University of California Davis

Yuting is a Ph.D. student of anthropology at the University of California Davis. She is an ecovillage researcher and focuses on studying ecovillages in China. She has studied mental health and organized support groups for people who struggle with eating disorders. Her interest in mind-body well-being leads her to explore ecovillages since 2016. After two years of living in a cooperative living community in Davis, California. Currently, her research journey is taking her to deepen her roots in her native cultural tradition and tap into the power of practicing what is learned along the way.

Building Communities and Surviving Together – an Exchange Gathering by GEN Japan

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GEN-Japan held the Second Exchange Gathering Online from March 5th to 6th. Unexpectedly, one week after the beginning of the Russian military offensive in Ukraine, it highlighted the meaning of community building and the importance of unwavering cooperation, as well as networking among these communities. In this online event, about 20 communities and initiatives joined. Each speaker and community strongly announced it to the public and as a result, more than 200  participants participated in the gathering. Through the event, we were able to clearly understand the difference between a world that “tries to move people through violence and violent acts” and a world that understands and cooperates with each other through dialogue and we shall move towards the latter.

One audience member sent us her impression after the event;” I was encouraged by the fact that younger people are starting various initiatives.”Since last year, exchanges and cooperation among the participating eco-villages have begun, and at the same time, young people from urban areas are touring the eco-villages and such a population has been gradually increasing. They are beginning to experience a new way of life while there. On the other hand, there is a movement to learn from each other about the efforts of how they keep building ecovillages.

Tetora Tanizaki, representative of WorldShift Japan, an advisory board of GEN-Japan, suggested that we need to clearly show the innovative way of living in harmony to the public. This year GEN-Japan is having a Gaia Youth Education in March and April as well as GEN-Japan EDE course in April. We are trying to steadily promote the creation of a harmonious society through eco-villages.

Joining the Ecovillage Lifestyle Experience Week at Gaia Ashram

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This article was written by Lila Sahj.

Simple but profound, the Ecovillage Lifestyle Experience Week was humbling, soul-nourishing, and inspiring. My intention for the week was to listen deeply and learn, to be humbler and appreciate my life & nature, to open and feel more love in my heart, and to apply the knowledge I gain to my life, and then share it with others. 

We were guided by the wise & wild Om (whose stories could fill books), on a journey through the 4 Dimensions of Sustainability: Social, Economic, Ecological, and Cultural. 

I was expecting it to be very community and nature-oriented, so I was surprised at how central personal awareness and growth was to the process, which I deeply appreciated. We all reflected on our lifestyles & designed them anew, inspired by the mind-expanding questions we were given. I like this personal approach because I believe that to change the world, it needs to come from within – culture shift in ourselves & the collective. Being in an environment where we feel connected to all of life and take the time to explore true heart’s desires facilitates the emergence of a holistic mindset; one that values all life, including oneself. I wish for every young person to do this program. 

If I had to place my bets on which topic would be the most emotional, economics would have been the last topic I would have bet on. But answering the questions of “What is wealth to me?”, “What do I want in my life?” “What makes me feel alive?”, and “What makes life worth living for me?” were the most powerful questions asked so far, and I questioned what I truly needed and wanted in order to flourish. I found that I most value joy, fun, and playfulness; freedom and the resources to take my time & space to relax and do what I love; being with people I love; the ability to flourish – to grow and learn in ways that feel aligned to me; a sense of safety and security in a grounded, comfortable home, and of course, beautiful food (and an outdoor shower would be fantastic, too). 

Questions like this aren’t asked in “normal” environments. Having the space to reflect on life and design it holistically is a fantastic experience, which I would recommend to everyone looking for a fresh start, hope for a better future, and some peace and connection with what is truly real: others & nature!

I witnessed and experienced tears of gratitude, liberation in movement and body through the 5 Elements Dance, deep peace in meditation and connection with nature, feeling seen by others, having a deeper connection with myself, and being part of a small and tight-knit community with lots of fun moments throughout. Other experiences included creating a skit, documentary night, yoga, and being led around the farm by a partner with my eyes closed, exploring all my senses – one of the most pleasurable and peaceful things I have ever done. 

I love living and being in ecovillages. Magic happens in these places that don’t happen anywhere else. It’s the influence of great souls who share their thoughts and way of life. It’s the entire new culture and system which honors all of life, including your own hopes, dreams, and talents – waiting to empower you so you can flourish! It’s the nature, the fact that I wasn’t in a single closed room with 4 walls. Everything is open, connected – it’s reflected in the architecture of the place. I love the simplicity of life here. I love the food (too much haha), I love the fact that I can go and switch the water on every day at 17:30, watching the sprinklers go from small to tall towers of water. I love the satisfaction and peace of sitting there witnessing the seeds I planted sprout and grow. I love watching the sky change color, seeing the sun peak gold through the clouds, hints of pink and lilac coloring the sky as the day turns into night. And of course, being barefoot as much as possible! I find myself taking off my shoes as soon as the ground is soft enough to bear. It just feels better. 

This week has shown me the power of deep listening to others and reflecting back on people’s strengths. There is a magic created when another person’s eyes are shining as you tell them the light that you see in them. It is a gift we can all give to others, going deeper than the average compliment. It requires observation of the other, curiosity, listening, remembering, and compassion. This way of communicating leaves everyone around feeling better 😊 as we remember we are all celebrations of diversity. We learned during the topic of ecology that diversity is resilience. Without diversity, the soil dries up, erodes, the leaves get bitten away, and the yields are less. Our differences are what we can use to work together to create a new system that nourishes all life. The meaning we each give to our lives and our willingness to be open-minded and compassionate is what helps this bloom. 

It was beautiful to see the intentions everyone set at the beginning of the week blossom into fulfilled wishes and more, as seen during our final sharing moment around a bonfire. Pleng played the drums, Sin’s awesome dance music filled the air, Simon kept the fire burning, Niki held loving space, and Ben presented his beautiful art. The course ended synchronistically with the full moon and we ended our evening playing a fierce game of Ninja under its glow, a symbol of completion, the waning moon an invitation to internalize the teachings that resonated most and to share them with whoever is curious. 

I leave this week feeling much more grounded and connected to nature, something that I had been missing for a long time. I experienced the deeply humbling feeling of asking nature for permission before I sit in the company of its trees, shrubs, spiders, and crawling ants, well aware that this is not only my home, but theirs too, and theirs first. 

I was aware and committed to my life’s purpose before this week, but the tools and knowledge parted to me during the program have grounded and deepened my plans and what I want to express. Gaia Ashram is a place to go when you want to connect back to yourself, other people, and nature, in an authentic and peaceful way, without the stresses of “normal life”. 

Paraphrasing Om, this is not a place to escape from your life. This is a place to learn, to expand, and to empower yourself with awareness of your own strengths, skills, and talents, putting them into practice in the community so you leave (if you do 😛) being, even more, yourself, knowing what you love and what you find important – which I believe is exactly your purpose & medicine for the world 😊. 

Thank you, Om and Tom, for holding the space and for your wisdom, and thank you, everyone, in the course and others living in Gaia Ashram. It is wonderful being part of this community, our hearts united in the mission of life honoring life. 

Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu,

May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all. 

—

Read Om Sunisa Jamwiset Deiters’s (co-founder of Gaia Ashram) article about the Ecovillage Lifestyle Experience Week here.

About the Author

Lila Sahj

Lila is a 21-year-old Project Management student & a coach. She has been researching and experiencing ecovillage and holistic living since 17 years old and found a deep love for community and natural living. She has undergone her own spiritual and self-healing journey, and she now holds space for others to go through their own journeys. Her coaching focuses on empowering the other to reconnect with and trust their own intuition, heart, and body so that they can live authentically and share their medicine for the world. The concepts of systems thinking, the permaculture principles, the 4 Dimensions of Sustainability, and regeneration are key to her coaching and project management style. She holds a Belgian passport but was born in Singapore and has lived in Myanmar, Indonesia, Malawi, Thailand, the Netherlands, Cambodia, and Spain. You can find more about her on her Instagram page @divine.play.coaching.

Engaging Youth for Regeneration in Taiwan

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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

Stand for Unity: what is going on in Auroville?

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Written by Auroville residents

Currently, Auroville, an intentional township in South India, is facing an extremely difficult struggle within its community. Some of our forests, watersheds, and homes are being destroyed or subjected to threat due to a contentious interpretation of the town’s development plan. 

On December 4th, the Auroville Town Development Council started bulldozing trees, despite Auroville residents trying to protect the area (See the Timeline of the events to understand better).

Since then, bulldozers have demolished the Youth Center and its surrounding forest has been cut through. Many of our residents involved in peaceful protest against this violent destruction were intimidated with threats of jail and deportation. Auroville Outreach Media, which has served as the community’s link to the press since 1996, was asked to refrain from issuing any statements.

On December 10th, a case was filed with the Indian National Green Tribunal, and a Stay Order was placed on any tree felling and development work. Now our community apprehensively awaits the verdict of this case. 

What is the development about?

The development plan proposed by Auroville town planning authorities includes a perfectly circular “Crown Way” of 16.7 meters. As this road cuts through many ecologically sensitive areas and precious water catchments, residents in the concerned spaces worked with our Town Development Council for months to come up with alternative solutions that would meet the mobility and infrastructure needs while respecting the sensitive environment. These alternative proposals were ignored by the Auroville Town Development Council and bulldozing of the areas began, accompanied by violent handling of protesting Auroville residents.

The established community decision-making processes are being undermined by Auroville’s internal working groups, which goes against the Auroville Foundation Act (1988),  a parliamentary act that recognises the Residents Assembly’s role in decision-making. The development plan is being reinforced through violent authoritarian measures despite the legal base for participatory decision-making.

While the issue is multi-layered and complex, the bottom line is : 
– The protesting residents want to develop Auroville in a sustainable way that respects the natural environment and honours the intensive reforestation work done by so many residents over the past 50 years; see the inspiring effort of Aurovillians to restore a desertified bioregion into a lush forest here.
– The residents want to build Auroville in such a way that our community decision-making processes are upheld, and that residents of Auroville have a voice in the growth of their community.

How to help?

  • We ask that you sign and circulate this Petition within your community and beyond: please sign and ask friends to sign.
  • To learn more about Auroville’s afforestation work see Ever Slow Green: an award-winning documentary film that tells the story of a 50-years-young tropical forest that evolved in Auroville.
  • > Trailer
  • > Full film
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What is Auroville?

Auroville is an intentional township in Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa (known as “the Mother”) dreamt to be the place for Human Unity.