The staff team of GEN have been watching events in the United States with grief, outrage and concern - and we know that the matter of racism and violence against Black People and People of Colour is not unique to that country. Working in a global network, we are often called to become aware of the racism – systemic, cultural, and personal, that exists not only in society, but within our movement too. The work for social justice is deep, it is ongoing, and it includes all of us. We are confident that we speak for our networks when we say that GEN stands in solidarity with all people of colour and those experiencing racism and oppression.
We also acknowledge that for many of us, it is a time to to be humble, listen closely, educate ourselves and provide support rather than direction. Following #BlackLivesMatter on social media or visiting Black Lives Matter website s a good place to start for those seeking more information. We also encourage you to find and directly support organisations led by Black, Indigenous or People of Colour working to address structural racism and racist violence where you live. In the coming weeks, we will be opening spaces for a deeper conversations about racism and the ecovillage movement. We must listen to, learn from, and stand toegther with Black people as part of our commitment to regenerative living. GEN states unequivocally that Black Lives Matter. Nonty Sedibe-Sabic contributes with the following editorial in this regard.
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Finally other White Western cultures are waking up. This is not just an American Issue. This system of white supremacy is a global system of oppression, and deeply connected to the systems that also created the climate crisis we are in. We cannot heal these systems until we are able to see them, in the world, in each other and in ourselves. To heal, we need to take time to study, feel and understand how racism, sexism, exploitation and environmental extractivism work together to uphold each other. Then and only then can we get to work on truly dismantling them for our future generations.
It is when we allow ourselves to shift from IT IS NOT US - IT IS THEM OUT THERE - that real healing can begin. It is when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, honest and transparent, that can true lasting change and healing take place.
We can no longer be silent - silence is complicity. We can no longer hide behind ecology or spirituality to justify oppression. We must go further to strive for justice and equality for BIPOC ( Black, Indigenous and People of Color) communities. Environmental injustice and social injustice are inseparable. Environmental issues disproportionately effect these communities and ignoring this reality would be ignoring the truth. It is time to unfreeze, to unlearn, to be brave, to be open for listening and education.
As a Black African Indigenous woman, born in South Africa under the the oppressive regime of apartheid, who is part of the ecovillage movement and other European social movements, I believe this is an opportunity for healing. This is a call for action beyond just being loving, caring White people, but a chance to be committed White Allies. A chance to work with unconscious bias and prejudice in everyday interactions with the BIPOC. This is not an event but a journey, a journey that will take many years, a wound that will take many generations to heal, but together we can, and together we shall, overcome.
 Nonty Sedibe-Sabic is a South African currently living between Europe and South Africa. She is a workshop leader, dynamic speaker advocating for climate and social justice, community living, diversity and North/South healing and reconciliation, utilising the principles of UBUNTU. Since 2013 She has been involved with the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), where she served as a board member and is part of the advocacy and policy working group. She is also a co- founder and director of RISE (Revivers of Indigenous Spirituality and Ecosystems). Find more about her at nontycharitysabic.com. Last year Nonty participated in the GEN Webinar "Privilege and Inequality in Ecovillages", you can watch it in our YouTube channel clicking here.
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Back to our normal newsletter - To begin with, we want to share a special announcement: our new learning platform is ready! We follow that with an invitation for Ecovillages and Eco-projects to join our Twinning Project which pairs communities from the Global South and the Global North. This is the last chance to participate!
Next, we feature one of our networks, this month highlighting NextGENNA, the youth arm in North America, and their 6th annual Ecovillage Pathways, this time online. Sharing stories directly from those on the ground, we present the As One Network, an urban ecovillage from Suzuka, Japan, and GEN Ambassadors Abraham Tesfaw Wate (Ethiopia) and Alexandra Palumbo (Philippines).
We also remind you of the GEN Online Store which includes our recently released Urban Ecovillages Manual and the new edition of the Ecovillage Design Cards (with a special sale of the first edition). Finally, we invite you to upcoming events from GEN and our partners, that might further enrich your lives.
We hope to support the weaving of your communities, wherever you are! Stay safe!
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GEN's new Online Education Platform
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Today we are going public with our new online education platform. GEN's Education and IT teams have been working intensively to create an interactive and engaging way for people to learn and experience the ecovillage movement online, as well as finding easy pathways to workshops happening in ecovillages, once that is possible again. We start small, with the intention to collaboratively grow into a platform for all the GEN networks, gathering ecovillages, facilitators, teachers and learners from around the world. We warmly welcome you to head over to learn.ecovillage.org to see what you find! If you are someone in our networks offering ecovillage-based education and would like to see your courses featured, we'd also love for you to get in touch with us at education@ecovillage.org.
It is with great pleasure that we introduce to you not only the platform, but several online workshops - three of which are brand new!
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Our Regenerative Urban Communities Online Workshop - with Taisa Mattos, was postponed to July 17-19. You can also find it in our new online learning platform at learn.ecovillage.org.
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LAST DAY!!!!
For years there has been the practice of “twinning” within GEN, where ecovillages, eco-projects, and ecovillage networks in the global South and global North decide to form a special friendship and support each other.
GEN will now start to support such twinning relationships in a more systematic way, as a ‘dating agency’ 😉
Are you interested to meet someone new? To be eligible for this project, please check these criteria:
- You are an ecovillage, traditional or indigenous community, eco-community, eco-project (which includes permaculture farms, learning centers, restoration sites, emergency projects), national ecovillage network, or regional ecovillage network.
- You have an up-to-date profile on the GEN Ecovillages Database - https://ecovillage.org/projects/
- Your ecovillage, community, eco-project, national or regional ecovillage network is interested to share skills and knowledge with your potential twin and develop a joint partnership together.
To find out more, visit https://tinyurl.com/ecotwin
Deadline to apply: 6 June
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Highlights from the Regions
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The 6th annual Ecovillage Pathways is going ONLINE
June 13th - 27th, 2020
An English and French event! All presentations will be recorded.
NextGENNA - our youth arm in North America, announced that their 6th Annual Ecovillage Pathways 2020 (while usually an in person gathering) will be a series of online workshops. Do you feel that there is a need to heal in our cultural, economic, social, and ecological systems? Join us for this IMMERSIVE ecovillage experience to learn, explore, and engage in EMBODIED HEALING through community.
Join NextGENNA for this IMMERSIVE ecovillage experience to learn, explore, and engage in EMBODIED HEALING through community.
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Highlights from Ecovillages
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As One Network is an innovative urban eco-community and practical social experiment in Suzuka city, Japan. In their latest video, the As One Network gives us a lively glimpse into their community, research institute, school and company.
- When people live in relation to each other like one big family, what happens to the economy?
- What happens in a company and school when the needs and wills of each person are respected without any pressure or penalties?
- What is human nature and how can we build social structures according to it?
The As One Network community will take you on a journey asking and living these questions. Welcome to the As One Network and the “new society”!
The video is subtitled in six languages: English, German, Portuguese, Korean and Japanese.
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Now more than ever, we need to connect as a community and stand in solidarity to create the beautiful, interconnected world we all want to live in.
With a small monthly donation, Friends of GEN support GEN’s work at the forefront of a paradigm shift towards a regenerative world - and in the process become more closely involved with communities locally and globally who are building alternatives now.
You can become a Friend and start to receive exclusive benefits that bring you closer to the global ecovillage movement from as little as €5 per month.
Ready to make a difference? Now is the time!
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Highlights from GEN Ambassadors
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A GEN Ambassador is someone who knows the Global Ecovillage Network well, and is able to represent GEN on local, national and/or international levels. There are more than 220 active Ambassadors in our network, and we recently held two internal webinars with some of them. We shared amazing stories of how communities have come together to respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Some communities had cooking and meal delivery initiatives, one community even had old-school town criers to provide entertainment and news right outside your front door! (Especially handy for those who aren't connected electronically).
But most importantly we had a space to share and to connect which is especially needed and important during these times. Most (if not all) enjoyed connecting and wished to do so more. Which is why we’ll be offering a GEN Ambassadors Webinar per each region this year! So if you’re a GEN Ambassador, look out for the news inviting you to your Regional Ambassadors Webinar. And if you feel like you’re missing out and would like to become a GEN Ambassador, go to ecovillage.org/ambassadors to see what it means to be a GEN Ambassador and to sign up, don’t miss out!
Tessa Brock
GEN Ambassador Coordinator and Trainer
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Ethiopia's GEN Ambassador, Abraham Tesfaw Wate participated this week on the 4th edition of the Annual Climate Change Talks. He spoke about “GMOs introduction into the Ethiopian Biodiversity and other Post Covid-19 Climate Change Proposals”.
Abraham recently published an Op Ed. “How Sharing should be the future of Political Business”.
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Philippines Ambassadors at Kai Farms
Kai Farms is a permaculture farm, a center for green living and ecological research, envisioned as a self-sufficient Ecovillage. Follow the Kai Farms on Instagram: @kaifarmsph
"We find ourselves in quarantine in different locations: Karla in a permaculture farm by the sea in Palawan, Amena in an ecovillage in Bangalore called Trans Indus, the earth angels at Kai Farms in Silang, Cavite, and Lexi in Manila.
We are happy to share that we have been providing fresh veggies to frontline healthcare workers at hospitals such as Philippine General Hospital. The harvest is donated by kind donors and prepared by volunteer chefs and home cooks.
Logistics have been challenging during this time of enhanced community quarantine, but we have been able to conduct deliveries to Manila twice a week. Covid has made people appreciate organic veggies more. It has also been a wake-up call for food security. People are now covinced about growing their own food. Sales of seedlings, seeds, and soil have been great. We feel so deeply blessed and grateful to be safe where we are, have our business stay afloat and flourish despite this crisis, and provide this service to our communities.
We have also been seed saving before the rainy season and are shipping seeds to different islands around The Philippines.
We wish you all well and send good vibes and good seeds to all of you. Stay safe!"
Alexandra Payumo, Kai Farms, Phillipines
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Our online store has expanded its range and now we are happy to offer the New Edition of the Ecovillage Design Cards. After gaining experience from working with the cards in communities and organisations in 35 countries on all continents, GEN has gathered abundant feedback to upgrade and finetune the 32 Ecovillage Principles that make up the cards. So far the New Edition is available in English, but soon they can also be purchased in a wide range of different languages.
Another new product in our Online Store is the GEN Urban Ecovillages Manual,, a guide for groups and individuals interested in building regenerative urban communities. It brings together examples and case studies to inspire and illustrate this very diverse field as well as suggesting references and tools. GEN wants to support people who are willing to build regenerative communities and start community-led initiatives in cities.
Furthermore we like to share our special offers with you. The first edition of the English cards (A5, A4, A3 and A6), A4 cards in German, Chinese and Armenian and A5 cards in Portuguese, Spanish, German, French and Chinese are now sold at 50% off and with every sale we offer a free printed version of the 2018 annual report!
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The Global Ecovillage Network is happy to be joining the World Localization Day, a world-changing online programme of inspirational talks, interviews, films, humour and music. Including contributions from Vandana Shiva, Jane Goodall, Joanna Macy and Kosha Joubert. The World Localization Day is an online event starting June 21.
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We invite you to the Online Gathering of Ecovillages and Intentional Communities. This event is organized by the Inkiri Piracanga Community (Brazil) in partnership with the Global Ecovillage Network, Damanhur (Italy), Tamera (Portugal), Auroville (India) and the UMEPAY Holistic Center (Argentina). This free online event takes place from June 2th to 27th, ant there is still time to participate!
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