Welcome to the September Newsletter of the Global Ecovillage Network, marking the Equinox when the Northern and Southern Hemispheres meet in a day of equal shares of light and darkness, entering Autumn and Spring respectively.
We dedicate this edition to Dr. Paul Yeboah. Our networks - especially GEN Ghana and GEN Africa - are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear member, friend, mentor, colleague and one of the pillars of the Permaculture and Ecovillage movements in Africa and the world. Dr. Paul Yeboah's passing on 14.09.2021 after a brief sickness has left a big vacuum in our hearts.
Paul supported the development of several community projects in West Africa. He was not only the Director of Ghana Permaculture Institute, he was a father and mentor to hundreds of African youths whose projects are thriving from his years of experience. A dedicated earth lover with so much love and dignity for the African continent. We want to express our condolences and our best wishes to Dr. Paul Yeboah’s family and friends, Ghana, Africa and the world.
We leave with you one of the many inspiring moments that Paul shared with our wide community of the Global Ecovillage Network, an interview he gave to our former Executive Director Kosha Joubert for the Communities on Edge series.
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Dr. Paul Yeboah dedicated his life to spreading Permaculture to the world. He will remain alive in our work, and his life will be celebrated every time we plant new positive seeds in this beautiful Earth. May Paul’s light shine upon all of us!
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GEN's 1st online Permaculture course - PDC
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Permaculture teaches us to observe nature’s cycles to design regenerative systems that work with one another to create solutions.
Learn Permaculture and Ecovillage Design online with experts and founders of the Permaculture and Ecovillage movements. Ranging from how to create a permaculture food garden to using the principles of permaculture in community design and beyond, this course is designed to give you the tools, connections and capacity to skillfully bring permaculture into your life.
Interested? Pre-register here to make sure you are the first to know when we open registrations.
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Also check our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn pages for a series of posts we're posting on Permaculture.
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Vidalia Ecovillage, Spain, Building the New Normal
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Friends of GEN Building a New Normal is a campaign to celebrate the many people seeded around the planet who are building their own “new normal” through the very lives they live. Each one forms the bedrock of the Network, the Movement we are – saplings of regenerative planetary cultures. This campaign is a statement, a challenge, as well as an invitation to take action or join hands. We flourish together.
This new episode of Building the New Normal brings the story of Ben. His journey took him to Vidalia Ecovillage in Spain, where he explored community and human relations through the flow of dance.
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GEN at COP26: we need your help!
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We’re entering crucial months for the future of humanity! The world is preparing for COP26, the big UN Climate Conference in November. The Global Ecovillage Network will send a small delegation to advocate for the ecovillage pathway of regeneration, and we need your support.
We want to hear from you! What message would you like the GEN team to deliver at COP26? How is your ecovillage or your project creating the better world we know we can build together?
Please share with us by leaving a comment on our website. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Ecovillage Summit - Weekly Free Talk
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We bring the best of the Online Summit 2021, one free talk per week. This week, SEKEM Initiative Regenerating the Desert!
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Egypt's SEKEM Initiative was founded with the vision of sustainable development and giving back to the community. It aims to develop the individual, society and environment through a holistic approach that integrates ecology, economy, societal and cultural life. Today, the vision that brought Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish to dig the first well in the vast desert land still resounds in all of SEKEMs activities.
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SEKEM's talk will remain available for free until Friday, October 1st at 6pm UTC.
Let us know which speaker or ecovillage you would like to see in the following weeks. And please consider buying the full Ecovillage Summit Package. You get access to all 59 talks with 66 speakers and ecovillages.
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We need to talk about Capitalism & Ecovillages!
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European Solidarity Corps Volunteers
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The time has come and we are saying good-bye to Stefano Nebiolo from Italy and Lara Muhsik from Germany - the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteers that joined the GEN International team in the Findhorn head office for the last 12 months.
Celebrating both Lara and Stefano for all that they have brought to GEN and the Findhorn community! Lara through actively supporting our communications team and making the GEN team behind the scenes much more visible through initiating the staff interview series and Stefano for being involved in the Networking and Fundraising area and in particular for all his work in improving our Map of Ecovillages.
Thank you Lara and Stefano for your commitment, passion and joy and all the best for your next steps!
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The GEN office team, from the left to the right:
Carolin Waldmann, Lara Muhsik, Stefano Nebiolo and Tessa Brock
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GEN International Staff Interview series
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Have you ever wondered who is behind the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) International? We are pleased to share with you the seventh interview of our GEN Staff Interview Series! Find out who we are, what drives us, and what we are currently working on!
The series was created and used to be hosted by Lara Muhsik. She's now passing the series on to Gabriel Siqueira, Communications Director. In this episode, Lara speaks with Gabriel about her 12 months working with GEN.
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GEN Online Store Clearance Sale
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Don't you know? EVERYTHING is on sale on our online store! Up to 70% off!
Ecovillage Design Cards & Mandala Mats & Books!
NOW is the best time to purchase our products as they are currently offered at their Lowest Prices Ever!
ecovillage.org/category/sale/
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GEN Oceania & Asia - Ecovillage Transition
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Among the ecovillage movement, we understand that not everyone has the option or want to create a new intentional community. In countries around Oceania & Asia, a lot of the time what members of the ecovillage movement are doing is transforming current communities/neighborhoods/ villages to become more regenerative ecologically, socially, culturally and economically; or supporting that transition to happen 🌏
There is no panacea - no silver bullet that works for all, but there are frameworks and learnings that we can all share with each other and adapt to our local contexts.
Meet the active change-agents around the region who shared their experience with Ecovillage Transition in GENOA September Community Call:
🌱 Thalea Tane - Sustainable Community Lead at Te Roroa, Ngāti Whātua and Ngāpuhi tribes - Aotearoa/New Zealand
🌱 Hiroko Katayama - GEN-Japan Executive Director and member of As One Community
🌱 Haichao Wang - Founder of Sunshine Ecovillage
🌱 Karen Wang - Secretary of GEN China / Formal General Secretary of Sunshine Ecovillage
🌱 Tanya Mottl - GEN Australia & Narara Ecovillage
Together with many others from Bhutan, Thailand, India...
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 Regenerative Communities Summit
24 September - October 10. Transition US invites all doers and dreamers, activists and community leaders, farmers and entrepreneurs, educators and artists, and everyday people eager to reimagine and rebuild our world. Find GEN research and education coordinator Taisa Mattos and long term ecovillage friend and regeneration expert Daniel Wahl in the Regenerative Communities Panel. Click here to know more.
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 CASA Latina - Call for Vision Councils
September-October. The Sustainable Settlements Council of Latin America - CASA Latina invites you to sow and to rip creative and regenerative actions that sustain life on Mother Earth. This is a call to the circles, clans, tribes, networks, villages, families and groups of people who already dream and activate the regeneration of Mother Earth and who have been weaving CASA Latina and the Global Ecovillage Network to strengthen each other as a planetary family. Click here to know more.
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 São Paulo Declaration on Planetary Health
Launch on October 6. GEN is a member of the Planetary Health Alliance, and in partnership with the University of São Paulo and the the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) we are thrilled to announce the launch of the São Paulo Declaration on Planetary Health. This is an urgent call to action co-created by the global planetary health community outlining the actions necessary for us to achieve the Great Transition: a just transformation to a world that optimizes the health & well-being of all people and the planet. Register for the Launch Event.
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Espejo: social gathering of Permaculture Youth - by CASA Jovenes
9-13 October. CASA Jovenes' Espejo is a Permacultural Celebration of Latin American Youth. They will celebrate together and explore themes such as Low Technologies, Alternative Pedagogy, Bioconstruction, Agroecology, Economy and Governance. Click here to know more.
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Gaia Education Courses - Design for Sustainability & Regeneration
The Gaia Education Design for Sustainability programme starts with a new cycle of Social Dimension (in English) on 4th October. This programme was reviewed and updated with current information last year. As for the Portuguese speaking participants, we also have the Portuguese Worldview Dimension starting on the same day 4th October. The Spanish Design for Sustainability will be starting in January with the Social dimension.
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FIC: Foundation for Intentional Communities - Courses
Two online courses - Finding Your Community and Becoming a Communitarian - are being offered by FIC in October. Register soon to take advantage of the early-bird sale ending this Sunday.
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