Welcome to the July edition of the Global Ecovillage Network newsletter. As people from all across the globe start to gather today, we are happy to share with you our 2021 Annual Report with our activities, results and financial performance.

We are excited to share the dates for our upcoming EDE and PDC courses, and to annouce our brand new Ecovillage StartUp course! Read on to learn about our Ecovillage Resilience +2.5° call for ecovillages, dates and times for our in-person events at the European Ecovillage Gathering starting today, and intern and job opportunities from GEN, the network and our partners.

It is with great satisfaction that we release the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) Annual Report 2021! You will find details on the financial health of GEN, our achievements and challenges in 2021 and notes on the transition towards being a financially viable network.

While at GEN we celebrate our leadership and organisational transformations, and our continued political stand practising regenerative styles of living, the world leaders continue to be lethargic in the face of the threat of the Climate Emergency.

For that reason, we invite you to read this report asking yourself, which of these fruits are your contribution to guaranteeing buen vivir on this planet? What do you want to do in fellowship with GEN to be more impactful?

We hope you will enjoy the journey with us!

GEN Upcoming Courses

What would the world look like through the glasses of an ecovillage education? We are excited to announce three upcoming courses; our EDE, PDC, and new Ecovillage Startup! Join our global online classroom and learn from renowned educators from around the world.

As we celebrate much of the world coming back to in-person gatherings, we are enhancing our online offerings to include optional immersion opportunities where you can further integrate your learnings in the ecovillages who bring the curriculum to life! Check our Sustainability Education page to know more!

Now in its second iteration, the PDC course will run from 17 September until 10 December on Saturdays and Thursdays.

Gain your certification while tapping into the expertise and inspiration from international permaculture practitioners, including representatives from permaculture inspired ecovillages. Whether you already have land or a project in mind, or feel the calling to enhance your skills to contribute to your (future) community, this course will empower you to be an effective observer, designer, and implementer. Join participants from across the globe as you weave permaculture and ecovillage principles into your existing capacity, stepping into a new chapter of taking action.

If you’d like to get to know our lead facilitators and get a sense of the community we create, join our free taster workshops: 

• Permaculture: Resilience in Times of Crisis. 27 August: 22:00 - 23.30 pm UTC. Register here. 
• 5 Steps to a Permaculture Garden. 10 September 9:00 –10:30 am UTC. Register here.

If you’re already keen to join the course (either in 2022 or future offerings), sign up for our waitlist here to be notified when registration goes live.

Also, check our brand new PDC website page here.

Returning for its third cohort, our online EDE will run from 1 October to 5 February, 2023 (with a 2 week break in December) on Saturdays.

"We have become disconnected from the spirit of community. But there are tools to reconnect." - Marc Domingos, participant of GEN online EDE

Ecovillages have always been laboratories for the future. In these times of transition it is ever more important to create resilient communities wherever you are.This online EDE is a rare treat, facilitated by some of the biggest names in the global ecovillage movement. Get ready to have your world view altered as GEN provides the framework needed to develop the project of your dreams.

Join our free workshop, Times of transition: Why Ecovillages? 24 September, 12 - 13.30 UTC. Register here.

Interested?  (Either in the 2022 cohort or future offerings) Join our waitlist here to be notified when registrations go live.

Ecovillage StartUp Course

Have you ever wondered what the steps to create an ecovillage are? Where do I start? What resources do I need? How do I find the right people? How can I organise to achieve it? What are the most common mistakes? How can I survive the challenges of creating a future and living together with a diverse group of people? 

GEN is proud to announce the launch of our first ECOVILLAGE STARTUP COURSE. A practical, solutions-based experience for rural and urban ecovillage dreamers and new ecovillage creators. 

GEN has gathered 12 of the best ecovillage creators and leaders on the planet to share their life experience with you on how to start an ecovillage.

This course was designed with you in mind. It will be easy to access and follow, regardless of your schedule. 

• 5 hours per month ( including 1 monthly online live encounter)
• Easy to access recorded classes and homework activities
• 1 year of classes at an amazing low introductory price of 150GBP

Not sure if this is for you? Take our first two classes for free and then decide! During these introductory sessions we  will tell you why we believe in ecovillages and lay out the steps to creating one.

Express your interest by joining our waitlist here. 

Ecovillage Resilience +2.5°

What can ecovillages nurture today to be more resilient tomorrow?

Is your ecovillage interested in building more resilience and capacity to work for positive change as global conditions worsen? We are welcoming ecovillages from around the world to partner with GEN in our new action research project - Ecovillage Resilience +2.5°. 

This multi-year initiative aims to create understanding, visions and pathways for future proofing and scaling ecovillage activities to meet the challenges of runaway climate change. Together with 20 partner ecovillages, GEN’s five Regions and a core team of facilitators, experts, and advisors, we will embark on a journey of both local and online activity, exploring what ecovillages can nurture today to be more resilient tomorrow, and how we can increase our capacity to act even as conditions worsen.. 

It will weave the perspectives and experiences of 20 ecovillages along with each of GEN’s five Regions into a Community of Practice, facilitated by a global team of researchers and facilitators.
 

Invitation for Ecovillages to Join!

The European Ecovillage Gathering starts TODAY in Ananda Gaorii Ashram, Denmark. Find out how to get there, see the programme streams, and buy your single day or full tickets now!

GEN International at the European Ecovillage Gathering

We are actively holding the Global Impact track programme during the European Ecovillage Gathering with workshops on Ecovillage Transition in Action, the Ecovillage Resilience +2.5° Project, Ecovillage Research and Empowering Transition through Ecovillage Tools & Principles.

In addition, we are also initiating an international panel on the theme of "Crisis in Communities" there! See the schedule below!

Ecovillage Transition in Action at the European Ecovillage Gathering

Ecovillage Transition in Action (ETiA) is an Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership involving GEN, ECOLISE, GEN Germany, and the University of St Andrews (Scotland). The project outcomes, including a Toolkit, a Handbook, a Facilitator's Guide and a Navigator Tool with resources to support collaboration between community-led initiatives and local authorities will be soon available online.

While preparing to wrap up the project, the Ecovillage Transition in Action team will offer a series of opportunities for the ones interested in multi stakeholders collaborations to engage and reflect together.

The workshop Ecovillage Transition in Action: Strengthening collaboration for regional sustainability will be held during the GEN Europe Ecovillage Gathering, in Denmark, on July 10.

Ecovillage Transition in Action at the ICSA Conference
During the International Communal Studies Association (ICSA) Conference, that will also take place in Denmark (and online) from July 14 to 16,  the Ecovillage Transition in Action team will offer the workshop: Scaling up community action through collaboration with local authorities: a practical exploration of philosophies, policies and practices, and will present the paper Ecovillage transition in action: communication, cooperation and collaboration beyond community.

Don't miss it:
European Ecovillage Gathering
July 7, 10:30 - 12:30 - Main track
CRISIS IN COMMUNITIES Panel with Taisa Mattos with Macaco Tamerice, Achim Ecker, Ina Meyer-Stoll, Daniel Greenberg, and Fabi Maia.

July 8, 10:30 - 12:30 - Global Impact track
ECOVILLAGE RESEARCH with Anne-Kathrin Schwab.

July 9, 10:30 - 12:30 - Global Impact track
EMPOWERING TRANSITION THROUGH ECOVILLAGE
TOOLS & PRINCIPLES with Caro Waldmann & Jake Jay-Lewin.

July 10, 10:30 - 12:30 - Global Impact track
ECOVILLAGE TRANSITION IN ACTION with Anne-Kathrin Schwab, Nara Petrovic and Taisa Mattos.

International Communal Studies Association (ICSA) Conference
July 14-16, 2022
Co-Creating Community - Evolving Models of Intentional Community.
Know more and register at icsacommunity.org

Job openings, internship opportunities and calls for articles from GEN, our networks and partners.

Internship at GEN International

Do you want to be part of the GEN team, have a look behind the scenes and join one of our online certificate courses which are rich in content and community vibe? This is YOUR chance!

Apply for a Course Support Internship Position for the Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) or Permaculture Design Course (PDC) and earn your free participation while working closely with our lead facilitator, guest instructors and the GEN team. We are recruiting two interns for each the PDC which will start on the 17th of September and the EDE which will start on the 1st of October this year.

Please find here the infosheet about EDE Internship Position and here the one for the PDC Internship Position and make sure you apply before the 20th of July via filling out your application form which is included in each infosheet and via sending your CV to education@ecovillage.org.

We are very much looking forward to reading your applications and hope to work with you very soon!Know more here: https://ecovillage.org/get-involved/jobs/

Work with our friends in Transition Network

Communications Role - Apply before 2pm (UTC) July 12, 2022.

Know more and apply here: https://transitionnetwork.org/news/join-communications/

Call for papers: Topical Collection on Ecovillages and other Community-led Initiatives as Experiences of Climate Action

Climate Action journal is hosting a regular section of their publications focused entirely on articles about Ecovillages and other Community-led Initiatives as experiences of climate action. They are welcoming papers about ecovillages as pragmatic examples of bottom up initiatives for climate action all over the world.

All papers will be published fully Open Access in Climate Action. See published papers and the complete call at link.springer.com/collections/aafafbhfaf

Work at Ecoversity

Ecoversity is hiring and will also open applications for several roles including Lead Graphic Designer, Content Growth Manager and Tiktok Intern. Know more at ecoversity.org/green-jobs

Inspiring Women Healing the Earth