"We must spare no effort to free all of humanity, and above all our children and grandchildren, from the threat of living on a planet irredeemably spoilt by human activities, and whose resources would no longer be sufficient for their needs." - United Nations Millennium Declaration
| Events and Workshops | Who We Are |
In a world of diminishing resources and increasing stresses on natural and social systems we must rapidly implement strategies to care for the Earth, shelter and feed displaced and hungry people, and convert our energy-wasteful infrastructure to holistic and ecological systems that meet their own needs and the needs of those still to come.
The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) organises a series of workshops, meetings and eco-tours open to the public that will present ecovillages as models for the creation of a just and respectful society based on support for local cultures, use of appropriate technology and restoration of the Earth. Ecovillages are a viable solution to eradication of poverty and degradation of the environment, and combine a supportive social-cultural environment with a low-impact lifestyle. As new societal structures, they go beyond today's dichotomy of urban versus rural settlements, and represent widely applicable models for the planning and re-organisation of human settlements in the 21st century.
Since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the Global Ecovillage Network has spread over six continents and presently counts 15.000 village members. Several GEN ecovillages have received the UNCHS award as "best practices for improving the living environment." GEN is an accredited NGO with Special Consultative Status at the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and a partner of UNITAR in the programme "Regional Forums on Sustainable Urbanisation" in preparation to the Johannesburg Summit.
All workshops (below) will admit a maximum of 40 people and will last 4 hours (from 14.00 to 18.00) with a short break for refreshments.
FREE ADMISSION
August 25 and 26: Urban Ecology and Sustainable Communities
with T.H. Culhane of Los Angeles Ecovillage (USA), Marti Mueller of Auroville (India), and others
August 27: Creating democratic networks
With Liora Adler of Ecovillage Network of the Americas and La Caravana Arcoiris, Lucilla Borio of GEN-Europe, Oumar Diene of GEN-Senegal and others
August 28 and 29: Introduction to Consensus
with Liora Adler, May East and Jonathan Dawson of the Findhorn Foundation (Scotland) and others
August 30 and 31: Ecovillages, localization and poverty alleviation
with, Helena Norberg-Hodge of International Society for Ecology and Culture, Paul Cohen of Tlholego Development Project (South Africa), Marian Zeitlin of Eco Yoff (Senegal), Marti Mueller, Liora Adler, Jonathan Dawson, and others
September 1: Earth Restoration
with Roger Doudna, May East and the Restore the Earth panel
September 2: Introduction to Permaculture and Ecovillage planning with Albert Bates, Paul Cohen, Joe Matimba.
~~~~~~~~~
AFRICAN ECO-TOURS
Travel by bus (about two hours) to the ecovillage of Tlholego, stay in village group lodging and eat traditional African meals with the ecovillage residents. After touring the permaculture and sustainable design elements of Tlholego, you will visit the largest ancient village site in South Africa and Pilanesberg, one of Africa's largest game preserves.
One day Eco-tours:
Saturday 31st Aug, Sunday Sept. 1, Monday Sept. 2.
Two days Eco-tour with overnight stay at the Ecovillage: Sun. Sept. 1.
Price: R1000 for one-day ecotour; R1550 two-day ecotour.
Individual visits with own transport are possible on demand.
Bookings through LEFASE TOUR: +27 (0) 11 5065645.
ECOVILLAGE DINNERS
"One & All Pub", St. Stithians College, August 30, September 1 and September 3.
Dine with progressive leaders in sustainability while hearing from "Visionary" speakers in the ecovillage movement . With Vandana Shiva, Helena Norberg-Hodge and the GEN panel. Vegetarian food, non alcohol drinks included. Price: Rand 200
"Building a planetary difference" with Marti Mueller, T.H. Culhane, Gunlaug Oystbye
September 3, 17.30, School of Architecture and Planning, Wits University
~~~~~~~~~
For information and bookings:
tel. 011-485 39 24 / 07 246 032 19
or EMail,
Please include:
Your Name, Address, Phone #, Fax #, email address. Tell us the Title and Dates of the events or courses you are interested in and we will assist with your questions.
The Global Ecovillage is a global confederation of people and communities that meet and share their ideas, exchange technologies, develop cultural and educational exchanges, directories, and newsletters and are dedicated to restoring the land and living "sustainable plus" lives by putting more back into the environment than we take out.
Network members include large networks like Sarvodaya (11,000 sustainable villages in Sri Lanka), EcoYoff and Colufifa (350 villages in Senegal), the Ladakh project on the Tibetian plateau, ecotowns like Auroville in South India and Nimbin in Australia, small rural ecovillages like Gaia, Argentina and Huehuecoyotl, Mexico, urban rejuvenation projects like Los Angeles EcoVillage and Christiania in Copenhagen, permaculture village sites such as Crystal Waters, Australia, Cochabamba, Bolivia, and Barus, Brazil, and educational centres such as Findhorn in Scotland, Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales, Earthlands in Massachusetts, and many more.