GEESE In-Formation

Message from Giovanni Ciarlo, President of GEN

Dear members of the Board of Gaia Trust,

I would like to respectfully share a few words with you regarding the influence the Gaia Education EDE has had on my life. I am one of the original members of the group that founded the GEESE back in 2004, and current president of the Global Ecovillage Network, which you have also generously supported for many years. The EDE curriculum that came out of that group has given me a go-to place and a formidable source of inspiration for teaching about sustainable communities and socially responsible businesses, like no other curriculum that I am aware of, anywhere. It provides a road map, concrete case studies, and abundant resources for all important information, activities, networks and key understanding of sustainability. I have used this information in my professional life extensively since 2004 to teach, train and consult with people all over the planet regarding sustainable communities and social responsible business practices.

My particular focus has been on the Social aspect of the curriculum, but I’ve had the opportunity to apply all the dimensions in courses I have taught since 2004. In 2006 I taught, together with Max Linddeger of Australia, a full EDE course in a rural center in Mexico that addresses subsistence farmers and community organizers from all over Mexico. In 2007 I ran a two week EDE pilot course with a roster of ecovillage, renewable energy, and Permaculture instructors in my Ecovillage of Huehuecoyotl, also in rural Mexico, attended by architects, urban youth, mine workers, and community leaders from all over Mexico. In 2007 I was invited to present Ecovillage education and the Latin American network at the Japan Ecovillage conference in Tokyo.

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GeeseinformationNorthern Summer/Southern Winter 2010

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Also in 2006 I enrolled in a Masters program at Goddard College in Vermont, USA to bring a solid academic background to my courses and to enrich the EDE curriculum I am using. In 2009 I headed another EDE pilot course, this time in Norway with a group of young ecovillage enthusiasts at the emerging ecovillage of Koffee Haugen. That same year I also served as faculty for the newly installed Virtual EDE and taught the social dimension of the curriculum at the Universidad Ouberta de Catalunia in Spain. And this year, 2010, I have taken a part-time faculty position at Goddard College in Vermont, USA for a new program with a focus on ecovillage design and socially responsible business practices.

The EDE curriculum has informed and inspired my work throughout these activities and continues to do so as I plan to continue to offer courses, facilitate workshops and be engaged with communities and the GEESE to continue to develop and bring the EDE to new areas of urban design.

The EDE has given me an anchor and a vision that is complete and holistic. I am infinitely grateful to Gaia Trust, and to Hildur and Ross Jackson for making this possibility real and available, to me a the hundreds of others who have enrolled in our courses. And I am especially thankful to May East for being a tireless visionary leader in developing, and promoting the work of the GEESE. She has served us as mother Goose like no one could possibly imagine. Her dedication, hard work, cooperative spirit and generosity are a wonderful model for how we can be Change Agents for a sustainable world. Thanks to her and Gaia Education we have gotten a little closer to attaining that vision, and the world and thousands of people who have joined this process are much better for it.

Thank you.

Respectfully, Giovanni Ciarlo

Thank

Respectfully, Giovanni

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Deep Winter Ecological Design Week at Keuruun Ecovillage in Finland

Hiidenlintu

A transdisciplinary team facililtated by Esa Aaltonen and Jaana Kuusela, including architect Outi Palttala, permaculture designer Salla Kuuluvainen, Transition Town movement specialist Jupiter Cormier, gardeners Tuulikki Sulavaara and Kirsi Laulainen, local food specialist Silja Jääskeläinen and water lecturer Olli-Pekka Haavisto offered a most inspiring Deep Winter Ecological Design week at Keuruun Ecovillage in Finland.

Participants coming predominantly from urban areas after going through the Ecological Design content realised the future cannot be solved only through ecological lens, having community building one of the main foundations for resilient living.

Facilitators of Keuruun combined technical sessions with hands-on workshops such as making non-toxic paints, planting seeds, cooking. Many participatory tools such as World Cafe, circle dancing, and leadership challenge games and sharing circles were used, generating a real interest from participants in deepening their knowledge of community building.

It was high Winter in Finland, and Keuruu ecovillage offered a ‘cool’ venue to host this multifaceted Ecological Design week with 52.5 hours, interspaced with sauna sessions.

For more information on future Keuruun Gaia Education programmes visit www.keuruunekokyla.fi


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A Rainy Monday Evening – The Launch of Gaia Education in Salvador

May East

It was a rainy Monday evening and the organisers did not expect great attendance in the official launch of the programme. Rain in this Northeast region of Brazil symbolises winter and when this happens no one leaves home.

Half an hour before the start the auditorium of the Institute of Architects of Bahia was filled up with an expectant audience. Salvador has recently been hit by a series natural and urban planning disasters and a mixed audience came eager to know how Gaia Education Design for Sustainability programme could give them the tools necessary to re-design their rapid changing living conditions.

Gaia Education Design for Sustainability programme in Salvador is hosted by Ecobairro, an initiative migrated from Sao Paulo on rejuvenation of neighbourhoods, and Institute Roerich, with many years of dedication of promotion of a Culture of Peace.

In the audience the presence of urbanists, local government officers, educators, architects, therapists, students, social workers and a delegation from Pataxó indigenous people, all came to hear how do we navigate the 4 dimensions of sustainability in practice.

With a wide coverage in the media, including the main local papers and radio, organisers left uplifted and surprised by the interest and a full list of potential students. The programme starts in July 2010.

For more information visit www.gaiabrasil.net


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A Journey to Discover

By Hugo Oliveira

I came across the Ecovillage concept in my journey of discovery and found that there are ways of living that could embrace nature and humans as a whole. My will to learn more about it took me to three different continents and exposed me to diverse realities to get in touch with a wide spectrum of possibilities.

The first time I heard about the Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) was in Athens during the 2006 European Social Forum. Many people were talking about problems concerning our present living conditions but not many were practicing the solutions. I went into a Global Ecovillage Network lecture by Jonathan Dawson, and this gave me hope. He showed different communities that were trying to live in a more respectful manner with the ecosystem around them and between themselves. That was the sparkle I was waiting for, to ignite the learning fire that would follow…

I chose to attend EDEs in different ecovillages in order to go deeper in a short time into the spirit of each community. By being immersed for a month in the daily routine of the place, as well as spending time with the trainers (usually community members) I could hear the successes and struggles in the achievement of such living experiences.

The first EDE I attended was in Tamera Healing Biotope I - Portugal, an international training and experimental site for the development of peace research villages and healing biotopes worldwide.

The second one was in Auroville - India, an universal town where men and women of all countries try to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities, with the purpose of realizing human unity.

The third was at the Wongsanit Ashram – Thailand, an intentional community that seeks to develop and promote an alternative lifestyle that is grounded in Dharma, cultural diversity, environmental sustainability, engagement in social action and spiritual practices.


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The last one (during 4 months) was in Crystal Waters Permaculture Village– Australia, a socially and environmentally responsible, economically viable rural subdivision. One of the first villages in the world designed using the principles of Permaculture.

The main reason for me to search for different EDE experiences was that in one month, just a small fraction of what is available to be able to design an ecovillage is shared. I wanted to hear more experiences and see more examples. I feel a lot of us came out of EDE trainings with this question in mind… I don’t know yet how to answer this question and for sure is different for each of us. But in my case, I simply joined other likeminded friends and started putting into practice all we had learned in our trainings. Motivated to learn more from traditional communities and contribute to the preservation of their sustainable practices we created a project called “Raio de Sol”, an Ecocentre focused on Education for Sustainability is now being established in Baucau, Timor Leste. To support this project we’ve set up our own organization, “naTerra – Education for Sustainable Development Association”, a non-profit that embraces projects on Education for Sustainability, which is an educational vision that aims to balance both the human and economical well-being, with cultural traditions and respect for the planet’s natural resources (www.naterra.org). We are now active members of GENOA - NextGEN, making the bridge between Macau, Timor Leste and other Asian Ecovillage Young Activists. And the learning continues…


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Gaia Education Film – a Successful Launch in Japan

Penelope Reyes

The world premiere showing of the Gaia Education Film took place on May 30, 2010, during the 4th International Ecovillage Conference in Tokyo, Japan.

The screening was made possible through the help of Japan EDE organizer, Yoji Kamata and the EDE

Japan organizers group. It was presented by Gaia Education representative, Penelope Reyes, together with Yoji Kamata to a full house audience during the session entitled, “Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) as Grassroots Playground”.

Because of the high interest in the film, there are proposals to translate its script to Japanese and include subtitles.

GEESE on NING

Gaia Education has been looking at how to connect the wider family of GEESE into a conversational process. Marcelo Todescan, one of the leading lights of EDE Sao Paulo, had the brilliant idea to start a GEESE NING with all GEESE who joined EDEs in the 22 countries being invited to participate. Lots of activity is going on in English, Spanish, Portuguese, forthcoming programmes have been uploaded, smaller EDE groups are gathering, exchanging news, uploading pictures, campaigning. Prior to the Gaia Trust Board annual meeting May posted a question what was the influence of your EDE in your life and we had received the most inspiring testimonials… so difficult to chose one from many, so we will be uploading many in our website… – see the next page for two testimonials from Estonia and Tenerife.

Visit Gaia Education on Facebook & Twitter

To join our Facebook group, just search there for “Gaia Education” or go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gaia-Education/129075557117051

You can follow us on Twitter by going to http://twitter.com/gaiaeducation


The EDE Japan Organizers who helped make the !lm launching a success!

Penelope Reyes and Yoji Kamata

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Testimonials

Hello to All from Estonia!

I participated in 2006, EDE for trainers in Findhorn. Wow, almost 4 years ago. So for me the EDE training gave the impulse to search more in this field, gave me confidence to speak up and after course I have been practicing mainly on ecological module :)

So what have I done so far to create a better World in few words. I have built several strawbale houses (big-gest is over 100 m2), rocket stove, also some smaller structures with natural materials. I have been giving lectures on EDE topics in Universities (2 years, 4 towns, 3 universities, in 3 languages :), also abroad (in Baltics). I have lead several workshops on building with local materials, straw and clay. I invited foreign specialists (USA, Denmark, Australia) to run a workshops and seminars here in Estonia about different uses of natural build-ing materials (two projects were supported by EU funds).

This year I have composed a curriculum of “Sustainable Building and Restoration”, that is for teachers skill conversion in vocational schools in Estonia. Curriculum is approved by Estonian Ministry of Education and Research and first trainings will start in autumn 2010.

Today me and my lovely wife are creating a training centre for healthy lifestyle and self development. We are working on two fields - Horse Therapy (Equine Assisted Learning) and sustainable living condition (permaculture). All buildings in this area (18 hectares) are from straw and clay or from reused materials. We have currently 10 horses and 4 children and some smaller domestic animals like dogs, sheep, cats, hens.

I can add to my today’s work with gratitude a “logo” - Inspired by GAIA Education. Thank you all for your work and deep bow to founders of this curriculum!

With lots of Love, Sven Aluste

Saludos, encantado de compartir con tod@s nuestra experiencia con el EDE!

Desde muy pequeño con 12 o 13 años, alla por los años 70 en Paysandú Uruguay donde naci, descubrí mi vocación por los temas comunitarios, a partir de alli vivir en comunidad siempre ha sido un ojetiivo en mi vida, despues de muchos intentos en diversos lugares de América del sur y en España, despues de muchos conflictos irresolubles y cuando ya perdíamos la esperanza de poder lograrlo por lo dificil que era,

aparecio en nuestra vida la posibilidad del curso EDE lo cual fue todo un descubrimiento de como se deverían hacer las cosas para el gran logro de crear comunidad.

Gracias a ello estamos trabajando renacidos en la idea con la cabeza mucho mas clara y poco a poco se van cristalizando cosas en el “Proyecto Cultivando” en Tenerife. Para nosotros en definitiva el curso ha sido de gran valor para volver a ilusionarnos y saber el camino claro por donde ir, por eso lo agradecemos especialmente.

Un saludo, Efrem Scarmatto Ibarburu

diversosyconflictos


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Why and How to Organise an EDE

Kosha Joubert

Setting up an Ecovillage Design Education Training in our home country or bio-region is a political action in line with the principles and action guidelines of the Earth Charter:

“Provide all, especially children and youth, with educational opportunities that empower them to contribute actively to sustainable development.”

(Principle of Earth Charter)

Wherever you long to set up an EDE, you might like to consider the following:

1. Build your team slowly and with dedication: The EDE is a wide ranging course and the team of trainers should reflect this holistic approach. No one person can hold all the necessary pieces of expertise and wisdom. A healthy and harmonious team will lay the basis for a healthy group process and a healthy learning community - both during the EDE and later on.

2. Clarify the intention of your particular EDE: What is special about your locality, what special gifts will your EDE bring to the world?

3. Enquire into your audience: Contact your target groups early on. Feed them information about Gaia education, about GEN, the Transition Town Movement and any other networks that may be of help and interest. Build curiosity. Build community. Build trust. People need a strong commitment to attend a 4-week long course. They need to trust you and what you stand for.

4. Design your course: With these three aspects in place, you can now start to design your EDE. The curriculum allows for quite a bit of flexibility. Play around with the dimensions and the 20 modules. Allow this to become a process of co-creation. Make sure not to forget the wisdom and experience your audience will be bringing to their course. Make space for their wealth to be shared and acknowledged.


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5. File your certification application with Gaia Education well ahead of time: This is easier said than done! But seriously, it helps to begin planning up to a year before you anticipate your course to actually run. Give yourself and everyone else time to think and feel things though well.

6. Raise necessary funds: In many areas we will need to raise additional funds to that which the participants bring. Trust that some people would love nothing better but to spend their money on a cause as beautiful as yours. There are those who have funds but not the time and space to do this kind of work. Invite them to join your cause.

7. Draw in participants who sign up: The most important magnetism for your course comes from mouth-to-mouth propagation. Yes, you can print flyers, but don’t expect flyers to bring in your participants.

8. Be ready for a long haul: The realisation of a project such as this needs determination and perseverance. There will be times when doubts and overwhelm creep in. Take a deep breath and know that life only offers you the challenges you are ready for.

9. Celebrate the actual course: Make sure you are well prepared as far as content and logistics are concerned and then … relax! Enjoy! This is the best part. Have an extra person on the course to take care of all the small, unanticipated flaws and surprises, and to help with logistics so that you can relish your participants and savour their learning journey.

10. Recuperation and reflection: Don’t forget about putting time aside for reflection, reporting, financial accounting and the general clean-up that follows every good celebration. And make sure to schedule a few days of deep relaxation after the course. You have held a long wave of energy and deserve some rest. Some of us like to forget that personal sustainability is an integral part of a culture of resilience!

Now, are you ready for the next round? The next EDE is bound to grow beyond the last one in unpredictable ways. There’s a whole flock of Geese here at Gaia Education ready to honk support. Wishing you all the best on your transformational journey of joy and collective growth.

Kosha Joubert is a member of the founding GEESE of Gaia Education. She has run several international EDEs in the Ecovillage of Sieben Linden and is currently collaborating to set up EDEs in Orissa and South Africa.


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Wongsanit Ashram EDE – a Flowing River Enriching Life

Narumon Paiboonsittikun

The Ecovillage Design Education and Training of Trainers 2010 programme at Wongsanit Ashram, Thailand, brought together 31 intrepid learners from 16 nations, who, with their love and hope, built a community of many cultures, songs, stories, languages, flavors, beliefs and dreams. For four weeks, between January 18 and February 14, 2010 (plus a further 3 additional weeks to 7 March, for Design Studio and Training of Trainers- TOT), these participants delved into their selves and into the selves of their community members – examining cultural and intellectual assumptions, learning new knowledge and skills, fostering group wisdom, realizing their natural relationships, and sharing their emotions, aspirations, values, needs and concerns with each other in their coalescing community.

The trans-disciplinary exploration of these structured dimensions of the EDE curriculum was driven by an interactive and immersive process of co-creative learning that relied on the facilitated participation of every member of the community. Like a flowing river that takes life with the invocations of the earth, wind and sun, emanating in trickles from her pristine abode, gradually gaining strength from sister streams, garnering nutrients from her banks, nourishing life within her womb and alongside her, and sometimes redefining her shores along her meandering course, this learning too was a constantly enlivening, engaging and emerging process attuned to the energy of the EDE group, developing by members’ learning needs and enriching the group’s evolving wisdom. It was also keenly attentive of the participants’ cultural sensitivities and language limitations– given that most of the participants came from non-native English speaking backgrounds and sometimes had difficulty in comprehending abstruse concepts.

The first, second and fourth weeks of the EDE program were held at Wongsanit Ashram. Wongsanit Ashram offers an expansive, serene and congenial environment conducive to reflection, sharing and community living, and to practicing non-violence when attacked by merciless mosquitoes. The food served, the instructional materials given, the availability of reference materials for further cogitation, and the learning and interacting spaces at Wongsanit Ashram were all excellent – good medicine for the soul and for the body.


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The learning of the third week– the ecological week– was attained at the Energy Ashram in a picturesque part of Central Thailand, at the foot of semi-humid tropical forested (evergreen) hills adjoining the Khao Yai National Park; a perfect location to study about ecologically sustainable living.

The fifth week– design week– took place on-site in the rural village of Kok Klang, in northeastern Thailand. Here, the group divided into two, following the programme design, allowing the participants to choose between designing an intentional community (a proposed eco-university), and working with an existing community to initiate change towards more sustainable community living.

And the final two weeks of the overall programme - the Training of Trainers – took place in a quiet seaside village in the south of Thailand, providing an atmosphere conducive for reflection and deepening the learning over the past five weeks through new skills in facilitation, to encourage a wider discussion and dialogue on what sustainable living really means.

As participants expressed at the end of their EDE journey, the programme had offered them a unique, inspiring, space for creative learning and compassionate expression. Through its integrated multidimensional and trans-disciplinary curricular structure and its participative, immersive, didactic style, the EDE program had instigated the participants to explore intellectually, emotionally and spiritually, encouraging them to make challenging inward and outward journeys, leading to deeper, more meaningful, interconnections, and to express themselves in the spirit of compassionate and consciously evolving community living.


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EDEs & GEDS for 2010

This year is generating an abundance of EDEs across the world.

Tamera EDE in Portugal has just finished its 5th year with over 70 participants. Currently running is Porto Alegre Brazil EDE and online GEDS with Spanish and English classes. Coming soon Sieben Linden in Germany; Happy Earth, Philippines; Terra Una & Jardim Botanico in Rio de Janeiro (with 100 applications for 70 places!); Ecobairro Salvador Brazil; International Holistic University in Brasilia and Findhorn in Scotland.

Spread the word Gaia in the four corners of the world and check for updates at www.gaiaeducation.net

The Park, FindhornForres IV36 3TZMorayshire, ScotlandUnited Kingdom

[email protected]: +44 1309 692011

Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in Scotland No 353967Scottish Charity No SC040839

www.gaiaeducation.net

Gaiaeducation


Hildur Jackson, GEESE are Honking around You

Recently our dear Hildur has gone through an unexpected operation and the whole GEESE community held her in our healing hearts and minds.

Marti Muller initiated a meditation circle with GEESE from the four corners joining. She is now gracefully recuperating in the Jackson’s new farm, with long summer days, local

food, and much care from her blood and ecovillage families.

We send you all our love, dear Hildur!

New Certifications

Summer has arrived in the North and Winter in the South and with the new season two new programmes have been certified. We are proud to welcome to our community of Gaia Education host sites:

Kasteel Nieuwenhoven in Belgium

an Ecovillage/Co-housing community on a 20 ha. Estate in process of retrofitting a Castle and farm buildings and converting the farmland and woodlands to sustainable use. KN will offer the first EDE in Belgium from 5 Septem-ber to 3 October 2010. www.kasteelnieuwenhoven.be

Thread Traditional Villages of Orissa in India

Thread a grass-roots organisation connected with 3901 traditional people’s villages intends to offer the first indigenous EDE in India to villagers in Orissa region. We anticipate an enriching learning exchange. Programme will be offered in February 2011.

Documents

GEESE In-Formation