geese in formation jun 2011

Together We Fly Further – Celebrating 13 Years

May East, Programme Director

Gaia Education’s originating impulse was given wings in

Denmark in a 1998 gathering of ecovillage educators from

across the globe.

This group later on called themselves GEESE– Global Eco-

village Educators for a Sustainable Earth. Over subsequent

meetings of the GEESE Gaia Education and the EDE curri-

culum were developed. Since then, 97 programmes have

taken place in 22 countries and over 2,500 EDE alumni from

61 countries across all continents have emerged, being the

wind and carrying the wisdom of this global education for

sustainability movement to new heights.

From 25-27 June 2011, new and old GEESE will be gathering

again, returning to Denmark after 13 years for a 3-day

sharing, this time in Duesomegaard, the new farm-house

and centre of Hildur and Ross Jackson.

This issue of the GEESE InFormation Newsletter is dedicated

to the many alumni who continue to inspire Gaia Educa-

tion to further develop its programmes responding to the

urgent issues of our times.

From organising and assisting new EDE’s, to starting your

own communities, sharing the wisdom of green building

and working with the youth; from following your own crea-

tive impulses to reviving humankind’s traditional wisdom

and translating EDE concept into strategic government poli-

cies; from bringing innovation to mainstream organisations

and re-designing the human presence in cities and towns.

Thank You to the many, many alumni from around the

world for flapping strongly your wings and for your dedica-

tion to a Sustainable Earth.

Together we fly further!

Gaiaeducation

GeeseinformationNorthern Summer/Southern Winter 2011

What We Need Is Here

Geese appear high over us,pass, and the sky closes. Abandon,

as in love or sleep, holdsthem to their way, clear

in the ancient faith: what we needis here. And we pray, not

for new earth or heaven, but to bequiet in heart, and in eye,

clear. What we need is here.

From Wendell Berry’s Poem The Wild Geese (submitted by Maddy Harland)

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Geeseinformation 2011/2Gaiaeducation

After EDE I advised someone making a housing development and spoke at a ‘Green Economics Institute’ con-ference about housing.

Some friends and I met with ‘House of Fairy Tales’ to discuss making a children’s project inspired by EDE. They gave us their building to organ-ise an ecovillage festival.

I bumped into the Green Econom-ics Institute again, who invited me to work on a book about education. On the EDE course I felt confident in myself and was excited by what might be possible for the world.

I have met up with EDE friends since, so the fun continues.

Helen Long, UK

The 2009 EDE at Wongsanit Ashram in Thailand amazed me with its vibrant community of participants and facilitators. Since then, I’ve focused less on societal problems, and more on creative solutions.

For most of the past two years, I’ve been at Acorn Community in Virginia, USA (www.acorncommunity.org). We cooperatively own Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (SESE), a social enterprise specializing in heirloom seeds. In addition to working in the SESE office, our gardens, and our communal house, I’m helping annually with the Communities Conference at neighbor-ing Twin Oaks Community (www.communitiesconference.org). Representa-tives of communities attend to network with each other and with seekers of community. The conference includes elements from all four EDE dimen-sions, with greater focus on social and ecological dimensions. My work for the Conference is largely in publicity; however, I also hope to bring more of what made the Wongsanit EDE so vibrant.

Irena Hollowell USA

Since I participated to the EDE in spring 2008, I’ve given more time to engagement to promote innovation around me: mainly innovation in the fact to think differently anytime that a prob-lem, regarding to people or the planet, is arriving

In facts this commitment was done through two actions:

• I’ve taken the role of president of an environmental and sus-tainable development com-mission and I’ve created and managed some concrete pro-jects for my little town.

• I’ve created an option into a business economic school called ‘Manager 21’ based on the ability to manage a sus-tainable developement and to discover and promote others economic models.

Thanks to May and all the team

:-))

Jean-Pierre, Switzerland

GEESE Testimonials

Alumni from all over the world

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As a result of the EDE course in Findhorn I got really enthusiastic and inspired to work on the conceptual and graphical optimization of the EDE course content. It is my personal mission to inspire people towards insightful sustainable action in creative and relevant way. I did already some conceptual and graphical design work in co-creation with GAIA education.

Dominique Weemaes, Belguim

Over the past few years I’ve been working hard to create a residential centre where we give youngsters aged 14 to 18 an exciting education in sustainable living. The course is run on a remote and uninhabited Scot-tish island and the program combines a variety of adventurous activities with a practical experience in sustainable living. www.isleoflunga.co.uk

One of the most valuable things that the EDE course gave me was a con-nection with a network of fun and like minded people. We share ideas and give each other the support and encouragement that we need to help make great changes in the world!

Ben, Scotland

Bem!!! foi e está sendo muito bom participar e apli-car o conhecimento compartilhado, entendendo as facilidades e dificuldades, minhas e de todos, o que me faz recordar que estamos aqui para nos ca-pacitar a ver com olhos mais amplos e elevados, de forma a beneficiar o maior número de seres com os quais entramos em contato. Foi muito bom aspirar participar do curso em 2008, e ele acontecer em

2009 e 2010 na comunidade onde vivo. Sigo no caminho, cultivando as amizades e expandindo os conteúdos discutidos e vivenciados em outros ambientes, tecendo essa rede e fortalecendo as conexões. “Vinho novo em garrafa velha”!!!!! Adorei a analogia!!!!

Taís Fonseca, Brazil

Sometimes the heart is stronger and all you can do is laugh at the crazy way things turn out…

Have been busy with Permaculture – teaching courses – transition towns, affordable housing, sustainable food...

Community gardens, seed saving, sea shepherd, yoga, meditation, community living + food with friends; sharing the heart, being the strongest force, sharing the heart, building and deepening understanding and connection.

The EDE is no longer a memory and group of friends somewhere else in the world.

Each time I connect with Findhorn and the spirit of Gaia Education, it uplifts me, it is giving me encouragement to continue walking my path.

Mathew Cook, Australia

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Há cerca de 20 anos venho estudando a questão da dinâmica ambiental, a social e suas repercussões na saúde do homem. Como médico, me especializei em saúde … quando o Programa de Educação Gaia foi trazi-do para o Rio de Janeiro, graças a articulação feita pela ong Terra Una, não pensei duas vezes em fazê-lo. …. Senti então que meu DNA estava sendo reprogramado e que as minhas ações, em todos os sentidos ganhava novas cores. Atravessei um portal sem volta, a minha configuração mudou e agora, percebo que as pessoas param pra me escutar sobre estas questões, que querem se envolver, conhecer mais e realizar mudanças individuais e coletivas. É como se uma chave tivesse sido ligada. Mas não é um milagre, acho que o EDE permitiu que eu vislumbrasse uma nova maneira de abordar o problema e por isso as pessoas estão mais receptivas. Esse fenômeno eu considero divisor de águas na minha vida. …Junto com o EDE, veio o curso de Cidades em Transição e este realmente abriu as portas para uma nova dimensão. A dimensão de que temos que encontrar um caminho de resil-iência nas cidades, comunidades, bairros, etc. E é aí que eu tenho a minha melhor participação. Estou tentando implantar o movomento de Transition em Petrópolis/RJ, na perspectiva de realmente contribuir com a grande mu-dança. Viva o Gaia!! A minha vida mudou a partir dele e sou muito grato ao universo por isso. Paulo Sá.

Paulo Klingelhoefer de Sá, Brazil

He participado en el EDE de Barcelona año 2007-08. En general la in-luencia del curso Ede a sido muy positiva, me ha hecho concretar mejor las ideas sobre ecoaldeas y como llevarlas a la practica, también ha sido muy util en el respeto a la diversidad ya que me lo hizo mucho mas evi-dente. En Tenerife hemos hecho algunos intentos de concresión de una ecoaldea pero de momento no ha llegado, aunque si trabajamos en red varias fincas intentando asociarnos en proyectos conjuntados. Tambien hacemos todo cuanto esta en nuestra mano para difundir esta maravil-losa idea de las ecoaldeas a traves de talleres en nuestra finca renacer y de la pagina de nuestro proyecto: www.cultivando.org

Un saludos a tod@s y buena caminada. Efrem Scarmatto Ibarburu, Tenerife

Since EDE 2010 in Sieben Linden I founded with other women Atelier Famous, a creative transition atelier for recycling & fashion. We work with other volunteers to make beau-tiful creatures from waste materials and fabric. We join in events and do workshops on craftwork like spin-ning, knitting, crouchet and dying wool with herbs. We now have two branches for this working place, where people can join us, without any money involved.

I also developed a workshop which combines permaculture and uses Dragon Dreaming dreamcircles for making designs. It includes many ex-ercises I took home from EDE.

Chatharina de Bruin, Germany

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EDE for me was such as a terminal sta-tion or hub airport. In the EDE, I got know about Permaculture and I started to take a course of P.C. Also, by listening about

the Transition Town (TT) in the Mr. Hide Enomoto’s lecture in the Social dimension, I started to join the TT seminar and established the TT Kamakura where I lived, and helped to introducing a local currency sys-tem and building a eco-house with natural materials.

I became a good friends with the EDE staff, Etsuko and Fumimi, and we visited ecovillages and communities in Denmark, Italy, Swiss, and Sweden last year. That I have never imagined before, but it gave me a huge inspira-tion and shock.

The biggest change was quit my job that I worked for last 30 years and decided to live in a community. As a result, I moved to country side for that purpose. Leav-ing from Tokyo area was also not expected. Looking back the last two years, I am so surprised the degree of change of my life since my friend who asked to join EDE and friends in the professional coach circle and the Permaculture circle still remain where they are.

Tohru Suga, Japan

I could get a lot of knowledge and wisdom to build commu-nity from the p r o g r a m m e but I was also so inspired by other partici-pants of EDE who are now my friends. I also got a clearer vision for future, and have a strong conviction about my thoughts. There were things that I could put on practice at home soon after the EDE pro-gramme ended, and that helped me to change my ac-tions. These experience that embedded deeply in me became a base of my thought to make a sustainable community for my future.

I live in Tokyo without job right now. I plan to take a job-training from a Not-for-Profit Organization, Com-munity Building Centre in Chiba. I am also working to promote the macrobiotic & health program in order to restore the traditional Japanese food-culture, and en-vironmental education in order for the city to shift to more sustainable community.

Ms. Saori Totsuka

the Permaculture circle still remain where they are.

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EDE受講の体験はあなたにとってどのようなもので、

あなたの人生にどのように影響を与えたでしょうか？

EDEでの体験は、コミュニティにすばらしさと難しさの両方を感じることが出来たことが一番の体験でした。

木の花ファミリーでのリアルなコミュニティとEDEコミュニティとの対比も大変興味深いものでした。

EDEが私に与えた影響は、まさに今後の人生の舵を示してくれるものでした。

実家が大きな変化の最中、次の時代のモデルプランとして大いに勇気づけられました。

EDE参加したことで、何か変化はありましたか？

資本主義や今の体制からの脱却、次のステージへの道しるべを得たことで、

迷うことなく、エコビレッジ建設を選択する後押しをしてくれました。

現在、どこにいますか（働いていますか）？　何に関わっていますか？

地元豊橋にいます。今年の夏から本格的なエコビレッジ用の建物の建設が

始まろうとしています。

来年には、形になったものがみなさんにお見せすることが出来ると思います。

ただ、それもスタートであるのでしょうが・・・

Mr. Kazuhiro Sano

The experience with EDE was the one with the reality. Full of motivations, know-how and hints for the next step that inquiring how I relate myself to the world and live for future. The interaction with various practitioners was exciting and content of the EDE led my awareness to the conviction. Since I wanted to have my own field, I moved to Koganei-city where the Transition Town movement is active. I live in a shared house in Mitaka-city. I work for a delivery company in order to earn money. I joined the Eco-housing project of the Transition Town Koganei and established a working group for screen image and create visual archives of various kind of activities, lectures, and interviews that are related to the Transition Town Japan. I also joined the experimental garden of the “Millenium City Kichijyoji” and the “Future Village”.

Mr. Yoichi Kajima

The experience with EDE was the one with the reality. Full of motivations, know-how and hints for the next step

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As a Project Manager and Permaculturist from South Africa, and, with fairly competent holistic design skills, I was blown away by the holistic and inte-grated approach towards sustainability imparted at the 2006 Findhorn EDE. I very soon adopted these newfound EDE concepts in my development pro-jects, ranging from grass roots community development type projects to pro-gramme management of government capital development projects. Some of my EDE applications include:

• After seeing “The Power of Community – How Cuba Survived Peak Oil” on the EDE course, I visited Cuba and cycled around the western part for 3 weeks visiting numerous “organoponico” projects and meeting two of the main characters in this documentary. Upon returning to South Af-rica, I gave several screenings of the Cuba DVD followed by a talk on my experiences in Cuba and the relevance to Peak Oil, Climate Change and Transition Initiatives. www.permaculture2012.co.za/pages/34586#5

• Translating EDE sustainability concepts into strategic policies and plans for rural / peri-urban development projects for various government en-tities, which included a framework for an agri-village model to stimu-late economic livelihoods in rural areas and also for the rehabilitation of farms handed over to communities arising from South Africa’s Land Reform Programme. www.permaculture2012.co.za/pages/34586#7 and www.permaculture2012.co.za/pages/34586#12

• The formulation of a “Strategic Framework for Sustainability”, which is an ongoing research project that uses ecological footprint data in a strategic framework designed to show how Humanity needs to curtail its ecological footprint in order to sustainably contain the soon to be 9 billion people by 2040. This ongoing research project has been shared with some like minded people, but it will hopefully be developed fur-ther as teaching material, a paper, a higher educational qualification. www.permaculture2012.co.za/pages/33426

• The co-establishment of my home base, Wirikuta New Moon Centre in Durban, into a teaching centre that practices the emergence of sustainable living within community. www.permaculture2012.co.za/pages/34612

• The EDE teachings culminated in my website designed initially as my Permaculture portfolio for the award of a Diploma of Applied Perma-culture Design at the 2010 UK Permaculture Convergence, but also as a body of knowledge for Permaculture and sustainability. www.permaculture2012.co.za

Some 5 years after my EDE, and a journey of continued learning, I am now confidently teaching EDE principles within my Permaculture courses and embedding the same within my project work where ever possible. However, one never stops learning, especially about sustain-ability – the final frontier!

Ezio Gori

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To keep things short, we started our own eco homestead next to a future eco village with a B&B called Tuwa The Laughing Fish.

We are off the grid with a fully automated gasifier system. We have biogas for cooking and our ponds are full of happy Ta-lapia fish which our guests can catch and then we serve during dinner in numerous prepara-tion possibilities.

We celebrate food and our gar-den is lush with a variety of tropical and sub tropical veg-etables and we are blessed with a lovely orchard with trees like mango and lychee.

We are currently working with the [surrounding] community in the transition town move-ment to unite and retrofit with other local initiatives.

John Vermeulen, Philippines

Joining the Ecovillage Design Education and Training of Trainers courses helped me build up the knowledge, skills and self-awareness to care, love and be responsible, using critical thinking and taking action in society - on national or international levels. Through these lessons, practicing and shar-ing, my understanding of the personal, com-munity and institutional levels deepened.

In the EDE, I learned how to understand my-self, others and the environment in order to connect and communicate with the needs, willingness and skills in me and around me. It helped me see and reflect more on the life aspect of society and the world and how to change and be a change or supporter for others. Starting from knowing there is a problem, to understanding the cause of the problem and possible solutions, to knowing how to bring these solutions to all four dimension of life - the worldview, social, economy and ecological dimensions.

In the worldview aspect, I learnt how to understand and analyze the value of the paradigm or belief system that shaped me.

In the social aspect, I learnt about living in community by building relation-ships, non-violent communication, self-awareness, involving process and having common goals. In the economy aspect I learnt how to build up the foundations of a community with spiritual values, stability and sustainabil-ity in eco-friendly production systems, counter-balancing consumerism and capitalism. In the ecological aspect, I learnt about introducing biodiversity in farming and about permaculture vs. monoculture, creating sustainable and regenerative systems.

The EDE inspired me to integrate and build connections to what I’ve learned to walk in my life. I learnt that I can make my dreams happen. With commit-ment to learning, practicing and sharing, and the confidence to facilitate and raise other’s awareness, these experiences can be transferred into action among family, friends and community.

Eka Ratawit, Indonesia

[Editor’s Note: John has

now also co-organised

and facilitated in the

Philippines EDE]

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The EDE course gave me many ideas, resources and confidence in my work with conservation volunteers and ecology students.

We have run a workshop on sustainable living in Pucon and the EDE course has been a great inspiration for our participation in our Transition Town Initia-tive in Pucon, Chile, with plenty of ideas to help enrich meetings and group actions.

Jerry Laker, Chile

Since November, old friends have been gathering from all over France. We are elated to tell you all we will be starting in March to re-shape an old farm in the Gers, besides the Abbaye of Flarans. Four families, in two houses and two apartments, will be re-connecting with animals, a huge community garden, cereal and hay fields, and generally the forest and the elementals. Close to an old Templar site above us, we endeavour to connect the ele-mentals, and recreate with them the sacred landscape.

Eve Camolli, France

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 (biggest is over 100 m2), rocket stove, also some smaller structures with natural materials. I have been giving lec-tures on EDE topics in Universities and also abroad in Baltics. I have lead several workshops on building with local materials, straw and clay. I in-vited foreign specialists (USA, Denmark, Australia) to run a workshops and seminars here in Estonia about different uses of natural building materials (two projects were supported by EU funds).

This year I have composed a curriculum of “Sustainable building and Resto-ration”, 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 life-style and self development. We are working on two fields - Horse Therapy (Equine Assisted Learning) and sustainable living condition (permacul-ture). 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, Estonia

Further testimonials can be found on the Gaia Education’s NING site: geese-gaiaeducation.ning.com

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The EDE’s Place in our Changing World

Michiyo Furuhashi

The world is changing! The Lehman

shock, mega earthquakes in New

Zealand and Japan and the explo-

sions of nuclear power plants – all

these incidents are indications that

human beings need to awaken our

consciousness.

I strongly feel the concept and

practice of ecovillage living leads

human kind to live in harmony with

all others on this planet and the EDE holds a very important role in raising

awareness of this kind for all. Many participants have changed their life styles

while others have started actual communities.

As for the coming GEESE meeting, my hope and expectation is to know each

other, to deepen our relationships as leaders of the countries we represent,

furthering collaborations and confirming the importance of understanding the

worldviews that have been introduced in the EDE curriculum. I think it is a very

basic component of community living.

I translated the EDE curriculum into Japanese with members of the Japan Eco-

village Promotion Project three years ago. I was first introduced to the curricu-

lum by Hildur Jackson in June, 2006. I read it and felt an urgency to translate

it because natural disasters were increasing drastically and ecovillage living

helps affected people re-establish their lives in ways that are healthier than

before these disasters. That was the first motivation of the project, confirmed

after Japan’s recent mega earthquakes, tsunami and the nuclear power plant

explosions. I now intend to approach Government, introducing them to the

EDE context. Advice and information from other members will be a great help.

With the growing discrepancy between rich and poor in many countries, albeit

to different degrees, the application of the EDE in societies affected by socio-

economic poverty is another exciting area.


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I started to live in an actual ecovillage, the Konohana Family, in January 2007. Through

actual ecovillage life, I felt the importance of having and sharing certain worldviews,

helping us pursue a genuine purpose within community life, in harmony with oth-

ers. The EDE is really needed to help societies appreciate and feel this.

I recently read out the curriculum of the EDE to

my community members at our daily community

meeting. We all shared our thoughts and feelings

around it, deepening our understanding and con-

firming the importance of practicing this kind of

life, a life which models a new society.

I am looking forward to meeting you physically and spiritually in order to expand this

valuable lifestyle for a sustainable future.


Gaia Education Welcomes Michiyo and Potira to the Board

Gaia Education welcomes Michiyo Furuhashi and Potira Preiss to its Board of Directors. Michiyo from Japan, and Potira from

Brazil, join the existing Board of Jane Rasbash (Scotland/Thailand), Jonathan Dawson (England) and Ross Jackson (Denmark).

Profile: Michiyo Furuhashi

Michiyo is a member of Kono-

hana Family, a leading ecovil-

lage in Japan. Here she is in

charge of ecovillage education

and is also a vocalist in the

Konohana Band. Her other roles

include being a board member of the Global Eco-

village Network (GEN), where she is also a country

representative for Japan, and vice-president of the

GEN Oceania & Asia (GENOA) region. Michiyo organ-

ized the first EDE in Japan from 2008 to 2009 and

as a co-representative of Ecovillage Japan Network

(EJN), collaborates in leading the ecovillage move-

ment in Japan.

Profile: Potira Preiss

Potira is a biologist with a

wide experience in the field

of sustainability education,

socio-environmental projects

and consultancy. She has been

involved with the Social Forum

in Porto Alegre and is active in many international

movements. She is currently taking her master de-

gree on Rural Development at the Federal University

of Rio Grande do Sul, while her SME 2P focuses on

sustainability and cultural education. Potira has been

involved with Gaia Education since 2006, from a stu-

dent to EDE course coordinator and facilitator, and

now member of the Board of Directors.

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Mexico EDE: Huehue Ecovillage, February 2011

Arnold Ricalde

Huehuecoytl (Huehue) Ecovillage hosted its second EDE course in February

2011. Located in the small town of Santo Domingo Ocotitlán, in the state Mo-

relos, Huehue makes a perfect setting for the EDE: an ecovillage surrounded by

beautiful mountains, presenting the perfect opportunity to pursue many of the

goals set by the EDE. Circles, living amongst nature, healing, theory, field trips,

music and a connection to earth and each other were all present in the course.

The first EDE held in Mexico took place in 2005 through a collaboration of NGOs

including Organi-K and members from Huehue, with Max Lindegger leading

facilitation. It was a time during which rich seeds were sown. Subsequent to

the EDE, the Mexico City Institute for Housing requested a course on best prac-

tices for their architects and engineers. A total of 120 participants completed

these 72 hour courses, which although emphasised design, included all four

EDE dimensions. Further collaborations between Huehue and the Government

of Mexico City have resulted in fairs & festivals promoting ecovillage wisdom

(ecotecnias), sustainable housing programmes and tax benefits to individuals

and businesses alike who implement ecotecnias best practices.

Registrations for this first and the two subsequent EDEs at Huehue have been

high. Once again this year we had to turn down participants in consideration

of our capacity and available resources. Both Huehue’s 2008 and this year’s

course had an attendance of 35 participants.

One of the most rewarding gifts of the EDE course is the family that is being

created through this type of learning. Participants of this and prior courses are

thirsty for more information and attend many of the year round social, cultural

and environmental events. They become part of the ecovillage family in an

organic manner.

The EDE courses have also been a great pillar on the Eco-barrios courses that

we are implementing in Mexico City. Alberto and Odin Ruz, together with

Organi-K and the support of the Delegación Coyoacan, are working in 5 barrios

of the city, implementing the ecovillage principals and raising awareness to

transform the social, environmental and awareness view.

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Elders in the EDE: Beatriz Vera Pozzi Redko – Being an Elder in Contemporary Times

Beatriz Vera Pozzi Redko, EDE São Paulo

To be an elder in modern times is a continuous challenge. Contemporary

society contains much bias and prejudice against elders, something I as an

elder am constantly up against.

The young generations either seem to find it difficult to accept or do not

realise that we currently have four generations living together on Earth, all

four of which are equally responsible in re-constructing a better world.

For us elders to be accepted we need to speak in the language of the youth.

Our wisdom is heard when it is communicated through the right channels and

in the right way. I am learning a lot with my grand children: if I share with

them something in their own language, like a strategic computer game, they

open their hearts and we communicate better. We elders need to re-invent

ourselves every day, and we have all the tools if we want to do it.

The main challenge is to get the over 60’s enthusiastic to participate in the re-

construction of a better world. A good number of them have low self esteem

and believe nobody wants to talk to them. To transmit the enthusiasm of the

EDE is to construct a better world for all citizens. This is a major mission, one

which goes hand in hand with engaging everybody living in the crusade for a

better, more just and more sustainable planet.


Have you been an elder in the EDE and would you like to share your

story? Or perhaps you are not an elder but would like to share your case

studies and/or experience of the EDE and GEDS programmes? What has

changed for you since attending these courses? Whatever your angle,

we would like to hear from you and possibly publish your article in this

newsletter! Send us your story by sharing it on the Forum pages of Gaia

Education’s NING website: geese-gaiaeducation.ning.com

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Japan EDE: September 2010 – July 2011 Deepening Community amidst Natural Disaster

Etsuko Hayashi and Yoji Kamata

Japan’s second EDE started in September 2010 with monthly three-day work-

shops held by the EDE’s steering committee, co-sponsored by the Atelier for

Development and the Future (ADF) and the Japan Eco-village Promotion Pro-

ject (JEPP) and supported by alumni of the first EDE.

EDE Japan: www.ede-japan.org

Atelier for Development and the Future: www.ari-edu.org

The EDE was due to complete on 2nd April 2011 when the East Japan great

earthquake disaster struck. Final dates for the EDE were shifted to May, and

now July, as the nuclear accident unfolds.

The Asian Rural Institute (ARI) is the venue of the second EDE. A community

based learning centre, it provides practical training on organic farming and

servant-leadership for rural leaders in Asia and Africa. EDE and ARI are sup-

porting and learning with each other.

The 20 participants, aged from 27 to 64 years, include NGO staff, professors,

regional development consultants, government officers, organic farmers, and

so forth.

Japan’s second EDE has a unique programme and application for participants:

1. The participation fee practices an economy of sharing – set by a sliding

scale, students are empowered with the choice to select an appropriate

fee based on their income.

2. Adjusting to Japanese living conditions, the period of the learning is set

over a span of 9 months (now 11 months due to postponement), with

monthly three-day programmes.

15


3. We created a dimension of “Health and Food” in addition to the four di-

mensions and placed “Orientation and Introduction to Ecovillages” at the

beginning of the programme and “Total Ecovillage Design” at the end

of the programme. During the eighth session, participants will decide

where their upcoming fieldwork will take place: ecovillages, transition

towns, permaculture sites and organic farms are options.

4. Wisdom from intentional communities has been complemented by the

traditional wisdom of existing, non-intentional communities of Japan.

Transition Town training has been included in the social dimension.

During Worldview, Shugen-dou (‘nature worship’), a traditional Japanese spir-

ituality similar to tantric Buddhism and Shintoism and which was prohibited

during the modernization of Japan, was practiced. Students found this very

enriching, concluding that more should be enjoyed and learnt from Japanese

traditional wisdom for community living. Additional topics of this dimension

included the earth-based psychology of process work, council of all beings

and the composition of an EDE community song.

The Environmental dimension contained new ecovillage design elements ap-

propriate to Japan (e.g. the Japanese mountain ecovillage) and adjusting to

Japan’s unique bioregional and living conditions.

The Earthquake disaster was a huge event in the lives of all participants and

staff, producing an environment which has changed our lives and psychology

alike. Our connection as a community has become deeper by sharing our

hearts with each other in meetings held independently.

While revival of community, society and economy in Japan is on the fore-

front everywhere in Japan, how the EDE presents the necessity of commu-

nity and keeps answering the needs of society, in areas suffering and sites

which need revival, is one of the big topics challenging us as we come to

completion of this EDE.

16

Italy EDE: 2nd April – 1st May 2011 Italy’s First EDE is hosted by Damanhur Ecovillage

Macaco Tamerice

This year the first ‘Italian’ EDE was held at

Damanhur from April 2nd to May 1st, 2011.

It was a truly international course with 27

participants coming from 18 different countries,

including Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, China,

Russia, Morocco, Ukraine, Canada, USA and many

other European countries.

The diversity was enriched by the different age

groups represented. Ten participants were under

27 (the three youngest being 19 years old), while

the oldest participants were over 60.

The course was facilitated by two EDE veterans (Kosha Anja Joubert and Martin

Stengel) and myself. Many Damanhurian guest speakers and facilitators

came in to share and inspire, amongst which was Lemming Cactus for the

economic dimension.

The course offered a great and very holistic learning adventure. Living

together with 26 other people for four weeks in a confined environment

accelerated social learning opportunities.

The good organic food cooked by loving chefs helped to keep positive

energies high while the weather and exploding spring flowers added their

part: the sun was shining almost throughout the course with temperatures

for April unusually summery.

The four dimensions were interwoven, as was theory and practice.

Participants had the opportunity to visit Damanhur, the Temples and

different nucleos (the more intimate Damanhurian communities in which

15-25 people live). There was a field trip to showcase Damanhurian social


17

and political interaction with our

direct environment (bioregion); a

social experiment in the woods;

hands-on growing of organic food;

and the building of a strawbale

house, grounding what participants

had learnt.

Meditations, singing, dancing and

sharing were an integral part of our

everyday group process, creating

the platform for a dense emotional

learning experience where new

knowledge and personal growth

went hand in hand.

Thanks to the inspiration of the

course, many participants intend

to implement their own projects in

their countries. A mailing list and a

facebook page were created to stay

in contact and continue our fruitful

exchange. During the course a com-

mon project (GEN4EST) was created

and a group will come to the GEN-

Europe conference in Tamera in July

2011 to present it. Several of the

participants are hoping to run EDEs

in their countries next year.


18

Certified and Re-certified Programmes

y Céu do Mapiá, Amazon

y EDE Lilleoru MTÜ

& Estonian Ecovillage Network

y EDE Bahia

y EDE Findhorn

y EDE Huehuecoyotl

y Living Routes – Lotan, Israel

y Living Routes – Auroville, India

y Living Routes – Findhorn, Scotland

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


Upcoming EDEs Around the World

The 2010/2011 UOC Online Pro-

gramme and Gaia Curitiba EDE com-

plete at the end of June.

Israel’s Kibbutz Hukuk, Spain’s Son

Rul-lan and Brazil’s Terra Una Eco-

village and Gaia Brasilândia EDEs

are currently under way.

The final sessions of the Japan EDE

have been postponed and the EDE

will now complete in July.

Ecoaldea Huehuecoyotl, Tepoztlán,

Morelos, México

9th – 24th July 2011

www.organi-k.org.mx

Brazil, Ecobairro Salvador

22nd July 2011 – 4th December 2011

www.ecobairro.com.br

Brazil, Gaia Rio

4th August – 27th November 2011

www.ecobairro.com.br

Germany, Sieben Linden

12th August – 11th September 2011

www.siebenlinden.de

Scotland, Findhorn

1st – 28th October 2011

www.findhorn.org

Céu do Mapiá

geese in formation jun 2011

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