Global Ecovillage Network

The Global Ecovillage Network Europe (in German: Global Ecovillage Network Europe ) is a global international organization of individuals and communities ( eco-estate ). Members use the network for the exchange of ideas and information, transfer of technologies and the development of cultural and educational exchange.

History

Hildur and Ross Jackson from Denmark in 1991 founded the charitable foundation Gaia Trust. This funded a study by Robert and Diane Gilman Gilman on sustainable communities around the world. This report on Ecovillages and Sustainable Communities ( ecovillages and sustainable communities ) was published in 1991. The report found, despite many interesting ecovillage projects that the ideal ecovillage does not yet exist. Described is the vision of a different culture and way of life for further development.

In 1991, the Gaia Foundation was invited to a meeting in Denmark of representatives of Ökogemeinschaften to discuss strategies for the development of eco-village concepts. This led to the establishment of the Global Ecovillage Network ( GEN). In 1994, the eco-village information service has been started. In the year 1995, the first international conference of the ecovillage members entitled Ecovillages and sustainable communities for the 21st century in Findhorn in Scotland took place. The movement grew rapidly following this conference.

2001 received the GEN consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council ( ECOSOC). In October 2005, at the conference to mark the tenth anniversary of GEN, a group of young adults joined together and founded NextGEN, the next generation of the Global Ecovillage Network. GEN had until then check no tests to ecovillages without membership fees. A so-called " Community Sustainability Assessment Tool" was developed and provides a means for assessing the support success in improving the sustainability of a particular ecovillage. Inventory membership of GEN in the first years mainly from intentional projects, where new residential and community projects have come together so have joined in recent years increasingly traditional villages or village movements, particularly in Africa and Asia, GEN, on want to get their way in the globalized world their qualities in the field of social, environmental, economic, and cultural sustainability. There are, for example, in Senegal, the Global Ecovillage Network Senegal, its current members are 45 traditional villages, who have taken such a positive development that now a government program will be launched in Senegal, 14,000 villages to " eco-villages " to develop.

In December 2012, founded 55 delegates at the Sekem farm ( Egypt), the Ecovillage Network GEN- Africa. The only loosely beforehand on the African continent crosslinked structure received the Executive Board and Advisory Board. Executive Board for 2013-2014: Lua Beshala - Kekwana (Congo), Rosemary Mbone Enie (Tanzania ), Dr. Ousmane Pame (Senegal), Mugove Walter Nyika ( Zimbabwe) and Mohamed El Mongy (Egypt).

Members

The network includes a plurality of types of sustainable settlements and ecovillages:

  • Eco-cities, such as Auroville in South India, the Federation of Damanhur in Italy and Nimbin in Australia;
  • Rural ecovillages like Gaia Asociación in Argentina, ZEGG in Germany and Huehuecoyotl in Mexico;
  • Permaculture systems, such as Crystal Waters, Australia, Cochabamba, Bolivia and Barus, Brazil;
  • Urban rejuvenation projects like Los Angeles EcoVillage and Christiania in Copenhagen, and
  • Education centers, such as Findhorn Foundation in Scotland, the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales and the Ecovillage Training Center in Tennessee.

All have in common that they want to develop their projects and the company in the four dimensions of sustainability: ecology, economy, social and cultural aware and participatory.

Objectives

". Supporting and promoting the development of sustainable settlements in the world," The Global Ecovillage Network pursued the goal of this is done by:

  • Internal and external communication services; Facilitate the exchange and sharing of information about ecovillages, pilot projects, model settlements and flagship site;
  • Network and project coordination in areas related to sustainable settlements and
  • Global Cooperation / partnerships (UN best practices, EU PHARE / IPA follow-up program, EYFA, ECOSOC).

GEN has to offices and staff in the three global regions: Europe, Oceania and Asia, and the Americas.

International nongovernmental organization Sustainable development Nimbin, New South Wales ZEGG (community)
269022
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