BackTable of Contents, November 2000

THE NINTH REGION
A Network of Mobile Ecovillages

By Alberto Ruz Buenfil
November 6th. 2000

"An ecovillage on the move, a pilgrimage through the sacred corn paths, an invitation to the alternative networks of Central and South America, to the First Bioregional Gathering of the Americas in Meztitla, a New Age Circus, an adventure on the threshold of the Third Millennium and the Fourth Dimension, all of this and much more, the caravan of our dreams" Alberto Ruz, Arcoredes magazine, Summer 1996. Mexico

It took only four years and a half of time traveling, thousands of miles, hundreds of adventures, presentations, events, courses and gatherings, the crossing of eleven national borders, countless individuals, groups and institutional collaborations, and the persistence, even the obstinacy of a few of us, hardened adventurers and social activists, to be finally recognized as "an ecovillage on the move".

September 28th, in Sasardi (Colombia), at the most recent ENA meeting, the Council of the Americas consensed on including traditional and intentional sustainable mobile ecovillages as the "Ninth Region" in its organizational structure. The Caravana Arcoiris para la Paz , with three converted buses, solar panels, a Circus tent, a trailer and a scout vehicle became its first official contact office, its main goal being to reach out for other (nomadic or not) individuals, ecovillages, caravans, organizations and networks aligned with ENA's mission, vision and purpose.

ENA Meeting 2000, at La Reserva Sasardi, in the Darién rainforest of Colombia.

Pictured, the Council of the Americas and guests; far left, Alberto Ruz Buenfil, first representative on the Council for the newly ratified Ninth Region - Mobile Ecovillages.

For more information go to ENA's Nine Regions and Council Contacts:

Born in 1995, at New Mexico's Rainbow Gathering, the Caravana began its historical journey one year later at Huehuecoyotl's Ecovillage in Mexico, with the clear intention to become a sustainable, educational, training and collective living process both for its crew and for the many people it would naturally attract and meet on its way South.

Nearly 200 people from twenty different nations have spent time with the Caravana since then, bringing in their strength, skills, faith and presence, and taking with them a rich variety of experiences, knowledge and contacts that have transformed their lives afterwards. Many seeds of change have been planted across the continent, and some of them are germinating and spreading to other parts of the world, multiplying concepts and tools such as permaculture, consensus, bioconstruction, alternative technology, and ecovillage designing and networking.

With the creation of the NINTH REGION we want to extend an invitation to all nomadic ecovillagers and projects, not only in the Americas but in the whole world, both to help weave an international web and to further the work that GEN and ENA have been pionnering for the last decade.

Mobile Ecovillage Projects

Caravana Arcoiris para la Paz (Rainbow Peace Caravan)
Alberto Ruz: subcoyotealberto@aol.com

Os Nomades, a 5 bus caravan, born in Argentina two years ago inspired by the Caravana, which includes a crew of Brasilian, Chilenean and Argentinian people from the "Movimento de Paz de las 13 Luas". Networking, conferences, shows, rituals, ecology, seed bank, barter system, etc
Anibal Luporini: email, allprincipito@hotmail.com

La Nave, a one converted vehicle project born in Manaus, Brasil, by an ex Caravanista, Vanessa Marino, a photographer from the Amazonian forest, Leo Principe and a baby to be born this year. Nomadic communications, web page, ecolink, seed bank, education, books, photo archives and lab, etc.
vane@ecolinkvillage.net

Cosmic Tour, two ex Caravanista women's bicycle journey through the Americas, doing courses on permaculture, alternative education, simple living, peace, women's rights, ecovillage design, consensus, etc.
Madelaine Thomas and Miriam Mouffide: cosmictour@hotmail.com

Caminante del Mar, a South American group of craftspeople, educators, social activists project, born in Argentina as part of MAR (Movimiento de Artesanos Revolucionarios), traveling through the continent since 1998.
Pablo Rivera, Luciana, Daniela: caminantedelmar@hotmail.commarlp@hotmail.com

"Ecotrailer", a Caravana inspired, educational mobile project born in Caracas, from the Red Venezolana de Ecoadeas representatives, Daniel Zahalka and Giomar Sarmiento, who organized the 1st Ecovillages Gathering of Venezuela. Publications, recycling, consensus, cob building, ecovillage and permacultural design, etc.
cevep3000@cantv.net

African Rainbow Peace Caravan, another Caravana inspired project of buses and an international crew crossing the continent, doing educational and recreational presentations and networking for the year 2001, 1st African Rainbow Gathering in South AfricaAfricacaravan@egroups.com

The Fleet, a 50 person european crew travelling in various boats and ships since the 1970's.
Christian: iostark@euronet.nl

Alkimia 130, a part time nomadic, Spanish, artistic, very successful group, which spent six months with the Caravana in Costa Rica, and is doing presentations all over Spain and Europe, bringing in their multimedia shows as their main message, the care of the Earth and the four elements.
Pablo Bedmar: arcoirispablo@usa.net

BackTable of Contents, November 2000