Ecovillage Networking in Puerto Rico

This year Puerto Rico is organizing the internal structure of its ecovillage network. There are several differnt groups, NGO's, and institutions who make the network possible. We get together and meet ones a month. During the past 5 meetings the network had been working to come up with a vision and a mission statement. At the present time the network is focusing on their objectives. All the meetings are guided by the process of consensus thanks to the workshop offered earlier this year by Liora Adler during her visit to the island. The network is also making links with our neighbor countries as a group of delegates went to Cuba on May and met with Roberto Sanchez and other groups there. We also had the visit and establish a relation with members of the Dominican Republic.

Some of the members of the network are doing different types of workshops related to the ecovillage movement. In November FIGA ( Fundacion Integral Gaia ) is going to offer an introduction to Permaculture workshop with the help of Mr Claudio Madaune the delegate of ENA for the north region of South America. The workshop is going to be held at FIGA facilities , the first living and learning center for the island. The center is working on the construction of its first structure. Also there has been over one thousand trees planted, recycle and compost stations, trails have been developed along tropical fruit trees... The coming permaculture workshop will serve as a boost for the development of the center, and the permaculture and ecovillage movement for Puerto Rico, two new concepts for the people of this island.

Thanks to the big effort of Adelita Rosa and her NGO Cooperative Organica Madre Tierra in April we had the first organic farmers market which its been going on ones a month now. This is a great place were most of the members of our network get together and sell their products and promote their workshops and activities. It Is also a great place where people have learned about permaculture and ecovillages.

HURRICANE IRIS SLAMS SOUTHERN BELIZE,

Urgent Reports from Plenty Belize Crew

"Hurricane Iris, a compact, category 4 storm bringing 18 foot sea surges, 145 mph winds and six inches of rain slammed into southern Belize Monday night, demolishing hundreds of homes and leaving at least 10.000 people homeless.

Today, people are standing around along the roads in shock, beside their ruined homes and demolished crops, wondering what to do next."

This PRESS RELEASE was provided by...

http://www.plenty.org/index.htm

Plenty Belize is a registered non-governmental organization with offices in Punta Gorda Town in the southern Toledo District. Plenty Belize supports farmers cooperatives, crafts producers and indigenous Mayan and Garifuna community-based organizations who are trying to create economically viable and environmentally sustainable income-generating activities from organic farming to crafts marketing to ecotourism.

Read the full article, from Uruguay, highlighted below.

It will be featured this Winter as the Ecovillage Column in “Communities”, the journal of the Fellowship for Intentional Community (FIC), 2001.

Visit FIC's comprehensive Web site, featuring an Intentional Communities Directory (on-line and in print), and many community support services.

This is an open letter from Miguel, an artist in Uruguay who deeply believes that the future depends on children’s education. Miguel and his associate Diego builds special playgrounds in many school and community play areas. They believe that children can connect with nature and learn their cultural traditions through art and play.

Sustainability Workshops in the PENINSULA DE PARIA, VENEZUELA Venezuelan Ecovillage & Permaculture Center (El Centro Venezolano de Ecoaldeas y Permacultura – CEVEP), gave a series of 5 workshops at the Peninsula of Paria (northeastern coast of Venezuela), which included Consensus Decision Making, Building with Cob, Intro to Permaculture, Vermicomposting and Passive Solar Technologies, over 10 consecutive days, to representatives of some 15 rural communities
Read the full article, from Uruguay, highlighted below. It will be featured this Winter as the Ecovillage Column in “Communities”, the journal of the Fellowship for Intentional Community (FIC), 2001. Visit FIC's comprehensive Web site, featuring an Intentional Communities Directory (on-line and in print), and many community support services.
A Playground at “La Comarca” This is an open letter from Miguel, an artist in Uruguay who deeply believes that the future depends on children’s education. Miguel and his associate Diego builds special playgrounds in many school and community play areas. They believe that children can connect with nature and learn their cultural traditions through art and play.