Dear Friends;
This newsletter is distributed to subscribers in North, Central, South America, the Caribbean and beyond. ENA is a grassroots public policy research, education and networking project, and part of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) <http://www.gaia.org>. Our focus is to meet the needs of present and future generations for a safe and healthy planet to inhabit.
To subscribe (free) or unsubscribe ENA E-News, please go to:
<http://ena.ecovillage.org>
Then click on News. An on-line subscription box is available, to add or delete yourself. Please share this E-News with friends and colleagues who would be interested.
You may subscribe to our E-News in English, Spanish or Portuguese versions, and French will be added soon. There is also a link to back-issues, and to information about ENA's Newspaper and Web News pages. Please visit!
IN THIS ISSUE
I. UPDATE FROM ENA'S OFFICES
1) Central Office has been working with Orlando Balbás, who together with Lucia Battagazzore of Uruguay, has translated, designed and posted almost all of ENA's public access Web pages in Spanish!
<http://ena.ecovillage.org> Then click on Español.
We invite you to have a look. Now if you refer your Spanish speaking friends and colleagues, there is plenty for them to read. This includes the Community Sustainability Assessment tool, viewable on-line and available for download in PDF, in both Spanish and English.
2) In February-March 2002 Albert Bates, of ENA's International Office, attended the PrepCom in New York City, for the Johannesburg Earth Summit coming up this Summer. He presented a Global Ecovillage Network Slide Show: The Ecovillage Movement in Agenda 21, Progress and Prospects for the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN). GEN will present a series of events, workshops and ecotours in South Africa in connection with the World Summit on Sustainable Development, August-September, 2002. For Information:
II. REGIONAL NEWS
BRAZIL
1) See: "The Ecovillage Network Walks a Sun Trail, in the South of Brazil", a feature article, by Marcel Estivalet of Communidade Tribal Vale Encantado, on ENA's Web News pages: <http://ena.ecovillage.org> Then click on News, and then 2002.
2) And, from Andre Soares,
Ecovillage Network of the Americas - Brazil,
IPEC - Instituto de Permacultura e Ecovilas do Cerrado
Caixa Postal 45 Pirenopolis
Go CEP 72980 000 Brasil
Phone/Fax: 55 62 3311529
E-mail ipec1@terra.com.br
<http://www.permacultura.org.br/ipec>
Inspired by our participation in Build Here Now at Lama Foundation, we ran our Bioconstruindo 2001 course. It was an utter success, with people from all the states of Brazil - architects, housing financiers and builders loved it and left wanting more. The next Bioconstruindo course is scheduled for July 13-21, 2002.
WE HAVE BEEN FUNDED! for 4 years to develop our Living and Learning center, particularly the appropriate technology education. We are launching in August 2002, our 2 semester course: Sustainable Systems Design and Implementation. This will be a land mark development - our entire year will be focused around this program. We are engaging international students to bring more cultural diversity. Media has been paying much attention to us, with full double page spreads, TV interviews and radio programs stating our proposed concept as a practical solution for troubled times.
CALENDAR FOR 2002
April 26 till May 5th Permaculture Design Certificate Course
July 13th to 21th Bioconstruindo 2002
A natural building convergence with hands on experience on cob, adobes, wood structures, straw bales, straw clay, composting toilets, water systems, renewable energy and much more.
August 2002 First semester of the Sustainable Systems Design Course.
Enrollments and selection of students began in January.
CANADA
1) The Ecovillage Network of Canada (ENC) is fortunate to now have a Quebec/Maritime representative, who will serve as a contact for new inquiries on events and other related information about Ecovillages within Quebec and the Maritimes. He is:
Pierre Lyonnais
11 rue du Grésil
Hull QC
J9A 3K4
819-772-2196
<mailto:lyonnais.p@sympatico.ca>
2) May 9-12, 2002 Fellowship for Intentional Community's (FIC) Organizational Meeting, in Waterloo, Ontario. Anyone who is interested is very welcome to attend and participate in the discussion of the FIC board and all the people who work on FICs committees and projects. These meetings are also excellent regional networking opportunities. Contact Jenny Upton, at: jenny@ic.org if you would like to attend.
CARIBBEAN
Claudio Maduane and Luisa Fernanda Giraldo of Colombia received an invitation from Felipe Bermudez and Luz Maria Colorado of the Puerto Rico Network and FIGA (Fundación Integral GAIA), to carry out a series of Permaculture workshops and Ecovillage presentations aimed at promoting sustainable culture.
“During our stay from Nov. 2 - 28, we were gave a number of talks, conferences and presentations in universities and met with various environmental and community organizations. We participated in several radio programs, reaching many listeners and thus generating a lot of motivation and interest about concrete, innovative alternatives towards sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyles. We displayed and sold crafts items made by community members from the Choco region of Colombia to demonstrate some alternative methods of production using the resources of the forests in a sustainable way, as well as opening new markets for fair trade practices.
During our stay, we offered the first Permaculture course on the island along with Felipe Bermudez and Andre Sanfioreno, beginning work on infrastructure for the FIGA Eco-center in Trujillo Alto, outside San Juan. There are plans to create an Ecovillage-based, wholistic school for exchange of information related to sustainable development.
We also had opportunities to show the GEN video ‘Habitat Revolution’ along with others like ‘The Global Gardener’ and ‘Alternative Building’ on several occasions.”
EAST UNITED STATES
1) Call for candidates!
ENA announces the opening of two seats on our Council of the Americas, for the East U.S.
We are accepting nominees and volunteers for candidacy. Information on the criteria, responsibilities, and procedures for candidates will be posted on or about March 22. If you are interested, please review these before inquiring:
<http://ena.ecovillage.org/English/Region/USEast/>
ENA wishes to express great gratitude to Jeff Clearwater, previously of Sirius Community, now residing and serving ENA's West U.S. region, and, Corinna Bloom of Vermont, for their invaluable support and many contributions to ENA since its inception.
2) LIVING ROUTES - ECOVILLAGE EDUCATION CONSORTIUM.
Bring your college education to LIFE and learn skills needed to help heal our planet and build sustainable communities. Earn college
credit while:
o Designing ecological communities in western MA and upstate NY
o Monitoring a "Living Machine" waste treatment facility in Scotland
o Gardening organically in Australia while being watched by wallabies
o Meditating at Thich Nhat Hanh's Buddhist monastery in southern France
o Identifying rare medicinal plants in a Rainforest in southern India
o Building a straw bale house on a green kibbutz in Israel
Contact: Daniel Greenberg, Ph.D. daniel@ic.org
85 Baker Road Shutesbury, MA 01072
phone: 413/259-0025 fax: 413/259-1256
<http://www.LivingRoutes.org>
info@LivingRoutes.org
MESOAMERICA
1) The Mesoamerican Ecovillage Network Invites you to the "VIII Bioregional Gathering of the Consejo de Visiones Guardianes de La Tierra" taking place in the state of Chiapas, Mexico from March 31 - April 7, 2002. More information:
<http://www.laneta.apc.org/rem>
2) The Latin American Student Symposium on Negotiation and Conflict Resolution will take place in Monterrey, Mexico June 15 - July 13, 2002
<http://www.iimcr.org/symposium/symposium2002-mx.asp>
Participants will gain a fundamental understanding of contemporary Latin American issues and develop a skill set to effectively address conflict at various levels of society.
MOBILE
1) Read about the progress of La Caravana, representative to the ENA Council for mobile ecovillage projects! Go to:
<http://ena.ecovillage.org/English/Region/Mobile>
Click on CARAVANA ARCOIRIS POR LA PAZ, January 2002.
2) During the last week of November ENA Council member Alberto Ruz attended the Latin American and Caribbean Gathering of Civilization and Peace Dialogue in Caracas, Venezuela. He reports the following:
“We were more than 1000 invited guests, with President Hugo Chavez and Argelian independence hero Ben Bella as hosts, for three days of intense debate and presentations by more than 35 special panel members from 22 nations...
I was invited to next year’s gathering of the Eagle and the Condor, by Fran Bracho, ex-Venezuelan ambassador to India... My written presentation is a synthesis of an unedited work in progress on Ecovillages: Alternatives for the XXIst Century to be published some time
soon.”
NORTH SOUTH AMERICA
1) In Bogota, Colombia there is a growing movement to create eco-neigborhoods in a multi-district program involving communal action committees. These organizations fell in love with the ecovillage ideas presented by AnaMaria Aristizabal, who wrote her environmental studies thesis on Ecovillages. During a two week period of presentations to 60 neighborhood leaders, development plans were explored and training on ways of carrying out those plans were put in place with the goal of using them in moving urban neighborhoods towards more sustainable practices on the social, economic, environmental and spiritual levels.
Once the plans have been drawn up, 30 will be selected to receive financial assistance for implementation. ENA Council member Claudio Madaune of Fundación Darién met with and offered workshops to the neighborhood teams and teachers from the program who were very excited about the work. This program is flying well and has guaranteed funding from local government agencies.
After the initial presentations and encouragement, they organized a conference on ecovillages attended by Lois Arkin of LAEV and Dan Greenberg of Living Routes and Sirius Community who offered their expertise on urban ecovillage development.
For more information:
FUNDACION DARIEN
A.A. 700 Turbo - Antioquia COLOMBIA
Telefax : (57) - 4 - 824 36 10
<mailto:ecoaldeasnsa@hotmail.com>
2) Enrique Hidalgo announces EL PONCHO Ecovillage project pages: ilpermacultura@hotmail.com
The Instituto Latinoamericano de Permacultura (ILP) - Bolivia has made a liaison in Australia with Linda Riccio from the PAWA (Permaculture Association of Western Australia). COBODES (Consultora Boliviana para el Desarrollo Sostenible) has become a formal 50% partner in Bolivia. ILP - Bolivia has also joined the ILP-International based in Norway. Enrique has been co-teacher in a Permaculture Designers Course for the Kilden Oslash Kosamfunn (members of GEN Europe) getting ready to build the first ecovillage in Norway. There is lots of interest amongst youngsters who wish to travel to the Americas and learn more about the work of the ILP and ENA.
ILP/ENA Bolivia is getting involved in a joint venture with COBODES to accelerate the building of the ecocenter and encourage ecovillagers to join our work. COBODES is also doing a consultancy related to ecotourism, with the Ecology Institute of Bolivia, the Architect College and other NGOs which work with ecology related topics. Building of the ecocenter continues as the Dinning room/kitchen and more cabins are becoming a reality.
Upcoming Eco-tours:
Backpakers tours from the Amazon to the Andes:
March 18-27, April 25 -May 9, May 25 -June 9, June 22 - July 6, August 10-24
April 7-22 Permaculture Designers Course - 16 days - Designers Diploma.
SOUTH SOUTH AMERICA
ARGENTINEAN PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE offered an intensive Permaculture Permaculture Design Course from 16th February to 1st march 2002; and a Permaculture Advanced course on Ecovillage Design from 8th to 13th march 2002, by Peter Bane (US) &
Gustavo Ramirez (Argentina)
These courses brought together experienced designers from Northern and Southern ecovillages to share the challenges and the success of their projects.
For Information about upcoming events, CONTACT:
Asociacion GAIA
Almafuerte 1732 - San Martin - (1650) Buenos Aires - Argentina
Phone: (+54-2272) 492072 - Fax: (+54-11) 47522197
<mailto:gaia@gaia.org.ar>
WEST UNITED STATES
1) From Los Angeles Eco-Village:
The Los Angeles Unified School District plans to demolish the four-plex at White House and Bimini Place and put up an asphalt parking lot. Many neighbors oppose this, because it blights the neighborhood, destroys educational opportunities, destroys food producing green space, creates security problems, destroys a key property in a block of buildings of historic importance, destroys housing, damages the quality of neighborhood life, wastes tax money, and more. Community efforts have already saved the Corner from the LAUSD bulldozers three times in the past 12 years. Now we want to save it once and for all!
Find out about the past struggles at:
<http://www.ic.org/laev>
Click on The Demolition Threat
For information and how you can help, contact:
Alexandra Buresch ala@insightgreeting.com (213) 570-0521
Lois Arkin crsp@igc.org (213) 738-1254
2) The third annual Permaculture Certification Workshop, May 26 - June 9, 2002:
at Hummingbird Ranch in New Mexico, taught by the Scott Pittman, from the Dry Lands Permaculture institute, will include an international student body. For more info, go to:
<http://cocreativeculture.com/pc.htm>
III. INTERNET RESOURCES
1) CALENDAR
For more events, visit ENA's regularly updated Calendar of Events at:
ena.ecovillage.org Then click on Calendar.
The Ecovillage Training Center
For details - <http://www.thefarm.org/etc/index.html>
560 Farm Road, PO Box 90
Summertown, TN 38483-0090 USA
<mailto:ecovillage@thefarm.org>
Telephone +01-931-964-4474
Fax +01-931-964-2200
2) NEW FELLOWSHIP WEB STORE NOW OPEN!
Announcing the grand opening of the INTENTIONAL COMMUNITIES STORE with full-featured shopping cart. Working in conjunction with the very popular Intentional Communities web site, the store now offers secure on-line purchase for all Fellowship publications and many other titles, as well as memberships.
Intentional Communities Store: <http://store.ic.org>
IV. ONE REASON FOR GIVING TO ENA
1) YOU DON'T NEED TO BE RICH TO BE AN EFFECTIVE PHILANTROPIST.
Every contribution goes a long way in supporting the flow of ecovillage information throughout the Americas, and the energy, activism and morale of our primarily volunteer organization.
Read 14 more reasons to support ecovillage networking at:
<http://ena.ecovillage.org> Then click on Get Involved!
To make a contribution, make your contribution payable to ENA and mail to:
ENA Central Office, Kailash - Treasurer
64001 County Road DD
Moffat, Colorado 81143 USA
<mailto:ena@ecovillage.org>
A receipt will be sent to you qualifying this donation for tax deduction. Donors receive complimentary copies of ENA's printed newspaper.
ENA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is:
To engage the peoples of the Americas in common effort to join the global transformation towards ecologically, economically and culturally sustainable human settlement.
We care deeply about encouraging people of the Americas to think about, openly discuss and enhance strategies for the creation of Ecovillages and sustainable lifestyles in their regions.
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Copyright 2002. Ecovillage Network of the Americas (ENA). Reserved rights. Please contact us for permission, if reprinting:
<mailto:ena@ecovillage.org>