Ecovillage

An ecovillage (or eco-village, eco-place), is an agglomeration (rural or urban) aiming at self-sufficiency ( as much as possible) and where the priority is to consider Man and the environment as the heart of the matter. The guiding line is not to take from the earth more than we can give back.

[edit] Description

The word ecovillage was born from the fusion of ecology and village. It's a widely term used to represent several community models. They try to integrate a mutual assistance social environment with the least impact on the ecosystem. To achieve this, several sustainable techniques are used such as permaculture, ecological building, green production, renewable energy, self-sufficient agriculture and so on.

Ecovillages (or intentional communities) integrate different aspects such as permaculture, ecological building, green production, renewable energy, self-sufficient agriculture and so on.

It's difficult to compare projects because none of the ecovillages is working the same way. Some of them have a political vocation while others mostly are devoted to quality oflife or to developping artistic creation. The differences are huge between an alternative rural place, composed of young population intending to pass it on to, and a real estate civil company created by several retired couples around ecological values. That's why some will talk about an intentional community, rather than an ecovillage. The common point is these initiatives are a collective living place (rarely a community), where ecology and solidarity are essential values.

Experienced as alternative laboratories, ecovillages can include a vegetable garden production, ecological buildings, a resources center, a reception place, or art workshops. The aim is to create a common convivial and fair way of life, with minimal ecological footprint. The collective aspect is the most difficult part. Deciding, building, moving forward together is a real challenge in a society in which individualism comes first. The reason for failure will often be linked to human relationships. But such a community will also have advantages : sharing knowledge, exchanging, machines (vehicules or household electrical appliances for instance) and tools sharing, and above all a permanent stimulation to go further into one's approach.

[edit] History

The word ecovillage was born during the Earth Summit in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Because of the Brundtland report of the world committee on the environment made in 1987 which acknowledges global warming, water scarcity, the threat on living species and growing global poverty , the 178 coutry leaders met in Rio to discuss the planet's future.

The fastidious Agenda 21 was the issued, setting ambitious targets. Among them, Gaia Trust and Global Ecovillage network (GEN) proposed "the Earth is our home" in order to support eco-homes financially as being living examples of sustainable communities which can solve the multitude of complex problems raised by the Brundtland report. They could be used as experimental models, in urban or rural zones, throughout the world whatever the location, the climate, or the culture provided the community has the will and skills to make it work.

Owing to their long experience of cohousing communities, the Danish people were ready to create the first viable association of communities as soon as 1993. Then Gaia Trust targeted 20 projects of ecohousing all over the world which could become eco-village projects because they had already developed several facets of the global concept of eco-villages taking into account their culture and way of life, as being different from so-called modern societies.

The ecovillage model tries to harmonize human housing with the natural local ecosystem.

As early as 1994, the GEN strategy becomes clearer and a network is set aiming at sharing ideas, cultural and educational development to prove ways of life which are respectful of the environment can last and be transmitted to the next generations.

At the international conference of Housing United Nations II in 1996 in Istanbul, the GEN presented eco-villages as positive living models of sustainable development, combining the use of advanced technologies with a satisfying spirituality while living harmoniously with nature.

The 20 eco-villages appointed by the Gaia Trust presented their achievements and the GEN and Gaia Trust asked for 100 millions to support the creation of the "Earth is our home" program.

From this moment, the three regional networks have done great work. At present, we can count 243 members in the world network. Some of these members are eco-villages, while others are associations of ecovillages such as the French Network of Ecovillages with 34 eco-village projects. However we must bear in mind that that only the members of the associations and networks are listed on the internet websites.

[edit] In practice

Typically, ecovillages aim at the best possible integration of human housing in natural ecosystems, it implies a sustainable integration of communities. Such ecovillages already exist in several countries with a strong emphasis on :

the preservation of the environment

• The preservation of biodiversity
• The protection and restoration of natural habitats
• The development of models for farming and forest management
• An efficient use of energy, water and materials
• The promotion of an environment-friendly way of life based on sustainable development
• The valorisation of natural resources through reducing, collecting and reusing

Implanting an ecovillage is seen as creating a "State within the State" for local autorities.

For humans

• Ensure a better quality of life based on the satisfaction of basic essential needs
• Create an environment favourable to intellectual, emotional and spiritual development
• Give the feeling of security and of belonging to a community to entice people to participate in the common effort
• Reduce individual workload
• Reduce costs, giving people more time for leisure and social relations
• Improve physical and mental health thanks to a healthy way of life
• Be involved and take part in the social and economic life of the community

For the community

• an efficient way of bringing the young back to their local rarea
• Stimulate rural economy
• Develop cultural life in rural areas
• Induce research on the development of new models of.sustainable communities

[edit] A legal civil entity

For local authorities, implanting an ecovillage is seen as creating a "State within the State". Local rules and laws are hardly favorable to the constitution of such entities and to the activities they may generate. Far from it, as time goes by, local authorities tend to be keen on protecting themselves from such groups by imposing new local rules that can seriously hinder the implantation of ecovillages.

[edit] Existing projects

[edit] See also

[edit] Internal links

[edit] External links

• Global Ecovillage Network Worldwide
• Global Ecovillage Network Europe

[edit] Bibliography

• Ecovillage Living : Restoring the Earth and Her People by Hildur Jackson and Karen Svensson, Ed. Paperback. ISBN 1903998166
• Voices from the farm - Adventures in Community Living by Rupert Fike. ISBN 157067051X

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