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The Earth is in need of visions and solutions, which give hope and show a possible path forward for humanity. How do we solve the world's ecological and social problems? What will the solutions look like? How do we dream of living with each other and the natural world? Is it possible to create a lifestyle, which is basically peaceful, just and sustainable for all? Are ecovillages and sustainable neighborhoods the way forward?
Many people have asked themselves these questions all over the planet during the last 20-40 years. Many have been trying to do something about it. They have been building intentional communities and ecovillages. Some of the answers are in this book. We have collected the best of knowledge from all over the world on how to create a sustainable, integral society everywhere, described by the people who have actually done it. It is a colorful, happy, optimistic book with 400 color photos from all over the world.
American Sociologist Paul Ray has researched the change in value systems over the last 30 years in his book: "The Cultural Creatives" from 2000. A whole new group with new values now makes up 25-30% of the population in the US (in Europe and Australia it is probably an even larger percentage). He calls them the Cultural Creatives. They have green, soft values. Half of the group also has spiritual values. Of the latter group, 70% are women. When you read Ecovillage Living, you will see the values of the Cultural Creatives manifested in many examples from across the world.
The Social Dimension
Danish research has shown that it is the social dimension, which has been the most important in improving peoples' lives. People want community and better possibilities for their children. They want to cooperate and celebrate life together. They want to integrate the old and handicapped so that all are full members of society. They want to take full responsibility for their lives and decide how to build, organize themselves and make decisions. An ecovillage is a holographic representation of the greater society, all within walking distance. In our book we have called this a modernization of the welfare state.
The Ecological Dimension
For many people, ecological houses (especially straw bale houses, the new symbol of sustainability), renewable energy and fresh local foods are what draw them to ecovillage living. They will also find good advice in this book. Permaculture has evolved as a method of integrated design. Plants and animals are here part of the local community and treated with due respect.
The Spiritual/Cultural Dimension
It you want to live a simple, mindful life with the goal of spiritual development, then ecovillage living is an option. A healthy ecological and social life is a necessary basis for a spiritual lifestyle. The book gives several examples of the importance of living a new worldview and a spiritual lifestyle. Creativity and art is inherent in this.
Global Justice and Cooperation
Ecovillage living is a lifestyle, which allows for global justice and true cooperation all over the world. The book illustrates how the same basic idea works in Sri Lanka (where they now have a cease-fire after 40 years of fighting very much thanks to Sarvodaya, a network of 12,000 villages) and in Senegal (whose government sees ecovillages as a new development model) as well as many other places in the global South. As a model and alternative to commercial globalization, we believe that ecovillage living may unite nations and NGOs in a new and common concept of development all over the planet. The book shows how Southern ecovillages have a lot to teach the North as concerns spirituality and community. It is time that global politics begins to support this lifestyle with real action.
Taking the Idea to the Mainstream
To build these communities and to learn to live in them is not easy. You are up against the whole megastructure of society. But as this book shows, it is possible and people are doing it against all odds. And having fun doing it! It seems as if the concept is getting to the mainstream. You start with an appropriate piece of land and reserve parts of it for wildlife and recreation. Clusters of 20-30 homes placed next to each other, each cluster with its common house, are designed by the future inhabitants. Community supported agriculture provides the local fresh food, a community center teaches different aspects of sustainability, workplaces are created locally. Munksøgård and Hertha in Denmark, and Ecovillage at Ithaca in New York State, are good examples of ecovillages close to the mainstream. The book is a happy, optimistic, colorful book about free people who are taking responsibility for their own lives, for their surroundings and for the global community. Without any support or funding they have created the basis of a new global culture.
The book
The book is organized around the 15 dimensions of sustainability: 5 ecological, 5 social and 5 spiritual/cultural. When you see them all together you get an idea of how a peaceful, sustainable Earth might look. In this way the book is equally useful for new ecovillage projects as for inspiration for local neighborhoods and Agenda 21 projects all over the world.
Included are 16 full page color collages from individual ecovillages, including: Findhorn (UK), Damanhur, Torri Superiore (Italy) Lebensgarten, Sieben Linden (Germany), Tamera (Portugal) , Sarvodaya (Sri Lanka) Auroville (India), Tlholego (South Africa), Eco Yoff/ Colufifa (Senegal), ), Manitou , The Farm, and Ithaca (USA), Huehuecoyotl (Mexico), Crystal Waters (Australia); Svanholm , Munksøgård , Hertha, The Folkecenter for Renewable Energy in Thy, Dyssekilde, Sættedammen Cohousing and Snabegaard from Denmark. These will give you a taste of the variety and beauty of the different projects.
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