Winter greetings from GEN Europe

Dear friends,

As the year comes to a close, we write this letter full of gratitude. Gratitude for the support you, our readers and members, have shown us over the year: coming to our events and webinars, joining the biggest European Ecovillage Gathering yet, taking the time to vote for us (more on that below), donating to our campaigns, responding to our mails with your kind and honest feedback. 

We also feel gratitude for the safety and comfort of community. Now more than ever, we hold in our hearts all our friends and communities throughout our global network who are suffering from violence and upheaval, and renew our commitment to spreading cultures of peace through our work supporting ecovillages. 

We hope you find news in this letter that sparks your curiosity, that opens a new door, that surprises or moves you. We wish you the very best for the closing of the year, and we'll be back in January with some exciting news and updates...stay tuned!

With warmth and all our gratitude,

Fran and the GEN Europe team

Did you miss this autumn's Ecovillage Essentials webinar series? Don't worry - you can  now purchase all the recordings of these events that were a fascinating deep dive into the practical ins and outs of starting a community. 

Don’t miss this funded volunteering opportunity to live and work at the heart of the European ecovillage movement while living in Arterra Bizimodu ecovillage, Spain.

If you’re under 30, resident/citizen of the EU, interested in IT, communications/design, non-profit management and projects or events management and curious about ecovillages…this is for you!

"Ecovillage Boekel was named the Netherlands' most sustainable organisation in 2021. With its own 'food forest' and a pioneering César heating system, this European project is setting the standard for green living." We're delighted to see this piece in Euronews highlighting the fantastic work our members Ecodorp Boekel in the Netherlands are doing to create a truly sustainable community. Read the full article here!

Back in 2022 at the European Ecovillage Gathering in Denmark, a group of ecovillagers from across Europe and Ukraine sat down to make a plan. They would build an eco-house for refugees in a Ukrainian ecovillage: a place of meeting, of refuge, of safety and even of celebration.

We're delighted to report that in just over a year, the dream has become reality and the Busha Toloka  Winter Housing project is complete! A huge congratulations to the incredible Ukrainian and international team who made this possible. 

calling on policymakers to swiftly localise an ambitious European Green Deal through tapping into the power of grassroots initiatives like ecovillages, transition towns and many others.

One of our newest members, Comunità Rigenerative in the mountains of northwestern Italy, has been spending the past years tending to and regenerating three mountain hamlets.  Their goals are ambitious and the work already achieved is impressive! They are now seeking support to help continue their work. Read more about their inspiring project and see the rewards for making a donation at their crowdfunding page.

The Danish Ecovillage Network, LOES, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. LOES held two celebrations, one of which took place in an ecovillage in the capital city of Copenhagen, and the other in a growing ecovillage in the countryside.

Gaia Education would love to hear about your experience as a young person in our networks, so that they can adjust their programmes, courses, projects, and the regenerative education tools they produce in response to your wishes! This survey contributes to wider research Gaia Education is doing about youth engagement in non-formal courses like their Ecovillage Design Education course. 

Jan 4 – March 27, 2024
Sep 5 – Nov 27, 2024

Enthusiastic newcomers and experienced ecovillage souls — welcome to the EDE course in Denmark!

A 3-month Health, Happiness and Green Living course in Avnø combines the transformative power of the EDE and PDC (Permaculture Design Course) programs. Made with immense love, depth, and fun by the Avnø Oasis ecovillage community 🥰

Thank you for reading the newsletter - we hope you enjoyed it! This, and so much of our work, is only made possible by the support of our members. To receive more exclusive updates and opportunities, as well as discounts on events and our Gathering, you can become a member - find out more here!