Dear Community,

We are trying to build a world where we are all free, and it's going to take all of us to get there. Let us never forget our own place in the web of life while holding the magnitude of our collective power. To seek joy in the most challenging moments of  life. To never get used to the unspeakable violence of the ongoing genocides and wars that ravage our world, nor to the vast disparity between our privilege and others' suffering.

This newsletter is our invitation to watch, to try and understand, to never look away from the struggles and profound beauty of what we're creating together, or from the urgent crises demanding our witness and response.

In these pages, you'll find stories of regeneration, practical solutions, resilience and the unwavering spirit that connects our network.

In community, with active hope,

Maja and the GEN Europe team

 European Ecovillage Gathering is taking place this summer, August 12-17 in Hungary - and we promise you nothing less than a profound space for connection and hopeful solutions all around.

📜 Our programme is packed with inspirational speakers and quality workshops on all topics connected to the ecovillage movement.

🌻 The land where we'll be is enchanting. Explore it here.

🧚 Our host MEGY is a crowd of kind, loving people who will welcome you with warmth. Watch their video here.

🎉 The atmosphere will possibly be even greater than last year. Watch the aftermovie here.

Come and join us - and get inspired, nourished and activated!

The COM4LGD project emphasizes that real sustainability must be rooted in local community action and political participation. Produced in collaboration between GEN Europe, ECOLISE, ICLEI Europe, ISCTE - University Institute of Lisbon, ECON and ELARD, our newly launched interactive documentary takes you on a journey to meet the people creating just and regenerative futures through personal stories and grounded experiences in their own neighbourhoods, farms, forests, and town halls.

Across our ecovillage network, communities are uniting their voices and actions to create change, each bringing their own approaches while sharing our common commitment to peace, justice, and regenerative living.

Several of our network members, including Tamera, Zegg and Sieben Linden have recently participated in the March to Gaza initiative. We invite you to read the article and testimonials from Sieben Linden members.

Tamera Healing Biotope continues to offer valuable guidance on peace-building efforts, and we're grateful to share their recommendations for supporting Palestine. For deeper insight into this work, we encourage you to listen to this latest podcast episode featuring A'ida Shibli.

Meanwhile, as Ukraine continues to face ongoing challenges, we remain in solidarity with GEN Ukraine and respectfully share the call for continued support through donations.

In an interview with Maksym Zalevski from GEN Ukraine we delved into the inspiring resilience of Ukrainian eco-villages amidst ongoing challenges. Maksym shared how their network of around 55 locations, documented in their Green Tech catalogue, is adapting to climate crisis and the impacts of war through innovative, low-tech solutions.

This April, Findhorn community marked a powerful moment of renewal, blessing and celebration with the opening of the Light of Findhorn Sanctuary – a sacred space rising from the ashes of their beloved original Park Sanctuary lost to fire in 2021.

 Declan Kennedy, co-founder of GEN in 1995 and first GEN president, received the "Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon" (Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande) for his lifelong commitment to permaculture and regenerative communities.

The small celebration took place this May in Kreishaus in Nienburg (Germany), close to his community - Lebensgarten Steyerberg. Congratulations!

As Tamera turns 30, the peace research and education community in Portugal invites community-builders and seekers for a 7-day gathering to explore together: What makes intentional communities contextually relevant today, as we confront a crisis of civilization?

From July 5-11, we will look back at Tamera's evolution and the current situation of intentional communities around the world, while diving topics of creating lasting trust, healing love & sexuality, water & ecosystem regeneration, nonviolent collective liberation, and addressing power & privilege in intentional communities.

Among the speakers are representatives of Tamera, Damanhur, Findhorn, ZEGG and other communities, the "Waterman of India" Rajendra Singh, Extinction Rebellion co-founder Gail Bradbrook, Palestinian nonviolent resistance leader Sulaiman Khatib, Lakota elder Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Way of Council teacher Gigi Coyle and others. The program is dynamic and invites the wholeness of our being — mind, heart, soul, feelings & body.

In May representatives from GEN International Core Circle and Board of Trustrees attended the award ceremony for the LUSH Spring Prize, a £25k prize awarded to outstanding ecological organizations. Congratulations to GEN Int for being awarded among the valiant nominees!

Join ECOLISE for the 1st Open Webinar on organising national and local policy dialogues as part of the European Day of Sustainable Communities (EDSC) – a flagship initiative of ECOLISE celebrating its 9th edition this year, which will take place around the week of 22 September.

In this session, you will:

-Discover how to connect your national or local work with EU policy priorities
-Learn about the toolkit, coaching, and support ECOLISE provides to help you plan a successful policy dialogue
-Explore how outcomes from your dialogue will feed into an EU-level policy event in Brussels this autumn

In this session, Ecolise will present the first full draft of their policy positioning document—a work shaped by thier contributions. It brings together key challenges, inspiring community-led solutions, and concrete policy proposals that reflect the reality and potential of grassroots initiatives.

Join them to reinforce our collective voice and make sure our positioning reflects the diversity, depth, and wisdom of community-led action across Europe. By combining voices from around Europe and beyond, we prepare to bring a strong, united, and grounded message to policymakers!

World Localization Day is an annual celebration convened by the international NGO Local Futures. On June 21 and throughout the month of June, Local Futures and an array of amazing Global Partners host in-person and online events to highlight localization as a strategy for change. And not least, to celebrate the many efforts and initiatives that foster ecological economies, thriving communities and healthy local food systems.

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!