Description
Ecovillage – 1001 Ways to Heal the Planet
by Kosha Joubert, Edited by Leila Dregger
Now only available as ebook
The concept of ecovillages first arose in the late 1980s, with the intention of offering an alternative to a culture of consumerism and exploitation. Combining a supportive and high-quality social and cultural environment with a low-impact way of life, they have become precious playgrounds in which groups of committed people can experiment to find solutions for some of the challenges we face globally.
Ecovillages are now part of a worldwide movement for social and environmental justice and have become regional and national beacons of inspiration for the social, cultural, ecological and economic revival of both rural and urban areas. This book introduces a selection of ecovillage projects from all over the world. The editors have aimed to give a taste of their richness and diversity with examples from Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa and North America.
Most of the chapters are based on interviews with founders or long-standing members of ecovillage communities; while a few chapters are about regional or national networks of ecovillage transition. The book sets out both to honor successes, but also to learn from difficulties and failure. As well as serving as an inspiration to its readers, the book is also intended as a learning resource, offering tactics and methods that ecovillages found useful.
About the Author:
Kosha Anja Joubert, the Author of Ecovillages – 1001 Ways to Heal the Planet, is an international facilitator, trainer, manager and consultant. She has worked extensively in the fields of curriculum development, international collaboration and sustainable development. Kosha grew up in South Africa, and has subsequently lived in intentional communities and researched intercultural communication for the past 25 years. Currently, she lives with her family in Findhorn, Scotland, and serves as President of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN). Kosha is also a co-founder of Gaia Education, which develops trainings at the cutting-edge of sustainability, and is a co-author of the internationally applied curriculum of the Ecovillage Design Education.
Reviews:
“What a beautifully, lovingly constructed book! It conveys not only the variety and ideals of the ecovillage movement, but the heart of it as well. Kosha and Leila’s book affirms the importance of ecovillages not just as an inconsequential alternative in the margins, but as an invitation to transform every place into an ecological collaboration between humans and the rest of nature.”
– Charles Eisenstein, Author of ‘Sacred Economics‘
“Ecovillages have long served a vital function as the laboratories of a resilient future, where solutions are tested, tweaked, adjusted. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t, but it’s in the “what if?” spirit that their genius lies. Kosha Joubert and Leila Dregger’s new book celebrates the remarkable diversity to be found in the eco-village movement, and their insights resonate far beyond the ecovillages themselves”.
– Rob Hopkins, Founder of the Transition Network
“Your heart will soar as you revel in this treasure trove of evidence that a new and better future is not only possible but happening NOW all over the world where ordinary people have taken matters into their own hands, building vibrant, loving, sustainable communities… even national governments are beginning to take
them seriously enough to support their growth… You will be filled with new inspiration and implementable ideas, so spread the book itself as far and wide as you can!”
– Elisabet Sahtouris, PhD, Evolutionary Biologist, Futurist, & Author of ‘Gaia’s Dance‘
