Permakultura

What are eco villages?

An eco village is a small settlement, rural or suburban, which aims for a balanced way of life. These settlements can be new or abandoned and rebuilt. They are an example of a development where a high standard of living is combined with caring for natural resources. At the social level eco villages promote holistic approaches, integrating ecology, education and the democratic participation of all inhabitants. At the technical level they aim for optimal use of green technologies based on renewable energy sources and a non-consumerist, balanced economy.

These are communities where people support and feel responsible for one another. These settlements are small enough so that each member feels seen, heard, supported and is open to similar relationships with their neighbours. The organized movement for eco villages GEN is a world wide phenomenon divided into three groups; Europe and Africa, the Americas and Australia and Oceania. Each eco village has specific cultural and geographic characteristics. Eco villages first arrose as an answer to mounting global threats: diminishing natural resources, increased consumption and globalization, growing feeling of alienation among the youth and escalating problems in third world countries.