Autumn Staff & Council Meeting in Findhorn Community
In the midst of November & autumn storms GEN Europe staff and council met for their bi-annual Meeting – this time in Findhorn Community in Scotland! From November 11th to 16th, we gathered to review, discuss, tweak, and celebrate the past year’s work. As GEN Europe’s team operates mostly online, these in-person meetings are always valuable and unique.
The Agenda was filled with important topics from Gathering updates to strategic timeline work. Annika updated us on her first months in the finance position, tackling our charity status renewal, implementing new bookkeeping software, and opening a new bank account at the German ethical bank GLS. Fanny & Dario got us all excited about the new ongoing projects ECOPRISE, COM4LGD, and Sustain-Ability. They are also part of our organisational strategy, as they focus on aligning (and our future) projects with our general operations. Ziska brought forward key membership topics, like: Geographical membership boundaries; NextGEN Europe’s role within GEN Europe; and implementing the new membership scheme developed earlier this year. Angel brought excitement into the updates of the IT area: the launch of the Ecovillage Directory, co-development of the IT platform for PLACERS, and integration of external tools like Apropedia and the RIVE app. Together with Maja, we celebrated the success of the storytelling campaigns, webinar collaborations and the new ESC opportunities page. Aurélie & Nataša got us onboard and up to date with the Gathering 2025 planning: They are working relentlessly on refining the theme and collaboration with GEN Int. and GAIA.
Besides staff reports, we joined mixed working groups with the council to address important topics: Policy reviews and HR processes, fostering supportive work environments and working on conflict resolution, feedback, and team-building. We tackled this year’s Gathering feedback by discussing hot political topics. After all, stáff also worked on their famous timeline, developed in 2022, in order to refine our organizational goals, in the areas of GEN Academy, GEN Together, and GEN Solidarity.
But the meeting wasn’t all strategic planning and reviews, we also used this time to connect deeply on a human level. Mornings, breaks, and evenings were filled with laughter, games, personal conversations, and cultural activities. On Tuesday evening we were invited to a joined fishbowl discussion with the Findhorn community. Two hours filled with meaningful conversations around community life’s joy & challenges and youth in ecovillages. We were honoured to celebrate Findhorn’s 62nd birthday with a weekend of cultural highlights, including a talent show, meditations, singing circles, and more. The week concluded with a special treat—attending a concert by former team member Caro Waldmann’s band and enjoying her soulful singing. We will soon share more details on these special cultural events, so stay tuned!
As we reflect on this productive & intense week, we come back energized with heartfelt connections, in order to tackle the challenges ahead and continue serving our members with renewed focus and passion. Thanks to Findhorn Community for hosting us in this important moment of organisational work. It was a valuable opportunity for collaboration, reflection, and strategic planning. It ensures that GEN Europe remains prepared to achieve its mission and support its members efficiently in the years ahead.
