Call for a Gathering Collaborator — Anti-Oppression & Systemic Analysis
Like many movements rooted in the desire for a better world, the ecovillage movement is not exempt from the very systems we seek to transform. Racism, patriarchy, colonialism, ableism, and other structures of oppression do not disappear because our intentions are good — they follow us into our communities, our gatherings, our ways of organising, and our silences. Across activist and ecological spaces alike, this reckoning is overdue and ongoing, and we believe it cannot be avoided if our vision of regenerative culture is to mean anything beyond the surface.
GEN Europe is on this learning journey. We do not arrive at this call from a place of having figured it out — we arrive from a place of wanting to do better, of recognising how much there is still to unlearn, and of understanding that building truly inclusive spaces requires ongoing courage, humility, and structural commitment, not just goodwill.
As we prepare for our upcoming gathering, we are seeking a collaborator with deep grounding in anti-oppression frameworks and systemic analysis — someone who understands how racism, colonial legacies, patriarchy, ableism, heteronormativity, and other axes of power and harm can manifest even within alternative, ecological, and intentional communities.
In ecovillage spaces, we often speak of regeneration, cooperation, and belonging. We are committed to ensuring these values are not only stated, but genuinely embodied — socially, culturally, and structurally.
We are looking for someone who can:
- Facilitate a workshop exploring how systemic oppression and unexamined privilege operate within community spaces, and how we can move toward conscious, accountable inclusion
- Join our Wellbeing Team throughout the gathering, bringing a trauma-informed and power-conscious lens to how we hold space and respond to harm
- Support a review and strengthening of our Collective Agreements, ensuring they meaningfully address power dynamics, consent, harm prevention, accountability processes, and the active centering of marginalized voices and experiences
Our intention is to cultivate a space that moves beyond surface harmony — one that is courageous, honest, and willing to sit with discomfort. A space where power dynamics are named with humility, where learning is collective, and where our practices actively work to make the gathering safer and more genuinely accessible for all — especially those most impacted by systemic harm.
If this resonates with you, or if you know someone whose values and practice align with this work, we warmly invite you to reach out at gathering(at)gen-europe.org.
With gratitude and in solidarity.
The Gathering Coordinators, Aurelie & Bernarda.
