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…

This month, some staff members of GEN Europe are sharing the resources that have impacted them the most on their journey to explore community life. We’ve compiled a must-read, must-listen, and must-watch list of books, movies, articles, and podcasts to inspire you! Ancient Futures by Helena Norberg-HodgeA recommendation by Julio Greenway (Former ESC volunteer in Arterra Bizimodu, 28 years old, primary school teacher, passionate about sustainability, gardening, and nature activities) As a teenager, I was fascinated by history and how past societies lived. By chance, I picked up Ancient Futures…

As shared with you in the first journey, we believe that volunteering is one of the best ways to really get to know a community and to further explore community life. This month, Alex from NextGen Europe and Julio (current ESC volunteer from Arterra Bizimodu) is sharing with us some tips on how to best prepare and make the volunteering a truely enriching experience. But, let's start from the beginning, with an introduction about volunteering basics... Many hands make light work in Small Footprint community, Estonia People choose to volunteer…

The LEADER Congress, organized by ELARD, took place over 2 days in Poitiers, France. LEADER is a development program which has for 30 years been employing a method of engaging local actors in writing policies and strategies for rural development. Engagement happens primarily through around 2800 Local Action Groups (LAGs) which bridge public, private, and civil-society stakeholders. The purposing of gathering is to showcase projects, share experiences and best practices, and look for future opportunities for co-creation. This year’s occasion examined cooperation, with workshops and discussions asking questions about how…

Right before this year’s European Ecovillage Gathering, GEN Europe held its annual General Assembly in Ängsbacka, Sweden! 87 delegates from 48 vibrant ecovillages, transnational & national networks, and ecoprojects gathered to reconnect, network, share, collaborate, discuss, and celebrate. The event was held from the 17th to 19th of August 2024 and included voting members from Full Ecovillages and Transnational & National Networks, non-voting representatives from Ecoprojects and Aspiring Members, along with a few Silent Observers. The General Assembly was organized by GEN Europe staff and facilitated by GEN Europe council…

The Project Launch & Thrive has recently come to an end, and its two years of work have pushed GEN Europe’s IT infrastructure to new heights. Among many other achievements, we are celebrating the latest updates from the Ecovillage Map!