News from GEN Europe
Stay up to date with what’s on around the European ecovillage movement right here!
Launch of the Ecovillage Directory!
Exciting news from GEN Europe! We’ve launched an enhanced member directory that seamlessly connects with our interactive map. This dynamic tool showcases our vibrant network of ecovillages with searchable profile cards, making it easier than ever to find and connect with members across Europe. Filter by name, network, or country – plus, now you can…
ESC opportunites page is live!
Do you want to volunteer in European Ecovillages? We’ve launched a dedicated page for European Solidarity Corps (ESC) opportunities within our network. If you’re aged 18-30, and resident in the EU (or selected other countries such as Turkey), good news! The European Solidarity Corps, funded by the European Union, offers fully funded volunteering and traineeship opportunities,…
Around the Networks: Partnership Building Activity in Madeira
From 22nd to 26th November, Arianna Perry Moore, the current ESC volunteer of GEN Europe, attended the Partnership Building Activity in Madeira, representing GEN Europe, Yes to Sustainability, and NextGEN. Dive into her report on the fruitful days spent on a sunny island! For this Partnership Buidling Activity of organisations, 14 people gathered together to…
Yes to Sustainability: A Network Open to the Future
From November 1–7 2024, participants from multiple European countries gathered in the stunning ecovillage of Lakabe for a Partnership Building Activity (PBA) supported by the European Union and organized by Yes to Sustainability, a network of young people and youth workers committed to spreading ecovillage culture.
Can you help GEN EU win €10,000 of funding… with just a click?
We’re once more delighted to offer an exciting opportunity to support us in receiving thousands of euros of funding – at no cost to you.
We were nominated yet again by a cherished former board member and longtime friend of GEN to receive a donation of up to €10,000 from WBS Gruppe as part of their #WBSherzensprojekte – a project that highlights and funds charities whose missions resonate most with their team members.
European Ecovillage Gathering 2025: Save the date!
Photo by Anabelle Moghadam Mark your calendars! The European Ecovillage Gathering is set to return in 2025, bringing together visionaries, change-makers, and community builders from across the continent and beyond. From August 12th to 17th, 2025, we’ll gather at the beautiful Manas Garden in Hungary, hosted by the Mindenegyüttmegy Egyesület community. In 2025, we embark…
The European Ecovillage Gathering 2024: Urgently Slowing Down.
Yet another European Ecovillage Gathering is behind us. The four days spent exploring and connecting in Ängsbacka, Sweden still resonate within the collective body we co-created. The Gathering proved to be a shining lighthouse of the Ecovillage movement once again – guiding us towards each other, steering us in the right direction, and embodying the…
GEN Europe General Assembly 2024 in Ängsbacka
This August, GEN Europe held its annual General Assembly in Ängsbacka, Sweden, coinciding with the European Ecovillage Gathering. 87 delegates from 48 vibrant ecovillages, transnational & national networks, and ecoprojects gathered to reconnect, exchange ideas, and collaborate on shaping the future of our movement.
Summer Iberian Ecovillage Network Gathering: Another world is not only possible but necessary
The summer Iberian Ecovillage Network Gathering seems like a distant memory as I write these lines on a rainy autumn evening in Germany. Yet, it was held just a month ago, during some sweltering summer days in the Spanish community of Arterra Bizimodu, located in the northern region of Navarra. My mind drifts back to those busy, vibrant warm summer days.
GEN Book Club: At Work in the Ruins
You are kindly invited to join our GEN Book Club happening September 30th 2024, 6-8.30 pm CET online. For this second edition of our Book Club, we are reading At work in the Ruins: Finding Our Place in the Time of Climate Crises and Other Emergencies by Dougald Hine.
Our 2023 Annual Report is here!
We’re delighted to announce the publication of our 2023 annual report: a snapshot of GEN Europe’s activities across the last calendar year. Inside the report you can read about network solidarity with GEN Ukraine, how youth engagement is thriving, and what we’re doing to care for our members and expand our network. Find out more…
Regenerative Agriculture expert Richard Perkins to participate in the 2024 European Ecovillage Gathering
A recognised leader in the field of regenerative agriculture and the author of the widely acclaimed manual Regenerative Agriculture will join over 50 workshop leaders at the 27th edition of the annual festival of sustainable lifestyles.
Join the Adventure with ESC 2025 Volunteers! – apply now!
Volunteer with GEN Europe, fully funded through the European Solidarity Corps! 🌍 Live, Learn, and Grow in a Spanish Ecovillage! 🌍 We’re pleased to announce that applications for our annual funded volunteering programme for youth (under-30) are open! Come and join us at the heart of the European ecovillage movement in our office in Arterra…
Ecovillage Map update!
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!
GEN Book Club: Envisioning the post-collapse society
The GEN Book Club: Envisioning the post-collapse Society, is happening July 23rd 2024, 4-5.30 pm CEST online! GEN International and GEN Europe are weaving in their efforts to bring you an open space for reflection, discussion and contemplation, an imaginative journey on how we can create our future together. What is the future of the…
Ecovillage Events Calendar is live!
Surprise! The online home for all things ecovillage in Europe has a brand new feature. The summertime is here, and the Ecovillages are flourishing with meaningful events all across the Network. It’s the time of re-connecting, sharing and meeting new members. To support Ecovillage events and spread the news about them, we created a new…
ReGEN4All: Project results are here!
As the project ReGEN4All came to its end, it was time to celebrate the achievements and share the abundance we co-created with our project partners. Have a glimpse into the project’s purpose, project results and created alliances! The purpose of the ReGEN4All project was to serve researchers, practitioners, and adult educators from ecovillages and academia…
Strengthening the Networks: CLIPS training in Hungary
While last year the arrival of spring was celebrated in Torri Superiore in Italy practising the beloved CLIPS, this year the spring training was held in Hungary! Community Learning Incubator Programme for Sustainability (CLIPS) was held between the 15th and 20th of April 2024. A study group of 24 enthusiastic participants from Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia,…
GEN Europe Embraces Diversity and Growth by introducing the new Ecoprojects Category!
We are thrilled to unveil a dynamic new membership category aimed at embracing a wider spectrum of regenerative projects: The so-called Ecoprojects.
This innovative addition opens our doors to a variety of initiatives from urban co-housing communities to permaculture farms, learning centers, and eco-tourism destinations. Each project, while unique in its approach, shares a common commitment to our ecovillage principles, fostering ecological and social regeneration.
Bridgedale course: Ecovillages response to the troubled world
What can ecovillages offer to support youth in navigating through the global crisis?
This training invites recognition of the predicament we are facing as humanity, and helps to envision alternatives to the current socio-economic system through games, exercises, and stories. The training is aimed for youth-workers – people already working with other youth, or willing to start such work.
EXPO Open Call!
The seventh edition of the GEN Expo – Ecovillage Sustainable Technology Exposition will take place during the 2024 European Ecovillage Gathering in Ängsbacka, Sweden, 20-25 August!
Busha Toloka: A project to build a community house, refugee shelter and place for recreation, education and regeneration in Busha/Ukraine
The community house in Busha, Ukraine, was a project initiated as a response to the start of the war to serve as a refugee shelter in the short term and as an event space and community centre in the long term. The idea was born in the summer of 2022 at the European Ecovillage Gathering…
Launch and Thrive – Awakening the networks: Project update and Webinar!
We are thrilled to announce that the strategic partnership ‘Launch and Thrive – Awakening the networks’ is successfully coming to an end! This partnership between GEN Europe, GEN Ukraine, BEN, RIVE, LØS and APTES bore many fruits and the time has come to celebrate the accomplishments and the launch of the final results. For that…
What’s New in GEN EU Membership?
Dear community enthusiasts, fellow stewards of the Earth and guardians of community spirit! Are you yearning to be part of an international family built on love, trust, and solidarity?Does your community seek support to turn your regenerative vision into reality? GEN Europe warmly welcomes ecoprojects, ecovillages, networks, and individuals into our Europe-wide network and extends…
GEN Europe Open Online Event on E+ and ESC
To spread knowledge about projects in the network and open our doors to potential new members, the GEN Europe Projects Working Group organizes this Online Welcoming & Networking Event on June 6th at 17:00 CEST. Do you… This open online event on E+ and ESC will give you an introduction to the different programs we…
Children’s Programme Open Call
We are thrilled to announce the call for space-holders for this year’s Ecovillage Gathering Children’s Programme! Our mission is to weave an inspiring and co-created experience for the youngest members of our community, and we need your unique talents and energy to make this happen.
Community Resourcing Circle Open Call!
Are you part of a new ecovillage or an upcoming ecovillage group? Be resourced by the European Ecovillage Gathering to bring your community-dream into reality!
Once again, the European Ecovillage Gathering, will support the rise of new and upcoming ecovillages through a Community Resourcing Circle!
2024 European Ecovillage Gathering Programme is live!
The Full Programme of European Ecovillage Gathering 2024 is live! The European Ecovillage Gathering presents a programme of invited speakers, co-created workshops and facilitated collective experiences that bring together the best of ecovillage wisdom and regenerative practices. Immerse yourself in a unique programme and explore the day by day schedule! Visit the Gathering website to…
GEN Europe is hiring!
GEN Europe is seeking a part-time event coordinator to join our small and friendly team! We are looking for a candidate with a creative approach, willing to work with transparency, and who has excellent organisation skills, and enthusiasm for the European Ecovillage Gathering and the ecovillage movement. In this diverse role of immense significance for…
Volunteer at European Ecovillage Gathering 2024!
Do you yearn to offer your time, effort, and skills as a volunteer at the Ecovillage Gathering? Would you like to learn by doing and co-create the community experience? We’ve got you covered! As with previous years, you can participate in our ESC volunteer programs to attend the Gathering without a membership or ticket. And…
Results from the EC2 project are there!
From April 2022 until April 2024 GEN Europe has been involved in the Horizon 2020 project Energy Citizenship and Energy Communities for a Clean-Energy Transition (EC2). Now that the project is coming to an end, we want to present its results and with it the project outputs that the consortium has been working on for…
Report from the Spring Staff & Council Meeting in Arterra!
GEN-Europe recently wrapped up its biannual in-person Staff and Council Meeting, which took place from April 2nd to 7th, 2024, in the beautiful surroundings of Arterra Bizimodu, Spain. This gathering wasn’t just about business; it was also a chance for our team to come together, share ideas, and strengthen our bonds in person with the…
Call for ESC Volunteers Coordinators for the European Ecovillage Gathering 2024!
GEN Europe is currently looking for 2 coordinators who will lead our volunteer ‘Dream Team’, a 6-week short team ESC for the European Ecovillage Gathering in Sweden this Summer! About the Role In August 2024, Sweden will host the European Ecovillage Gathering organised by the GEN Europe at Ängsbacka. 25 volunteers from all over Europe…
GEN Europe is hiring!
GEN Europe is seeking a part-time communications manager to join our small and friendly team! In this varied role at the heart of the ecovillage movement, you’ll be tasked with raising GEN Europe’s public profile, spreading ecovillage news and opportunities, and building our membership in collaboration with the rest of the team. You’ll manage our…
Call for workshops for the 2024 European Ecovillage Gathering!
We’re delighted to announce that the Open Call for workshops for the European Ecovillage Gathering is live! Every year, dozens of people offer workshops and activities of all kinds as part of the huge co-creation that makes our annual event so unique. This year’s Gathering will take place in Ängsbacka, Sweden, from 20-25 August and…
Empowering Sustainability: YTS Gathering in La Borie Noble
Close to Montpellier, in France, in La Borie Noble, within the serene embrace of the Arch community, 21 passionate individuals from across Europe gathered for a six-day meeting under the banner of Yes to Sustainability (YTS). This meeting served as a pivotal moment for the YTS project, providing a platform for participants to connect, share…
Celebrating 30 years of the Danish Ecovillage Network, LOES
The Danish Ecovillage Network, LOES, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and held two celebrations, one of which took place in an ecovillage in the capital city of Copenhagen, and the other in a growing ecovillage in the countryside. The celebration at the Christiania Ecovillage in Copenhagen was a day-long event, where everyone was…
Community-led initiatives call for a stronger EU Green Deal driven by collective action
A new manifesto launched by civil society organizations including GEN Europe claims the right of EU citizens to have the choice to live sustainably, calling on policymakers to swiftly localise an ambitious European Green Deal. Manifesto launch event in Brussels, 7 November. Photo: Alejandro Puzzo ECOLISE, the European network of community-led initiatives on climate change and…
Funded volunteering with GEN EU – apply now!
Volunteer with GEN Europe, fully funded through the European Solidarity Corps!We’re pleased to announce that applications for our annual funded volunteering programme for youth (under-30) are open! Come and join us at the heart of the European ecovillage movement in our office in Arterra Bizimodu ecovillage, Spain. If you’re curious to gain experience in areas…
Can you help GEN EU win €10,000 of funding…with just a click?
Together we are stronger… Photo: Ana Correia In a time when there is so much need in the world, when our attention and resources are pulled in so many different directions, we know it can be hard to support all the causes that are dear to our hearts. So we’re delighted to offer an opportunity…
Sharing the wisdom of Tamera’s stone circle
Tamera’s stone circle viewed from above Tamera is one of the largest and oldest ecovillages in Europe. Founded in southern Portugal in 1995, there are currently 170 people living there, dedicating their lives to creating a seed for a new culture of peace. Tamera became famous for its radical research in community building based on…
Watch the Gathering afterfilm!
Four days, 800 participants form 41 countries, over 50 workshops, and one beautiful temporary community created by every single person who attended biggest Ecovillage Gathering yet. We danced, sang, learned, played, built, and experienced the power of conscious community, nourished by the beautiful surroundings of our host, Nature Community in Germany. We are delighted to…
The European Ecovillage Gathering 2023: activating hope, honouring grief and going forth with joy
It took almost four years: from the first preparations in 2019, to nervously waiting for news of lockdowns in 2020 and again in 2021, it at times felt like the moment would never arrive. But as the sun set over the green hills and forests surrounding Nature Community and we looked out at the hundreds…
Our 2022 Annual Report is here!
We’re delighted to announce the publication of our 2022 annual report: a snapshot of GEN Europe’s activities across the last calendar year. Inside the report you can read about network solidarity with GEN Ukraine, how youth engagement is thriving, what we’re doing to care for our members and expand our network, and, of course, where…
EUTECH SDG Award goes to Boekel Ecovillage
Ecodorp Boekel has been selected from among thousands of applications as a winner of the 2023 EUTECH Sustainable Development Goal awards, in the category of SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Boekel, located in the Netherlands, is a highly ambitious ecovillage project with the SDGs at its heart. The project and its core group have…
Acclaimed economist Christian Felber to participate in 2023 European Ecovillage Gathering
The writer and lecturer will join over 50 workshop leaders at 26th edition of annual festival of sustainable lifestyles Christian Felber. Photo: Allard Willemse We are thrilled to announce the participation of renowned economist Christian Felber as a keynote speaker and workshop presenter at this year’s European Ecovillage Gathering. Felber is an award-winning author and…
ReGENerative Communities for All project launch
The ReGEN4All project team in Lisbon ReGEN4All Launches in Portugal The Erasmus+ funded REGEN4ALL project was launched in Lisbon last month, where project partners met for the first time to kick off this year-long project based on ecovillage research. The purpose of the ReGEN4All project is to serve researchers, practitioners, and adult educators from ecovillages…
Introducing the Living Library
The importance of sharing knowledge in the journey to a regenerative living system. The Living Library is a collection of inspiring people with diverse backgrounds and expertise, covering various topics related to ecovillage life. It provides a platform for people to connect with individuals who can provide insight, knowledge, and advice on a range of…
Creating connection: ecovillage network exchange begins
Toni Mallach & Aleksandra Jaszczyk from the Baltic Ecovillage Network share their experiences exchanging with GEN EU and the Iberian Ecovillage Network As part of the ERASMUS+ funded project Launch & Thrive, the involved partners are carrying out an exchange program. The main purpose is to acknowledge the skills and experiences of network building from…
Annual CLIPS Training starts at Torri Superiore
Lucilla Borio, Torri Superiore/RIVE The first training module on the CLIPS method – Community Learning Incubator for Sustainability – hosted by the Torri Superiore Ecovillage, took place from 16 to 19 March. The large study group, made up of 26 participants, was conducted by the trainers of the CLIPS Italia team, Lucilla Borio, Giorgia Lattuca…
Documentary screening and live Q&A with GEN Ukraine
Join an online screening and live Q&A with GEN Ukraine to mark the launch of a new documentary following the Green Road of Ecovillages The Green Road Project: a home away from home takes us on a tour of Ukraine, where the president of GEN Ukraine Maksym Zalevskyi together with a team of volunteers visit…
Ecovillage Design Education: Join the global online classroom!
The next live online Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) course hosted by GEN International is coming soon! Are you ready to begin designing thriving communities and societies that live within our planetary boundaries? Join the global online classroom and learn from renowned educators from around the world. The online EDE will take place Saturdays from March…
Early Bird Tickets for the Gathering on sale now!
Good news! We’re so excited to announce that early bird tickets for this year’s European Ecovillage Gathering are now on sale. There are discounts available for kids, groups, participants from Eastern Europe, and youth. Booking early helps us plan for an even better Gathering, so you’re invited to book before March 15th for the best…
Co-create the European Ecovillage Gathering!
We’re inviting you to take part in the making of our favourite event of the year – The European Ecovillage Gathering. Be part of our web of co-creators by submitting a workshop proposal, offering your facilitation skills, being part of the community care and medical support teams, acting as a translator, or one of our…
Join GEN EU as an ESC Volunteer!
If you’re under 30 and resident in Europe, this is your chance to spend 8-10 months living and volunteering at the heart of the ecovillage movement – fully funded through the European Solidarity Corps programme! GEN Europe is seeking enthusiastic young people aged 18-30 who are interested in ecovillages and sustainable living, and who want…
Funded volunteering in a Spanish ecovillage
Arterra Bizimodu ecovillage in the north of Spain is the home of the GEN Europe offices – as well as a thriving community where young people can get involved in an 8-month funded volunteering project thanks to the European Solidarity Corps programme! If you’re under 30 and resident anywhere in the EU, you can apply…
What did we achieve in 2022?
It’s impossible to capture the myriad different ways in which ecovillages have inspired us this year, from solidarity campaigns and ecosystem restoration to the daily work of growing food and nurturing community: all acts that feel increasingly radical and necessary in the world of today. But we want to capture some of the year’s main…
Join the life-changing Ecovillage Design Education Course at Schloss Glarisegg
If you’re looking for a solid basis to start your journey into ecovillages in 2023 – or if you already have a dream project in mind that needs support and inspiration to take flight – the Ecovillage Design Education Course might be for you. The EDE at Schloss Glarisegg, Switzerland has been running with great…
Funded volunteering in German ecovillages
Looking for a new challenge in 2023? If you’re under 30 and an EU resident, you’re eligible for the European Solidarity Corps, a funded volunteering programme which many ecovillages take part in. Here are two new opportunities in German ecovillages – a fantastic chance to get to know the world of ecovillages first hand. Sonnenwald:…
Save the date for the 2023 European Ecovillage Gathering!
We have some exciting news – it’s time to save the date for the 2023 European Ecovillage Gathering! We’ll be meeting in the beautiful surroundings of Nature Community in Bavaria, Germany. Arrival day is 12th July, with a welcome programme in the evening, and departure day is 17th July after a final breakfast. Tickets will…
Urgent fundraising campaign for Ukraine
Our friends and colleagues in GEN Ukraine have been working tirelessly since the war began to provide refuge and humanitarian support in ecovillages, as well as helping refugees adapt and embed into community life through activities like food growing and building. You can find more information about their work here. GEN Ukraine is now launching…
Celebrating two new ecovillage networks and the WESEEN project!
National and regional ecovillage networks play a vital role in spreading thriving community culture – forging connections between existing projects and supporting new ones based on shared cultures and languages. We’re celebrating the finalising of the WESEEN project, that has supported the creation of two new networks – Western Europe (WE) which links the Netherlands,…
New project helps national networks launch and thrive
Launch and Thrive project kicks off to activate ecovillage networks From France to Finland, from Spain to Sweden, national and bioregional ecovillage networks have long played a hugely important role in GEN Europe. These networks gather ecovillages and projects with cultural and linguistic commonalities, host local, national and regional events in close proximity to their…
We’re hiring a project coordinator!
Want to join the GEN Europe team? We’re seeking an organised, motivated project coordinator (10 months) to cover the maternity leave of one of our colleagues. The ideal candidate will have experience with the Erasmus+ scheme and will coordinate our project working group to ensure KA1 and KA2 applications are written and submitted at each…
Update from Busha Toloka
Work is under way on the Green Refuge project – an ambitious bioconstruction initiative in Busha ecovillage which aims to provide warm winter shelter to refugees. In this report, board member and ecovillager Steffen Emrich brings an update from the ground in Ukraine. At this summer’s European Ecovillage Gathering in Denmark, a fundraising project was…
Volunteering in Eco-Communities
One of the core functions of an ecovillage network is to act as a bridge between communities, enabling ecovillages to connect with one another, share experiences, build relationships and collaborate for constant learning. Here Ulrike Schimmel from Sieben Linden describes how four communities recently came together to do just that – in the process creating…
Funded volunteering with GEN Europe!
Use your enthusiasm for ecovillages and live in Arterra Bizimodu ecovillage, Spain, at the heart of the European Ecovillage Network! We’re seeking an motivated, proactive candidate who is excited about ecovillage living to join us in the GEN Europe office starting September 2022. ESC volunteering is fully funded by the European Union, so you’ll receive…
Looking back at the European Ecovillage Gathering 2022
After three years apart, the European and global ecovillage movement came back together in a joyful celebration of community, tackling themes of crisis while gathering hope, inspiration and important lessons from projects, practitioners and experts from around the world. I left with a lot of inspiration, fascination and force to tackle the collapse and the…
Complete the Energy Citizenship survey and win energy infrastructure for your community!
We’re offering an opportunity for our members to have a say in shaping EU energy policy – and to win energy infrastructure for their communities. How is GEN Europe supporting the energy transition? And how can our members benefit from our action? The Energy Citizenship Survey, developed as part of our EC² project, is a…
Support the Green Refuge
As in many Ukrainian ecovillages since the war began, currently hundreds of people are taking shelter in Busha ecovillage in the Vinnytsia region of the country. They are currently housed in summer houses, but winter is coming and warmer shelter will be required. An ambitious plan is brewing to create in a few short months…
Statement from GEN Russia on war in Ukraine
Since the outbreak of war, we have received messages of peace and solidarity with Ukraine from members of our network in Russia. However, until now they have felt unable to speak out openly due to the potential consequences, and the risk remains high. Nevertheless, they have shared with us this statement, also published on their…
GEN EU Solidarity with Ukraine
On this page, learn about their initiatives to support refugees, read and listen to voices from Ukrainian ecovillages and give your support to ecovillage initiatives giving hope in the darkest of times.
The European Ecovillage Gathering is coming!
UPDATE 9/5/22: Tickets are on sale now! Visit ecovillagegathering.org for details. At last, we come to you with exciting news: the European Ecovillage Gathering is back this summer and we’ll be meeting in Ananda Gaorii, Denmark, just one hour from Copenhagen! We’re also thrilled to announce that this year’s Gathering will not only be hosted…
Letters from Ukraine II: Faith in the Future
We are in close contact with members of GEN Ukraine as they mobilise to support refugees by providing shelter in the country’s many ecovillages, permaculture projects and other eco-settlements. We will be publishing translated updates we receive from Maksym Zalevskyi, president of GEN Ukraine, who is spearheading the mobilisation. If you wish to support GEN…
Letters from Ukraine I: Firefighting
We are in close contact with members of GEN Ukraine as they mobilise to support refugees by providing shelter in the country’s many ecovillages, permaculture projects and other eco-settlements. We will be publishing translated updates we receive from Maksym Zalevskyi, president of GEN Ukraine, who is spearheading the mobilisation. If you wish to support GEN…
Fundraising for ecovillages in Ukraine
We are now able to accept funds for supporting ecovillages in Ukraine. Ecovillages and other eco-settlements are right now hosting large numbers of refugees and need support to create safe, warm, hygienic spaces to house and feed people seeking shelter. With the initial aim of providing safe centres for at least 500 people, as well…
GEN Europe statement of solidarity with Ukraine
It is with great sadness that we witness, after years of armed conflict in the Donbas, the outbreak of open war in Ukraine. Weapons are never a means to settle conflict. Our hearts go out to our members in the country, and to all those striving for peace and community. We commit to offering all…
Ecovillage Youth Exchange Senegal-Germany: Call for Participants!
Connecting youth and communities across continents Interested in this project? There’ll be a Zoom info call on March 11th at 18:00 CET. Register here. Are you, or a young person you know, called by the project’s core themes of ecology and community, racial and social justice, and youth empowerment? Then perhaps this experience is for…
The European Ecovillage Gathering is back!
We’re absolutely thrilled to announce that the European Ecovillage Gathering returns in 2022. Mark your calendars for 7th-10th July! This celebration of community living featuring talks, workshops, music and much more will take place in the beautiful and historic Svanholm ecovillage in Denmark, just an hour outside of Copenhagen. We are so excited to reconnect…
We’re hiring: Maternity cover – Projects
We are happy to announce that GEN Europe is looking for a temporary Projects Coordinator to join our small and friendly team to covering the 10-month maternity leave of one of our employees. We are seeking someone who has experience in project acquisition and project management, specifically in large scale projects funded through e.g. Horizon…
Funded volunteering in GEN Europe!
Did our post about volunteering in ecovillages intrigue you? Do you want to get closer to the ecovillage movement? Do you have skills you want to put in service to the regeneration of our planet? If you’re under 30 and resident in an EU country, we have good news – GEN Europe is opening four…
The Art of Networking: Creation of the WE and SEEN Networks
GEN Europe creates, runs and participates in a range of European-funded projects in order to further our goals as a network of regenerative communities. In this article, participants in the WESEEN project – designed to create and strengthen regional ecovillage networks – describe their experiences and learning from the Art of Network training held as…
A brief guide to volunteering in ecovillages
Latest news: ESC positions at the GEN Europe office are now open! The deadline November 25th – find out all the details on our info sheet. “How can I volunteer in an ecovillage?” is easily the most common question we receive at GEN Europe. Whether you’re simply looking for a holiday with purpose, want to…
How ethical and regenerative are we online?
The core mission of the Ecovillage movement is to strive towards a more regenerative lifestyle. We live in communities where we pay attention to the materials we use to build our homes, the food we grow and consume, the clothes we wear, the way we make decisions together, the traditions we uphold, etc. However there…
Break free from Big Tech – Webinar
Tired of the big tech monopolies? Want to find ways to connect and collaborate without handing over data and control? Get ethically organised online! Join a talk on open source IT alternatives, with our IT manager Angel Matilla and organised by the Dutch ecovillage network Ecodorpen Netwerk on Thursday 25th November. More details at http://ecodorpennetwerk.nl/events/2021-11-25-break-away-from-big-tech/Donations:…
GEN Europe is hiring!
We are happy to announce that GEN Europe is looking for a Gathering Coordinator to join our small and friendly team. We are seeking someone who is full of ideas about how to coordinate and hold the European Ecovillage Gathering 2022 while working with transparency, excellent organisation skills, and enthusiasm for the event and the…
Community Incubator training – what’s it like?
CLIPS – the Community Learning Incubator Programme – is GEN Europe’s flagship training programme, developed by ecovillage founders and expert over several years of collaboration. It aims to support early stage communities overcome common challenges, and to train community members to support themselves and others with a set of tools, methods, resources and games that…
“The most transformative experience of my life”
The Ecovillage Design Education course – EDE – at Schloss Glarisegg in Switzerland has gained a reputation over the years as one of the most exiting and enriching programmes out there. Cohort after cohort of graduates of this intensive, five-week co-living and co-learning adventure, certified by Gaia Education, go out into the world inspired and…
Introducing EC²: a new project exploring a citizen-led energy transition
What are the conditions that will facilitate and strengthen energy citizenship for the much-needed transition to a low-carbon society? That’s one of the key questions that the EC² project – Energy Citizenship and Energy Communities for a Clean Energy Transition – will address through three years of in-depth research and co-creation with a diverse range of stakeholders,…
Boekel Ecovillage awarded Most Sustainable Organisation in the Netherlands
We’re thrilled to hear that Ecodorp Boekel, the newest full member of GEN Europe, was recently recognised as “The Most Sustainable Organisation in the Netherlands” – a truly well deserved title. According to Boekel, On July 1st 2021, the jury chose Boekel Ecovillage as the most sustainable organisation in the Netherlands, because this project combines…
Presenting the Resilience & Regeneration Series
For community-seekers and communities new and old; for those curious about exploring regeneration of ourselves and our world; for dreamers and visionaries and hands-on creators and crafters… We’re excited to present a brand new offering to support community creation and inner and outer transformation. While changing travel regulations and public health guidelines still make it…
Yes to Sustainability partnership reunites in Serbia
By Steffi Goerisch and Dario Ferraro GEN Europe is a member of the Yes to Sustainability partnership, a project designed to share best practice on peer learning among youth in the area of sustainability. Finally, after months of online meetings, a colourful bunch of young people and youth workers from ecovillages and sustainable projects in…
Choosing the future with Erasmus+
Participants of the project ‘Networking for Sustainability and a Green Youth’ have by now completed and submitted their first international youth projects aimed at sustainable development within the framework of the new 2021-2027 Erasmus+ program. The training itself took place at the Ängsbacka Course and Festival Centre in southern Sweden from April 7 to 12…
Meet the Ecovillages this Spring!
As winter turns to spring in the Northern hemisphere, many of us begin to think longingly of adventures and excursions: eyeing up maps, planning out road trips and hikes… Sadly, for many of us it’s still just in our daydreams: Covid lockdowns and travel restrictions means we are confined closer to home. But that doesn’t…
Growing Roots Together
by Sasja Iza Christensen, New RootsDuring a number of years, in the ecovillage of Hallingelille, situated in the middle of Zealand in Denmark, traumatized refugees have been given the opportunity to heal and improve their lives in Denmark. A handbook on how is now written and available. A nature- and community-based approach to rehabilitation has…
GEN Europe launches web service for members
Being a member of GEN Europe is first and foremost about connection: meeting and learning from other communities facing the same challenges, learning from their innovations and sharing in their success. Friendships are forged and projects and collaborations are developed across borders. But as an organisation we also want to give back to our network,…
Zooming in on our first online General Assembly
As ecovillagers, we value in-person connection: the ability to sense the mood of a room when facilitating, to truly see one another – and of course, to hug your friends! So when Covid-19 forced the cancellation of our General Assembly, we were nervous: would our GA be just one more of the exhausting online meetings…
Volunteering for Sustainability
Ecovillagers and allies build capacity through an Erasmus+ training on the new European Solidarity Corps programme. Learning never stops in GEN Europe, with members of the network regularly and energetically designing and hosting trainings to upskill ecovillagers. This time around, “Volunteering for Sustainability” took place between the 16th and 20th of November 2019, at the…
REDES – Ecovillage Emergence in the Sahel
GEN Ambassador Alfonso Flaquer reports from a trip to the ecovillages of Senegal GEN Ambassador and Elder Alfonso Flaquer has long been connected with the ecovillage movement throughout Africa. With the Iberian Ecovillage Network, RIE, he participated in a recent visit to various projects and shares his impressions here. I have just returned from Senegal…
Communities aligned with their dreams
Tools for ecovillage creation at the CLIPS incubator training We need a future when we don’t have to imagine. We just open our eyes. Los Portales community close to Sevilla shows an example of a present worthy of being a common future. No, the modest houses and the arid land around Sevilla are no heaven…