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 collective strength to remain unshaken amidst the uncertainties of the ever-changing world.

From the 20th to the 25th of August 2024, GEN Europe and Ängsbacka welcomed over 700  souls hailing from 41 different countries. Collectively, we saluted the sun and rain, staying present as the rhythm of the Gathering flowed between harmonious and more turbulent energies.

Our team and participants were mindfully guided by the theme of ‘urgently slowing down’ as we all held space for the magic to unravel and the learnings to land. ‘Slowing down’ from the relentless pace dictated by capitalism and consumerism and ‘slowing down’ from the need to constantly react quickly to the world’s challenges. And, ‘slowing down’ to give our minds, bodies and souls time to pause, reconnect and recharge in the enchanting forests and pristine fields of Ängsbacka, Värmland, Sweden. 

The abundant programme of the Gathering offered an opportunity to broaden the horizons, tap into the unknown, question the petrified patterns and stay true to oneself and the values we collectively hold. We were honoured to welcome our keynote speakers to our Morning Circles, where each morning brought another opportunity to dive deeper into the complexities of the changing world. We are especially grateful to Priska Lang, an illustrator, a facilitator, and above all an artist, who graphically recorded all of the keynote speeches.

Lone Beate Ebeltoft, a native Sea Sami heritage cultural and spiritual speaker opened the doors to the world of culture and heritage of the Sami people,  their nature-based life interwoven with the whole of the more than human world. She shed light on the primordial connections to the land and how we nurture it, bringing deeper awareness to the ground we stood upon, the air we breathed in and the forests we found ourselves in. 

The speech by Lone was gently guided by Dicte Frost, this year’s MC and former Gathering coordinator, weaving together the ecovillage values in the context of Lone’s worldview.

The keynote speech by A’ida Al-Shibli, a Tamera community member, peace activater, and Indigenous Palestinian Bedouin woman, brought a well-needed insight into the political dimension of the Ecovillage movement and the systemic analysis of the poly crises we face today. It was a challenging session. She tackled topics such as the many ongoing genocides including the genocide of her own people in Gaza right now, the urgent need to acknowledge where everyone present was contributing to and benefiting from the systems they oppose, and the urgent need to detach from those systems.  A’ida spoke bravely about looking the “pain of the world” in the eyes and the need to acknowledge that “everything is political” and that “everything happening in the world is affecting each one of us”; declaring that “We need to take a stand for life, not for a side.” 

Building on this, A’ida drew on the teachings of her community Tamera, advocating the need for love, love as a political force, and love our largest resource, to be at the core of any meaningful solution. As A’ida put it, “From this love comes the urge to plant, build, and to have the courage to strive for a better world. To grow life, to be life, and to protect life.”

A’ida’s keynote held up a mirror to GEN Europe, highlighting where we as an organization need to further educate ourselves on the social and political issues we strive to take a stand for. This includes learning how to create safe spaces to explore these topics without placing undue burden on the very people in vulnerable positions whom we claim to support, and whom we invite to share their stories publicly and engage in collective exploration.

A’ida Al-Shibli was interviewed by Teodora Rădulescu, MC of the Gathering and GEN Europe Council member, who graciously held the space and created a grounding atmosphere for this challenging discussion. Her presence allowed A’ida Al-Shibli’s powerful words to resonate, inviting us all to engage in honest and meaningful reflection.

Anja Lyngbaek, a localization activist and Programmes Director of the Local Futures gracefully touched upon the theme of our Ecovillage Gathering, emphasising the urgency of slowing down to prevent accelerating down the road we are headed to within the dominant ruling system. Anja’s speech deconstructed the notions of debt economy, bringing light to the fact that the system created is man-made and can be remade. As one of the possible solutions she proposed the production of necessities closer to home, advocating for local economies with an abundance of examples from local communities across the world. 

We were extremely happy to have Dougald Hine back after his keynote address at the European Ecovillage Gathering in Ananda Gaorii in Denmark in 2022. Dougald is a well-known social thinker, writer, speaker, and co-founder of the Dark Mountain Project and a school called HOME. His storytelling craft guided us towards a process of reimagining another world that is to come. We no longer need to make sense according to the logic of the world coming to an end. As stated by Dougald Hine, to create the potential of other worlds emerging, we must leave decent ruins for the future world that will be constructed upon them. And this new world to come about is something indeed worth fighting for.

Richard Perkins, a recognised leader in the field of regenerative agriculture held an inspiring lecture followed by a great deal of models he is practising in his Ridgedale Farm, located not so far away from Ängsbacka. His speech “Regenerative Agriculture: A human-scale approach to real food, healthy soils and happy farmers!” shed light on local food and community resilience centres around small mixed farms that restore soils and habitats whilst producing diverse and nutrient-dense seasonal food right where it is consumed. We inquired into the living systems of soils and forests, their health and their relationship to the agricultural lands. Richard Perkins brought special attention to local farmers, proposing successful models to achieve reliable living wages and a truly regenerative farming system for all.

Besides our speakers, participants could choose from over 80 workshops bringing together the best of wisdom and culture from across the ecovillage and allied movements: would it be yoga, rune-dancing, various governance models, water management, embodied climate dialogue, pizza oven building, community financing models, movie screening, cacao ceremony or contact Forrò? 

Furthermore, this year we had an invaluable opportunity to witness and experience the enchanting performance by Sara Ajnnak, whose concert touched many hearts and grew the bond we were collectively creating with the Sami lands and culture.

The afternoons were dedicated to collective sessions that brought the whole Gathering community together, including the vibrant Meet the Ecovillages market where Ecovillages displayed the efforts of their communities and a Community Resourcing Circle that connected new communities with the gifts, generosity and talents of our network.

Ecovillage Sustainable Technology Exposition showcased the technological innovations the ecovillage movement brings, while Open Space Technology offered a facilitated framework for groups to explore certain topics and give space to what was present in the field. This year, the projects ECOPRISE and Communities for Local Green Deals played an important part in the networking of the relevant stakeholders and the movement.

In this year’s Ecovillage Gathering, Sharing groups held a special place. Sharing is an essential and honoured practice at Ängsbacka, and we were welcomed to this special space with the sensitivity and open-heartedness that is at its core.

As every year, the Gathering was made possible in no small part by many volunteers who gifted us their time and energy: to cook, clean, prepare the spaces and signage, and so much more. We are hugely grateful to members and volunteers and our Dream Team and Pollinators Team of European Solidarity Corps who did so much to bring the event to life. 

The Gathering wouldn’t be such a space of collaborative innovation if there weren’t for our Workshop Leaders who have wholeheartedly enriched our program, bringing their diverse expertise, fostering collaborative learning spaces where participants explored regenerative living practices.

We are deeply grateful for the invaluable wisdom and experience shared by GEN elders and representatives from all GEN regions at the Gathering, especially the inspiring presence of the founder of GEN, Ross Jackson. We also extend our sincere gratitude to our Emotional Support Team, Children’s Programme Coordinators, Open Stage organizers, the House Band, the facilitators of Community Resourcing Circle, the Tamera Facilitators Team, Translation Coordinators, and the team of Imaginal who artistically accompanied the keynote speeches and guided us lightly and playfully through the dynamics of the Gathering.

As every year, NextGEN continued its cherished role at the Gathering, bringing together youth from throughout Europe to strengthen our common purpose and kindle fresh perspectives. Gaia Education‘s presence reminded us of the essential way regenerative education flows through our movement’s foundation.

We are proud of the community we co-create at this event each year and the wider network that sustains it. We were delighted to welcome many first-timers, who shared their thoughts and reflections with us:

“I was longing for deep connections with people who want to bring positive change to the world. This gathering fulfilled that need beautifully, allowing me to connect with my soul tribe.’” – Gathering 2024 participant

“It was life-changing. I felt a deep sense of healing, connection, and growth, and I’m leaving with renewed energy and purpose.” – 2024 Volunteer

We move forward, empowered by this moment of reconnection, with the hope that this unforgettable celebration of ecovillage culture becomes the first step for many on their journey – a path now deepened as every participant became an individual member of GEN Europe. We are looking forward to staying connected with each one of our new members, nurturing the shared visions and purpose in a way that’s respectful to one another, our local environment, and the wider world. We warmly invite everyone to explore our network, discover our trainings and resources or volunteer in ecovillages. 

This journey has been one of deep connection, learning, and growth. Let’s carry the spirit of this Gathering into our everyday lives, continuing to explore new ways of living in harmony with ourselves, each other, and the Earth. 

Dicte Frost captured it perfectly: “This is not a Festival – it’s a Community.”

Explore more photos from this extraordinary event. We hope you’ll join us next year in the enchanting Manas Garden, Hungary from the 12th to the 17th of August 2025!

The European Ecovillage Gathering logo and illustrations were lovingly created by Priska Lang.

The European Ecovillage Gathering was created with the support of Hübner und Kennedy Stiftung and was co-funded by EU.