Ecovillage Design Education and Training of Trainers 2012
Around the world, in urban and rural settings, in the
global North and South, you can find ecovillages. Existing, traditional
communities, indigenous tribal villages and new intentional communities
– all communities of people who have come together, usually sharing
common values or spirituality (sometimes called worldviews). In all cases, people together building sustainable life styles with a common social framework. Ecovillages are designed according to ecological principles, working in co-operation with nature, rathere than against or over it, promoting low-impact lifestyles and an economics that is based on shared self-reliance which reweaves local inter-connections.
Ecovillage Design Education and Training of Trainers
16 January – 4 March 2012
Ecovillages offer a comprehensive solution to the major challenges of our times by addressing the
acceleration of climate change and environmental destruction, the
impacts of peak oil and global economic instability and the alienating
fragmentation of the social and community fabric of many contemporary
societies. We can learn much from the numerous sustainable communities
that exist around the world.
Weaving the wisdom of
traditional communities in Asia with the emerging alternative paradigm
of intentional communities in the West, this course will focus on a
worldview relevant to Asia and beyond.
Grass-roots leaders, community
and social activists and sustainability educators, students, youth and
elders are invited to participate in this course.
Holistic, Integrative and Contemplative
The course is holistic,
integrating theory, practice and mindful reflection with a participative
and experiential exploration of four keys of the ecovillage movement.
Unique to the Thailand EDE, the practice of a meditation which embraces
spiritual diversity is part of the core curriculum.
Social Design - how to build and strengthen community; communication skills; personal empowerment and leadership, coaching
Worldview – shifting paradigm; reconnecting with nature; socially engaged spirituality; creativity and art
Economic Design – globalization / re-localization; right livelihood; community economics; social enterprise
Ecological Design - the design of sustainable human settlements; eco-building; ecological restoration; local food
Ecovillage Design Education (16 January – 12 February 2012)
Week 1: Social - new relations in community that bring happiness; building community & embracing diversity.
Week 2: Worldview - new ways of looking at the universe; listening to and reconnecting with nature.
Week 3: Ecological - design an ecovillage in practice; basic principles and skills.
Week 4: Economics - right livelihood in communities; shifting the global economy towards sustainability
Design Studio (13 - 19 February 2012)
Week 5: Design Studio
- Learning’s from the previous weeks culminate in Design Studio.
Utilising a process of participatory action research, design starts with
an existing community, building upon their cultural wisdom and needs
towards sustainable design of their village. In an alternative stream,
open ended creativity is encouraged on a new site design.
Training of Trainers (20 February - 4 March 2012)
Week 6 & 7: TOT -
This is an innovative approach for creating and organizing learning
experiences. This course is for participants who would like to become
trainers in the field of ecovillage design. The course is experiential
and participatory, covering areas such as basic facilitation skills,
community building exercises, designing workshops, and evaluating
training sessions.
This course will weave in
practical ecovillage design projects as well as hands-on participative
work. There will be regular meditation and practice of mindfulness. The
course is highly collaborative in nature with opportunities for
participants to co-design sessions to meet their own needs, using
emerging design. Participants will serve as resources for each other and
the group.
The language of instruction will be English.
Teaching Team
The course will be facilitated by a team from
the Spirit in Education Movement (SEM). The main facilitators for the
course will be: Pracha Hutanuwatr, Jane Rasbash, Sunisa Jamwiset,
Ratawit Ouaprachanon, Paola Vidulich.
We also offer talks and workshops by guest
speakers, including Sulak Sivaraksa, Asian intellectual. Special
Resource people include sustainability educator Max O. Lindegger, Founder of
Crystal Waters Ecovillage and permaculture practitioner.
Locations
Wongsanit Ashram was founded in 1984 by social activist Sulak Sivaraksa and colleagues. It is a spiritual
activist community devoted to developing and promoting an alternative
lifestyle that is grounded in Buddhist Dharma, cultural diversity and
environmental sustainability. It is home to educators and social
activists who lead programmes in grassroots leadership, in natural
construction techniques, and in empowering marginalised communities. The
EDE will start at the Ashram but include sites visits to relevant
projects and communities around Thailand, allowing unique insights into
the culture of this beautiful land.
The Ecovillage Design Education is an official
contribution to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development 2005-14
Fees (USD)
EDE
Design Studio
TOT
Full fees
1,400
350
700
Youth (up to 25 years old)
1,020
255
510
Wongsanit Ashram is a
not-for-profit organisation. In addition to covering all food, travel
and accommodation during the course, a proportion of these fees goes
towards sponsoring participants from Asia who are unable to cover the
financial costs of the course themselves.
Around the world, in urban and rural settings, in the
global North and South, you can find ecovillages. Existing, traditional
communities, indigenous tribal villages and new intentional communities
– all communities of people who have come together, usually sharing
common values or spirituality (sometimes called worldviews). In all cases, people together building sustainable life styles with a common social framework. Ecovillages are designed according to ecological principles, working in co-operation with nature, rathere than against or over it, promoting low-impact lifestyles and an economics that is based on shared self-reliance which reweaves local inter-connections.
Activities