Global Ecovillage Educators for a Sustainable Earth Information Newsletter. Information about the Ecovillage Design Education Program in Buenos Aires and the indigenous youth program in India. Building Capacity & Empowering Communities in Southern Bangladesh. Case Study Urban Agriculture & Sustainability Centre

1. Geeseinformation
Northern Spring/Southern Autumn 2014
Message from Giovanni Ciarlo, Gaia Education Chair of Management
Giovanni Ciarlo
All of us at Gaia Education want to thank you for supporting our
common vision over the past 8+ years. We are also encouraged
by the many people outside the GEESE who care as much as we
do about the health and sustainability of our planet and our
communities.
As you have read in previous posts, Gaia Education is in a very
exciting time of growth and transformation. To that effect the
board approved a change of management and we have begun to
integrate a team of collaborators that will take the organization
forward. You have already heard from our “Mother Goose,” May
East, who is taking on the more challenging role of Chief
International Officer. Her focus will be on outreach, UN relations,
and resource mobilization for project-based learning with our
partners and international development agencies. Our recent
newsletter details some of the achievements we have already
made in those areas, and there is more to come.
This is also a good time to hear from you. And we hope that we will continue to benefit from
the generous giving of your time, ideas, and strategic support for our mission. Gaia Education
works diligently to ensure the creation and viability of sustainable communities and
organizations everywhere by leveraging change in education and whole system thinking, so
that we may prepare young people, and people of all ages, for the shift towards the
sustainable future we all envision. People like you make it possible. Your wisdom and
generosity is a beacon of light as we create new opportunities for the many teachers,
organizations, and communities that we serve.
There is ample opportunity for you to get more involved if you feel excited by what Gaia
Education is doing. At the moment we need people to help us translate the V5 EDE Curriculum
to other languages. A Danish version already exists, and V4 has been translated into several
languages. Please help us update our resources. Gaia Education offers a small stipend to cover
some of your time on this important project.

2. Geese information 2014/1
The wonderful synergy of the GEESE will continue to guide us this coming
year. Our goals are to:
 Continue the important work of educating for integral
sustainability – developing, in young and old new, the knowledge,
habits of mind, and the skills needed to successfully live well in
our communities and effect positive change, over time, in
harmony with nature.
 Move forward with the development of our free and fee-based
online learning programs and guides, so that anyone, anywhere,
and in many different languages, can gain access to our tools and
resources, empowering them to participate in the shift towards
sustainable communities.
 Measure our success through data collection and analysis so that we, and you, can
improve delivery of our programs and become experts in the field of Education for
Sustainability, joining the global movement for economic, social, cultural, and
environmental systems regeneration.
We look forward to working together to design communities with a rich and meaningful quality
of life for all.
Peace and blessings,
Gio
Introducing Julia Ramos – Gaia Education Communications & Marketing Coordinator
Julia Ramos
I have just been honored with a new professional challenge - that is to be the marketing
and communications coordinator for Gaia Education. I have done an Ecovillage training
program at Findhorn in 2011 and an EDE at Sieben Linden in 2012, as well as a Permaculture
design course in Montsant (Spain). I am an official Dragon Dreamer facilitator and work as a
consultant to co-create projects that apply holistic sustainability (www.laagroteca.com). I
have 8 years’ experience in business management, holding a Master in Communication,
Public Relations and Protocol (Spain) and Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management
(Switzerland).
My mission is to commit myself to the creation of a new society for the 21st century. A
society that is modern and technologically advanced, as well as socially engaging and
egalitarian, happy and balanced, but above all, environmentally friendly.
I aspire to help and collaborate with thousands of people to give birth, rediscover and rebuild their
businesses creating economically prosperous, resilient, environmentally and socially connected
companies and projects that ensure the welfare of the planet and its future generations.
The Gaia Education
Management Team
Giovanni Ciarlo
Marcos Beascoa
May East
Julia Ramos
Ulises Escorihuela Domingues
Diogo Alvim

3. Geese information 2014/1
EDE Beunos Aires 2013, Argentina
EDE Argentina Group: Taisa Mattos, Gabriela Salvaneschi, Juan Sabaté
The first EDE in Buenos Aires took place at San
Isidro, from July to October 2013. The country was
under a serious economic crises which demanded
a great effort from the organizing team in terms
of building a strong network of partnerships and
a solidarity economic system to make it possible
(affordable). It was also a necessary
determination by the participants to be part of
this.
During four months, before the beginning of the
course, the EDE team promoted many workshops,
presenting briefly the four dimensions of the
curriculum, giving people a taster and helping
them to decide to join in. The final group was
diverse. With 29 participants, in which 20 were
women and 9 men, with ages ranging from 21 to
63 years old, from different backgrounds.
It was clearly a South American program, with participants
coming not only from different parts of Argentina but also
from Colombia and Uruguay, and the educators from Brazil,
Argentina and Chile. There was also a Brazilian in the
organizing Team.
The process was very intense, inspiring and empowering the participants to redesign their
lives. Some of them made great personal changes in their lifestyles, others left old jobs.
In the middle of the process, as a real conflict emerged, they had the opportunity to bring
into practice their new social skills, becoming even stronger as a group. It was a really
powerful experience!
The Program was run by Espacio Eco and included 200 hours of activities in the 4
dimensions of 38 hours each, 40 hours of immersive internship and also 8 hours in open
special events. Each module was given through six days of activities: Saturday, Sunday,
Tuesday, Wednesday and again Saturday and Sunday - Saturdays and Sundays from 10am
to 7pm and Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7pm to 10:30pm.
Check out the fabulous video from EDE Buenos
Aires, 2013.
Visit Gaia Education’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/user/gaiaeducation

4. Geese information 2014/1
The faculty included 25 educators from national and international
origins. Among these, 11 were women and 14 men.
Besides the many possibilities to do the course internship, the group
decided to go together to Nakkal Center, a rural community in
Cañuelas County, about 80 km from Buenos Aires, which has the
proposal of developing a sustainable way of living in cooperation
with nature. They use Permaculture principals, have low impact
constructions, renewable energy technologies, organic farming, and
waste recycle, among others.
Espacio Eco is already organizing the 2014 EDE in Buenos Aires which
will happen from August to November.
For more information, please visit edeargentina.wordpress.com
or contact:edeargentina@gmail.com

5. Geese information 2014/1
EDE for Indigenous Youth: Orissa, India, 2013
Siddarthvillage Youth EDE Team
The EDE course started on 12th Sept 2013 at Kakirigumma
Siddharthvillage campus with 24 participants representing 13 tribal
women’s organisations in Orissa. It should be noted that
Siddharthvillage vows to initiate ecovillages all over Orissa involving
indigenous communities and it is aimed at working through 54 tribal
women’s organisations in Orissa who are all members of GEN- India,
actively working for the last three years. A number of print and
electronic news media reports highlighted these.
The course started with the introduction and ice break session but
intensively reflected on the question WHO AM I? The focus of the
session is on how each one of us create our own reality and how we
can take responsibility for what we create.
The course was adapted according to the culture and understanding
of indigenous people and so heavy inputs were on hands-on
experiences. At the same time, equal importance was given on the
worldview dimension. For example, going even deeper into
understanding what the understanding-attitude of respect and
values are... all taken through role play and stories which helped the
participants experience the deeper meaning of what we speak.
The need to understand and analyse the present society, the
simulation game with the tool of marbles which divide the group
rich, middle, poor and also expresses their normal behaviour when
they are in their own seat.... This powerful simulation game, used
by THREAD Siddharthvillage for last 20 years and used by many
postgraduate colleges, now became a tool for indigenous groups as
it evolved from them.
The principles of permaculture thought were taught in the class room
but heavily relied on hands-on experiences. The group developed
models for an exhibition on the last day of the EDE course which
attracted the print and electronic news media and was televised in
India.
The dimensions of economy focused mainly on initiating co-
operatives and barter system and the economic leaky-bucket
session became very popular to understand the leaks in the villages.

6. Geese information 2014/1
Setting goals is another important session, used to plan for each individual EDE
course member and their action for their future activities in the villages. The
session was highly therapeutic for the participants and they all planned for their
own future plan after the course. Each one submitted six months short term goals
to the trainers and promised to keep in touch with the trainers every month end.
The hands-on experience every afternoon was enjoyed by all the participants.
Learning permaculture principles and also integrating the EDE course’s four
dimensions were the main feature of this course.
Sessions were facilitated by John and Karmi, who are the members of GENOA
and who work for spreading ecovillages in India and in particular among
indigenous communities, and Pradyut, the ex-staff of
THREAD who was trained by the Auroville EDE course,
Nirmal the EDE trainer. All of the trainers except one
worked completely voluntarily and many more EDE
course alumina like, Doita and Karuna, supported the
course heavily with their inputs during hands-on
experiences.
The last day exhibition was the climax of the programme
wherein over two hundred people, including local school
children, visited the models created by the EDE course
members. The print media and electronic media
highlighted this event and helped make the EDE course
known to public.
NextGEN Youth Ecovillage Summit 2014
NextGEN is a youth-run organization committed to connecting young
people with the ecovillage movement and empowering them to build a
more beautiful world for the next generation. This April, NextGEN will be
hosting the Youth Ecovillage Summit at Sirius Community, a decades-old
ecovillage in Massachusetts, USA. Visit www.nextgenna.org for more
information and to register!

7. Geese information 2014/1
2014 Applied Ecovillage Living: The Findhorn Foundation, Scotland
Jacqueline Buckingham
The participants in the 2014 Applied Ecovillage Living (AEL), held at
the world-renowned Findhorn Ecovillage in the northeast of
Scotland, were inspired and full of praise for the month-long
programme as they prepared to head home.
“There’s a depth and a breadth to this course that
you won’t find many places. It’s an immersion into
this beautiful, successful ecovillage - but never
presenting that Findhorn has all the answers -
showing us real transparency. So many inspiring
people to learn from!”
Zoe Sawane
25-year-old Scot
The first three weeks of the four-week programme are structured around the three Permaculture
ethics: People Care, Fair Shares and Earth Care, with the various threads explored during the training
drawing heavily on the human, physical and spiritual resources of the Findhorn Foundation.
As a participant and a community member, I was personally inspired to see these ethics moving
beyond the theoretical, being woven into the programme through interaction and engagement
with the day-to-day life and work of the Findhorn Foundation. It helped myself and the other
participants see this ecovillage as a model for a living demonstration of Permaculture principles.
“This is a lifetime fantastic experience! A good mixture of spirituality,
practicality, knowledge and skills.”
Laszlo Szalay
55-year-old Hungarian
Field trips to partner organisations included local solar panel manufacturer, AES Solar, the local
Transition Towns initiative and Trees for Life, dedicated to restoring the Caledonian forest.
The final week brought all of this learning together as the 11 participants, from the UK, USA,
Netherlands, Hungary, Switzerland, Brazil and Slovenia, turned their attention to their Design
Projects. It was inspiring to see that the project teams weren’t just dealing with theory, but with
fundamental challenges that will need to be faced in a number of new and existing eco projects
awaiting their return around the world.

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AEL focaliser Craig Gibsone, whose inspiration and example helped
to birth this programme 16 years ago, said “The programme more
than fulfilled on its intention of introducing the participants to a full
featured ecovillage that embraces the best practices of
Permaculture. Holding this programme within the container of the
Findhorn Ecovillage helps convey the complexity and power of
community, and once again confirms my faith in our ability as
humans to rise to the challenge of living in harmony with all life.”
Fellow focaliser Gabrielle Hamm insisted: “The AEL continues to be
transformational for young and old. Each year it enjoys some minor
tweaks and just gets better and better, including cutting-edge
content by professionals in the field, with Permaculture as the red
thread throughout the syllabus.”
The AEL programme is presented annually during February and
March and is certified by Gaia Education and the British Permaculture
Association.
For more information and to register for 2015, visit
www.findorn.org/ael

9. Geese information 2014/1
Gaia Education & THREAD Awarded Scottish Government Grant to Break the Cycle of
Food Insecurity
May East, Gaia Education Chief International Officer
Gaia Education is one of 11 international development organisations across Scotland awarded
grants by the Scottish Government International Development Small Grants Programme. The project
was developed by Gaia Education and THREAD and will take place over 2 ½ years.
The announcement was made in the Scottish Parliament by Minister for International Development
and External Affairs, Humza Yousaf, on 21st March 2014.
The grant from the Scottish Government will be used to empower and build capacity of tribal
communities of Four Gram Panchayats of Laxmipur Block of Koraput District to increase food
security, strengthen social cohesion, and enhance climate resilience.
“The awards announced today are so important.
They will allow this vital work to continue in
Malawi, Bangladesh, India and Tanzania, taking
Scottish skills and expertise to these countries and
delivering life-changing improvements for
communities there”
Humza Yousaf
Minister for International Development & External Affairs
This project will introduce the Ecovillage Design Education (EDE)
programme, developed by Gaia Education & drawing on expertise
developed in a network of some of the most successful ecovillages and
transition settings across the world. 55 community leaders, local
government officials and students will undertake the EDE training over 2.5
years. Grass-root participants and middle level government staff will
acquire a series of skills designed to tackle the issues facing indigenous
communities of Orissa.
A further 75 community members will undertake Transition Training,
providing them with ideas on how to respond to climate change and
resource scarcity. Inspired by one of the 21st century's most imaginative
social movements, these 150 students will then work with 750 families in
the four Gram Panchayats of Laxmipur.

10. Geese information 2014/1
In addition, these 750 families from the four Gram Panchayats will
also benefit from the introduction of 2 vegetable gardens and the
initiation of a Grow Your Own Food programme which will teach the
communities how to grow their own sustainable supplies of
nutritious food.
“NIDOS welcomes the announcement of the eleven
grants under the new Scottish Government international
development Small Grants programme. We are excited
to see this first step in supporting the unique and
important contribution that small organisations can
make to tackling poverty and inequality.”
Gillian Wilson
Chief Executive, NIDOS
“We are delighted with the prospect of strengthening
our work with THREAD over the next 2 ½ years. Utilising
ecovillage design techniques the project aims to break
the cycle of food insecurity strengthen social linkages
and improve the status of women. Through
permaculture and sustainable farming practices the
project intends to improve the health of the soil, grow
sustainable crops in 2 demonstration sites, thus
enhancing villagers livelihoods, health and well-being.”
May East
Chief International Officer, Gaia Education

11. Geese information 2014/1
Case Study: Building Capacity & Empowering Communities in Southern Bangladesh
Sutarkhali Union of Dacope Upazila
The Bangladesh Association for Sustainable Development (BASD), Gaia
Education and CIFAL Scotland have been implementing a project to improve
sustainable food security and livelihoods in the vulnerable communities of
Khulna and Bagerhat, Southern Bangladesh, through capacity building
programmes and effective climate change adaptation strategies. The 3-year
Building Capacity and Empowering Communities (BCEC) Project was
approved for funding by the Scottish Government in May 2013.
Communities of the Sutarkhali region of Khulna District have experienced
two major cyclones in recent years, Sidr in 2007 and Aila in 2009. The people
of Sutarkali have gone through terrible suffering as a result of the cyclones
and are still bearing the painful memories of the devastation.
Shampa Mondal, her elder sister Shimanti, brother, and parents described
their terrible experiences to BASD staff on the day Aila struck the community
and the following 21 months when the family was forced to live on the
roadside:
“It was noon when we saw the water rushing and
coming towards our village. People around us were
shouting, crying and trying their best to save their
belongings. Within an hour the water covered our clay
houses, roads and everything. Many cows, goats,
chickens and pond fishes were washed away. Tidal
water hit our houses and took them away like dry
leaves. People were only able to save their lives and
nothing else. There was not a single house that
remained undamaged. After the cyclone we had to
take shelter on the roadside near our village and we
lived there for 21 months in a small camp.”
After returning home Shampa and Shimanti were very disheartened by the
desperate situation. Soon after the cyclone, BASD opened an office in
Sutarkhali, and Shimanti became a member. Later she became the secretary
of the organisation.

12. Geese information 2014/1
She has now attended two trainings in Permaculture Design and Climate
Change Adaptation from the BCEC Project and has been encouraging her
family and community to grow gardens and to make their houses resilient
to climate change. The community inspired, by Shimanti, has been busily
developing their own gardens and properties.
It is now hard to believe that Aila destroyed the area 4 years ago. The land
has been well developed with different varieties of trees, fruits,
vegetables and by various other sustainable practices. Shampa praises the
work of the community for making the area green and friendly. Her family
no longer needs to go to market for anything except salt and oil. Recently
they also sold vegetables and fruits to the local market, increasing the
family’s income as well as nutrition. Shampa is very pleased and grateful
to BASD and the BCEC Project without which the communities of Sutarkhali
would be in a much more vulnerable situation.
Alumni Case Study
Gaia Education Design for Sustainability (GEDS), 2013
Urban Agriculture & Sustainability Centre
Location: Your sustainability project!
Students: Jordon Gross, Jacquie Medina,
Germaine Staley, Frauke Godat
Project Type: Resource & tool for community designers
The Urban Agriculture and Sustainability Centre is unique in its
presentation: "The layout is designed the way it is because the pages
are actually poster size (A0) so that they can later be printed into
posters for potential sustainability centres. We wanted to do this so
that we could use this material as display pieces!
Download this and other alumni Case Studies from
www.gaiaeducation.net/index.php/en/case-studies.html

13. Geese information 2014/1
News from Hildur Jackson
Hildur Jackson
Dear Friends and family,
As Llewellyn Vaughan Lee states in his ”Spiritual Ecology, the Cry of the Earth” (which a friend just gave
me) and as we also state in ”The Song of the Earth”, we need to once again treat matter, the soil, animals,
plants and humans as sacred and spiritual in order to solve problems. It is therefore a big joy for me that
we are now meditating together all around Mother Earth as part of our movement Sunday at 3.00 Danish
time. Thanks to all of you.
The sun is shining and spring is here in spite of the date. Yesterday, Ross and I went to the museum of
modern art, Louisianna, to see Hilma of Klint, a Swedish painter who painted from a spiritual imperative
and sealed her works until 20 years after her death. Ross pushed me around in a wheelchair, which we
borrowed from the municipality. Great to be out among people and sit at the ocean. When it got too
bumpy (the paths in the outside garden made up of cobble stones) I got up and pushed the chair. For the
first time we used a special parking permit for handicapped, which makes it possible to get around more.
I can walk a little, even if I have a rift in the skeleton and 3 broken ribs. The university hospital is treating
me with chemo, herceptine and other stuff to stop the cancer and I get a monthly injections to strengthen
my bones. They say they have good results with this treatment. After one more month they will do a CT
scan and see if it has stopped the cancer. Instead of chemo I may be treated with antihormones, but they
judged this would be faster and more effective.
Besides this I am consulting an alternative doctor who is also an
ayurvedica doctor, Ole Købke. He supports the choice of chemo.
He also advices intravenous vitamin C, which functions as a mild
chemo without any side effects. And many other valuable things.
I have not been able to meditate for a while, but many people
offer healings and massages and such. I am very grateful for the
incredible support friends and family provide. And for the many
visits I receive. It helps so much in keeping my spirits up.
In all this Ross has proved a true hero. He is taking such good care
of me that I am constantly very touched. So if you do not get a
fast answer from him on mail, you know the reason. And to have
Rie and the two girls in the house is a daily gift. As are my 3 sons,
my brothers and friends close and far away.
Thanks to all of you out there for being part of my life and for
what you are all doing.
All my love Hildur

14. Geese information 2014/1
In Memory of Margrit Kennedy, 21 November 1939 – 28 December 2013
Frederica Miller
I first met Margrit when she gave a lecturer to a seminar at the Oslo School of
Architecture called: Women, Ecology and Architecture in the early 80s. She gave a
brilliant lecture, for me it was instant appreciation, and the start of a wonderful
friendship. It was the first time I had met a female architect with true concern for the
environment, who was also doing something about it! At that time she was working
in Berlin with inner city refurbishment, combining an ecological approach with
participation and exciting results. She was also one of the first people I met to tell me
about permaculture. Margrit, always generous, gave me a set of 20 slides that started
me off teaching permaculture and eco-architecture! She also taught me my first circle
dance, introducing me to the joys of circle dance. Many years later in connection with
permaculture I also met Declan, her lifelong partner and soulmate. No description of
Margrit would be complete without Declan and dance! Their relationship has always
been an inspiration to me, a continuous loving search for truth and wonder.
Margrit was intellectually sharp, insightful and perceptive, all qualities that led her to
move in different directions than most others. She understood that one of the main
obstacles to establishing ecological projects was the money system. She wrote a book
called: Interest and Inflation Free Money, that has been translated to many languages
and been one of the great inspirations for the wonderful development of
Complementary Currencies, and which gradually became MonNetA - the Money
Network Alliance that carries on her work.
As a young inspired eco-architect starting out in the early 80s we felt very lonely in Norway. At best our
approach would be regarded as highly eccentric, and marginally important. We therefore decided to invite
those people from Scandinavia and Europe/the world ... that we saw as being on the cutting edge of Eco-
Architecture and that we had a personal contact with. Margrit and Declan were obvious choices! This
started Gaia-International - a group of eco-architects and designers that met once a year to exchange
knowledge and experience. An invaluable academy for all of us taking part.
From being a smart and clever woman, Margrit gradually evolved into a wise woman, and an important
inspiration for many other both women and men. I feel immensely privileged to be one of those. Right
up to the end Margrit was curious. Curious of what lifes end entails. She was certain that lifes adventures
only carry on in another dimension. I can hear her joy and laughter. The circle of her life is fully drawn,
as a modern woman of the earth she followed the ethics of permaculture - care of the earth, care of each
other and sharing abundance. Yes it is possible! Thankyou Margrit for lighting our paths.
Continue reading Frederica Miller’s memoir of Margrit Kennedy on www.gaiaeducation.net

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Gaia Education Programmes around the World
Upcoming programmes taking place include:
UOC -Online Programme
English: Oct 2013 - Sep 2014
Spanish: Oct 2013 - Sep 2014
Portuguese: Oct 2013-May 2014
www.gaiaeducation.net
USA, School of Integrated Living
18 Jan - 19 Apr 2014
schoolofintegratedliving.org
Nicaragua, InanItah
9 Mar – 4 Apr 2014
www.inanitah.com
Brazil, Brasilia - Ecohabitare
Mar - Nov 2014
www.gaiaeducation.net
Brazil, Gaia Rio De Janeiro
20 Feb - 10 Aug 2014
terrauna.org.br
Brazil, Terra Una
1 Mar - 14 Sep 2014
terrauna.org.br
Brazil, Gaia Youth, Rio de Janeiro
15 Mar - 8 Jun 2014
cocriare.com.br/gaia-jovem
Brazil, EDE Paraná
25 Apr - 30 Aug 2014
institutonhandecy.wordpress.com
Mexico, Hue Hue Ecovillage
13 Apr - 27 Apr 2014
iserviciosambientales.com.mx
Germany, Sieben Linden
28 Apr - 25 May 2014
ede.siebenlinden.de
Spain, EDE Almería
23 May - 18 Aug 2014
educaciongaialmeria.wordpress.com
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United Kingdom
administrator@gaiaeducation.net
Phone: +44 131 225 3407
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www.gaiaeducation.net