ENA NEWS
Electronic Newsletter of the Ecovillage Network of the Americas
http://ena.ecovillage.org
Date: 01/01/01
Issue #0002
Editor: giovanni@ecovillage.org

This newsletter is distributed in North, Central, South America, the
Caribbean and beyond. ENA is a grassroots public policy, research,
education and networking non-profit organization, and part of the
Global Ecovillage Network (GEN).

For free subscription to ENA E-News please write to
ena-news@ecovillage.org with the word "subscribe" in the subject of
the message.  To unsubscribe write "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
This newsletter is also available in Spanish or Portuguese. Please
feel free to forward this newsletter to friends and associates and
suggest they subscribe.

1.   ENA Central Office UPDATE
Linda Joseph,  ena@ecovillage.org

Since the ENA Council inauguration in Oct. 1999, there has been a
groundswell of ecovillage activities in all 9 regions of the Americas
- Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, Eastern US, Mesoamerica, Mobile
Ecovillages, Northern South America, Southern South America and
Western US. http://ena.ecovillage.org/Region

To support this ever-growing network, ENA now has two coordinating
offices. In March, 2000, ENA opened a Central Office at EarthArt
Village in Colorado, with part time staff Linda Joseph and Kailash
coordinating internal activities: meetings; translations; committees;
database, listserve and web page management; general correspondence;
public relations; newsletters/publications; planning, budgeting, and
organizational and projects development. Previously, all of this, and
many international networking activities were managed by Albert
Bates, who has been on the GEN Board since its inception,
representing the Americas. Albert now heads up the ENA International
office and the Ecovillage Training at The Farm in Tennessee, USA.

2.  From GEN    http://www.gaia.org

This year, GEN published an international magazine. The first issue,
Ecovillage Millennium, was a huge success, distributed worldwide.
http://www.gaia.org/secretariats/international/globalnewsletter.html
The next issue, "Ecovillage Living," in production for early 2001,
has the theme Ecovillages and Education.

A landmark achievement by GEN in 2000 was receiving recognition of
NGO consultative status to the United Nations, by ECOSOC.
Congratulations to GEN and many thanks to those from all GEN regions
who worked to make this possible.

3.   REGIONAL NEWS

- BRAZIL   http://ena.ecovillage.org/Region/Brasil
André Soares, ipec1@terra.com.br   http://www.permacultura.org.br/ipec/

The Living and Learning Center, a model training center and
ecovillage in Brazil is open to volunteers and studentsto participate
in the construction of a planned ecovillage for 48 families. The
Brazil ecovillage contact office, publishes a national magazine on
Permaculture and sustainable systems.

A Bioregional network in southern Brazil holds monthly meetings, and
recently had Beatrice Briggs visit to lead a consensus workshop. They
are also working with ABRASCA (Brazilian Association for Intentional
Communities), MST (Movement of Landless Peasants), university
students, and traditional communities from the northeast of Sao Paulo
State and Sao Paulo City.
Magic Valley Community, Marcel Estivalet   estivalet@cpovo

     - CANADA   http://ena.ecovillage.org/Region/Canada
Lee Davies,  jdavis@interloop.net

Like the maple tree that characterizes our country, the Ecovillage
Network of Canada continues to grow. We have the willingness of some
key people to volunteer time and resources to foster the
organization. Our growth rings for 1999-2000 show these milestone
achievements:
    - Incorporation and receipt of charitable status
    - 8th edition of our excellent newsletter coordinated by Donna Havinga
    - Our 128 person membership list is beginning to identify
Ecovillages and projects in Canada

We also identified 2 challenges:
    - How to build a consulting resource for ENC to encourage new Ecovillages
    - We are investigating how to deal with land use by-laws and
regulations that make Ecovillage development a problem

At a meeting in August, ENC tasks and responsibilities were
identified: coordination, membership, funding, education/outreach,
and Ecovillage support. The policy development group will produce a
policy on future ENA representation from different geographic regions
of Canada.

     - CARIBBEAN  http://ena.ecovillage.org/Region/Caribbean
Liora Adler,  lioraadler@aol.com

With the help of Arlene Dixon, a consultant with years in developing
sustainability plans for Montego Bay and other areas of Jamaica,
organized a conference in Montego Bay and a one day Consensus Course
in Kingston. These resulted in the founding, in July 2000, of the
Ecovillage Network of Jamaica with representatives from the Jamaican
Sustainability Network, St. Andrew Settlement, Birdlife Jamaica,
Majesty Gardens, Dolphin Head Project, the UWI Dept of Social
Sciences, Camp Zamba, Railway Gardens Citizens Association, and the
Natural Resources Conservation Authority. Arlene will help organize
the 2001 ENA Council meeting in Jamaica and Cuba, in conjunction with
training courses.

Roberto Perez of the Antonio Nuñez Jimenez Foundation hosted my visit
and meetings with knowledgeable and committed workers of the
Foundation and many organic agriculture and permaculture projects in
Habana. June 29, 2000, representatives from 10 Cuban NGO's,
foundations and projects formed the Cuban Ecovillage Network.
Roberto Sanchez, attended the Advanced PC course and part of the ENA
Meeting in Colombia (Sept), and agreed to help organize the 2001 ENA
Meeting.

Felipe Bermudez and Luz Marina, returned home from the Colombia ENA
meeting and courses with inspiration and enthusiasm, to prepare for
the birth of their first child. They are building model ecological
housing, speaking on radio programs and with others, are working to
extend the Puerto Rican network.

     - EAST UNITED STATES   http://ena.ecovillage.org/Region/USEast
Ecovillage Training Center (ETC)   http://www.thefarm.org/etc
Albert Bates, ecovillage@thefarm.org

One service for which we receive the most demand is specialized
training. Community leaders, government officials, students, the
handicapped, indigenous peoples, people of color, children and
seniors are coming to ecovillages to participate in courses and
events, experience living in new, forward looking communities, and to
be inspired. In the past 6 years the ETC in Tennessee has received
more than 6000 participants from more than 60 countries in programs
such as these - Partial 2001 Course Schedule:
    - Feb: Mushroom Growing Basics
    - April: Solar Installation Course
    - May: Permaculture Fundamentals Course
    - June: Natural Buildings Course
    - July: Permaculture Practicum
    - August: Natural Buildings Immersion
    - Oct: Ecovillage Design

Living Routes - Ecovillage Education Consortium   http://www.LivingRoutes.org
Daniel Greenberg, Ph.D.   Info@LivingRoutes.org
Bring your college education to LIFE. Learn skills to help heal our
planet and build sustainable communities. Earn college credit while:
- Designing ecological communities in western MA and upstate NY
- Monitoring a "Living Machine" waste treatment facility in Scotland
- Gardening organically in Australia while being watched by wallabies
- Meditating at Thich Nhat Hanh's Buddhist monastery in southern France
- Identifying rare medicinal plants in a Rainforest in southern India
- Building a straw bale house on a green kibbutz in Israel

     - MESOAMERICA   http://ena.ecovillage.org/Region/Mesoamerica
Giovanni Ciarlo,  giovanni@ecovillage.org   Red de Ecoaldeas de
México   http://www.laneta.apc.org/rem/

There is a renewed effort to make contact via Internet with
sustainability projects in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador and
Guatemala. Mexico has established a solid, informal network which met
in August 2000 to begin coordination and form a steering committee.
Another committee was appointed to draft vision and mission
statements.

A Mexico City youth group is pursuing formation of an urban
Ecovillage (Tierra Viva). They have participated in Ecovillage and
Permaculture conferences, residencies and courses in Huehuecoyotl and
elsewhere, and some members are already working on urban organic
gardens with other youth groups and street children. They are looking
for property in the city to carry out their vision. This group is
also active in the formation of a Global Youth Network through the
Punk movement worldwide. Contact: Helen Samuels,
mexcalibur@laneta.apc.org

Another thriving project is the 2 year old Consensus Guild
facilitated by Bea Briggs, of Ecoaldea Huehuecoyotl, which meets
monthly to train its members in consensus and facilitation, and
explore ways to bring the consensus process to various groups in
Mexico and the Americas. They publish booklets, organize courses on
consensus and conflict resolution with world renowned trainers, and
offer services at flexible rates to promote the practice and
philosophy of consensus decision making. Contact: Briggsbea@aol.com

     - MOBILE ECOVILLAGES   http://ena.ecovillage.org/Region/Mobile
Alberto Ruz Buenfil,  subcoyotealberto@aol.com

"It took only four years and a half of traveling, thousands of miles,
hundreds of adventures, presentations, events, courses and
gatherings, the crossing of eleven national borders, countless
individuals, groups and institutional collaborations, and the
persistence, even the obstinacy of a few of us hardened adventurers
and social activists, to be finally recognized as an ecovillage on
the move..."
Read the full article on the 9th Region:
http://ena.ecovillage.org/newsletter/nov00/9region.html

   - NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA
http://ena.ecovillage.org/Region/SudamericaNorte
Claudio Madaune,  fundarien@edatel.net.co

FEATURED IN THE LATEST ENA WEB NEWS
http://ena.ecovillage.org/newsletter/nov00
Fundación Darién,  Ecoaldea Montaña Mágica,  Caravana Arcoíris para
la Paz and Fundación Social para el Desarrollo Sostenible de Unguía,
who have been supporting and building experiences of alternative
development,  joined to promote an intensive program of workshops for
the first time held in Colombia. Also joining this common effort were
:  Red Nacional de Reservas Naturales (National Network for Natural
Reserves),  Coorporación Ecofondo,  WWF-Colombia,  Global Ecovillage
Network and Ecovillage Network of Americas,  among other
organizations,  to sustain and supprt this initiative.  More than 200
people from the different bioregions of the country participated in
these courses.

Photos and notes from the field in Colombia by Albert Bates:
http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/week/
Search for December 4-8, 2000

Red Boliviana de Ecovillas, Enrique Hidalgo,  ilpermacultura@hotmail.com
Enrique, also of the ILP, has written 2 articles for network
newsletters and magazines, and for Communities magazine (FIC). He
also developed links with Peter Berg - Planet Drum project in
Ecuador, and helped residents at Marquina Ecovillage in Bolivia
create women's microenterprises (hammocks, oils, cooking).

Red de Ecoaldeas y Permacultura del Peru (REPP),  ecovero@ hotmail.com
Since attending the 1999 ENA meeting, Veronica Viñas made a
commitment to diffuse and develop ecovillages projects in Peru.
Thanks to the Group of Support to Rural Areas, of the Pontifical
Catholic University of Peru, she has organized activities to promote
the Permaculture and Ecovillage movement. The Peruvian Permaculture
and Ecovillage Networks have consolidated, are growing daily and now
have over 15 recognized institutions and more than 30 individuals
inspired by the environmental and community approach of the network.
In 2000, REPP began to develop 3 projects:
      - Ecocenter and Ecovillage in Sullana - Piura
      - Ecovillage in Huaripampa - Ancash
      - Ecovillage in Cachicata - Sacred Valley of the Incas - Cusco

     - SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA
http://ena.ecovillage.org/Region/SudamericaSur
Silvia Balado,  gaia@gaia.org.ar

>From Chile: On arriving in Chile after the ENA meeting and courses,
an official from CONAMA (National Environment Commission) contacted
Permacultura Chile Consultores Asociados and asked for a proposal on
an educational model to be developed in 5 Chilean Bioregions,
involving 5 elementary and high schools. Agustin, our team biologist,
is also developing an Introduction to Permaculture workshop in an
elementary school at Puchuncaví comuna, Valparaíso. Both projects are
part of CONAMA's socio-environmental initiative - Aldeas Ambientales,
and are located in low income communities with high levels of soil
and air contamination. We hope to combine these projects into a
curriculum for the whole country. Contact: Julio Perez,
jperezd@terra.cl

     - WEST UNITED STATES   http://ena.ecovillage.org/Region/USWest

Los Angeles Ecovillage (LAEV) Lois Arkin,  crsp@igc.org   web:
http://www.ic.org/laev
LAEV has hosted special events in the past six months:
      - Joel Crawford, author of Carfree Cities,
http://www.carfree.com talked to 35 people on May 3
      - 15 Swedish Trade Commission women attended a seminar on
ecovillages on May 4
      - 40 persons from the National Community Building Association
toured LAEV on May 5
      - UCLA Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program gave a
series of 3 half-day workshops with LAEV for 25 persons in July
      - 4 GE Free LA (genetically engineered foods) meetings
      - Approx. 100 volunteers for two days to prime and paint the
front and lobby of our building
      - Taro & Michiko Kaneoka from Japan's Eco Bank Association
toured LAEV on September 10, and may be interested in bringing
socially responsible investments to our community loan fund
      - City of L.A. planner Susan Palmas toured LAEV for possible
inclusion in the City's revised Open Space Element of the General
Plan.
      - Permaculturist Dr. Bill Roley gave a slideshow presentation on
composting toilets on October 6
      - Jay Jacobson of EcoVillage at Ithaca visited and gave a talk
and facilitated dialogue on October 15
      - Australian transportation guru David Enwicht, author of Street
Reclaiming: Creating Livable Streets and Vibrant Communities, gave a
talk with coordination from LAEV

4.  INTERNET RESOURCES   http://ena.ecovillage.org/links

Learn about the UN Biosphere Reserve program
http://www.unesco.org/mab/

For fundraising research look at "International Non-Profit Organizations"
http://nonprofit.about.com

Vida Digna y Sustenible, an international network of Latin American
sustainability groups
http://laneta.apc.org/vidadignaysostenible/

5.  CALENDAR 2001   http://ena.ecovillage.org/calendar

January 18-21
GROUP FACILITATION and CONSENSUS DECISIONMAKING Workshop
Huehue Coyotyl, Tepoztlan, Morelos  Mexico
Bea Briggs and Patricia Hume.
briggsbea@aol.com  or  pathume@infosel.net.mx

January 20-31
PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE
Gustavo Ramírez, Asociación Gaia, Argentina  http://www.gaia.org.ar
gaia@gaia.org.ar

February 2-4
GOD, HUMANITY AND NATURE
Dorothy Maclean
An elder who is a wonderful combination of a profound mystic and a
loving down-to-earth person.
Sirius Ecovillage, Shutesbury, MA   info@siriuscommunity.org
http://www.siriuscommunity.org

Feb.19-March 2
PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE
Jerome Osentowski, Peter Berg and Gustavo Ramirez
La Luz Permaculture Demonstration Site, Andean Patagonia, Chile
http://www.crmpi.org/chile.html
Full certification course, at a 25,000 acre temperate rain forest preserve.
Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute    jerome@permaculture.net

6.  ANNOUNCEMENTS

2 booklets by Giomar Sarmiento, now available in Spanish: "El Arte
del Consenso" (The Art of Consensus) and "Una Solución a Nuestro
Alcance"  (Recycling: A solution within our reach) Booklets are $7
USD retail and $5 USD wholesale. To order, e-mail:
pachamama_art@cantv.net
Excerpts at: http://ena.ecovillage.org/newsletter/nov00/vz-booklets.html

New must read book by Amory and Hunter Lovins and Paul Hawken just
published: "Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial
Revolution". Rocky Mountain Institute: http://www.rmi.org

***
ENA NEWS is distributed without profit for research, networking and
educational purposes, ENA offers this E-news free of charge thanks to
the volunteer labor of its members. ENA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization. To support this work, please make a contribution
payable to:
     ENA
     64001 County Road DD
     Moffat, Colorado  81143   USA
     e-mail: ena@ecovillage.org

Thank You!
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