Ecovillage Voices

“Whereas the dominant themes in world politics remain the arms trade, industrialization, development, and growth, there is a subculture made up of a growing and bonded network of like-minded fellow travellers who are trying to short-circuit the industrial structure, to live closer to the land, to consume less, to use less nonrenewable energy, and to exchange their wares and skills through trade, cooperatives and mutual aid, and an exchange of information that is not based on profit.

There are groups in such far-flung places as Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, and Swaziland; in every country in Europe; in New Zealand and Australia. Unlike the dominant world politics in which control is channeled through several enormously powerful nerve centers, the alternative is evolving a dynamic in which the periphery becomes the centre, and the centre is everywhere.”

John and Nancy Jack Todd—New Alchemists and builders of bioshelters

“This, indeed, is the greatest gift of the ecovillage movement: the delinking of levels of consumption and well-being. Their most subversive message is that beyond a certain standard of living (that almost all households in Western Europe have long since passed), greater well-being is to be had not through the consumption of more stuff, but by way of sharing and the building of meaningful relationships within a human-scale community.”

Martin Stengel, Sieben Linden

“Ecovillages and/or intentionally created sustainable communities are human-scale full-featured settlements in which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world in a way that is supportive of healthy human development, and can be successfully continued into the indefinite future.”

Robert and Diane Gilman

“When we walk the path of cooperation with nature, we will one day recognize that the word ‘paradise’ is no longer only a religious term but a life-task.”

Leila Dregger, Tamera

“Our systems thinking approach aims to illustrate that the design of cities, towns or villages in this manner is the best way to achieve environmental sustainability. One-planet living can be achieved by designing each place to support—or even provide an abundance of—basic needs for a known population. This approach also has the potential to alter the economics of housing as future residents will not simply be purchasing ‘a home’ or ‘a property’ in the sense that these concepts are currently understood. Residents of future ecovillages will be stewards of an ecosystem. They will therefore be ‘buying into’ a set of responsibilities to collectively manage the systems that provide them with their basic needs.”

Ilan Arnon, Tasman Ecovillage

“I see communal living as a default setting i.e., it’s the most natural way for human beings to cohabitate. It should be the norm, and of course it was, up until the Industrial Revolution some 300 years ago. For millennia beforehand, we mostly lived as fully interdependent, mutually supportive members of tribes, hamlets, villages and towns. And we lived sustainably! If present-day communal living has a purpose at all, then perhaps it’s to remind us of this now forgotten fact.”

Graham Meltzer, Findhorn

“Beginning with a quick look at the etymology of the word, community. The word is derived, in part, from the Latin, communitas, meaning ‘fellowship’. So community is, by definition, about the bonds and ties between members of a given communal group. It is about their relationships. This is the nub of community life whether it be within an intentional community (e.g., ecovillage, commune, kibbutz, monastery, cohousing, etc.) or in society at large. Additional etymological roots come from French communité, meaning ‘commonness’, and again, from Latin communis, meaning ‘shared by all or many’. So holding in common or sharing, whether it be of land and infrastructure, or values and agreements, is also fundamental to community. These two aspects, relationships and sharing, are essentially what define community.”

Graham Meltzer, Findhorn

“Ecovillages are the newest and most potent kind of intentional community. They unite two profound truths: human life is at its best in small, supportive, healthy communities, and the only sustainable path for humanity is in the recovery and refinement of traditional community life.”

Dr Robert J Rosenthal,
Professor of Philosophy,
Hanover College

“A model for the future needs not only new technology and a healthy ecology, but also people who are able to use these tools in a meaningful way. It needs people who have learned how to stay together even during conflicts, solving them in non-violent and creative ways and remaining committed to solidarity even in difficult times. Community knowledge is the foundation of social sustainability.”

Leila Dregger, Tamera

“I first worked as a Rural Development advisor in Tanzania in 1986. At that time, we were all searching for ways to transform agriculture—to create wealth for rural communities, to ensure food security, to provide secure long-term livelihoods for their families, and to above all give pride, respect and dignity to the poorest of the poor. This was our search for the Holy Grail. Twenty-five years on we think we have found it. Within an incredible three years, Chololo is becoming a household name for innovation and success in the world of rural development. One of the most fragile and vulnerable rural communities in Tanzania is showing the way. I feel personal pride and satisfaction in being associated with this story. The story is not yet over, but the inspirational achievements speak for themselves. I salute all those who continue to make this happen. I salute in particular all the Chololo villagers who have taken risks, changed their practices and become true Ambassadors for rural development in Africa. Long may they flourish.”

Tim Clarke, Former EU Ambassador

“While there is no one definition of an ‘ecovillage’, these villages are characterized by striving to take a systemic approach to integrating the human environment with the natural environment. Thus ecovillages aim to develop green buildings, grow organic food, use renewable energy, create a strong sense of community, use a participatory governance system, and teach what they are learning through practical, hands-on methods.”

Liz Walker, Ithaca