Australia’s First Nations
Australia is home to one of the world’s oldest, surviving cultures. Aboriginal and Torres Straiter Islander peoples were Australia’s first nations and have lived in balance with the land and each other for millennia. There are over 250 different and distinct groups today, each with their own culture, customs, language and laws. GEN Australia recognises and honours that indigenous communities were Australia’s first regenerative communities and acknowledges the traditional custodians of land on which we are on, and pay respect to elders past, present and future.
We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home.
Australian Aboriginal Proverb
GEN Australia
Global Ecovillage Network Australia – is a network of ecovillages, indigenous communities, intentional communities, eco-projects, co-housing communities, transition initiatives, like-minded individuals and value aligned organisations in Australia. Ecovillages weave together the four areas of regeneration – social, culture, ecology and economy, integrating into whole systems design, and pioneer innovative solutions that enable communities, regions and states to fulfil the promise of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Climate Agreements.
GEN Australia is the Australian branch of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), an international network connecting and supporting existing and emerging ecovillages, intentional communities, projects and traditional and indigenous communities. GEN builds bridges between policy-makers, governments, NGOs, academics, entrepreneurs, activists, community networks and ecologically-minded individuals across the globe in order to develop strategies for a global transition to resilient communities and cultures.
History
While Australia’s indigenous communities are the first regenerative communities, this country also has a history of intentional communities throughout its colonial past with religious and other communities up until the 1970’s. In the early 70’s Australia had its own alternative revolution that saw many people seeking alternative lifestyles around the country and developing intentional communities in rural areas. Today there are hundreds of landsharing communities, intentional communities, cohousing communities ecovillages and indigenous communities.
GEN Australia as an organisation grew out of a gathering of ecovillagers from NSW Northern Rivers area, Narara Ecovillage (Sydney), Christie Walk (Adelaide) and Tasman Eco-Village (Nubeena), who met in Tasmania in 2015 and formed the foundation.
GEN Australia has since hosted several events such as trainings, workshops, gatherings and conferences to build the network, to create space for sharing and exchange of success stories and ecovillage solutions, and to raise awareness of low-impact living and land stewardship with the broader public.
