GEN Australia provides a unique consultation service for people, groups and organisations that wish to develop an ecovillage, transition their community to be more sustainable or bring ecovillage design into their project or organisation.
GEN Australia has a number of professional affiliated consultants who can advise, lead courses, design ecovillage plans and generally support the development of your community. As well as being experts in their field they have also engaged in GEN education to ensure that there is a common language and approach in the areas of regeneration – social, ecological, economic and cultural – to the services they collectively offer. This also allows all consultants to work together easily as a team on projects or where a range of skills are required. Consultants contribute 10% of all funds generated to GEN Australia so further offerings can be contributed to the network.
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In the first stages of forming your community, consider bringing in one of your consultants to hold a workshop on ecovillage design or a longer program based on the Ecovillage Design Education.
There are four common scenarios that the team can cater for.
1. Creating an ecovillage
This is for people/groups that have just formed and are wanting to start an intentional community or ecovillage project however have not yet identified a location, have only an overarching vision and goal.
The process would be in consultation with the group but using the ecovillage tools and format could include the following:
- Develop community deepening processes
- Establish group vision and aims
- Identify the skills and characters within the group using archetypes, skill mapping and unique processes
- Provide and establish tools for conflict resolution and decision making
- Deepen the culture of the group
- Provide a roadmap of steps to actualise the vision for the next 12 months
- Check ins and support calls for following 12 months
The process is ideally done as a week intensive retreat with the group in a conducive local environment, however, we can also break this down into small sessions (in-person or online) depending on where your community is at in terms of formation.
3. Council or other government bodies wanting to initiate an ecovillage project in their local area
This stream is primarily for councils and other government bodies who want to seek an ecovillage solution and application within the Local Government Area (LGA) to provide alternative housing options including affordable, sustainable community driven development that also focuses on employment and the environment.
The team would work with Economic Development, Community Development, Town Planning and Sustainability teams within the Local Government to provide a pathway for the following:
- Educating staff on the opportunities of an Ecovillage and examples of how community driven developments have delivered affordable sustainable solutions in different areas of Australia.
- Identifying appropriate land within the municipality for an ecovillage
- Working with landowners and the community in Ecovillage Education
- Providing advice for the right town planning regulations
2. Existing community or ecovillage needing support
Learning to live and work in community is an adventure – a mix of discovery,
challenge, exhilaration, and immense rewards. It takes grit, love and determination
to make it. It also takes skills and support.
Our consultants can talk with you and provide support in any or all of the following:
- Support and deliver workshops in community building
- Share insights from communities who have handled similar challenges in the past
- Deliver a training in decision-making frameworks such as sociocracy
- Offer solutions for challenges in agriculture, infrastructure, water and energy
- Guide your community to reconnect with your vision and align your path forward with it
- Mediate conflicts and support your community learning in nonviolent communication
4. An NGO or community organisation wanting to bring ecovillage design and principles into their workplace
We have found that ecovillage solutions can be applied in many different contexts including institutions and workplaces.
Our consultants can support your organisation in a myriad of ways, from group consultations to workshops and trainings.
- Designing and creating social enterprises
- Using participatory integral design processes to guide development plans
- Building capacity in appropriate technology and community energy
- Developing community and school gardens
- Building ecotourism programs that integrate all four areas of regeneration – social, cultural, ecology and economy
- Responding to crisis by integrating regenerative practices to mitigation and recovery
At this time, our consultants only have the capacity to work with projects that have already secured a source of funding. If you don’t have funding in place already for the project you’d like to work with us on, then do still reach out as we can share information to include in your funding proposals.
To take the next step, fill out this form so we can get started!
