ADVENTURE IN THE MAKING - BERGEN ECOVILLAGE
As there is only two weeks left for beginning of the coming adventure in Bergen, Netherlands, this gathering with it´s tents, nature courses and international atmosphere is already in a way present on our daily life. We, along 3 other young participants have been selected for a retreat under the project called “Ecovillage Design Exchange for Youth” at Ecovillage Bergen, which has been funded by the EU under Erasmus program. This international exchange event will be held on from July 28th to October 8th, 2017.
Coming from different backgrounds and lifestyles, our group has already noticeable diversity and richness resulting from our individual aspects and age. We can have only vague expectations of how life will be, when people from 4 different nations join to learn from communal, sustainable living.
The location is nothing short of extraordinary: an abandoned military airport acquired from the government, with nature already flourishing and bordered by 100ha natural reserve. The founders of the ecovillage had to both lobby and work on arranging the site in order to finally make a bid of the land, which eventually succeeded. Meeting and learning from these community members in the middle of their daily lives will be nothing short of intriguing.
When it comes to the encampment itself, we don´t really consider it being just a walk in a park. As the guiding emphasis will be on sustainability, life there will be a refreshing opportunity to leave our usual comfortable habitat, as we will be most of the time out in the nature. Possible provided workshops include wide array of options, such as solar energy harvest, permaculture, communicating with horses or even building your own compost toilet.
We, the lucky attenders won´t merely get stuck into a traditional learning role. Contrarily, we are encouraged on participating independently in terms of creating workshops, helping out in daily communal tasks and arranging free time activities such as concerts, games and sports. In short, the project aims on providing tools which can empower our development into the long future ahead.
Thank you SKEY, Pauliina, and all event hosts for your efforts so far. We are looking very much forward into this amazing opportunity, and are already confident it will have an impact on shaping our path and providing perspectives of our place within the cosmos.
(“Ecovillage Design Exchange for Youth” -hankkeen vastuullinen toteuttaja on GEN Netherlands (Stichting Ecodorpen Netwerk). SKEY on hankkeessa mukana partnerina, edustajinaan Pauliina Helle kurssin yhtenä ohjaajana sekä viisi nuorta Suomesta.)