The increasingly urgent global need for viable, sustainable human settlements is met by the ecovillage model for living. Ecovillages provide environmental, social, economic and spiritual sustainability and an enhanced quality of life for all. Working with the simple principle of not taking more away from the earth than we give back, ecovillages are consciously diminishing their ecological footprint. The principles of an ecovillage apply equally to urban and rural settings, to both developing and over-developed countries.
The various Findhorn Foundation programmes for 2012 listed below include the themes of ecovillage and/or sustainability.
ECOVILLAGE EXPERIENCE WEEK
14 – 20 April, 19 – 25 May, 9 – 15 June, 15 – 21 September
Participating in an Experience Week gives you the chance to experience the principles on which the Findhorn community is based: inner listening, a connection with all life, and inspired living. In addition to having all the elements of our original Experience Week, this special Experience Week has the added intention of deepening knowledge and experience of sustainable living on all levels. What is an ecovillage? During the week, we look at inclusive decision-making processes, cooperative economies, local food production, and cultural and spiritual diversity, which together create a fully featured human settlement.
ECOVILLAGE EXPLORING COMMUNITY LIFE
26 May – 1 June
Exploring Community Life (ECL) is a great way to broaden your understanding of the Findhorn community, or to give you time and space to integrate your experience of Findhorn after participating in another workshop. In this special ECL week we focus on the Findhorn Foundation and ecovillage as an inspiring example of holistic living bridging the old paradigm into the new in this time of global transition. The magic of Findhorn is our practice of bringing together inner awareness and outer action, drawing forth the inner potential of each unique human being.
(There is a discount of £100 off the total price when Ecovillage Experience Week and Ecovillage Exploring Community Life are booked together. )
*Participation in an Experience Week is a prerequisite for Exploring Community Life
ECOVILLAGE PROGRAMME 2012
11 February – 9 March
Through drawing on the experience and expertise developed within the Findhorn Ecovillage over the past 50 years, as well as on other local and international initiatives, this four-week programme provides a practical forum for learning and for developing action plans. It will give you the tools needed for creating sustainable human settlements. Each week focuses on a particular aspect and can be attended independently. Week 1: People Care; Week 2: Fair Share; Week 3: Earth Care; Week 4: Design Projects.
GAIA EDUCATION DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY – TRAINING OF TRAINERS – INCORPORATING TRANSITION TOWNS TRAINING
13 October – 19 November
(Presented by the Findhorn Foundation in partnership with Global Ecovillage Network and Gaia Education)
Based on Ecovillage Design – an official contribution to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.
This four-week comprehensive programme is based on the four core pillars of Ecovillage Design – the social, worldview, ecological and economic dimension of sustainability – and draws on the experience and expertise of the most successful ecovillages and community projects around the world.
Design for Sustainability – Training of Trainers is an advanced course based at the Findhorn Ecovillage, providing a practical forum for learning and developing skills needed to work effectively with design for sustainability at all levels. It comprises four separate week-long modules which may be attended as a whole or separately.
For fees and further detailed information and to book any of the programmes listed above, please visit the Findhorn Foundation website at www.findhorn.org.
In addition to the programmes mentioned above, there are many other programmes/workshops which have ‘being with nature’ at their heart. Details of these can be found on the Findhorn Foundation website under the workshop category of Nature and Sustainability.
Under the auspices of the Findhorn College, the 14-week Findhorn Community Semester:
THE HUMAN CHALLENGE OF SUSTAINABILITY
25 February – 1 June; 1 September – 7 December
This integrated undergraduate programme provides an exceptional opportunity for students to gain critical personal and intellectual skills for creating a more sustainable world. The 4 courses covered in the semester are: Worldviews and Consciousness; Applied Sustainability: Ecovillage Living; Exploring Self and Community through the Arts; Group Dynamics. Each course provides four credits from the University of Massachusetts upon successful completion.
For fees and further detailed information: students studying in America please contact Living Routes at www.livingroutes.org; all other students please contact Findhorn College at www.findhorncollege.org
