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General Assembly 2000
Community of Lakabe, Valle de Arce, Nafarroa-Euskadi (Basque Countries, Spain)
3rd August 2000Introduction
Agenda of the Assembly
Members present at the meeting
Secretariat and Council reports
Work groups
Revision of GEN-Europe articles
Financial Strategy
Report of the National Networks
Ideas and improvements for the future
Election of the new Council
Council Meeting
See the picture gallery for more photos
IntroductionThe general assembly of GEN-Europe was a wonderful occasion for members to meet each other and work together. The community of Lakabe, in the Basque country of northern Spain - was the perfect host for the occasion and gave great support and encouragement at all times. Many hours were spent talking and discussing, but a good amount of time was also invested in singing under Martin (Sieben Linden) skilful supervision, dancing the traditional eco-village circle dances, walking and exploring the majestic surroundings of the village. Slide-shows and video projections filled our evenings and afternoons providing a non-stop flow of information and entertainment for all interested people. The final "Open House" on Sunday closed the Assembly and attracted a crowd of friends and activists who sang, discussed and shared the evening meal with us, after a general presentation of the network and the GEN-Europe slideshow. Mabel, Alfredo, Claudio and all the other Lakabe members gave their best to make us feel at home, and at the end of the meeting Lakabe was elected honorary member of GEN-Europe as a symbol of our gratitude. Many thanks also to Agnieszka, Ulysses and above all Susanna who offered their help with translation from and into Spanish.
A) Institutional aspects of the GEN-Europe Association
1 . Secretariat and Council reports
2. Revision of memberships and annual fees (proposal of the Council to raise it to Lit. 100.000, introduce different fees for national networks and individual ecovillages, adopt the Eyfa Ecorates)
3. Registration of GEN-Europe´s legal address in Italy: revision of Articles and Bylaws
4. Election of the Council (Sunday morning)
B) Financial strategy:
Report on budget and finances, proposals for fundraising
C) Activities and projects :
1. Membership services: what do members expect from GEN-Europe
2. Define needs and priorities: what can be achieved with GEN-Europe support and what can be independently organised by and among ecovillages
3. Exchange of knowledge and direct support for ecovillages in Europe
4. Youth exchange (introduced in the plenary session on Thursday, then topic for work group).
Present were the following members:
1. Artosilla - ecovillage (Spain)
2. Come Together - (German Network)
3. Damanhur Federation (Italy)
4. Ekbo/Gebers (Sweden)
5. Ekilat (Turkish Network)
6. Gyürüfü - ecovillage (Hungary)
7. Hungarian Network
8. La Comune di Bagnaia - ecovillage (Italy)
9. Lebensgarten - ecovillage (Germany)
10. NJORD (Swedish Net work)
11. RFEV (French Network)
12. Rive (Italian Network)
13. Ökodorf Sieben Linden - ecovillage (Germany)
14. Torri Superiore - ecovillage (Italy)
15. Val de Pielagos - ecovillage (Spain)
16. Finnish Ecovillage Network - Finland
17. EVNUK - Ecovillage Network of the UK
Also present are the associate members and friends:
- Martin Kirchner, Austria
- Filipe Espina, Portugal
- Zann Lascot, USA
- Maria Helena Avena, Ecovillage Terra Mirim, Brazil
- Marco Tanda, Alcatraz Free University, Italy
- Susana Onate and Odin, Canada-Spain
- Jean F. Audic, France
- Ollivier Bertand, France
- Eduard Golzales Y Mora, Spain
The Council opened the Assembly with an ecovillage dance, a warm greeting to all present members and a general activity report for the past two years. The topics listed on the agenda will be discussed in a different order during the four mornings, while afternoons will be dedicated to work groups on the topics proposed by the members.
The first morning session is chaired by Lucilla Borio. The meeting starts from point A1 of the agenda:
Secretariat and Council reportsLucilla Borio (secretary) from Ecovillage Torri Superiore, Agnieszka Komoch (president) from Ecovillage Lebensgarten , Silke Hagmaier from Ecovillage Sieben Linden and Demet Irkli from the Turkish Network Ekilat tell about:
- GEN-Europe history
- Work of the secretariat in Torri Superiore (see secretariat report)
- Work of GEN main secretariats (Europe/Africa, Americas, Oceania, Sri Lanka, Denmark for GEN International/Gaia Villages)
- Next projects for GEN Europe: setting up the African network,the eco-tourism venture, supporting East European networks, planning the next General Assembly in Poland
Each present ecovillage gave a creative ten minute introduction of their community or network, using creative solutions like singing, dancing, acting, and getting everybody involved in a fun and stimulating way.
At 12.45 the morning session is closed. Martin Stenger from Ecovillage Sieben Linden offers to lead the choir which will rehearse every day until the end of the Assembly.
At 16.00 the meeting starts again with the proposed work groups on:
- Youth Exchange
- Politics
- Community GlueAt 17.30 the groups report to the plenary:
Youth Exchange work group
SWOT analysis:
Strengths:
1. There are several networks and organisations that are interested, have resources, can develop this idea into their own program or have a joint program (GEN, EYFA - European Youth For Action, SCI - Service Civil International , WWOOF - Willing Workers On Organic Farms)
2. Many Ecovillages have experience with youth summer camps, visitors, volunteers and exchanges with other communities.
Opportunities:
1. Many young people are interested and travelling anyway. Its a new trend to look for more interesting places, rather than youth hostels
2. Many ecovillages are interested in interacting with young people for the possibility of new membership, physical work or simply the fresh energy
3. Funding opportunity from EU/Council of Europe Youth Programs
Weaknesses:
1. Different hospitality policies in ecovillages, high fees
2. Language problems
3- Very committing job from the ecovillage side
Possible Solutions:
1- Involve the communities in the preparation, agree on a common policy and get some funding to cover the difference
2- Prepare the communities adequately
Politics work group (no report as yet)
Community glue work group
Started with a "gluing song", to get some initial "glue" in the discussion group.
Key Points:
- Terms such as "being present", "turned inside/outside", "flowing with the energy" were mentioned
- Types of interactions inside a community: songs and circle dancing that give a feeling of connection was also discusses
- People sharing intimate feelings and experiences can create some short but very intense feelings of unity and belonging
In the end the conclusion is that:
- Each individual should be open and pay attention to the present, keeping "tuned" to the group
- Creating the "glue" is an art and not a technique. Although tools are available, it is vital to choose the right one for the right moment and that can be done exclusively by fully living in the present.
Friday, 4th August '00
Agnieszka Komoch chairs the session and opens the meeting at 9.15 with ecovillage dances.
The agenda of the morning will focus on point A2 of the Agenda:- Revision of Memberships
- Yearly membership feesMembership High points:
- Only existing ecovillages and national networks can be Full Members of GEN-Europe, Ecovillage initiatives and individuals are associate members, now called Ecovillage Supporters in the Articles which will be discussed tomorrow morning. A short clarification on who is a full member and who is an ecovillage supporter outlines the voting members for the necessary voting procedures.
- Clarification on eco-rates regarding membership fees: Ecorates are calculated according to the national income and give a fairer opportunity to ecovillages from countries with a lower budget. Richer countries pay a little more than the others. This system was developed by the Dutch organisation Eyfa and the exchange rates are constantly updated.
- Consequently, raising GEN membership fees from 70 DEM to 100 DEM is advisable to keep the income to the present day level.
The President Agnieszka Komoch calls for:
1) Vote to adopt Ecorates for GEN-Europe membership fees:
17 members are in favour and the decision is approved by consensus.
2) Vote on the proposal to raise the yearly full membership fee from 70 DEM to 100 DEM:
15 members are in favour, 2 (Hungarian Network & EVNUK) abstain.
The decision is approved.
The discussion is now focused on the services GEN-Europe offers its members.
Agnieszka, GEN webmaster, talks about what the www.gaia.org website has to offer:
1. Central point for circulation of info
2. Promotes initiatives
3. A bulletin board for announcements
4. Interfaces between GEN, ecovillages and the outer world
5. Promotes direct exchanges between members
Other members underline the benefits of political / official support for the movement (representation, lobbying, recognition at high levels like the UN), technical assistance especially in fundraising, direct exchange of people and goods among ecovillages, creation of a new society based on sustainability and solidarity. All areas can and should be expanded, particularly the political representation (request of Gunlaug Oystbye) and lobbying (request of EVNUK). Tony Gosling presents "Fifteen Criteria for Sustainable Developments in the Countryside", a very interesting document which will be circulated among members and posted on the website.
(Part of this discussion was carried out in a smaller work group).
Work groups for the afternnon are announced:- Communication in the ecovillage (Amy)
- Sustainability (Alfredo)
- Education and travelling school (Attila)At 12.30 the session is closed. Dancing, singing, and then a beautiful lunch.
The first part of the afternoon (16.00 - 17.30) is dedicated to work groups.
The meeting opens again at 17.30 with their reports:
Communication and Conflict Resolution
Each participant outlined the methods used in their ecovillage:
Damanhur: art, game playing, spirituality, are vehicles which permit the individual to realise how he perceives himself and how others perceive him, i.e. coloured water pistol battles, role-playing, sending members out to the woods until they resolve their conflict, have been among the strategies effectively used.
Sieben Linden: uses the Forum, a technique in which an individual sitting in the middle of a circle fully expresses his emotions, thoughts and doubts. At the end, all members surround him with positive feedback.
La Comune di Bagnaia: Working individually on oneself to resolve personal problems leads to improving the group communication.
Sustainability
This topic was approached from a theoretical standpoint, analysing the current world trends on a general level. The position of Ecovillages, and of the network in general, regarding alternative energy, consumption patterns, effective research and practical application was discussed at length and the outcome was that there is a lot of room for improvement even in the most advanced ecologocal communities. The role of GEN is to spread the knowledge and help its members build on success of others. Human sustainability (in communication and relations) was also addressed as an important factor in community living, and the basis for the growth and evolution of our experience.
Education work group (no report as yet)
The meeting is closed at 19.30.
Saturday, 5th August '00
The session is open ot 9.30 and chaired by Silke Hagmaier.
The discussion is focused on point A3 of the Agenda
"Registration of GEN-Europe´s legal address in Italy: revision of Articles and Bylaws".
Revision of GEN-Europe articlesLucilla explained the necessity of re-registering the association in Italy after the Association moved away from Ecovillage Terre d´Enneille in Belgium a year ago. The Belgian Law we were applying does not accept that a Belgian organisation can be based in other country, so we actually had no choice. She attended a workshop on International Organisation registered within the EU and met the top Belgian officials who reassured her that it is the best option at the moment.
The Italian law we refer to now is Law (D.Lgs.) 460/97, the so called "Non-profit organisation law" which will give us tax exemption as a non-commericial organisation.
The original articles were translated into Italian and changed according the Italian legal requirements, then translated into English again for the Assembly.
The 17 articles were read one by one, and amended in art. 3 §2 (non party political), art. 6 (extinction of the organisation), art. 15 (with a view on the ethics of the source).
The new GEN-Europe Statute will be available on our website
Silke Hagmaier calls for a vote on the articles:
The final version of the new Statute of GEN-Europe was approved by consensus and will be registered in Italy as soon as possible.
The morning session is closed at 12.30. We meet again at 15.30.
Report on budget and finances, proposals for fundraisingLucilla explains the budgets and accounts from May 1999 to June 2000, according to the reports and spread-sheets that have been distributed in the morning.
High points of the discussion were:
Assets (money sources):
- Gaia Trust money
- donations and membership fees
- sales of various gadgets and books
Liabilities:
- fixed staff costs for office management
- wages for Lucilla and Cristina (pretty low)
- tax consultant costs (tremendous help)
- All bank costs should go to 0 in the future when GEN-E is an Italian association.
The final balance on the fiscal budget for year 1999/2000 is + 127.205.319 ITL. This includes the funds for Ecotourism, Africa and a little leftover from Funds for needy projects.
Financial Strategy:
The Gaia Trust money will be gradually reduced but:
- there is a strategy in saving money and building up a "security fund" for at least one/two years
- there is an active search for other funding sources
- There is a proposal to invest the money ethically and safely (discussion on ethical banks, coops, etc. in Italy) - in order to see bank costs not only reduced to 0 but also turned into a plus.
Silke calls for a vote on Accounts 1999/200 and Budgets 2000/2001: unanimously approved (with applause!)
Report from the National NetworksEach national or regional network had ten minutes for its presentation:
1. Come Together - Germany - Silke Hagmaier: „We have an internet forum and a good advertisement network, and would like to start a website. Most printed material is produced in German.“
no. of members: 97 communities
2. RIVE - Italy - Lucilla: „Born in 1996, The RIVE is now become more and more active. We have ten members and have decided to formalise our association“
no. of members: 10 eco-village projects
3. EKILAT - Turkey - Mete Hacaloglu: „Network born in 1996 after the Habitat II conference, it groups people interested in ecological lifestyles. The number of members is not clear, but we have about 10 initiatives in the process of buying the land. We organised the straw-bale house course supported by GEN-Europe for the earthquake victims, and a Permaculture course supported by Gaia Villages three years ago“.
no. of members: 5 eco-village projects
4. Sustainable Communities Network (Finland) - Heikki Attila: In Southern Finland we have some eco-villages and plan to build more. Nevo eco-village ( a Russian partner) in Karelia is truly a paradise. There are more than 100 environmental organisations supporting this region. 40% of the traditional villages in Finland can be considered eco-villages. About the network: the most active initiative of SCN is our education program with the travelling school.
no. of members: 8 eco-village projects
5. Spanish network - Agnieszka Komoch: „The work towards creation of the Spanish network started 3 years ago and a few workshops were organised since: Alternative Money System, Permaculture, Solar Kitchen, and an eco-village design course. Both Artosilla and Valdepielagos are very active in the network. Ulysses says "We organised the last network meeting at Artosilla and about 300 people came, but we want to find a good way to reach out to them. We have chosen the name "Eco-villages, Sustainable Communities and Collectives" because it is better accepted by some communities".
no. of members: 5 eco-village projects
6. Swedish Network - Gunlaug Oystbye: „Sweden is a difficult country, we are too serious about everything. In 1985 we created 20 very different eco-villages, all from European singles houses, but it was very difficult to prove it worked. Also, there's so much work to do in each eco-village, people sometimes don't see the value of joining an international organisation. The organisation of collective housing and working together is a problem“.
no. of members: 23 eco-village projects
7. RFEV French Network - Marielle Richards: „RFEV started as a branch of GEN Europe, with 18 regional correspondents. A newsletter existed for the first 2 years but stopped at the annual AG of 1999.
In the network there are many conflicts which must be solved. Forums for information exist, but the ecosites existing don't really participate except for la Maison d'Ici et d'ailleurs, Carapa, La Ferme des Moulineaux. The «SER» exchange network system tries to make people more responsible for their communication. Most people belonging to the networks don't live in eco-villages, so a solution may be more to foster more relationships with GEN and to try to make direct contacts with French communities. Foreign meetings are very useful for us to clarify the situation, as French people tend to talk too much and do too little in practice.“
no. of members: 3 eco-village projects
8. Hungary - Robert Gerzsany: „There are 3 eco-villages, all situated near the borders, but no legal network yet. The people involved came from the green movement and they feel that being involved in the international network is too much work at the moment. There is a big budget from the European Union to help sustainable development in Hungary, but it is not easily accessible. Some existing traditional villages, mostly catholic, try to change and go ecological. There is an institute for sustainable projects, and a bi-annual newspaper too. Ecological co-operation is key for our country.“
no. of members: 3 eco-village projects
9. EVNUK - Tony Gosling UK „We started in 1997 with a Bristol Permaculture group in England and Wales. The planning is linked to ecology, as it's a very strong and radical permaculture organisation. 3 or 4 people are involved in the network: one specialised in the computer, Linda did the newsletter, we have a good website up. There are 45 individual members and 7 eco-villages, some of which were living an ecological life secretly. Priorities: to have a mobile office, to do fund raising and networking, to help people feel more confident with the media and most importantly, to put people face to face. For the future, an urban eco-village project and communities based on food. Our first meeting is planned for next year.“
no. of members:7 eco-village projects
10. „For Earth“ Poland - Agnieszka Komoch: „There were three communities in Poland, before the fall of the old regime. 2 years ago they received a grant from an international Foundation (the work of Nicole Grospierre). One of the Polish communities is now proposing to host the next GEN-Europe general assembly.“
no. of members:4 eco-village projects
11. Rumania - Teodora Anastasoei „There are no eco-villages in Rumania at the moment. We of the TPN group are looking for a place and then will raise funds. We are getting some money from the EU and other organisations, and would like that a few of us become volunteers in GEN. In Rumania, people still have old customs and lifestyle and we can use that to transform small villages into eco-villages (10000, maybe one day). So there is a huge potential in this country.“
no. of members: 1 eco-village project
Lepre and Silke on one of the streets of Lakabe
12. Israel - Mete Hacaloglu: „In Israel there are 6 green kibbutz and more, 2 members are permaculture projects, it is necessary to maintain contact with them. I am available to be the link with the Middle East.“
no. of members: 8 eco-village projects
13. Austria - Martin Kirchner: „I think it is necessary to found a network in Austria, where we have none yet. I propose a work shop to discuss what a national GEN network can offer, so that I can organise a meeting and present GEN-Europe“
no. of members: 1 eco-village project
14. Portugal - Filipe Espina: „In Portugal we have only eco-village Tamera, founded by Germans coming from the Zegg community. We can say there are no Portuguese eco-villages, but even without them, perhaps we can try and start a network; I can get in contact with Tamera to see if they are interested.“
no. of members: 2 eco-village projects
Sunday, 6th August '00The last day of the General Assembly starts at 9.30, with a series of dances in the medieval church. Martin Stengel of Ecovillage Sieben Linden chairs the session.
After announcements and co-ordination for the day, the meeting proceeds with a circle of suggestions on fundraising. The most signifcant highpoints are: Agnieszka should remain as the fundraising co-ordinator and we should have a fundraising meeting next fall; the final target is to become gradually independent from Gaia Trust. National networks could fundraise in their own countries, and suggest that individual ecovillages organise an "Open Day" as a money earner for each community and for the network. Ecotourism is seen as a good possible solution, even though there was not much response to the questionnaire sent out a year ago; eco-tourism and education should not be separated, and co-operation with a travel agency should be explored. Ecovillage residents should have discounts for courses and visits to other ecovillages.
Ideas and improvements for the future:
1. We need to stay connected to the ground and to each other, and to enhance more contacts and support between national networks. We need more input to the newsletter from the eco-villages in order to use the media better, and improve the flow of information from eco-villages to the office.
2. There is a lot of potential in the diversity of the group and we should express this creatively. GEN´s logo doesn't tell enough about the eco-villages, Gunlaug suggests organising a competition for a new poster.
3. A time for meditation each week would connect us: suggested time is Monday at 17.00.
4. New eco-villages should receive help for their financial problems, perhaps larger eco-villages could be their guarantors when they look for money. We should contact important eco-villages that are not here, like Findhorn and ZEGG, so they don't leave the network and find their role.
5. Links with inner city schools are seen as valuable for our education programs
6. Invite old people to contribute their traditional expertise in eco-villages so that the tradition is not lost and merges into our re-search.
7. The next General Assembly will take place in Poland in the second half of July 2001.
Election of the new GEN-Europe CouncilAfter the two years of holding the office, the first GEN-Europe Council made a short report to the assembly about how the work has been developing. The former Council composed by Thomas Steen Seiersen, Denmark, Demet Irkli, Turkey, Agnieszka Komoch, Germany, Lucilla Borio, Italy, and Silke Hagmaier, Germany are thanked for their input over the last, not always easy, years. After a short discussion about the criteria for becoming a member of the Council (e.g. eco-village or network representative, access to internet, participation in meetings, representation of the network at international forums) 5 candidates have identified them selves: Lucilla Borio (Torri Superiore) Agnieszka Komoch (Lebensgarten), Mete Hacaloglu (Ekilat), Lepre Viola (Damanhur), Jean-Michel Pochat (RFEV).
After some discussion all five candidates were voted in by a consensus.
The new Council has held its first council meeting in Torri Superiore, Italy, combined with a 1 day fund-raising meeting (17 - 22. 11. 2000).
Silke gave a Council "job description" according to the experience of the old Council:
Necessary criteria for Council members:
- must be a full member of GEN Europe (either Ecovillage member or National Network representative)
- must have constant access to fax, telephone and email
- minimum time needed: half a day/week to check e-mails and reply twice a week, in maximum 10 days;
- should represent GEN-E at conferences and international meetings (paid travel expenses)
- should attend Council Meetings twice a year in different ecovillages
- should speak and write English adequately
Further useful features:
- there should be harmony between Council members
- there should be a fair geographical representation (good spread all over Europe)
- members with skills in fundraising would be a great asset
- members should have time and inner commitment for the two-years office term
- they should also have appropriate experience and knowledge of GEN-Europe
- they should preferably be ecovillage activists in good contact with the grassroots
Silke suggests trying consensus decision for Council elections. Everybody agrees (consensus!).
At 13.30 the General assembly is closed with the official pictures and "compost hugs".
The Council is meeting after lunch for internal elections of President, Secretary, Treasurer.
The Open House is scheduled for the evening.
Council Meeting:The newly elected council meets at 15.30.
Present are all five elected council members: Agnieszka Komoch, Mete Hacaloglu, Lepre Viola, Jean-Michel Pochat, Lucilla Borio.
The agenda is decided as follows:
1) Internal election for President, Secretary and Treasurer
2) Decision on the next Council meeting
1) The Council elects, by a consensus vote, Agnieszka Komoch President, Lucilla Borio Secretary, Mete Hacaloglu Treasurer.
2) The next Council meeting will be held in the second half of November in Torri Superiore
and it will be followed by the meeting of the fundraising committee.
Notes of the Assembly kindly taken by Lepre Viola, Teodora Anastasoei, Agnieszka Komoch.
Edited by Lucilla Borio and Zann Lascot.
Notes of Council meeting taken and edited by Lucilla Borio.
Torri Superiore, September 15, 2000.