Ecovillages : Where They Are, What They’re Doing, Why They’re Important

Saturday 1:30 – 3:00 pm
The presentation features the ecological, economic, and social/cultural/spiritual aspects of
sustainability in ecovillages, with over 400 photos of 30+ ecovillage projects worldwide. Shows
permaculture design, natural building, off-grid power, alternative technology, sustainable
agriculture, Earth restoration projects, international peace activism, service to people in need,
local currencies, on-site cottage industries, participatory decision-making, conflict resolution,
and process and communication skills for bonding and connecting, and much more. Features
three kinds of ecovillages: (1) intentional communities (including ecovillages using the
cohousing model), (2) ecologically aware traditional indigenous villages, and (3) sustainability
education centers. Featuring ecovillages in North America, Europe (Italy, Germany, Denmark,
Russia, Iceland), Africa (Senegal, South Africa), Asia (Japan, India, Thailand), and Latin
America (Brazil, Mexico).

PRESENTER: Diana Leafe Christian is author of Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities and Finding Community: How to Join an Ecovillage or Intentional Community (New Society Publishers, 2003 & 2007). She hosts a blog on the Coho/US website with frequent postings on communication and process issues as well as how to join a cohousing community. Editor of Communities magazine for 14 years (1994-2007), she now publishes Ecovillages, a free online publication. Diana speaks at conferences, and leads workshops for and does consultations for cohousing communities, ecovillages, and other kinds of intentional communities in the U.S. and Canada. She’s been interviewed by Time, the New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, AARP magazine, NPR, and the BBC. She lives at Earthaven Ecovillage in North Carolina. Her website is www.DianaLeafeChristian.org.