presented by the Findhorn Foundation in partnership with Global Ecovillage Network and Gaia Education
Based on the Ecovillage Design Curriculum - an official contribution to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
Facilitated by: Pracha Hutanuwatr - Director, Wongsanit Ashram, Thailand May East - Director, Gaia Education Jonathan Dawson - Senior Lecturer, Findhorn College Michael Shaw - Director, Ecovillage International
and Findhorn Ecovillage experts
You are invited to join this four-week comprehensive training of trainers based on the four core pillars of the Ecovillage Design Curriculum: the social, worldview, ecological and economic dimensions of sustainability.
The curriculum draws on the experience and expertise developed in a network of some of the most successful ecovillages and community projects across the Earth.
Design for Sustainability Training of Trainers is an advanced training 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.
Social Design - Week 1: Oct 2 - 8
Building Community & Embracing Diversity
Communication Skills and Feedback
Facilitation and Decision-Making Processes
Conflict Facilitation
Personal Empowerment and Leadership
Celebrating Life: Creativity and Art
Economic Design - Week 2: Oct 9 - 15
Shifting the Global Economy to Sustainability
How Money Works: Community Banks and Currencies
Right Livelihood
Social Enterprise
Legal and Financial Issues
Ecological Design - Week 3: Oct 16 - 22
Whole Systems Approach to Ecological Design
Appropriate Technology: Water
Organic Agriculture and Local Food
Appropriate Technology: Energy
Green Building & Retrofitting
Worldview - Week 4: Oct 23 - 29
Holistic Worldview
Listening to and Reconnecting with Nature
Awakening & Transformation of Consciousness
Personal Health, Planetary Health
Socially Engaged Spirituality and Bioregionalism
To view or download a schedule of proposed daily events, please click here. Please note that this is a draft schedule and is subject to change.
The EDE is being introduced to the world at this time to complement, correspond with, and assist in setting a standard for the United Nations' Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014.
Training fees
Income related price for the whole programme (click here for more information):
£1675 / £1925 / £2235
For one module only: £475 / £545 / £635
Fees include tuition, accommodation, vegetarian meals and field trips.
The Bioneers Conference follows immediately after the last week of this programme. If you book a place in both this 4-week programme and the Bioneers Conference, you will receive a discount of £75.
*If you cannot afford the full fee, you can apply for a bursary when completing the Application Form. A limited number of bursaries, funded by trusts and the Findhorn Foundation itself, are available to suitable applicants. Applications for financial assistance should be made as soon as possible. This will enable us to assess all applicants and allocate funds in the fairest possible manner.
* If you can afford to pay more than the full fee for this programme, your donation will be gratefully received and used to help those who cannot afford the whole fee.
The Gaia Education Design for Sustainability 2009 hosted participants from 19 nations: Myanmar, Belgium, Ireland, Mexico, Honduras, Latvia, Bulgaria, South Africa, France, Turkey, Colombia, Japan, Norway, Australia, USA, Canada, UK, Brazil, Germany.
34 participants shared four weeks of intensive studies in social, ecological, and economic design. 21 participants were women and 13 men and the age range stretched from 22 to 59. The professional and educational backgrounds of the group were almost as diverse as the countries of origin. Amongst the participants were various educators, scientists, academics, activists, NGO workers, civil servants, designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, development workers, and project managers. The teachers were participants and facilitators in a process of knowledge and experience exchange that involved everybody as teachers and as learners.
You are invited to join this four-week comprehensive training of trainers based on the four core pillars of the Ecovillage Design Curriculum: the social, worldview, ecological and economic dimensions of sustainability.
