Ecovillages, an alternative way of living communally
The main reasons for people deciding to create an ecovillage are ecological, economic, social
and cultural. Escorihuela goes into greater detail saying: “Ecovillages are linked to
principles that involve ecological sustainability –seen in practices such as
bio-construction, renewable energies or ecological agriculture–, social sustainability
–horizontal structures and consensus in decision-making, non-violent communication, peaceful
methods for conflict resolution, etc.–, economic sustainability –local economy,
sustainable use of resources, equitable distribution of wealth, financial autonomy, etc.– and
cultural and spiritual sustainability –revaluing local cultural resources and a deep
connection with nature as a source of union and brotherhood among people.”
Nonetheless, the reality is a little different because ecovillages do not always bring
together all these principles. As Escorihuela explains, “the majority have chosen a subject
as a starting point –ecology, social issues or spirituality– and slowly add the
rest”.
In this context, the course to be started up by the UOC’s Campus for Peace and Gaia
Education is to look at the fundamental aspects that need to be taken into account for
comprehensive sustainable design and development. The course is the result of the teaching
staff’s wealth of experience and experimentation in the world’s most important
sustainable communities and ecovillages. Furthermore, it is based on the EDE (Ecovillage Design
Education) programme developed by a group of ecovillagers who are experts in the various subjects
involved in sustainability.
Ecovillages today
Today, “the ecovillage movement has spread widely around the world, both in the North
and the South. However, in most cases, they are projects that are just starting out and are a long
way from being consolidated. It does not seem likely that the number of ecovillages is going to
increase greatly in the future, but what we have seen over recent years, and this is what
highlights their value, is that ecovillages act as important centres for experimentation, providing
valuable ideas and conclusions that can be applied in more traditional communities” adds
Escorihuela.
The origins
We have to go back to the 1990s to find the coining of the word and concept of the ecovillage
which is “linked to the rediscovery of a number of communities that overcame the crisis that
affected the hippy communes of the 1960s and which had come out strengthened with new ideas and
ways of understanding community”, states Escorihuela. The first meeting of ecovillages and
sustainable communities took place in Scotland in 1995; “there were more than four hundred
representatives from communities from around the world, which gave rise to the Global Ecovillage
Network, or GEN”, he concludes.
Responsible tourism, development and cooperation
For all those interested in finding out about tourists’ responsibilities when they
travel to other countries, the UOC and the Fair Tourism NGO have started up a course for the
upcoming semester.
Fair Tourism is a non-profit organisation. It began a year ago with the aim of making people
aware of the need for more responsible and sustainable tourism and to drive development activities
in Third World countries. This NGO is led by Joan Miquel Gomis, Director of the UOC’s Tourism
programme, and Carles Tudurí, a tutor on the programme. It is currently developing
awareness-raising projects (a campaign to raise awareness amongst Spanish consumers for the summer
and the production of a guide for responsible travel) and cooperation projects (collaboration has
begun with a number of tourist projects; mainly in Nicaragua, Morocco and Angola). The aims of this
NGO are to promote fair and sustainable tourist development from an economic, social and
environmental point of view; to drive ethical activities in tourist companies that invest in Third
World countries, and to create stable lines for solidarity and cooperation between the tourist
sector and areas that could see economic improvement.