gaia university

Design for Resilient Human Settlements

This is the second story from the learning process in Millenrama. You can read the first here.

The week 5-9th of May 2010 team El Manzano was hosted in Millenrama, Mantagua, 5th region to run an Applied Permaculture Design course.
As El Manzano tests ideas for assisting people and communities to engage in transition and design for resilient human settlements, the team develops competency in the delivery of catalytic learning events, in facilitation and leadership by design. As the experience is reviewed once again it is confirmed that there is no power equal to a community deciding what it will become.

Effective way of Mutual Help (Español)

A Bigger, Clearer Picture of what’s Happening (Español)

Doniga Markegard never felt comfortable inside a classroom. From an early age, she preferred to learn by exploring in the forest and identifying plants in her mother’s garden. She ate chickweed with delight and considered her horse to be her best friend. Today, Doniga teaches permaculture design, tracking and wilderness survival skills, runs her own land management consulting business, directs Peninsula Permaculture and is the founder of Earth Action Mentor.

Founds Gaia University Virgin Islands (Español)

Ben Jones, founder and Executive Director of the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute (VISFI), on the island of St. Croix, USA, cultivates a lot more than organic produce on his 140 acres of gardens, pasture and tropical rainforest. For the last seven years, he has led the growth and development of VISFI as a working farm, sustainability education and research center, and permaculture demonstration site. Ben’s passions for farming met his desire to do university-level inquiry, research and documentation in his Gaia University master’s work, which was focused on developing VISFI as the Gaia University Regional Center, Gaia Island.

Brining Ecosocial Design to Life

Gaia University graduate Ethan Roland hasn’t always been a strong collaborator. Now, thanks to his degree work with Gaia University, collaboration has become a signature characteristic of his professional work. In each of his various roles - Principal of Appleseed Permaculture, advisor and project manager for Gaia University, staff member of Earth Action Mentor, Co-founder of Gaia Northeast, and board member of Permaculture Across Borders and the Apios Institute - Ethan brings his Gaia University Masters project in Collaborative Ecosocial Design to life.

Collaboration for Sustainable Settlements

This year, Gaia University’s emerging Gaia Metro regional center and The City Repair Project, both of Portland, Oregon, USA, have collaborated to create a Village Building Design Course   that provides a comprehensive overview of the designs and methods that empower citizens in urban settings to build community through ‘placemaking’. The course takes place in Portland May 28th – June 6th in conjunction with City Repair’s annual placemaking event, The Village Building Convergence.

Those who are willing must choose transition now (Español)

Liora and Andy will make a live appearance to El Manzano via skype conference. Students of the Permaculture Design Course will have the opportunity to think and listen together with two of the plantes finest ecosocial regenerationists, and to explore the role of higher education and action learning in mobilising our people to engage in action for sustainability.

If Money Rules the World Who Rule Money? (Español)

Margrit and Declan Kennedy will make a short appearance via live skype conference in El Manzano 26th of February 2010.

As a regional centre of the great re-capacitacion we exist to empower people in communities to redesign their life places. Redesigning money is at the heart of this process.

During the summer permaculture design course we will be exploring strategies for alternative economies and supporting students to apply solutions in their own communities. 

Getting Started in Permaculture (Español)

As we develop the Chilean branch of the Permaculture Research Institute, assiting people and communities to self organise for sustainability, we find ourselves working more and more in intensive design conversations. We are learning clearly that dreaming together is the first step, that by standing beside colleagues in conspiracy to design, we make sense together. Our consciousness is raised, and we can move on with a higher level of intention. What follows is a story from Enrique, participant in the a new community project Milenrama in the 5th region of Chile.

Welcome Anne y Glenn (Español)

Anne Poelina is Managing Director of Madjulla Inc, an Indigenous community organization that offers consultation in cultural education, research, training and evaluation.

She holds a PhD in Indigenous Mental Health, as well as Masters degrees in Indigenous Social Policy, Education and Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and is currently pursuing her post-doctoral degree with Gaia University.

Poelina is deeply involved in the struggle for Indigenous rights in Australia. Her main projects at the moment are the development of sustainable, holistic models of Indigenous management and models for integrated land and water management.

Por Penny Livingston y James Stark (Español)

Gaia University Associates Penny Livingston and James Stark are the founders of the Regenerative Design Institute (RDI) in Bolinas, California. RDI has hosted a Gaia U orientation for the last two years and is currently in development to become an autonomous Regional Center in October of 2010.

Facilitating Artistic and Ecological Action Locally (Español)

Gaia University is thrilled to announce the launch of a new degree pathway offered in partnership with the City Repair Project in Portland, Oregon. The City Repair pathway will be open to both Masters and Bachelors Associates. City Repair members will serve as specialist advisors for Associates, and will be intensively involved in the first orientation for the program, which takes place in Portland in May, 2010. The creation of the City Repair pathway is the first step in the formation of an independent Portland-based Regional Center of Gaia University.

Participants from Five Continents in Attendance (Español)

The first Gaia University orientation in the Virgin Islands came to a close December 13th. It was the largest and most diverse group of new Associates thus far, with people from five continents in attendance, ranging in age from their late teens to mid-sixties.

The orientation took place at the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farms Institute (VISFI), located on the island of St. Croix. VISFI is currently in development to become one of an ever-growing number of linked Gaia University Regional Centers. VISFI’s founder, Ben Jones, graduated from the Gaia U OLE (Organizing Learning for EcoSocial Regeneration) pathway this October.

Incredible Growth and Redirection (Espanol)

2009 has been a year of incredible growth and new direction for Gaia University and its Associates.

Early in the year, twenty-five Associates and organizers came together at the Huehuecoytl Ecovillage in Mexico to share their goals and dreams for the project and strategize about ways to bring them to fruition. We are happy to announce that many of the visions that sprung from this gather-in have been manifested, including the creation of this monthly newsletter, which is meant to inform, inspire and connect the Gaia U network as well as bring news of Gaia U activities and developments to the public at large.

UNPRECEDENTED CHANGES AND CHALLENGES

“The changes and challenges we are currently facing are unprecedented. It is to the Earth and the emergence of a new humanity that I dedicate my service.”