European Learning Partnership

Transition Journey – Sustainability to touch


A Grundtvig Learning Partnership for a sustainable future

see our booklet to present final results: please download


Five well established organisations and ecovillages from different European countries (Germany, Austria, Italy and Hungary) have joined forces to inspire a profound transformation in society, and will spread their knowledge in their surrounding regions.
The aim of the partnership is to raise awareness on the far reaching consequences of peak oil and climate change, because the two problems together are worse than either by itself: the use of more and more complex fossil energy resources due to the shrinking oil reserves in order to maintain our fuel excessive lifestyle would end in a runaway climate change combined with a collapsing economy due to the increasing fuel costs.
The programme of the five partners will promote realistic changes on a local scale (act locally, think globally). The strategic approach is inspired by the Transition Movement, initiated in the UK in 2007 with the goal to support local communities to sustain themselves and evolve from oil dependency to local resilience. It starts with a thorough information of the actual situation and the perspectives for the future, and encourages people to be part of the transition from the oil-dependent society to a resilient society, no longer depending on oil. In this "Transition Journey" all participants will be encouraged to find ways and means to creatively contribute to a society in which all these crisis are not a thread, but a chance for a change to a more balanced and more attractive lifestyle.
By exchanging their experiences, the five partners will give impulses on an international scale for the revitalisation of rural areas combining an exemplary carbon footprint with a high quality of live.

The partnership is supported by the Grundtvig Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.

The partners
"Keimblatt Ökodorf" is the coordinating leader organisation of the learning partnership. Working on building up the first ecovillage in Austria, their vision is to establish a regionally integrated, involved and hospitable community combining sustainability with a high quality of life. They want to assume responsibility and show respect for our planet and its biodiversity. Within social dialogue this ecovillage provides a lived model of economic, social and ecological sustainability. Homepage: www.oekodorf.or.at

Ecovillage Torri Superiore (I) is a medieval village, a little jewel of popular architecture, situated in the foothills of the Ligurian Alps, near the Mediterranean Sea and the French border, close to the town of Ventimiglia. Over the last 20 years, the village has been largely restored and is now the home of a community of 20 residents, as well as an ecological guest-house open to the public. The main activities are eco-tourism, education to sustainability, and farming (olive trees, gardens, animals). From 1999 to 2003 Torri was the European office of the Global Ecovillage Network – GEN.
website: www.torri-superiore.org

Galgafarm Ökofalu (HU) The eco-village in Galgahévíz started nearly twenty years before. Since then, many institution was found in Galgahévíz, like about 250 hectare certified ecological cultivation; bio-product shop; “folk college”; rural development foundation. With this substantiated the original idea to set up the eco-village, to give a livable life for approximately 50 families. Nowadays around 10 family live in the village but their numbers are growing. The Galgafarm-Ecovillage be found at the center of Hungary near, but enough far to Budapest, by a lakeside at the border of Galgahévíz...
website: www.gaiaalapitvany.hu

Sieben Linden (D) is an ecovillage in northern Germany that was founded in 1997. More than 120 people do live there and share a sustainable life-style with: organic gardening, composting toilets, straw-bale-houses, energy-production based on renewable energies (sun & wood), car-sharing, community supported agriculture, training for sustainability, etc. Sieben Linden is an official project of the UN-decade of education for sustainability.

Mirabell (D) is part of the eco-network of the "lassaner winkel", a region in the north-east of germany. the network was started in 1996 and since has been growing. it´s main intention is to promote a supportive neighbourhood within our region. specific froms of activities are e.g. eco-tourism, the communal garden platform "DuT", permaculture, environmental education, an eco- food coop, carsharing, the european academy of healing arts, the sound-house offering music therapy , concerts, etc, kindergarden "knospe", different study- groups e.g. for NVC, communal celebration of the equinox and solstice. for the near future we are visioning a type of folk-school and open house for all people, an alternative energiy project, and to bring regional money to the lassaner winkel.
 
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