EDE Curriculum 2012.pdf - Gaia Education

ings first, then benevolent qualities of courtesy, trust, and goodwill will have a chance to breed and
multiply.
Industrialisation and the global economic system have brought with them over-consumption and a
sense of independence, but these have also come with unpleasantly pernicious side-effects - such as
predatory individualism, social alienation, rampant addiction, and family breakdown. The global South
- where much of the traditional social fabric is still intact - will yet have lessons to teach the North. The
social organisation of the traditional village, still alive in many parts of the world, may prove to be the
most sustainable model to emulate. Perhaps much of the lesser-consuming segment of our world’s
population will skip past the industrialized, hyper-individualized stage of development and jump right
into the post-industrial, knowledge-based, cooperative and interdependent ecovillage future. This is a
good reason to emphasize education and global exchange as a strategy for resilience.
A life of expanded social opportunities is a big attraction to ecovillage living, and this may be the
ecovillage’s greatest asset. Within the context of community that the ecovillage provides, residents enjoy
numerous benefits not available to the rugged individualist, benefits such as: a safe and protected
place to raise their children, where a variety of adults may serve as role models; more time for family
and friends and less time spent at stressful jobs or commuting to them; more opportunities for homegrown
business or cottage industry, perhaps as a collaborative venture with friends in the community;
parents find the possibility for integrating professional activities with childcare at home; opportunities
exist for creative pursuits such as music and theatre with your neighbours; shared meals can become a
regular feature; shared office, shop, and recreational space means less purchasing, reducing the need
to earn; political associations are often centred in the ecovillage setting; through the fulfilment of our
longing for meaningful relationships, consumerism, addiction and crime are dramatically decreased;
ecovillages also provide the possibility for integrating the differently-abled, the elderly, and other challenged
groups in a way that gives them a richer, fuller life.
No wonder our ancestors spontaneously organized themselves into small, manageable, accountable
social groupings: basic human needs are met much easier and there’s more leisure time. This is not to
say that community living is without work; indeed, it requires a constant vigilance of behaviour - a
heightened awareness of the needs and idiosyncrasies of others. Especially for people raised within
the hyper-individualized paradigm, learning the subtleties of constructive, respectful, and mutuallybeneficial
interaction within a community setting may take a major self directed effort at first, until it
becomes second nature; that is, until these qualities are recognized to be part of human heritage, part
of the human condition.
Building socially healthy, harmonious, cooperative community in a non-traditional setting is an endeavour
whose immense challenges should not be underestimated: Reconnecting with one another
across barriers and borders of misunderstanding and miscommunication calls for clear, calm, firm, and
courageous intention. One of the most cited common reasons for the break-up of ecovillage or other
intentional community projects is conflict. And so, propagating successful community will necessarily
entail a healing process in which we step out of the cycles of pain and violence that have run through
human history and take responsibility for initiating new patterns; the fact is, this healing process is
needed, and healthy, constructive social skills can be taught and learnt! Peaceful, productive relationships
can be a conscious, deliberate choice rather than left to capricious, random chance.
30