Designing Ecological Habitats - Gaia Education

Introduction
Sajini Pathiraja, from Sarvodaya, the largest NGO in Sri Lanka, describes the efforts
undertaken to establish a model ecovillage for survivors of the 2004 tsunami.
Using a strategy of ‘moral education for environmental protection’, future residents of
the ecovillage underwent extensive preparation in a participatory process to lay down
the social infrastructure that would become the foundation for the physical infrastructure.
The project has proven to be a tremendous success in that the environmentally friendly,
economically self-reliant, socially and spiritually inclusive lifestyle of the residents has
become a model that is spreading throughout the region and attracting national and
international visitors as well.
Damniyamgama EcoVillage:
Sustainable Development for
Tsunami Restoration
Sajini Pathiraja – Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka
The Lanka Jathika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya movement – or the
Sarvodaya for short – is the largest non-governmental organisation (NGO)
in Sri Lanka, with a unique philosophy and strategy for development.
Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne founded the movement in 1958, when he was a school
teacher in Colombo. From early beginnings in a rural village it has grown
to encompass more than 15,000 villages throughout the island (Sarvodaya,
http://www.sarvodaya.org/about).
The Sarvodaya movement seeks a no-poverty/no-affluence society
based on the sharing of resources. The Sarvodaya movement is a people’s
development organisation that embodies an integrated strategy which
includes the development of social, cultural, moral, spiritual, economic
and political dimensions. It works with people, encouraging them to come
together and share their resources to address the needs of the community,
emphasizing self-reliance not just for individuals but more importantly for
the communities of which they are a part.
Sarvodaya is a movement which promotes human development.
The uniqueness of the Sarvodaya lies in the fact that it promotes interconnection
between people and communities, which we call spirituality,
which is the glue that keeps this holistic approach together.
Executive Director, Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement
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