Auroville, India EDE's - REPORTS
2023
The course was designed over four weeks from Monday to Saturday. Generally, the day was broken up into morning sessions of three hours in our main hall, with theory or some form of cognitive content, focusing on the “head”. Three hours in the afternoon were dedicated to hands-on activities and visits to different projects and sites in Auroville that embody the Ecovillage Design principles. For one hour and a half on Tuesday - Friday early mornings, we offered a variety of Worldview Introspective sessions and somatic experiences in- and outdoor, so that we could start our day with opening our “heart”. Weekly, we also had a slot for movie night, and one for other activities such as music jam, potluck, Deep Sharing, or Gratitude Circle. We also set enough time aside in the mornings and afternoons for breaks, collective cleaning, and spontaneous activities such as outdoor activities, dance and games.
2018
The Comm4unity (EDE) courses are organized by YouthLink in Auroville, South India. Auroville was founded in 1968 based on the philosophy of integral living by Sri Aurobindo and ‘the Mother,’ Mira Alfassa. Auroville is one of the biggest intentional communities in the world, with over 2700 residents. YouthLink is an organization run by young adults in Auroville who have set up a platform to support youth integration and empowerment in the community. YouthLink also provides a space for the sharing of Auroville ideals and spirit with young adults from the world at large.
2016
The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) Auroville desk, based in Pitchandikulam Forest and YouthLink, successfully designed and hosted a five-week Ecovillage Design Education Course running from the 4th of December 2016 to the 7th of January 2017.
The course “campus” was located in the lush afforested natural setting of Pitchandikulam Forest, a well-respected center for ecological restoration and education in the region, one of the oldest communities within Auroville, and current site of the GEN Auroville Desk.
What is an EDE (Ecovillage Design Education programme)?
Ecovillage Design Education programmes, often referred to as ‘EDEs’, take place in 50 countries in settings ranging from tribal and traditional communities to intentional ecovillages, from urban slum to universities and training centres. The duration of these programmes are around 125 hours over a full month, although this may vary slightly depending on where and when they are taken. The EDEs provide participants of all ages with the knowledge and practical skills to design a society which uses energy and materials with greater efficiency, distributes wealth fairly and strives to eliminate the concept of waste.
How to run an EDE
Several of our EDE graduates have carried on organising EDE programmes in their local areas, and you are warmly encouraged to do so after completing your course.
The recommended time frame of an EDE is four weeks, however this is not fixed and varies with each individual programme.
The material can be condensed into smaller workshops, spread out over a longer period, or distributed in blocks at different times and locations.
