OUR ECOVILLAGE Cooperative Report:

Well the days of COVID19 have changed OUR world yet again….. here we are mid August and had hoped that we would be ramping up for the fall and a season of school children and in person programming by now.  We all know that this is not really possible and particularly as OUR ECOVILLAGE is host to a few vulnerable sector folks and is providing a secure food supply and under fairly strict farming regulations – YET!  We remain optimistic as we go into the fall/winter and realize that yet again OUR world might shift in ways we have yet to see and understand….. mostly we fall back into OUR heart circle times of talking with the local Elders from Cowichan and seeking meaning/purpose for next steps of what is really needed for re-villaging in these times of change.

We are just rounding 6 months into COVID19 and 4 months into “AWAKEN; Designing for Resilient Community and Deep Adaptation”.  This has been a whirlwind of a time for so many of OUR Interns and team (and all the ones who also never made it here – about 60% who could not travel or get back to OUR).  The deeper personal and collective challenge of feeling the throws of a global pandemic; what for some feels like a loss of personal freedom, not possibly real, and sometimes even bringing up so much anger/fear/loss….. has been in the midst of OUR work together as we learn with on-line and on-land learners how to ‘on-board into Cooperative culture’ as a possibility.  If COVID19 has brought any opportunity to OUR Internship it is that we are local to globally connected in a powerful way, that the time to learn how to live and work together in small pods of people who mutually resource within connected circles is very wise, that food security is about much more than climate crisis in the risk analysis, and that we need to shift OURselves to a ‘Planetary Era’ and a state of inter-being. 20 folks on-land and 20 folks on-line began the journey together.  Having had the most generous hearted and deeply wise guests Zoom in to the AWAKEN Internship has been a very privileged journey for each of us…..at a time when we have needed it most.  Thank you so much to all the incredible Facilitation Team:  OUR Elders – Robert George/Qwiyahwultuhu from Cowichan Nation as Knowledge Keeper, and Estelle Sinclaire/Red Eagle Woman – 12 years with OUR team as Wisdom Keeper. Yan Teixeira (coming in from Brazil!) as the co-facilitator and Internship coordination with me, Daniel Greenberg (Toronto, Auroville/India, US online) as a program consultant and presenter for this new Pilot Project as it is packaged to go out internationally, Gracelynn Lau (Toronto, Hong Kong online) facilitation team and curriculum co-designer/presenter, and TA’s for the second half of the Internship = Jasmine Maschotta (Australia/US online) and Andrew Martin (OUR E/V & Vancouver on-land then on-line).  Gratitude to Starhawk and Charles Williams for bringing OUR Interns in on the Permaculture Design Certificate online (if they did not already have theirs).  And a major thank you to all of those who came in to bring the wider world of the Global Ecovillage Network history, major projects, world economics, regenerative design, and the human and social possibilities for the pivot needed to work/live together as cooperative culture in the days ahead of deep adaption needed as we head further into the Pandemic, world economy shaking, and climate critical timing as we have never seen before…..and the highest thanks to Charles Eisenstein for walking with us these last 2 weeks to remind us all of “The Beautiful World We Know is Possible”.  Now that we have completed the Pilot Project and design presentations are next week…..this Internship will be available next year in a similar timed (on-land and on-line) framework.

CALL OUT FOR WHAT OUR TEAM IS CALLING IN:

These days we are so challenged to farm with only part of OUR team that we are calling in local volunteers who might wish to be on-land with us by day and come and work in the beautiful weather as we unfold OUR harvesting and food processing. Please let us know if you are interested….. and if you have anything else you might wish to offer to bring in to the farm operations we are open to hearing your ideas!

ALSO – we are partnered with a local non-profit which is creating online learning platforms skills development and is hiring! If you have anyone who is fits the eligibility criteria: -are currently unemployed -have established a claim for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, or -have had an EI benefit period that ended within the previous 60 months; or -have earned more than $2,000 in insurable earnings and paid employee EI premiums on those earnings in at least 5 of the last 10 years (Note: the 5 years do not have to be consecutive years) and is looking for work experience and in film/editing, community programming, e-course development, livestreaming, event management online/on-land.

Check out the Job Creation Partnership Program roles and how to apply at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/O.U.R.Eco/jobs/

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Land acknowledgment

OUR ECOVILLAGE is situated on unceded Indigenous lands. The Coast Salish Peoples are the guardians of these lands and waters where we live, work, pray, and play. Quw’utsun (Cowichan) is a historical place of gathering and Na’tsa’ maht Shqwaluwun/”one-heart one-mind” for many Indigenous peoples.

OUR ECOVILLAGE is committed to regenerate land and all ecosystems while acknowledging and respecting Indigenous knowledge that ensures thriving for all beings; we call this Permaculture.

OUR ECOVILLAGE is dedicated to continuously educating ourselves and our communities about the history and peoples of OUR bio-region, to assist in decolonization and re-villaging as a path towards peacemaking, from local to global.