After an amazing, often beyond magical, and sometimes heartbreaking year – OUR Ecovillage Cooperative is reaching out with gratitude and love for the many experiences that had us all grow and expand OUR vision for the future.
Many of the assumptions we held to be assured – seemed to shift like sand…many things that could not have been imagined have suddenly come to fruition! As we have worked through a whole path for ‘Recovery and Re-Design‘ with the Federal Government we close 2023 with a strong sense of change.
We look forward to bringing forward the legal work OUR team is currently producing as we work to understand the structuring of best practices for Common Landshare Project in Canada – and particularly in BC.
With the deep challenge of legal barriers and conflict inherent in Coops and co-ownership models…it is more than clear there is a missing framework for shared financing/owning/governing of shared projects. The historic F.O.G. (Finance, Ownership & Governance) for Commonshare Land Projects is more needed now than it ever was since we began the legal research project in 2004!
With a wider range of projects and groups who have jumped into the confusing process of collective financing, it is critical to craft a range of models that can be appropriate for landsharing, farming/food security, protection of land and biodiversity, culture repair work…and work in urban/rural environments and large/small groups. And now – such an obvious lack of support and financing options for Cooperatives means it is time for major shifts.
In the poly-crisis’ of these times it has become critical to find some workable solutions that can move OUR Ecoviillage forward with next steps and assist all projects at the same time. If you might wish to work with us and OUR legal team please let us know more!
This year also closes with awareness of the large space left behind of some of OUR dear family members, friends, and Villagers from over the past decades who have passed away. Each person having such a significant and long term impact in OUR lives and the journey of re-Villaging. Each now has a tree, a special space, or Legacy project which remains in their wake…..OUR Green Burial “Commemorative Conservation Scattering Grounds” and storytelling project is part of the history in the making for OUR new Vision going forward.
A new online portal is being finalized for January 2024 with open access for each of these stories and those whose final remains have been placed on the lands of OUR Ecovilage as a means of protecting the space with the future generations of family and friends from each of these Legacy Makers ~
With gatherings including Martin Shaw’s Storytelling Retreat, “Q’ushintul / Walking Together Peacemakers Gathering and Ancestral Walk” (see more below), a ‘pensive Internship and incredible contributors/volunteers/donors….OUR non-profit cooperative has weathered the test of time and could not have been here without all of you/us!
