Eco Communities
Atelier Non-Electric
Japan
Yasuyuki Fujimura, an engineer and inventor in Japan, was convinced that the increasing domination of electrical technology was accelerating both stress and environmental destruction. In order to counter this problem, he started The Atelier Non-Electric in 2003, with a later branch in South Korea. Fujimura’s philosophy is based on the idea that “it should be possible to live happily and richly while enjoying a moderate level of comfort and convenience without depending on electricity”.
Can Decreix
France
Located outside the town of Cerbère, near the sea on the border between France and Spain, Can Decreix describes itself as “a centre for exploring, experimenting and practicing organic agriculture and agroecology, eco-construction and renewable energy [and] for research and activism around the ideas of degrowth.” It is possible to visit their beautiful sustainably farmed land to discuss, among other things, ways to voluntarily simplify our lives and to question our focus on monetary exchange and profit. Can Decreix also offers full courses on the concept of “degrowth” — in the hopes that participants, having been inspired by Can Decreix’s simplicity and beauty, will bring the idea back to their own communities. To learn more, visit Can Decreix’s website.
Photo by alicebiketour (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
https://candecreix.degrowth.net
Institute of Wellbeing
Bangladesh
The Institute of Wellbeing in Dhaka, Bangladesh, promotes the economics of wellbeing by questioning economic myths and encouraging youth activism.
http://www.instituteofwellbeingbd.org/
La Casa de les Ningunes (The Nobodies’ House)
Bolivia
La Casa de les Ningunes is an experimental community in the Bolivian capital city of La Paz, 12,000 feet up in the Andes Mountains. They are striving to create a world in which even Les Ningunes — ‘The Nobodies,’ or have-nots — are not marginalized, because relationships in the community are not driven by profit, and basic needs and more can be fulfilled by collective labor and exchange. Read the full story of La Casa de les Ningunes in this Medium article.
https://www.facebook.com/lacasadelosningunos/
Parkdale Peoples’ Economy
Canada
The Parkdale People’s Economy is a network of over 30 community-based organizations and hundreds of community members collaborating to promote decent work, shared wealth, and equitable development in Parkdale, Ontario, Canada.
http://parkdalepeopleseconomy.ca/