How Does a Community Find and Tell Its Story?

A friendly weekend at the WeCreate Workspace in the Cloughjordan Ecovillage, looking at how we can use stories to bring communities together and inspire others.

Postponed | Contact us if interested | Minimum Fee : €30 per day (includes lunch and refreshments) | More detail (PDF)

This background article, What’s so special about storytelling for social change?, will help give context to this event.

We are running this event at minimum cost and with flexibility so that people can attend either day or both (and with a late start too, to fit with trains coming from Dublin). We ask people to contribute what they reasonably can, over and above the minimum fee, in proportion to the event’s value to them.

To book accommodation, please contact Pa at Django’s Hostel in the Ecovillage on 087 256 9348

For further details, please contact Chris Chapman on 087 243 3691

To book a place, please click on this link.

The Living Building Challenge – Case Studies from the Ecovillage in Cloughjordan

Presented by Éasca and Living Building Challenge Ireland

Part of Engineers Week in partnership with WeCreate.

Thursday 13 February 2014 | Enterprise Center, Cloughjordan Ecovillage (map) | 12.00 - 16.00 | €65 Members Only - Pay Now (Éasca, Cultivate, RIAI, Engineers Ireland, CIBSE members) / €80 - Pay Now (Non-members)

This workshop will begin with an introduction to the Living Building Challenge, and an overview of the imperatives and criteria used to measure projects in this system. Using the Cloughjordan Ecovillage as a case study, we will discuss how certain aspects of the Living Building Challenge were met by specific buildings and how other aspects could not be met due to regulatory or logistical challenges. Participants are encouraged to discuss how those challenges can be overcome in the future. Following a networking lunch, participants will be able to tour projects in the Ecovillage, with information presented by professionals working and/or living in the Ecovillage.

Read More: The Living Building Challenge – Case Studies from the Ecovillage in Cloughjordan

3-Year Schools for Resilience Comenius Project

Cultivate is looking forward to joining a European team for the Schools for Resilience programme.  The project kicks off in January 2014, and culminates in an event at the Cloughjordan ecovillage in the last year of the project.

This project aims mainly to respond to two needs: First, to introduce a new approach in environmental school education, based on community action and a socio-constructivist approach, in which students will define the most adequate solutions to their local community from a positive and creative way. It will also foster the sense of initiative, entrepreneurship and creativity; and second, to make a reality the 21st century school, being open to the outside world and problems that society faces, innovative in the use of new didactic methods and with a relevant learning and teaching regarding key social challenges.

Read more: 3-Year Schools for Resilience Comenius Project

The Rise of the Sharing Economy in my Community

by Davie Philip, originally published by Reconomy Project  | Oct 24, 2013

“Our well-being will depend more and more on what we share with others and create together”. - Charles Leadbeater, author of We-Think

As I live and work in rural Ireland, it is the local application of the sharing economy that most interests me.  Cloughjordan is a small heritage village located less than two hours from Dublin and is reachable by train. In the past the village had suffered from population decline and some of its key services were under threat before the ecovillage project first arrived in 2003. The term ecovillage is actually a little misleading, as we are very much a neighbourhood of Cloughjordan that is experimenting with good practice in community regeneration.

The ecovillage project has now attracted over 65 families to move to Cloughjordan contributing to the flourishing of the whole village and is now seen as one of the healthiest communities in Ireland. In the last two years, it has won the National Green Community Award, in 2012 was voted runner up in an ‘Irish Times’ contest looking for the ‘Best Place to Live in Ireland’ and this year has been nominated for an Irish Pride of Place award and a UN award for liveable communities.

Read more: The Rise of the Sharing Economy in my Community

Learning from Nature By Davie Philip

What do billions of years of resilience have to teach us?

“Those who are inspired by a model other than Nature, a mistress above all masters, are labouring in vain.” ~ Leonardo Da Vinci

What does it mean to live a good life, especially in a time when we face so many uncertainties? How do we maintain our health, happiness and collective well-being when the world seems to be unravelling? How do we make a living by collaborating and working together for the common good? These are some of the questions I have been exploring, and attempting to answer, in this column.

Read more: Learning from Nature By Davie Philip

Cultivating Liveable Communities In Tipperary

This week a full day workshop was held in Ennis that explored how we might nurture our communities to be healthier and more sustainable. Over 30 people from different community initiatives from across the county attended the session, which was organised by Clare County Council and held at the Áras Contae an Chláir.
 
The day focused on how people and groups can work with and learn from each other to sustain the economic, environmental and social well being of our local areas.  Davie Philip and Chris Chapman from Cultivate Living and Learning, a community training organisation based in Cloughjordan, Tipperary, facilitated the workshop.  “This was a great opportunity to engage with other people and groups working for the betterment of our communities and to share knowledge and learn new skills.”  said Joan Tarmey the Environmental Awareness Officer.

Read more: Cultivating Liveable Communities In Tipperary

Community Resilience - What is It?

"Resiliency is like a muscle … that must be developed in advance and consistently exercised to be both strong enough to withstand severe challenges and flexible enough to handle a wide range of unpredictable forces." - Global Resilience Network

“Next generation resilience relies on citizens and communities, not the institutions of state...” - DEMOS - RESILIENT NATION

“Resilience can be defined as the ability of people, communities, and systems to maintain their core purpose and integrity amid unforeseen shocks and surprises.” Andrew Zolli

We are truly living in interesting times. Our economic system is broken, jobs are being lost with many more threatened and levels of anxiety are high. No one can predict the future but what is certain is that we are in the middle of a storm that shows no sign of ending any time soon. To ensure a good quality of life in this context we will need to adopt new ways of living and working and build our ability to cope in these times of rapid change. With a little ingenuity and collaboration we could design community systems that will allow us to not only survive but thrive in this changing world.

The term ‘resilience’ is widely used by ecologists and is defined as the ability of ecosystems to maintain themselves in the face of disturbance. Resilience from a community point of view refers to the capacity of a community to cope with stress, overcome adversity and adapt to change positively.

Read more: Community Resilience - What is It?

2014 Courses at Cloughjordan Ecovillage

VERT (Village Education, Research & Training) at Cloughjordan Ecovillage invites you to attend a course.  See 2014 Calendar.

Courses include those hosted by Cloughjordan Ecovillage, Cultivate (You Are Here), Red Gardens, WeCreate, Cloughjordan Community Farm, Cloughjordan Heritage Group, Cloughjordan Festival and Cloughtoberfest, among others.

Surfing The Waves of Change Short Film

View Cultivate’s animated film, Surfing the Waves of Change... a brief introduction to community resilience through the eyes of a surfer.

This video and the entire Powerdown Show are available as well on our Community Resilience website.

The Powerdown Show DVD

the powering up of community, creativity and culture

"Bursting with insightful analysis and creative solutions to the twin challenges of climate change and peak oil, The Powerdown Show is an inspirational pointer to life beyond fossil fuels. Essential viewing – a flash of light in the darkness."
- Rob Hopkins, Founder of the Transition Movement

Read more: The Powerdown Show DVD

Social Network for Transition Towns in Ireland and Northern Ireland

the network for communities building local resilience

transitiontownsireland.ning.com

Read more: Social Network for Transition Towns in Ireland and Northern Ireland