Creating an Animated Film
''Radomir and Lubomila''

Hello, my Friends!

We have good news for you. After hatching an idea for 2 years, the creative team of Luboved Studio have launched a new project - creating a full-length animated film "Radomir and Lubomila", which is based on Megre's books.

The animated images will present highly developed culture of first parents of Vedic Russia: paradise gardens in the domains, forests, wonderful houses of wood, clear-eyed and well-built men, beautiful and slender women.

We would like to create splendid pictures not only with the help of animated images, but with the help of lively and bright play of performers, special word combinations. The film will be filled with wonderful songs and music of the best bards and composers.

It will be filled with beauty, soulfulness, and high vibrations of pure love. The film will show not only the past but also the wonderful images of future Russian and world. People will be willing to turn those images into reality and they will do it as soon as they see it in performances.

The goal of the film is to draw attention of millions of people to the past of Vedrussia, to show the harmony, which will attract the Love forever, to bring God's Children consciousness and power of the past to create future.

Announcement for artists. We declare an open paid tender for the position of Artist-Director of a full-length animated movie "Radomir and Lubomila". The objective of the tender: to seek the candidates capable of designing the graphic solution of the full-length movie (launching in 2008-2009). Requirements to the candidates: professional level of drawing (first of all humans), individual style, which must correspond to the topic (please no anime, TLK or any other fan art). We are looking for an original professional artist with individual style, capable in case of a victory, to start working on a movie, i.e. to spend about a year of the life for the work with the film crew (distant work possible but not preferable).

For details visit www.luboved.ucoz.ru

Let the Good live on Earth! I wish everybody co-creation! With love to you, Geser Dashiev, the head of the Luboved Studio. luboved@list.ru

www.luboved.ucoz.ru

Land in the Yaroslavl Region

Dear Friends!

Kin's Settlement "Rosinka" invites you to participate in the project on the land of Yaroslavl Region (160 km from Moscow) implementing ideas based on the series of books "Ringing Cedars of Russia".

In May 2007 we started buying land suitable for agriculture. At present we have purchased 80 ha. We continue gathering funds in order to buy out the remaining land with the total of 150 ha (1st batch) and 50 ha (2nd batch). We invite all those interested to joint our project.

For additional information, please, visit our forum, club at Shodnenskaya or call us (phone number is on Rosinka's website).

www.rprosinka.ru

Kin's Settlement "Slavenka"

Location: Leningrad region, Luzhsky District, Relskaya Region (village Rel), closest village Poloski. 180 km from Saint Petersburg.

Description: Beautiful area, environmentally safe, springs available, there is a well in the village, nearby wonderful lake Slavyanka, a bit further there are lakes Chernoye, Beloye, Samro, Gorodok, Kutilka, Krupinka; fish and even lobsters available.
Leafed and softwood forests, lots of berries and mushrooms.

Rich Forbes.
Lots of birds and even storks.

Processing: Negotiations with Administration of the Luzhsky District in progress.
Land, 141 ha will be registered by a legal entity (non-commercial partnership Slovenka) initially for lease, and then, 3-5 years later, it will be re-registered as property of the partnership with subsequent registration as private property of the partners.

Contact:
e-mail: maria_86@inbox.ru, Maria (fast response, will call if necessary).
e-mail: PauTinka-T@yandex.ru (Tatiana)

Future neighbors welcome!

More Photos: http://www.sotvorenie.ru/ftopic523.html

http://www.sotvorenie.ru/

Seminar "Slavic Culture: Sources and Perspectives of Development"

The 8th international scientific and practical seminar "Slavic Culture: Sources and Perspectives of Development" will take place from 15 to 17 of August 2007 on the picturesque meadow in the woods (the site of ancient Slavic primogenitors) near the river Nyoman.

Goal: History and development of Slavic culture and traditional ideology based on the modern science.

Objective: Rapprochement of state and public initiatives of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.

http://ecoby.info/forum2/index.php?showtopic=56

Creation of a new Kin's Settlement 'Hortitsa'

Name of settlement:	"Hortitsa"
Region:	Vitebsk
District:	Polotsky
Contact:	Ratmir, Mob. 766-46-83
Description:	Creation of the environment where personal freedom and all-round development of individuals is attained through life in harmony with self, people and nature around you. However, the creation of a settlement is just the first step. The real work will start after the creation of the settlement will be more or less finished. It will consist in conveying ideas of Kin's Domains and demonstrating by its example the advantages of this lifestyle. This will give the opportunity to change the situation for the better in the district first, then in the region, country and the world. More details about the settlement here. Images from the settlement.
Area of the settlement:	11 ha
Reserve for development:	Available
Number of people in the settlement:	6
Nature
Forests and woods:	Available, diversified (pine woods, spruce forests, leafed forests)
Water reservoirs:	About 10 lakes near the settlement (the closest is 200 m away).
Infrastructure
Roads:	Highway Minsk-Polotsk is 4 km way from the village (you can't hear the noise as the HWY is behind the hills).
Electric power:	Available
Phone service:	Service is available from all cellular service providers
Facilities
Store:	Available (village Gomel, 4 km away)
School:	Available (village Gomel, 4 km away)

http://ecoby.info/

Diploma project.

Power-Efficient Community Center for a Village with Enhanced Ecological Status
(Chair Architecture of Residential and Public Buildings).

Research Advisor: Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Architect V. M. Chernatov
Designers: G. V. Senchenko and T. F. Sinegribova
Assistants: O. Shukova, T. Shuruho, E. Zharikova, G. Kozyrev

We have designed the project of the Kin's Settlement for the Republic of Belarus. The location was chosen in the Dzerzhinsky District of the Minsk Region, at the south border of Volma village. This territory is very picturesque due to its location on the Minsk upland, which is characterized by exceptional hilly terrain and, as s result very rich animal and vegetal life. Besides, the considered territory belongs to the ecologically clean part of Belarus, which has not been contaminated with radioactive waste of Chernobyl nuclear plant. Our project includes 70 plots because the plots assigned by the government are rather small nowadays. Only 40 ha have been allowed for the first settlement in the Minsk Region and 33 ha for the second. However, there are provisions for expansion of the territories. In general, there have been 9 ecological settlements established in the Republic of Belarus so far. The layout of the kin's domains has a very specific character, when a quarter of a hectare has both living and household outbuildings. This is because Belarus still has the limitations regarding linear dimensions of the construction plot. Pursuant to the building standards of Belarus, the construction of an individual house must be conducted at least 6 meters away from the red line (red line - is the borderline between the roadway and sidewalk). We think that the location of the house closer to the road is the most rational under the present conditions because fire safety regulations of Belarus require dividing the plot into two parts if the house is built in the center of the plot for the fire trucks to have access to the house in case of fire. It makes sense to have little ponds on each plot if they can be arranged into a certain system with flowage. It will not only allow changing of water but will also add beauty due to some carved bridges and decorations of little canals. In addition to that, the ecology of the country will only benefit from creation of such ponds. In Belarus there is a problem of everyday radon radiation, which is not exactly advertised nowadays, thus becoming even more dangerous. Radon is small doses is good. However, if permissible rates are exceeded, there is an emerging threat of cancer. In some places of Belarus the content of radon is 7 times higher than allowable limits (e.g. Mozyrsky district). This problem came into existence due to reclamation works in the country in the 20th century

As for the community center, it should be built in the geometrical center of the settlement because due to the large linear dimensions of the plots, the access zones to the community center become larger, which, in its turn results in the end domains being too far away.

When designing the settlement, we learned a lot about the history of our ancestors. We have come to a conclusion that it will be a good idea to have a small wood in the center of the settlement as our forefathers used to do. Each tree has its destination and, if selected properly, they can bring energy or relaxation and even help children in schooling. All buildings are supposed to be built of ecologically clean materials having the energy and warmth of life, the materials, which themselves are used in construction and the use of which completely or almost excludes factories and plants. Cardinal points, climatic conditions of the territory as well as prevailing winds (especially in winter) should be taken into account when designing the houses. For Belarus with its moderate continental climate and prevailing winter winds from the north-west, it is recommended that the total width of the house should be about 12 meters in order not to allow freezing of the house in winter. All storage rooms should face north in order to create a buffering protecting zone from cold. Windows are not recommended (or very small) on the walls facing north or northwest. The best location for a bedroom is the east side because this zone of the house will cool down from the sunlight thus creating a wonderful atmosphere for sleep.

We wish you all love and co-creation.
Alexander. Minsk.
E-mail: aaminsk@tut.by

http://www.sotvorenie.org

CANADA

2007 Day of Earth Celebration.

The festival was a success.

The Audience

"Happy Holiday, a happy Day of Earth to you!" These were the words with which participants welcomed the audience. Bards, opera, posp and folk singers on this day all sang songs about the Earth, read beautiful poetry and extracts from Vladimir Megre's books.

The first part of the festival was a contest for the best bard's song performance.
"My Mother Earth!" sincerely was heard from the stage. "Let us protect our planet - it is alive!" called out the artists. They put warmth and honesty into their words in many languages. They sang songs, which were clear and enjoyable for all, regardless of nationality or faith. The thoughts which unite and bring people closer together were spoken in the concert hall.

The Day of Earth festival was held in Toronto, Canada. It was aimed primarily at the Russian-speaking community of the city of Toronto. Songs were performed in English, Russian, Lithuanian, Belarussian and Ukrainian. The guests of honor at the festival were the President of the Ontario Landowners Association Jack McLarren, and the President of the Toronto Landowners Association (a branch of the Ontario Landowners Association), Aleksander Obnovlenny.

Galina Bardina

The festival was supported by the newspapers "Russian Express", "Healthy Lifestyle", "World of Health", "The Forum" magazine and "The Russian Waves" TV channel. General sponsor: "Ringing Cedars of Russia". Official sponsor: "Honey For My Honey". Design: "Art Sign Print".

The second part of the festival consisted of a contest for vocal singers.
With great inspiration contestants performed songs selected by the judges about the Earth and the Motherland. Filled with noble feelings they were breaking the myth that young people are not interested in such songs and that moral values are currently out of fashion.
Rizing above the daily hassle, the words "Greetings, my Motherland!" sounded as if a call to action, they joyfully met with the audience's applause. If only this call was heard by composers and event organizers, who could help us touch these powerful, vivifying ideas, which help people understand their responsibility to their Kin, the world around them and reassess their place in society, the place of someone in control of their fate, and not a passive consumer.

Good organization of the festival should also be noted. Despite the fact that the proposal to organize a festival was submitted late, the organizers, the Co-creation readers' club, managed to achieve the necessary level in just three months.
After the decision to organize the festival was made, an organizational committee of 12 people was set up immediately, chaired by Yulia Portna.

"Sunrise" Ensemble

Agreements were reached with companies and organizations regarding potential sponsorships.
The prize fund for song contest winners was decided.
A house style for the festival (logo, colors, slogan) was developed.
The judges were selected from among professionals, chaired by Eldar Shigapov. The selection of contest songs was determined.
Mandatory songs for vocal performers:
"Kak poidu ja na bystruyu rechku" (Russian folk song), "Mat'-Zemlya moya" (words by A. Tesarov, music by V. Gamaliya), "Vy shumite, berezy" (words by Prokofiev, Gilvevich, music by Khanok), "Vodograi" (words and music by V. Ivasiuk).
Bard songs:
"Gruzinskaya pesnya" (Bulat Okudzhava), "Za tumanom" (Yu. Kukin), "Pesnya o Zemle" (Vladimir Vysotsky), "Kak prekrasen etot mir posmotri" (David Tukhmanov), "Est tol'ko mig" (words by L. Derbenev for the film "Zemlya Sannikova").
Talks were held with media sponsors, developed informational messages for newspapers and magazines, printed posters, brochures and certificates (for contestants, winners, sponsors and judges).
An informational website was created - www.DayofEarth.org
Professional singers were recruited for the final concert, musicians and sound engineers with professional equipment were employed for providing audio support for the contest and the concert. Festival host - Irina Shigapova.
An invitation was sent to the city hall.
Auditions were organized for potential contestants.
Tickets and programs were printed.
A dress rehearsal was held.

The two song contests were concluded, the concert was held to vigorous applause, the judges summed up the performances and the audience waited with interest, while the contestants with excitement, to see the results of the judges' vote.
In the nomination for the best bard song performance:
Vladimir Ogai took third place.
Vladimir Kisselman took second place.
Dmitry Ogai took first place.

In the nomination for the best vocal song performance:
Pavel Pivnev took third place.
Svetlana Litvinova took second place.
Natalya Ziva took first place.

Afterwards, festival sponsors awarded their own prizes.
Aleksander Obnovlennyi awarded prizes to:
Eugene Kononov.
Maria Goldberg.
Olga Kosyak.

"Revival" Ensemble

The representative of the "Ringing Cedars of Russia" awarded prizes to:
The "Vozrozhdenie" dance ensemble managed by Ekaterina Korneenkova.
Galina Bardina.

Yulia Portna, chairman of the "Co-creation" readers' club, awarded prizes to:
Polina Radchenko.
Maria Goldberg.
Anastasia Korneenkova.

Gratitude to everyone: participants, guests, sponsors and festival organizers. Especially we thank those who established the "Dachnik Day and an All-Earth Holiday" - Vladimir Megre and Anastasia. Thank you, Vladimir Nikolaevich, and even though we are too far to shake your hand on your birthday we still send you the warmth of our hearts, may your health grow and may only good people surround you.
Thank you, Anastasia, for your honest words about the Earth - they helped us see nature around us in a new light.

The Day of Earth festival revealed the importance of such events. They help us pass on culture from parents to children, establish a relationship between generations and care for the Earth, help us understand a simple, yet a very important thought: "Man is the master of this world and only intelligent and caring behavior towards each other, the world around us and the Earth can bring him happiness".

May you be happy!

Leonid Belov
Toronto, Canada
Anastasia.ca

Visit The 2007 Day Of Earth Photogallery

Movies of the festival are available for download:

Pavel Pivnev - Gravitation of Earth

Alexandra Shemet - Ave Maria

"Sunrise" Ensemble - Ryabina

Revival Ensemble - "Gorskiy" Dance

Greetings from the president of "Ontario Landowners Association"

MOLDOVA

Caravan of the Sunny Bards in Chisinau.

The caravan has come and gone… But the soul will be full of light feelings for a long time. Thanks to the Sunny Bards, thanks to my friends and Bards of Moldova, thanks to the fortune and all those who were present with us, who was brave and honest, bright and pure, thanks to everything and everyone who was the part of the holiday of life. Besides pleasant tiredness I feel complete satisfaction today from the way we have been going along with boys and girls from Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Moldova and Kyrgyzstan - the way to the sources. What else can be added to that? The concert hall with its 700 seats was practically full; there was so much joy there that even my parents - deep-rooted pragmatists - seemed to remember and feel something… They started thinking as if woke up. To cut a long story short - everything turned into reality!

SOUTH AFRICA

The king of the jungle doesn't frighten the lion whisperer

By GLENYS ROBERTS

Kevin Richardson with a Male Lion

Animal behaviourist Kevin Richardson has such an intimate bond with big cats that he can spend the night curled up with them without the slightest fear of attack.

Richardson, 32, who is based in a wildlife conservation area near Johannesburg in South Africa, works his unusual magic on other species too. Cheetahs, leopards and even unpredictable hyenas hold no threats for him.

Five-year-old females

So instinctively in tune is he with these beasts, whose teeth are sharp enough to bite through thick steel, that mother hyenas even allow him to hold their newborn cubs without pouncing to the rescue.

A former student of human physiology who once worked with pre and post-operative human patients, Kevin turned to animals ten years ago when he came to the conclusion that he could trust a lion over one of his own kind every time - well, nearly every time.

Tau and Napoleon

A close encounter with an aggressive four-year-old male in the early days taught him a lesson he has not forgotten. The animal pinned him to the ground and started biting him until something about Kevin's passive attitude stopped him in his tracks.

Kevin says he is most confident with animals he has known since birth, but claims he can become close friends with any lion less than a year old, when it is still flexible enough to accept him as part of its own pride.

"I have to rely on my own instincts to gauge an animal or a situation, and I will not approach a creature if something doesn't feel right," he says.

"I don't use sticks, whips or chains, just patience. It may be dangerous, but this is a passion for me, not a job."

Cuddles and love bites are all part of 'play' fighting

www.dailymail.co.uk

UKRAINE

Settlement Kedrovka

Goal: Creation of ecological settlement for permanent residence and subsidiary plot.

Number of participants: 50 families. Among the participants there are people having special education or a lot of experience in agricultural sphere, commercial (including international) activities, working in financial sector, tourism, construction, pedagogy, medicine and order maintenance. The peculiar features of our collective are socially active position and self-sufficiency.

Stages of development:

1. Pre-construction, exploration, legal, licensing and construction stages.
2. Plot Development.
3. Infrastructure development:
- Kindergarten, school, school dining-hall (it shall serve as a public catering center (one building);
- Administrative operations center (technical block);
- Meeting building;
- Building for mini-stores and legal order center;
- Building for a drugstore, medical emergency assistance center, sauna and swimming pool.
4. Operations of
- kindergarten, school and dining-hall;
- mini-stores, legal order center;
- drugstore, medical emergency assistance center.
5. Suburban tourism:
- Building cottages for suburban tourism;
- Purchase of furniture, inventory, items for rent (bicycles, skis, skates, sledges, angles, horses, horse carts and wagons, horse equipment, and etc.);
- Mushrooms and berries forest enrichment to attract more tourists;
- Finish equipping of the school dining-hall, organizing three types of catering - kindergarten, school and public catering (adjacent from the outer side);
- Organization of a structure running and maintaining the whole project;
- Organization of tourists' influx.
6. Ecological vegetable farming and gardening.

Ethical core of the project - harmonious coexistence of civilization achievements and life on land in contact with nature and taking care of nature; development of ecological trends in construction also observing the cost affordability as well as tendency to maximum power saving human activity. It's high time for Man to stand and live on land and not in the sky of concrete skyscrapers.

Odessa - Vedrussian culture festival "Ancestry Revival"

Our dear friends!
The 6th All-Ukrainian (4th international) festival of Vedrussian culture and meeting of supporters of kin's domains idea took place in Odessa from 3 to 5 August 2007. It was arranged at the rest camp Chabanka, township Chernomorskoye in the direction of the Yuzhy city.

Main topics of the Festival:

1) Folk holidays in the settlement: round dancing, games (host Veronika Gavrilenok).
2) Communication with neighbors from other domains; tips and advice on creating the Space of Love, way of living in the domain, relations with neighbors, labor on land
3) Master class: folk arts and crafts masters, arts and crafts products.
4) Information on the alternative methods of power generation, sanitary arrangements, transportation, water and etc.
5) Miscellaneous topics that might be of interest for those interested in kin's domains.

UNITED KINGDOM

USA

Community in Ashland, Oregon

New Club in Ashland Oregon.

A new club has been established in Ashland Oregon which holds meetings and study groups on regular basis.

Contact: Christopher at AnastasiasGarden.com for more info.

AnastasiasGarden.com

Poetry, art, music, photography and anything else that flows from the heart.

Please visit the forum at Source of Life Association and share your opinions on the books of Vladimir Megre. Discuss Anastasia's ideas about harmonic life, and how you use them for yourself. Share your impressions.

You can now discuss your ideas on the following topics:

• Opinions - Anastasia's ideas in books by V. N. Megre. Share your thoughts.
• Let's get to know each other - A section in which you can create your personal profile for people to see as well as your personal page if you have something to share.
• Get Together People! - Searching for friends in your community.
• Forgotten Knowledge of Our Ancestors - All new, well forgotten old...
• Health - Share your experiences.
• About Our Children - Forum that is dedicated to our children, from birth to education.

Let's build a strong community together. Support each other with positive thoughts and create a real plan for making our dreams come true.

Visit the Forum.

Forum Talk

Posted by jimmyseymour in the topic Washington State:

There were a set of blueberry bushes planted by my folks there when they were really young. They tasted great and I spent quite a few hours out there at these bushes that had grown into one giant bush about 30 yards longs 5 yards wide and about 5 feet tall. Man they were good.

Though I had never been there before the place was very familiar. I had met quite a few people I have never met before. One happened to be a flight instructor who took us up in a cessna and we flew over mount st. helens and saw just how big it was in person. Man the pictures in books and stuff just don't do it justice.

I fell in love with the place and really wanted to move there right then and there. Then my uncle told me his neighbors place just sold for 1.2 million for 5 acres like his. My heart hit the floor. How could you ever make that kind of money to buy a place there. All well, it's still a beautiful place and I can't wait for my next trip out there.

Join the discussion of this topic.

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed on this forum are personal opinions of individuals creating the posts. We are not liable for any information posted on the forum.

Eight steps to creating your own sustainable Community

by Robert Gilman

You might think that guidelines for eco-village development would mostly have to do with their eco aspect. That is, how to handle the bio-system and built environment. These are certainly important but in researching this issue and interviewing many people with extensive community experience, we have learned that the physical systems are the easiest part. They are also the most variable. The details depend strongly on the specifics of the community, its location, purpose, and composition. These guidelines here, focus on where we perceive the need to be. The social process of eco-village development.

1. Recognize It will be a journey and enjoy it! If you have an eco-village dream, and focus too strongly on the desired end result, you set yourself and others up for frustration and disappointment. The process of community development takes time, usually many years! Joan Halifx, director of the Ojai Foundation, speaks for many community founders in the following story The Dalai Lama told me in an interview that there were three conditions that would make it possible to accomplish my vision for the community here Great love, great persistence, great patience. Patience is the hardest of all!

It helps to recognize right from the start that a community is always a process of change, and it is best to honor and enjoy the process.

2. Develop a vision and keep developing it A clear, shared vision is one of the most important kinds of glue a group can have. For a vision to work as glue, however, it needs to be more than an intellectual construct. At its best, a vision gives voice to the full essence and deeply-felt purpose of the group. There are many ways of developing a vision (and a vision statement), but however arrived at, the vision will be most effective if each member of the group feels a resounding personal Yes ! in response to it. Keep the vision alive by revisiting it regularly, as a group, to see whether it still feels right.

3. Build relationships and bonding The other fundamental glue for a group comes from the heart. It is vital to build solid Interpersonal relationships, mutual understanding, caring, and trust. Building rich relationships isn't necessarily easy, but, doing things together; eating, singing, dancing, telling life stories, traveling, facilitates the process much faster than meetings!

4. Make the whole-system challenge explicit. Once the group has begun to clarify its vision and build relationships, get the group oriented to the tasks that need to be accomplished. Personality style conflicts may arise here. Some prefer to begin with planning, others would rather plunge in and experiment. The challenge for the group as a whole is to get these two tendencies into a constructive relationship, so that they contribute to each other. You'll need both.

5. Get help to become more self-reliant Knowledge about sustainable community development is growing so quickly that it is unlikely the founding group will know everything. For some specific topics, such as building details, it may make sense to depend entirely on outside expertise. On many other topics, however, it makes sense to work within in your group. Include plenty of time and resources in your budget for group learning about how to do things, how to manage tasks, and how to build group process and interpersonal skills. Lack of management or process skills is the number one reason communities fail.

6. Develop clear procedures Community should be an adventure among friends, not an exercise in bureaucracy. The painful experience of many groups makes it clear, however, that a little bureaucracy is both necessary and helpful. Specifically, it is wise to develop clear, written procedures for decision making, resolving disputes, handling finances, and determining membership. Perhaps even more important is to develop meta-procedures for making changes to these (and other) procedures. Groups change, so plan on changing your procedures too! Frequently at first, more slowly later as the group matures.

7. Maintain balance - sustainably Once the group is formed, there will be many specific tasks required to develop its eco-village or sustainable community qualities, and many important balances to be maintained

(a) Between group and private. People need some of each, often in changing quantities.

(b) Between today and tomorrow. If not well paced, the group could either do too much too soon and exhaust itself, or procrastinate and become a debating society.

(c) Between hardware and software. Some people are drawn to images of solar homes and permaculture gardens, others are most interested in the feeling of community. One aspect or another may need to be emphasized at different times, but the success of the community depends on their balanced development and a shared appreciation for both.

(d) Among love, light, and will. Every community can benefit from cultivating the positive qualities of the heart (bonding, caring, trust), the mind (clarity of understanding, vision, integrity), and the will (the ability to act with courage and effectiveness). The challenge is to integrate them in a balanced way. Affirming the importance of this balance within the vision of the group can be a powerful touchstone for assessing the readjusting group progress.

(e) Among different learning and cognitive styles. We can hardly emphasize enough the importance of developing clear understandings in the group of the many ways that people are different. Most of the disagreements within groups have to do with arguments over learning and cognitive styles, not over matters of substance. For example, some people would rather talk and then act, others would rather act and then talk, still others just want to act, and of course there are always those who just want to talk. Such differences, working in the right relationship, can complement each other in ways that will be liberating for each person. In wrong relationships, they lead to endless power struggles.

(f) Among current consumption, investment, and service. Sustainability is fundamentally about fairness and balance across time. One of the most concrete ways to express to express this is through a balance among expenditure of time as well as money current consumption (from food to entertainment), investment (from building to education), and service to others (which may involve either current consumption or investment). Boundaries may blur, but if the future benefits are high, it is generally an investment. If the benefits are primarily here and now, it is current consumption. Healthy living and avoiding burn-out require a balance of both.

The spirit of sustainable service provides a healthy antidote for imbalances in either direction. Service focuses beyond the self and can thus lift one beyond self-centered current consumption.

At the same time, sustainable service suggests that some current consumption is necessary to nurture today's server, so that he or she can serve tomorrow as well.

8. Be open and honest Finally, the evidence is strong that for many community issues including the always sensitive issues of sex, power, and money, what you do is less important than how openly and honestly you do it. For example, some successful communities are based on celibacy, while others are based on group marriages. These seemingly opposite approaches can both work. What doesn't work, what gets communities into trouble, is when the public story no longer fits the private behavior, especially if those in leadership positions are the ones breaking the rules.

The issue of power provides another good example. Many communities adopt the ideal of complete equality of power. But, in fact, such equality essentially never happens in human groups. There is always a power gradient, with some people having more influence than others. The attempt to maintain the fiction of complete equality can lead to a collective denial of the actual dynamics in the group. The paradox (and tragedy) of such a situation is that it encourages hidden abuses of power while at the same time suppressing and discouraging genuinely needed visible leadership.

A healthier approach is to acknowledge what is, while also honoring one's ideals. The group may also find that it can reformulate its ideals in a way that better honors their deep meaning (for example, equal fairness for all may be more important than equal power) and better fits the complex truth of their experience.

Now take another look at Step One, and you're on your way!

http://www.luminet.net/~wenonah/new/eco-vill.htm

These articles come directly from researchers and are passed on to everybody. The company assumes no liability for any content in these articles.

For more great articles go to http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org/infoE.php#articles

At Home in the Forest

by Jasmine Saville
an article for Green Parent magazine

Happy Family

Take one baby, a toddler and a building site. Mix well with a generous helping of mud, combine with 6 weeks of solid welsh rain whilst living under canvas. Do this in candle light without a bathroom or electricity for three months. Chuck in living with your father for good measure. Top with an assortment of large slugs. The result a hand crafted home of beauty, warmth and health for about 3,000 francs.

Having children is a major motivation for buying a house. Combine the rigours of looking after young children and meeting demanding mortgage payments in today’s climate and you have a recipe for stress. Then add to this concern about toxic materials that are inherent in most buildings, and exposing your precious babies to them is a cocktail of dismay. This would sum up the options before our family before we decided to take the plunge and go off the beaten track.

Some past experience, lots of reading and self-belief gave us the courage of our conviction that we wanted to build our own home in natural surroundings. With this is mind my husband and I decided to build ourselves what you might call an eco-home wherever we could get the opportunity. For us one choice led to another and each time we took the plunge events conspired to assist us in our mission. Looking back there were times of stress and exhaustion, but definitely no regrets and plenty of satisfaction.

In the play room

Initially we had no capital and we had decided resolutely to be full time parents whilst our children were young. As you’ll appreciate to be a full time mum and part time dad our income is low, about 5,000 francs p.a, so a mortgage was not an option and the prospects for renting seemed grim. Providence came our way and a landowner offered us the chance to move to his woodland in west Wales to build an eco-house. There would be no formal security or long term ownership, but 2000 francs was available for materials, so we jumped at the idea without a backward glance.

So here we are today. You can see from the photos our home is unusual but the aesthetic appeals to lots of people and perhaps touches something innate in us that evolved in forests. We hope this article will provide confidence and information for anyone inspired to undertake a similar project or even just to illustrate that where there’s a will there’s a way even if such a building does not tantalize your taste buds.

Many people ask how we managed to build a house whilst camping without mainstream facilities and as the mum rather than the full time building blokes (my husband and father) I can assure you of a few things. Children like mud, diggers, tools, wood and candlelit extended camping. Mums fret about washing. Dads build all day long and then look after mum. Children are entertained by the outdoors ad infinitum even when it rains. Mums hanker after cozy cafes and make frequent excursions to venues with warm, clean toilets. Children find sticks, look under stones for insects, collect acorns, simulate diggers and do a lot of puddle splashing. Dads carry on building and look after family in the evenings when they are not completely exhausted. Children see materials taking form, observe the construction process and make a lot of connections; they see their parents being effective. Mums wash up whilst yearning for tiled utility rooms, learn to ignore the mud and fend off slugs. Dads build, console mum, read children bedtime stories and make muddy imprints on the sheets. Everyone wonders at the nature of slug slime. Then one day you get a house.

Dining room in the night

If that hasn’t put you off more serious issues do provide an impetus to eco-bui