This is the Ecoversities Newsletter, here we collect stories of our ecoverse, places where other worlds are possible. This year we celebrate 10 years as an alliance. Your gift donation strengthens our work and inspires us to continue weaving this path together!
Flourishing Together: Voices from the Ecoversities Planetary Gathering in Brazil, 2024
“The work of all Ecoversities is a testament to this remembering. It is a call to step out of deadened ways of thinking and into the living, breathing pulse of what could be. To dream on a planetary scale, to honor the unseen as much as the seen, and to trust that in the dance between life and death, something sacred is always being restored. This is the time of return. Of the earth’s rhythms. Of remembering how to learn again." Chevanni Davids, Reimagining Learning Center, South Afrika.
Constellations galloping across the universe’s meadow — their steps leave trails in time, decorating with their silence the space where life happened on a small planet, and gifted us a reunion in the heartland of Brazil.
We came from so many places across the planet. Each of us could probably write an entire book about what it took to arrive at this Ecoversities Gathering: the decisions made, the sleepless nights preparing, the relationships that held us, the challenges that became our teachers, the blessings that pushed us forward. And further back still, our life journeys — the long road our hearts have traveled to reach a place we now call home: Brazil.
II Afrikan Ecoversities Gathering in Afon, Prikkle Academy, Nigeria, November 12 - 17, 2024
“We inspire young people to discover their gifts of the head, hand, and heart, helping them address challenges in their communities through creativity and collaboration.”- Farosanti Damilola, Prikkle Academy, Nigeria.
An inspiring convergence of educators, creators, visionaries and leaders from across Afrika took place in the Prikkle Academy, Nigeria. To re-imagine education through the empowerment of the youth, the decolonization of mainstream educational systems and the integration of traditional knowledges and modern innovation to address Afrika's challenges.
Travelogue of the V Latin American Ecoversities Regional Gathering in Jalisco, Mexico with La Escuela Campesina, November 3 - 10, 2024.
“I feel that this year, our gathering was a traveling one, we went looking for the space which accompanied our steps, instead of creating it, we went to meet it (…) because we felt that our walking has to be towards that, to recognize ourselves in these spaces, to be mirrors and to be seeds that we are sowing along the way. I believe that our gaze is always a dialogue with ourselves and with place, and that enriches us, and contributes to our learning what we are searching for. That is why maize is colorful, because we have all contributed a color to the territory we visit, and also the territory paints us with its colors, to what we are, and what we receive.” – Gabriela Jimenez, Hojarasca Biblioteca Comunitaria, Uruguay.
The V Latin American Ecoversities Regional Gathering was an itinerant one, visiting friends and campesino communities across Jalisco, Mexico. We were accompanied by La Escuela Campesina, they shared with us their learnings, practices, efforts and traditions that help preserve life and food sovereignty across their territories.
Short Film: Ecoversities Abya Yala - There was a Time
“The grandmothers told us that there was a time that will be... where the water flows clean from the spring to the ocean sea… "- Yeyo Beltran, Herramientas para el Buen Vivir, México.
Watch our new film, a celebration of 10 years of Ecoversities that reunites a chorus of voices coming from the Latin American Region Ecoverse, whispering a poem from our future ancestors, speaking of a time very similar to ours, where other worlds are possible. Watch the short film.
A Decolonized Space for Black Therapists, Counselors, Healers, and Those Who Work with Black Folks.
“At the South African gathering, I had a conversation with Edgar, a brother from Brazil, whose words still resonate with me: “There are a lot of children from the African diaspora who want to return home but do not know where home is.” That statement struck me deeply and encapsulated the feelings of displacement and longing many of us in the diaspora experience. These conversations and connections were pivotal in my decision to co-create the Sunday Brunch event in Toronto in 2024". - Brandon Hay, Black Daddies Club, Turtle Island.
The Black Daddies Club co-presented Sunday Brunch: A Decolonized Space for Black Therapists, Counselors, Healers, and Those Who Work with Black Folks. This event was a networking and knowledge-sharing initiative aimed at decolonizing therapeutic strategies for Black, Indigenous, and racialized therapists, counselors, and healers. This gathering took place in Toronto (Turtle Island) and brought together panellists from the United States, Canada, and South Afrika. Learn more here.
Ecoversities Pollinations, Learning Exchanges and Residencies 🐝
The Ecoversities Alliance supports Residencies between ecoversities around the world, as learning journeys for pollinating and exchanging cosmovisions, dreamings, and practices that empower local communities.
Sandra Lezama Residency in AMDAE, Agua de Dios, Colombia
“Every day she explained a plant to me based on my learning needs. We didn't plan anything specific, but on a daily basis I saw which plants and what they were used for, this helped me a lot in putting them into practice, to get to know the plant, to understand its nature, to understand its benefits...”
Sandra Lezama (Mushuk Away, Ecuador) made a residency to learn with medicinal plants and practice traditional cuisine with Grandmother Daira, in Agua de Dios, Colombia with the AMDAE (Mutual Asociation for the Integral Development of Afro-Colombianity and Entrepreneurship). Watch her residency capsule here (with english subtitles).
Jazmin Gonzalez Residency in Instituto Etno, Brazil
“The co-living in the institute is held by the values of indigenous peoples: the day begin early, there are spaces for song and prayer, the elders are treated with love and respect, the chores of care are collective, every life form is taken care, the body, the mind and the spirit are treated with love, the wisdom of nature and her enchanted beings is sought, life is ritualized to remember the connection that each day offers us with our the innermost part.”
Jazmin Gonzalez (Mushuk Away, Ecuador) was received by our dear friends Maria Agraciada and Clara Luz in Instituto Etno. a place where big things happen. Jazmin shares about the gifts of her residency as she weaves together two different languages, learning about indigenous practices of care, and communing with the forest beings.You can read her report in our website (in Portuñol).
Ecoversities Germinating Projects 🌳
The Ecoversities Germinator Service Circlehelps nurture young ecoversities, drawing wisdom and experience from elder members and collaborators, in this section we enjoy sharing about some of these gestating projects.
Ballroom Climate and Environmental Justice Curriculum, Turtle Island
Ballroom Climate Justice Curriculum is a project countering abomination narratives and asserting the rights of health, wellbeing and justice to People of Color and LGBTQ+. It is a place of skills exchange, collective learning, and self-organizing practices that will help the environmental movement mobilize towards accessibility in climate justice and a liveable planet for all people not only for intersectionality but also intersexuality. 'All of the organizing we’ve done. All of the issues. We have never, ever… I don’t mean one time, I don’t mean two times… never talked about climate justice. And I was intrigued by that. Why have we never talked about this?' - Michael Roberson, Ballroom Freedom School, New York. Read more about this beautiful project.
The Chestnut Tree Ecological School, Europe
The Chestnut Tree is a school in nature with an ecological curriculum, encouraging inner work, connection, healing, and community resilience with children. Their vision is to create this space where people can grow with the place, living peacefully and connected with nature and the community. 'What touched my heart, he said [a Brazilian indigenous elder]: "your kids are just like ours in the tribe. They are free, they are wise, please don’t let them lose their wisdom..."’ – Mercia Silva Eichmann, The Chestnut Tree Ecological School, Spain. Learn more about this dream on their website.
Mountain Wind - The Himalayan Ecoversity, India
MountainWind — The Himalayan Ecoversity is an initiative that works to strenghten the Himalayan connection and voice across national boundaries, by bringing the Eastern and Western Himalayas together onto a common platform, a multi-eco-versity that looks at facilitating learning or education, of a kind that bridges the gap; that combines heart, mind and hand and land skills. ‘The underlying principle and idea that finally underlines Mountainwind and all it stands for is the inherent inter-dependence and universal ethics of a common humanity which celebrates diversity, is founded in compassion and is forever learning’ - Ritu Varuni, Mountain Wind, India. Read more about their Wild Art Workshop in our website.
7th Ecoversities Assembly: Sowing the Seeds for Our Learning, March 2025
On March 1st 2025 we held the 7th Ecoversities Assembly, our intention this year is to hold these more frequently. The assemblies are places in the alliance where we hear each other and big decisions are taken. These are perfect for putting things in common, a space for proposal for members of the service circles. On this ocassion, the assembly engaged with two important questions:What is it that you are learning in your service circle? and What are we not talking about in Ecoversities? You can read the entire summary in our website.
Ecoversities relationality across the world 🍂
In this section we enjoy to share neat moments, encounters, within and around the ecoverse!
Opportunities for Solidarity and Mutual Aid 🤍
The Ecoversities Alliance is built on a firm footing of shared love and care for our revered Earth and all her inhabitants, across our varied cultures, experiences, geographies, continents, oceans, and species. We are, above all, a community, or family if you will, of friends. It is important thatallour family members have safe, comfortable, nurturing spaces in which to live, learn, and thrive. Today, many of our members and their families are living in Gaza, facing tremendous circumstances. Our help can make a difference in their lives.
If you know someone that might like this newsletter, someone curious who identifies with the goals and vision of theEcoversities Alliance- reimagining education, livelihoods, and the world - let them know about us!
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