What's an ecovillage?

So…what is an ecovillage?  Is it a commune? Some type of separatist cult? A bunch of militia survivalists? What do residents of Dancing Rabbit (or other ecovillages) believe? Why do they live the way they do?  What makes an ecovillage different from a farm?

The idea of ecovillages grew out of communal living movement of the 1960's and 70's.  In the 1980's a shift towards ecologically proper living, as opposed to simply living in community, began.  In 1991, Robert and Diane Gilman co-authored a study called "Ecovillages and Sustainable Communities" for Gaia Trust.  In the study, the Gilmans defined an ecovillage as a human scale, full-featured settlement in which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world in a way that is supportive of healthy human development and can be successfully continued into the indefinite future. 

Ecovillages can be rural or urban communities who strive to integrate a supportive social environment with a low-impact way of life.  While there is no single right way to realize this goal, certain practices and philosophies are shared among many communities.  Various aspects of ecological design: sustainable building using materials like cob, strawbale, and reclaimed lumber and concrete, alternative energy sources, such as solar, wind and biofuels, permaculture and low- or no-impact manufacturing/production, are integrated with daily practices:  communal vehicles, restricting trade and purchasing to their closest neighbors to minimize the impact of transporting goods, and organic farming, to minimize the ecological footprint of the community.  Many ecovillages strive for the greatest possible measure of independence from the the existing, unsustainable (not to mention immoral and exploitative) infrastructure.

Many ecovillages are egalitarian communities - all residents having equal access to resources and decision making power.  I would say that Dancing Rabbit, because it is not entirely an income sharing community, is less egalitarian than some, but still uses a consensus model of governance.  The consensus process has roots with the Quakers and Native Americans, and at it's most basic means that a decision isn't made unless everyone can live with it.  It doesn't mean that everyone gets what they want, or that everything is perfect for everyone, but it does mean that no one has to accept a decision that they can't live with.  This is what makes it different from a democratic system, where one side wins, and the other side may wind up having to accept a decision that they are very unhappy with.   Central to the success of a consensus governance system is the understanding that every person has a piece of the truth. This means that every person has the opportunity to speak, and every person has the opportunity to truly hear and listen for the truth in what each person brings to the table.  It is predicated on compassion and respect, and empowers everyone in the decisions that affect their lives.

So, what does all this mean for us?  I'm not entirely sure yet, but I think it means that we will live in a way that makes sense, both for us now, and for our future, and it means that we will live in a society that recognizes the worth of each individual.  It means that we will give up a lot of creature comforts - television, consumer goods, a great many modern conveniences, but I believe that we will gain so much more.

Tomorrow is the big day.  We will get on a bus at 10:20, and for 24 hours we will ride.  I am so excited...but also a little nervous.  That's a LONG time with an extremely active toddler.  It will be what my mom used to call 'a character building exercise'.