January 7th – February 7th 2024 (32 days)
An intensive training on holistic living toward a sustainable future!
Register Now!
What is Ecovillage Design Education (EDE)?
This international Ecovillage Design Education course (EDE) is a 32 days course that is certified by Gaia Education & GEN (Global Ecovillage Network) and is organised and facilitated by certified trainers. Ecovillage Design Education program is recognised as a contributor to UNESCO Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
The EDE provides students of all ages with the knowledge and practical skills on how to design a society or a community/village which uses energy and materials with greater efficiency, distributes wealth fairly and strives to eliminate the concept of waste. The knowledge of EDE is also adaptable for personal or family level of transformation, in urban and rural contexts.
EDE – also known as the Wing – programmes are based on the four core dimensions of Gaia Education’s Ecovillage Design Curriculum: the Social, Worldview, Ecological and Economic dimensions of sustainability. The curriculum was developed drawing on the experience and expertise developed in a network of some of the most successful ecovillages and transition settings across the Earth.
This four weeks EDE is divided using the four dimensions or the sustainability wheel & each week will cover one dimension.
1st Week: Social Dimension
• Community Building & Embracing Diversity
• Communication Skills & Decision-Making
• Leadership & Empowerment
• Art, Ritual & Social Transformation
• Education, Social Networks & Activism
2nd week: Worldview Dimension
• Holistic Worldview
• Reconnecting with Nature
• Transformation of Consciousness
• Personal Health & Planetary Health
• Socially Engaged Spirituality
3rd week: Economy Dimension
• Shifting the Global Economy to Sustainability
• Rights Livelihood
• Local Economies
• Community Banks & Currencies
• Legal & Financial Issues
4th week: Ecology Dimension
• Green Building & Retrofitting
• Local food & Nutrient Cycles
• Infrastructure, Water & Energy
• Nature, Urban Regeneration & Disaster Recovery
• Whole Systems Approach to Design
EDE’s Learning Process
• Participatory and interactive
• Practical and experiential learning
• Community building & community living
• Spirituality : head-heart-hands
When is this EDE taking place?
This EDE will be held from 7th January – 7th February 2024. The 7th January is arrival day and orientation and and February 7th is Wrap up and Departure day.
What are the fee?
Full fee:
$1300 USD per person for high quality facilitation by experienced and accredited trainers, 3 meals each day and lodging, for 4 weeks ($325 USD per week per person)
Early bird fees:
$1050 USD per person, pay by 30 September 2023. Limited spaces available.
$1150 USD per person, pay by 31 October 2023. Limited spaces available.
$1250 USD per person, pay by 15 November 2023. Limited spaces available.
If you are interested to join this program, but have challenges with your finance, please do get in contact with us. Limited number of partial scholarships are available. Please write to us at nextgenoa@gmail.com to share your situation and we can open a dialogue to find a way that this course is still accessible to you and is fair for the organisers.
How to apply?
send your inquiry to
nextgenoa@gmail.com and make a deposit downpayment of $300 through this EventBrite ticket. The remaining fee, after the downpayment, will be paid after the program is confirmed, through electronic transfer or cash at arival.
About the organisers
GENOA – Global Ecovillage Network Oceania & Asia – is a network of people, ecovillages and organisations in Oceania & Asia. GENOA promotes Ecovillage living where people live together in a sustainable way, with dignity, in harmony with each other and with nature. It was established in 1997 by Max Lindegger of Crystal Waters Ecovillage in Australia. NextGENOA is a network of young people from the Asian & Oceania region who are committed to care for the earth by practicing and promoting sustainable living…
Main Facilitators
Om Sunisa Jamwiset Deiters, Thailand (Female)
Founder of Gaia Ashram
Founder of Gaia Ashram & Gaia School Asia. Lived and worked at Wongsanit Ashram in Thailand for 8 years. Here she was trained as and started working as a facilitator. In 2008 she joined the Ecovillage Design Education course held at Wongsanit Ashram. After her time at Wonganit she spent one year living and working at the Panya project which is a permaculture based community in Thailand. She has been Involved in NextGEN (Next Generation of the Global Ecovillage Network) for a few years and is committed to supporting the growth of the network in Asia. She teaches and facilitates courses such as Ecovillage Design Education (part of Gaia Education), Socially Engaged Buddhism/Spirituality and Training of Trainers. She has facilitated courses for NGO workers, young Buddhists activists, international students, children and teachers. She uses participatory teaching methods and her focus is on deep ecology and nature connection.
Benjamin Murray, UK, Male
Permaculture Practitioner, Teacher, Designer and Consultant
Benjamin Murray is an Ecological designer, consultant and teacher with a background in organic and biodynamic gardening / agriculture, natural building, horticulture & landscape architecture. Ben is the founder of Holistic Regeneration, has 20 years experience in the realm of Horticulture and has been consulting, practicing and teaching permaculture, organic gardening and natural building for almost 10 years in England, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Kenya and India and is currently working as an itinerant trainer of transformational and empowering workshops and courses.
*More facilitators are awaiting for confirmation.
Register Now! and get your early bird ticket!