3.3 "Broadening the Ecovillage Movement"

What I valued most about these readings was the running vain of acceptance and awareness of interrelationship between groups and ideologies that may at first glance seem to drastically different to relate. I have at times been turned off by the adversarial attitudes of 'movements' that claim to be the soul guardians of truth and therefor superior and more worthy then those who do not share their surface ideals. I found what I read in these sections about the broadening ecovillage movement refreshingly free of this self-contradicting hindrance to accessing the abundance necessary for real growth and change. This attitude of valuing interrelationship was especial evident in knowledge shared by Robert Gilman and Helena Norberg-Hodge.

In response to the question, "How can we mainstream the ecovillage-experience, the idea of sustainable living in community?", Gilman responded that, "The essential first step is to see ourselves in a complementary, rather than a superior, relationship with those who are leading ‘mainstream’ lives." Taking this attitude of mutual valuing seems like setting one's self, or one's movement, up for success in that if you would like to be heard and have your point of view valued it seems wise to hear and to value were the other is comming from.

Helena Norberg-Hodge talked about a movement to help to counteract the adverse effects of media that portray the "Western" way of life as unrealistically glamorous and desirable. This false portrayal of desirability is ultimately damaging in that is encourages people living native values to disavow their own cultural wisdom and instead seek to emulate the unsustainable cultural practices. this is unfortunate because globally we need leaders from indigenous cultures to hold strong and speak native wisdom. Native wisdom often leads to a lifestyle that is more sustainable and in harmony with natural rhythms then the consumerist striving of western culture. In order to fulfill this goal of healing the false pretense of media portrayals this movement takes members of indigenous cultures ans gives them tours that expose the reality of western lifestyles. This exposure to rality gives individuals a chance to come to their own conclusions and become catalysts for deeper understanding and creativity in regard to furthuring ecovillage ideals of sustainability and honoring of diversity.