E-CO-ABITARE: the real value of environmental and social sustainability

E-CO-ABITARE is a voluntary non-profit organization whose headquarters are currently in Cerveteri, in the province of Rome. It has been founded in 2007, to promote projects of ecological living in intentional communities on the basis of consensus methods and non-violent communication.
The association is based on the principle “To think globally and act locally”, giving impetus to experiments involving lifestyles and consumption on some territories to make concrete the value of environmental and social sustainability.
“Among the current members of the group”, explains Francesca in an interview, “no one knew each other before joining the project. The average age of members (five couples and two singles of diverse origins; the group is supposed to expand) is 32 years. The skills are several: gardening, agriculture, holistic disciplines, herbal medicine, vegan gastronomy, cultural events’ designing, online communities’ management, communication, carpentry, crafts, and others.
At one point of our journey towards a kind of sustainable living, we met (even in the great diversity of our paths – or perhaps because of this diversity) and we recognized each other and in these guidelines”.
At the end of 2013, with the entry of several new active members, E-CO-ABITARE has given his support to the creation of a first concrete project of rural cohousing on Bolsena Lake.
It will also be the future home of all of its activities.
To achieve this objective, the partners have formed an agricultural cooperative: Borgo Pian del Rosso, aspiring to the highest possible resiliency, claiming a dimension of cooperative, supportive and synergistic living at a very low ecological impact.
The perspective, in fact, is to use green building techniques. Another key word of the project is permaculture and “with a permacultural vision was made the search for the right soil, near the lake”, explains Francesca, “surrounded by woods, many fruit trees already present, with a climate adapt for agriculture, a certain proximity to inhabited, visited by friendly tourism and nature lovers, settlements. The area of the project is about 3 hectares with the possibility to build a total of about 600 square meters”.
Within the group E-CO-ABITARE there are the founders of two associations which has been founded before the project of the village:

– The cultural association Libera Polis, founded in 2006. In his headquarters, in Cerveteri, it organizes courses and initiatives related to the rediscovery of ancient traditions and ecological living (for example: Born FREE, environmental and libertarian education for children). Libera Polis has facilitated the launch of the project in ecological village managing the administration and hosting our meetings.

– The association of social promotion Open Culture Atlas, officially founded in 2013 but it has been active for two years with Tropicodellibro.it. Its purpose is to spread information and facilitate cooperation at the national level on cultural themes seen in terms of social sustainability (eg #MappaScuoleDiverse). Open Culture Atlas is committed to the disclosure of the project.

“The non-profit organization E-CO-ABITARE had a turn over in 2014″, Francesca told me, “with the arrival of new members, including many of Pian del Rosso group. Now we’re looking forward to pursue the best mission to facilitate the spread of ecological models of living and solidarity”.

“Have any of you already had communitarian experiences?”, I asked to Francesca: “No, nothing like what we are planning,” she said, “but these months – almost years now – of incubation of the project are giving us the chance to experience a dense community life”.
E-CO-ABITARE is “on friendly terms” with the Italian Eco-villages’ Network. The project was presented to the last network’s national gathering (in July 2014) in the Commune of Bagnaia and the members of E-CO-ABITARE are planning to participate even to the next gathering at the Habitat ecovillage, in Tuscany.
“Meanwhile,” concludes Francesca, “some of us are going to visit ecovillages already existing and to know those who live there. They are often very different experiences, from which there can be a lot to learn”.

E-Co-Abitare ONLUS
Via Casale di Centocorvi 3/B -Cerveteri (RM)
www.ecoabitare.org
Email: ecoabitare@ecoabitare.org
Telefono: +39.335.6789482

Manuel Olivares

sociologist by training, he lives and works in London and Asia.
He made his debut in the publishing world, in 2002, with the book “Vegetarians how, where, why” (Malatempora Ed).
In the following years, even with Malatempora, publish: municipalities, communities and eco-villages in Italy (2003) and municipalities, communities, eco-villages in Italy, in Europe, in the world (2007). In 2009 he founded the publishing Viverealtrimenti, to begin with a garden of Eden, his first book of fiction and municipalities, communities, ecovillages, his third on an ancient and modern movement of experimental communities and sustainable.
In 2011 public Yoga based on authentic Indian traditions, his first book in English (translated in 2013, with the title from the authentic Yoga Indian tradition) and Barboni yes but in your own home, a collection of short stories and poems.
With public in 2012 Jasmuheen the Kumbha Mela, unraveling an interesting combination
between new age and tradition.
Forthcoming its Jesus in India ?, after about ten years of studies and research in the field (mainly in Kashmir, Punjab and Ladakh) constantly having as basis the holy city of Varanasi, where the author spent in the above mentioned period, the majority of his time.

www.viverealtrimenti.com