Ecovillage Pathways: Intergenerational thriving at La Cité

How can we catalyze healthy culture across the generations? How do ecovillages serve as fertile ground for youth and elder collaboration in wider culture? A group of people passionate about intergenerational community connection gathered this past weekend at a Ecovillage Pathways, an annual event in it’s 5th year.
​
This year’s gathering was hosted at La Cité Écologique of New Hampshire, an ecovillage with 35+ years and three generations of experience. Participants learned from the community’s alternative school, ecological businesses and hillside organic farm.

---

Present at the event were 30+ participants, ages ranging from 3 to 80 years old. Together they explored the emergent future of thriving community.

The first day of the event was focused on exploring intergenerational relations, with a facilitated dialogue and a video call with community movement elders from around the world. Elders from La Cité expressed tears of gratitude for feeling deeply seen as respected leaders of the community and sharing their burden of responsibility with the youth. The second day was organized using Open Space Technology to give participants an opportunity to share about their knowledge and passions.

“Movement building requires accumulative knowledge so that each younger generation doesn’t start at the square one again,” said participant Crystal who is creating Feminist Oasis, a community advancing equitable practices and building sustainable alternatives to systemic oppression. “The generational respect and honor for elders experience while remaining open for new universal shifts guided by the youth was very refreshing and inspiring to witness and be part of.”

​Ecovillage Pathways organizers were able to offer significant scholarships to participants who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to attend the event, including a family with a three-year-old daughter hoping to start a community school in India. The organizers are starting to plan their 6th event and invite donations to make scholarships available for participants. Visit http://www.nextgenna.org/donate.html to support this initiative.