Training in ecovillage technologies

GENSEN holds training workshops in ecovillages to provide on-task training opportunities. Representatives from the other ecovillages come for "training as trainers," while working with the selected village to put in place the ecological or social technologies that are the subject of training.

The new trainers replicate the training results in their own villages. When possible, the best replications receive prizes. This communal work-camp approach fosters network solidarity. Previous training workshops have been in permaculture, creation of an Internet sales catalogue, microgardening, wetlands and mangrove ecosystem conservation, ecotourism, proposal-writing and microcredit project design. The program is popular and effective (the permaculture training led to replication of nine gardens).