Global Ecovillage Network

The EREV Institute is a partner with GEN, the Global Ecovillage Network. GEN is a non-governmental Organization (NGO) with ECOSOC status. This means that GEN has special consultative status with the United Nations and is a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). GEN links together more than 17,000 ecovillages.

Following a long history of separate ecovillage developments in individual countries, the Global Ecovillage Network was born in 1995. As shown, it integrates three major regions throughout the world:

• ENA (Ecovillage Network of America)
• GEN [Europe, Africa and Middle East]; African ecovillages belong to this network while waiting to form an African regional network
  
• GENOA (Global Ecovillage Network of Oceania and Asia)

GEN participates throughout the world in various ways:

• Ecovillage Design Education (EDE):
  Teaching ecovillage concepts and technologies.

• Collecting information on ecovillages.

• Publishing books about ecovillages and their activities.

• Creating and maintaining a website (gaia.org).

• Safeguarding friendly relations and information sharing among members, through conferences and meetings.