Scaling Up Developmental Principles of Small Intentional
Date
2011-05-23
Authors
Morgan, Njogu
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Abstract
The purpose of the research was twofold: i) to explore the relevance of the ecovillage
model as viable policy intervention for human development and
environmental protection in poor countries, and ii) to explore how the principles
and practices of ecovillages
might be applied. To answer this question, the
research examined how ecovillages
manage the nexus between human
development and environment protection. It was concluded that while the
principles and practices of ecovillages
are worthy of emulation and can be
applied in the global South, adaptation or spread is only possible with significant
external support. This is because a range of enabling socioeconomic
conditions
necessary to cushion what are effectively islands of social change
experimentation, exist more readily in the global North than they do in the South.
A broader lesson extrapolated from the research is that if countries in the global
South wish to avert or at least mitigate ongoing and future environmental crisis
into the foreseeable future, they will have to review their development models.
Ecovillages
cannot on their own resolve what is a global systemic crisis.
Successfully dealing with climate change will therefore require going to the root
cause and adopting new development pathways. The research explored these
issues by examining the literature and conducting primary research in the Ivory
Park Ecovillage
in South Africa and the Findhorn Ecovillage
in Scotland.
Description
MM - P&DM
Keywords
Eco-villages, Environmental protection, Development, Human, Human development