Ecovillages. Intentional Communities. Communes. Cohousing communities. There's a whole world of communal living structures that seek to reimagine what it means to find home...together! There are many different definitions of these kinds of communities, but today I speak with Emiliano Espinosa of NextGEN North America (NextGENNA): a youth-focused ecovillage network that focuses on connecting young people with communities whose structure helps them live out their commitment to integrated sustainability. Integrated Sustainability is defined here as "whole systems thinking rooted in a holistic worldview that invites a broader range of individuals to become inspired by and contribute towards a socially, economically, ecologically, and culturally sustainable future" (1). We get into some exciting angles on this idea, including communities as social laboratories and playgrounds for collective imagination, ecovillages as experiential education opportunities, and challenging cultural ideas of self, success, and security. Enjoy this very last episode of season 1 of the podcast!

Conversation Outline

How does an ecovillage function (8:30)

What stereotypes around this idea exist? (9:30)

Integrated Sustainability: the shared value system of the Global Ecovillage Network (11:00)

Pros & cons of communal living (18:30)

Opportunities to explore: scholarships and connection hubs (21:00)

Building an alternative to a culture of individualism (27:15)

Social Laboratories: how alternative communities foster a culture of innovation (29:00)

Storytelling (33:00)

1. Integrated Sustainability. https://www.nextgenna.org/integrated-sustainability.html

2. Global Ecovillage Network. https://ecovillage.org/ 

3. Alexis Pauline Gumbs. https://www.alexispauline.com/