The CLIPS Ilustrations
We´ve gathered inspirational community living methods from our partners eco-villages, and have compared them for you.
Stories from Danish Ecovillages
Means of Communication
Svanholm
A Forum on the community intranet is used for quick and effective messaging and is the main platform for internal communications. The intranet is also used for publishing and archive minutes from meetings. Proposals and minutes are printed and hung on a notice board in the common dining hall. Emails are used for both internal and external communications. One of the doors by the dining hall is used as a notice board for adverts, requests and offers. One or more members have a dedicated ‘secretariat’ function, where one task is to send out minutes and communicate with externals.Svanholm has a website to communicate to externals. Svanholm has a facebook page to communicate to externals. The regular meetings are the space for all formal information and decision-making (consensus-based). The common dinners (daily) is the space for all informal information and sharings.
Fri & Fro
A facebook group for Fri og Fro Members has been created for internal communications. Emails are used for internal as well as external communications.A mailbox is used for post. The website and a facebook page is set up for external communications. Communication runs through regular meetings assisted by agendas, minutes and a decision-log.Communication runs through extraordinary meetings assisted by agendas, minutes and a decision-log.There is a email-based newsletter One person in the community is selected to be responsible for the external communication.
Dyssekilde
Weekly News: Every week a newsletter is circulated around the community. Housing groups: The community is divided into housing groups. Each of the housing groups have their own internal communication systems and means. Working groups: Dyssekilde has 30 working groups. Each of them have their own communication systems and means. Board/Council Meeting: The information of the Board meetings are stored and shared in minutes. Communications group: This working group is responsible for the functioning of all internal and external communication of the community. Online internal debate group: In this forum community members share information relevant to the ecovillage and have public discussions. Webpage: The webpage is designed with information for externals. Office: Dyssekilde has an office, that is the personal, outwards facing place for communications. It is often members of the communications group that lead the office. Facebook group: Dyssekilde shares a Facebook group with the neighbouring village of Thorup, where information relevant to everyone living in the area is shared.
Yearly Traditions
Glashusene
- In January, the community meets for a ‘running dinner’.
- A yearly budget meeting is scheduled every January.
- Some of the community members go on a joint skiing vacation in February. Everyone is invited to join.
- The yearly General Assembly is scheduled in February.
- The community holds a yearly ‘Day of Values’, where they look into the values of the community and renew them.
- A common community meeting is held every April.
- The first community work day is scheduled in April.
- In May, a yearly flea market is held at Glashusene.
- Glashusenes birthday party is celebrated!
- A womens and mens night is held in May. A night of dining, red wine and party time.
- The second community work day is scheduled in June.
- The Nordic tradition of ‘Sankt Hans’ is celebrated with a bonfire on June 23rd.
- A common community meeting is held every June.
- A common community meeting is held every September.
- A womens and mens night is held in September or October. A night of dining, red wine and party time.
- The third community work day is scheduled in October.
- A common community meeting is held every November.
- A Christmas decorations and makers day is held in December, often accompanied by a Christmas bonfire.
- New Year’s Eve is celebrated in the common house for everyone who feels like joining.
Fri & Fro
- The yearly General Assembly is held at the end of April.
- The Nordic tradition ‘Sankt Hans’, an alternative midsummer tradition, is celebrated on June 23rd with a common dinner and a bonfire.
- The yearly Fri & Fro party is celebrated in the beginning of November.
- At the winter solstice the community comes together to sing and light candles.
- The community celebrates a common New Years Eve!
Dyssekilde
- At the spring equinox, members of Dyssekilde meet in Circles and do circle work.
- At the summer solstice (June 21st), members of Dyssekilde meet in Circles and do circle work.
- Dyssekilde celebrates the Nordic tradition of ‘Sankt Hans’ together with a bonfire.
- In July, Dyssekilde hosts a yearly Movement Festival.
In the last weekend of July, Dyssekilde hosts a yearly Music Festival. - At the autumn equinox, members of Dyssekilde meet in Circles and do circle work.
- Dysse opens the doors for a christmas market every December.
- At the winter solstice (December 21st), members of Dyssekilde meet in Circles and do circle work.
- In December or January Dyssekilde will hold a ‘Christmas Lunch’ for the women in the community and one for all the men in the community.
- On New Year’s Eve members of the community meet in the common house to have a drink and cheer for the new year.
- Whenever a new baby is born into the community, a community ceremony is held where the neighbours sing to welcome the child into its new home and the community. Additionally, the community will bring food for the new parents in the weeks after the birth.
Weekly Planner
Glashusene
About Glashusene Cohousing
Where: Denmark, Trekroner, Roskilde Kommune
Size: 30 individual family-sized houses.
Age: Founded in 2008.
Fri & Fro
About ‘Fri og Fro’ (Free and Joyful) Ecovillage
Where: Denmark, Nykøbing Sjælland
Size: 14 families, 50 members
Age: Founded in 2004
Dyssekilde
About Dyssekilde Ecovillage
Where: Denmark, Helnæs Kommune.
Age: Group started in 1983, founded in 1990.
Size: 130 adults and 60 children.
Website: http://dyssekilde.dk
Common Dinners
- The vast majority of the food is vegetarian.
- On Fridays there is dessert.
- A few community members are selected to maintain the organising of the common dinners as part of their community work.
- The price per meal is 30 DKK per adult and 10 DKK per child.
- The common calendar has a colour coded rotation scheme between the tasks of the common dinners. The tasks are divided between 1) Grocery shopping, 2) Cooking and 3) Washing dishes. Each member will have one shift a month.
- The common dinner system works by members signing off, rather than signing up. Each member is automatically signed up for all dinners.