Amanda Bourne (of the Climate Action Partnership) attended a presentation by IDEA WILD, a US NPO that supports biodiversity conservation efforts by raising funds and donating equipment to conservation researchers and projects. This includes office equipment and software, lab equipment, field equipment, and some costs such as for a field assistant or for fuel or transport costs up to the value of $1,500.00. It€™s a flexible system so you can get quite creative (though not too lavish) with requests.

The World Future Council called for the design of the 21st century city to be an Ecopolis €“ to operate a circular 'urban metabolism€™ that incorporates circular flows of biological and technical resources - at the UN Climate Change Conference in Cancún. They presented their 'Regenerative City€ report €“' a road map to a 'regenerative€™ urban development.€

November 2010 saw the germination of a South African Green Party on Facebook. The idea behind the group is to find alternative ways of living that allow us to enjoy all the benefits of 21st Century living, without jeopardizing the future for our children.

We want to get ALL those concerned about a sustainable society, where everyone survives comfortably and all species and natural resources are treasured, together on one page €“ and to form a unified voice for the earth within our country.

Heart currency fosters generosity and abundance, alleviates poverty, builds community and is good for the environment. This was how Dawn Pilatowicz explained the Cape Town Talent Exchange on the documentary 'Talents Accepted Here€. All these characteristics are lacking so often in the world of greed currency, otherwise known in South Africa as Rands and cents.

All weather predictions indicated a dark and gloomy Sunday last weekend, when we were to celebrate the winter solstice. But I had inside information. It was going to be a sunny day. Why will the sun not arrive for its own party?

The yearly Freewheeling Festival at the Stanford Valley guest farm saw freethinkers, creative coaches and green gurus from across the country exploring new ways of crafting a future through fun, fantasy and freedom. We were exploring the future we wanted in Peter Willis€™ talk on the 'World I€™d Like to Live in Someday€™ €“ taken from the letters of his surname. We know that visioning and focusing on the realities we want to create, bring powerful manifesting powers. And we were having fun! Instead of focusing on what€™s wrong with our world €“ and what€™s not working €“ we set the intention to dream of and visualise the future we€™d like to see in 15 years time: The Somerset Mall had flicked off its roof and had grown into an outdoor market surrounded by narrow streets and lived in green houses. People bustling in and out ... gardens, plants, children.

Ours is not a better way, ours is merely another way. The first annual Ecovillage Convergence in South Africa took place on 18-20 September 2009. This coming together of kindred spirits had been growing in the hearts of many who share the desire for authentic, earth-based living. The Convergence was intended as a `gathering of tribes` from fellow ecovillages and intentional communities in and around South Africa. The primary focus was to establish a living network through which communities and ecovillages may work together to raise awareness and facilitate the movement towards sustainable earth-based lifestyles around South Africa. The call was put out to all known established and emerging communities, ecovillages and projects countrywide. This intent was synchronistically reinforced when a fellow community planned the same event on the same date!

The Gospel of Thomas reflects the consciousness underlying an earth-based way of life: `If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.` The realisation that there`s more to life than slaving away our precious moments, serving the intellect, is the first step towards releasing ourselves from the prison warder€™s mindset that has dominated for centuries.

Living simply is an idea many people are starting to wake up to. The era in which we consumed without regard to where our products come from, or where it is going after use, is over. A new era is dawning, one in which we, as collective humanity wake up to our unique place in the cosmos. An era in which we comprehend the reality of our present predicament & look within ourselves for answers, instead of without. One in which we truly embrace our individual power, become sovereign onto ourselves & create the new world in which we wish to live & leave behind.