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(Created page with "{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}} Free and Real - one of the Yurts '''Free and Real''' is a non-profit organisation and experimental ec...")
 
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'''Free and Real''' is a non-profit organisation and experimental eco-[[cohousing]] community located in the municipality of [[Istiaia-Aidipsos]], northern [[Euboea]], [[Greece]], about {{convert|200|km|mi|abbr=on}} north-west of [[Athens]]. The organisation is primarily a school for self-sufficiency/sustainability, and a research centre for ways of living in harmony with nature.
 
'''Free and Real''' is a non-profit organisation and experimental eco-[[cohousing]] community located in the municipality of [[Istiaia-Aidipsos]], northern [[Euboea]], [[Greece]], about {{convert|200|km|mi|abbr=on}} north-west of [[Athens]]. The organisation is primarily a school for self-sufficiency/sustainability, and a research centre for ways of living in harmony with nature.
  
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One of Free and Real's main areas of research focuses on structures and buildings, aiming to finding the ideal structural shapes and trade-offs between eco-friendly materials and product longevity, creating minimum waste, implementing energy efficiency and bioclimatic integration with the environment, all of the while complying with Greek construction laws. Its research also focuses on farming, including fruits, vegetables, herbs and nuts, which are grown throughout the year on a seasonal basis using the natural farming methods developed by [[Masanobu Fukuoka]]. Free and Real has organised many seminars/workshops about Natural Farming in conjunction with the Center for Natural Farming in [[Edessa]], Greece, in which Fukuoka's philosophy was taught to more than 100 students.
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==Name and History==
 
The name FREE & REAL, which is an acronym for ''Freedom of Resources for Everyone, Everywhere, and Respect, Equality, Awareness, and Learning'', was coined in January of 2009, and the organisation was officially founded later that year in Athens, Greece, where the founding members lived at the time. The initial actions of Free and Real involved research, attending seminars and workshops throughout Greece and the rest of Europe on sustainability, self-sufficiency, natural farming and building, including visiting existing eco-communities and gaining first-hand experience. In 2010 it began organising its own workshops in Athens on the same subjects, and in May 2010, it relocated to northern Euboea. The property was donated to Free and Real and it is still in use as a test site for natural farming and eco-building projects.
 
The name FREE & REAL, which is an acronym for ''Freedom of Resources for Everyone, Everywhere, and Respect, Equality, Awareness, and Learning'', was coined in January of 2009, and the organisation was officially founded later that year in Athens, Greece, where the founding members lived at the time. The initial actions of Free and Real involved research, attending seminars and workshops throughout Greece and the rest of Europe on sustainability, self-sufficiency, natural farming and building, including visiting existing eco-communities and gaining first-hand experience. In 2010 it began organising its own workshops in Athens on the same subjects, and in May 2010, it relocated to northern Euboea. The property was donated to Free and Real and it is still in use as a test site for natural farming and eco-building projects.
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==The Telaithrion Project==
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[[File:Telaithrion.jpg|thumb|350px|Telaithrion - Central geodesic dome]]
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Free and Real acquired a 3-acre plot of land at Mt. [[Telethrio]], which is being transformed into a multipurpose experimental project called The Telaithrion Project. The three main purposes of this project are: building a school for self-sufficiency, creating a research center for sustainability and low-tech eco-friendly development, and creating a model eco-community capable of being replicated elsewhere.
  
 
== Workshops and Festivals ==
 
== Workshops and Festivals ==
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One of Free and Real's community's founding aims was the sharing of knowledge. It organises seminars and workshops on a fortnightly basis, focusing on various topics including self-sufficiency, environmental building, natural farming, nutrition & health, traditional herbal soaps and remedies, and others.
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ZEGG [[Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung|GmbH]] Community offers several large festivals and many workshops throughout the year. They cover topics such as community knowledge, communication,<ref name=forum>[http://zegg-forum.org http://zegg-forum.org]</ref>  love and sexuality,<ref>[http://www.zegg-liebesakademie.de www.zegg-liebesakademie.de]</ref> non-violent communication, arts and singing.<ref>[http://www.come-together-songs.de http://www.come-together-songs.de]</ref>
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The official host for all these events is the limited company ZEGG GmbH. The seminar business is the main source of community income.
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== Community Life ==
 
== Community Life ==
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ZEGG’s social aim is the long-term promotion of a [[Intentional community|community-based way of life]] and it has created its own social structure to achieve this. Community members participate in social processes designed to promote communication, resolve conflicts and support personal development processes. There are also regular discos, seasonal celebrations, internal lectures and discussion rounds and other cultural events.
 
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Many of the community members work within the seminar business, which encompasses catering, accommodation, organisation of events and running  seminars. Other areas where members work directly for the community include the garden and the site maintenance team. Community-members also are self-employed, some have day jobs in the region or earn their living further afield. Members are also expected to carry out some voluntary work within the community.
 
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Most community members live in shared accommodation of various sizes; some live alone or as couples. Most children live together with their parents and go to nurseries or schools in the region. In the afternoons, a parents’ initiative organises childcare in the Children’s Building. The whole community shares the costs of maintaining this building and providing accommodation, food and care for the children.
 
  
 
== Decisions and Organisation ==
 
== Decisions and Organisation ==
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ZEGG has adopted a [[Sociocracy|sociocratic]] model for its internal organisation. It is built on self-organizing teams that represent the whole organisation, with more comprehensive ones at the top and more specialised ones under them. The teams represent a clear area of activity within ZEGG, such as the garden or catering. The Management team takes financial decisions and implements the organisation’s goals whilst keeping the higher-level interests of the community in mind. These are the responsibility of the Visionsrat or Board. All decisions can be revised if they turn out to be unworkable in practice.
 
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Important social and financial decisions are made by the community as a whole using [[consensus decision-making]].
 
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== Focusing on Love, Partnership and Sexuality ==
 
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One of the ZEGG community’s founding aims was to research the issues of love and sexuality. In the early years the prevailing idea was that of [[free love]]. Inspired by [[Dieter Duhm]]’s ideas, the community set off on a search for a way to be together that would help to overcome the fears and possessiveness we often experience that hinder our ability to love. After the initial radical approach, more and more emphasis then began to be placed on partnerships. Today, some ZEGG members live in various forms of [[open relationships]] and others live as [[monogamy|monogamous]] couples. The aim of ZEGG is still to take an open approach to love and sexuality, building trust among each other whatever form relationships may take.
 
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== ZEGG-Forum ==
 
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"ZEGG-Forum" is a ritualized form of transparent communication between individuals and groups. It was invented by the original community of the "Bauhütte" in 1978 and proved essential for the continuation of ZEGG.<ref name=forum /> It is a social process for groups of 12 to 50 participants and has been adopted by groups in the US and abroad including the [[Network For A New Culture]].<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.nfnc.org/ | title= Network For A New Culture website}}</ref>
 
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It is used to create transparency in relationships, to reduce social tensions and to create bonding. Its playful and ritualized form makes it easier to share thoughts and feelings that usually are hidden, thus strengthening social contacts. The idea is that social systems and individuals profit from supportive feedback.
 
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==Ecology and Energy==
 
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ZEGG is an [[eco-village]] and is a member of the [[Global Ecovillage Network]] (GEN).
 
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The community aims to take as much of its energy supply as possible from CO2-neutral, renewable and regional energy sources. ZEGG generates all of its heating needs on-site. The [[lignite]]-fired power plant on the site was modernised in 2010. It runs on [[woodchips]] that are sourced from forests in the surrounding region. Around 85% of the electricity supply comes from [[photovoltaic plant]]s and gas-powered [[cogeneration|combined heat and power plants (cogeneration plants)]]. Additional electricity is purchased from Greenpeace Energy that ensures the supply comes from renewable sources.
 
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A [[constructed wetland]] sewage treatment system was built in 1992, which purifies all the wastewater from the site in a specially planted marshy area, which also provides a new habitat for animals. The drinkingn water comes directly from groundwater through three wells.
 
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[[Permaculture]] is a guiding principle for ZEGG when it comes to developing and using its site. [[Mulch]] and [[green manure|green fertilisers]] ensure the sandy soil benefits from long-term improvements in fertility. As the soil became healthier, higher-order creatures followed, such as birds, hedgehogs, martens, toads and squirrels. The site has an [[forest gardening|edible landscape]] with indigenous fruit and leaves, as well as apricots, peaches, grapes, kiwi fruit, mulberries and figs growing in sheltered areas.
 
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The ZEGG garden (1 ha) follows [[organic gardening]] guidelines. Vegetables, salads and flowers are all thriving there, including pumpkins, carrots, leeks and [[kale]]. There are various sorts of fruit as well.
 
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Food provided for residents and guests at ZEGG is [[vegetarian]] and partly [[vegan]]. In the summer, the food comes from daily harvests in the garden, prepared in the large kitchens and served fresh to the guests. Additional food required is purchased from organic wholesalers, regional producers and/or [[fair trade]] sources.
 
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In 2004 ZEGG was awarded the second prize in the [[Agenda 21]] competition in the local government district where it is located, [[Potsdam-Mittelmark]], because of its woodchip-fired heating system and constructed wetland sewage treatment. In 2011, the community once again won the second prize in the district’s Agenda 21 competition, this time for its new, innovative energy concept.
 
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==Site History==
 
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The site on which ZEGG Community lives today had historical links to both German dictatorships. Its first settlement can be traced back to 1919, when it was used agriculturally with a market garden and small farm animals. Ownership of the site was then transferred to the [[SS]] at the beginning of the 1930s and before the [[1936 Summer Olympics|Olympics in 1936]], German military cavalry riders used it for their [[Equestrianism|equestrian]] training. After that, it became a training camp for the [[Hitler Youth]] and [[League of German Maidens]] ([[National Socialist]] youth movements) and the ''Sportlerheim Belzig'' (''Athletes’ Home'') was built as a destination for holidays organised by the [[Kraft durch Freude]] movement.
 
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Having been used by the East German trade union federation in the 1950s as a training school for officials, at the beginning of the 1960s the site was taken over by the [[Stasi|foreign intelligence service of the GDR]] ([[Hauptverwaltung Aufklärung|HVA]]) and became a training centre for reconnaissance abroad. The school was under the direct command of the Head of Foreign Intelligence, [[Markus Wolf]]. After top agent Werner Stiller fled to the West and revealed the existence of the espionage school in 1988, it was decided to move the school and turn the site into a [[Physical therapy|sanatorium]]. The renovation work was still being carried out when the Berlin Wall came down and the GDR ceased to exist.
 
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ZEGG Community purchased the site in 1991 for 2.1 million German marks. There is an exhibition about the history of the site in one of the seminar buildings.
 
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==History of the Ideas==
 
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ZEGG as a project arose out of the ideas developed by [[Dieter Duhm]] and Sabine Lichtenfels. His book "Fear in Capitalism" had made Dieter Duhm one of the leading thinkers in the [[Protests of 1968|“1968” movement]]. In 1978, Dieter Duhm founded the "Bauhütte" community project in southern Germany. They wanted to create a pioneering non-violent cultural model. One of the keys to this was considered by the community to be the “healing of love between man and woman”. So they experimented with, among other things, intensive group processes and liberated sexuality. The community saw its way of living as a political statement and actively sought publicity for this, which led to some controversial reporting in the press. There were also accusations, made primarily by the church, that the community was a sect and, coming primarily from left-wing groups, that the project was sexist. The debate continued as a group from the Bauhütte founded ZEGG in 1991. Dieter Duhm and Sabine Lichtenfels moved to [[Portugal]] and in 1994 set up their own project, called [[Tamera]]. ZEGG developed from a community with strong leadership figures and a relatively uniform worldview into a democratic and pluralist project. Today the relevant government and church authorities no longer accuse ZEGG of being a sect.
 
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
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==References==
 
==References==
 
{{reflist}}
 
{{reflist}}
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== Literature ==
 
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* "Beyond you and me - Inspirations and Wisdom for Building Community S.128 (Forum – A way of group communication; Richter)" Free download: [http://www.gaiaeducation.net/docs/Beyond%20You%20&%20Me%20Ebook.pdf Beyond you and me e-book at Gaia Education website]
 
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* Bang, Martin: Ecovillages. A practical guide to sustainable living. Edinburgh 2005.
 
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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*[http://www.zegg.de www.zegg.de] ZEGG official website
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*[http://en.freeandreal.org] Free and Real official website in English
  
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{{coord|52.1572222222|N|12.5908333333|E|source:dewiki_region:DE-BB_type:landmark|format=dms|display=title}}
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{{coord|38.880877|N|23.077468|E|source:dewiki_region:DE-BB_type:landmark|format=dms|display=title}}
  
 
[[Category:Counterculture communities]]
 
[[Category:Counterculture communities]]
 
[[Category:Ecovillages]]
 
[[Category:Ecovillages]]
 
[[Category:Intentional communities]]
 
[[Category:Intentional communities]]

Revision as of 02:34, 15 February 2015

Script error

Free and Real - one of the Yurts

Free and Real is a non-profit organisation and experimental eco-cohousing community located in the municipality of Istiaia-Aidipsos, northern Euboea, Greece, about 200 km (120 mi) north-west of Athens. The organisation is primarily a school for self-sufficiency/sustainability, and a research centre for ways of living in harmony with nature.

One of Free and Real's main areas of research focuses on structures and buildings, aiming to finding the ideal structural shapes and trade-offs between eco-friendly materials and product longevity, creating minimum waste, implementing energy efficiency and bioclimatic integration with the environment, all of the while complying with Greek construction laws. Its research also focuses on farming, including fruits, vegetables, herbs and nuts, which are grown throughout the year on a seasonal basis using the natural farming methods developed by Masanobu Fukuoka. Free and Real has organised many seminars/workshops about Natural Farming in conjunction with the Center for Natural Farming in Edessa, Greece, in which Fukuoka's philosophy was taught to more than 100 students.

Contents

Name and History

The name FREE & REAL, which is an acronym for Freedom of Resources for Everyone, Everywhere, and Respect, Equality, Awareness, and Learning, was coined in January of 2009, and the organisation was officially founded later that year in Athens, Greece, where the founding members lived at the time. The initial actions of Free and Real involved research, attending seminars and workshops throughout Greece and the rest of Europe on sustainability, self-sufficiency, natural farming and building, including visiting existing eco-communities and gaining first-hand experience. In 2010 it began organising its own workshops in Athens on the same subjects, and in May 2010, it relocated to northern Euboea. The property was donated to Free and Real and it is still in use as a test site for natural farming and eco-building projects.

The Telaithrion Project

Telaithrion - Central geodesic dome

Free and Real acquired a 3-acre plot of land at Mt. Telethrio, which is being transformed into a multipurpose experimental project called The Telaithrion Project. The three main purposes of this project are: building a school for self-sufficiency, creating a research center for sustainability and low-tech eco-friendly development, and creating a model eco-community capable of being replicated elsewhere.

Workshops and Festivals

One of Free and Real's community's founding aims was the sharing of knowledge. It organises seminars and workshops on a fortnightly basis, focusing on various topics including self-sufficiency, environmental building, natural farming, nutrition & health, traditional herbal soaps and remedies, and others.

Community Life

Decisions and Organisation

See also

References

External links

  • [1] Free and Real official website in English

Coordinates: 38°52′51″N 23°04′39″E / 38.880877°N 23.077468°E / 38.880877; 23.077468{{#coordinates:38.880877|N|23.077468|E|source:dewiki_region:DE-BB_type:landmark|||| |primary |name= }}

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