Tamera: Paradise under construction
by Leila Dregger — an excerpt from Ecovillages Around the World
Since 1995, Healing Biotope 1 Tamera in Southern Portugal has been working to create a model that demonstrates how people can live together, not by destroying and exploiting nature, but by caring for her and learning to communicate with all of her beings. The Tamera community of today, 170 members, endeavours to develop concepts of how whole regions can step out of the insanity of globalisation. The project was founded by sociologist Dieter Duhm, theologian Sabine Lichtenfels and physicist Charly Rainer Ehrenpreis 40 years ago.
Tamera today
A walk through the Tamera of today takes us through cascades of lakes and ponds, on the shores of which grow the permaculture gardens used for both teaching and food supply. The Solar Testfield demonstrates techniques for cooking and cooling with solar energy and biogas, electricity generation, food preservation, and water pumping. Almost all of the systems were built in Tamera’s own workshops. In the research greenhouse, new technologies are tested. Simple traditional construction techniques are combined with modern architectural concepts.
Tamera is an education centre for the future. Young peace workers come from all over the world to study the knowledge and skills needed to build peace villages and autonomous settlements. The main fields of study are ecology, energy autonomy, and inner and outer peacework. The basis of these studies is learning to build community and gaining social competence. Men and women from different countries and cultures are working together, contributing their knowledge and experience and gaining insights, which they will use for the creation of autonomous settlements in their home countries. The most important aspect in all of this is the coming together. People who previously learned to perceive each other as enemies, for example those from Israel and Palestine, are working side by side. Common work towards a higher goal leaves no space for hostility. Compassion, responsibility for the whole and mutual support are the basic ethical guidelines for living together in Tamera.
The silicon valley of peace or paradise under construction
There will be no peace on Earth as long as there is war in love. A culture of trust starts once lovers no longer have to lie to each other or leave each other if they turn lovingly or sexually towards another person.
This is an excerpt from Ecovillages Around the World — 20 Regenerative Designs for Sustainable Communities. This beautiful book shows how we can live lightly on the planet no matter where on earth we live. It provides examples, solutions and inspiration for a sustainable future. You can buy it here.
Read more about Tamera Ecovillage here.
— — —
Gaia Education is a leading-edge provider of sustainability education that promotes thriving communities within planetary boundaries.
