Visiting Philip Munyasia in Kenia

Peace Journalist Leila Dregger is traveling in Africa, where she also visited Philip Munyasia in Kitale (Kenia). She supported him to find further visions for the growing of his ecological project OTEPIC. She has sent a first report of her impressions:
 “I am full of impressions of my first days in Kenya. It seems as if ages have passed since I arrived in Nairobi four days ago (...). 
 Kitale. Great joy to see Philip! (...) One can hardly imagine the poverty, especially in Philips' living environment and neighbourhoods - but not the creativity and cohesion of the people either. Huts made of mud and tin. Lanes in which the wastewater flows. Everything is brown and gray from the soot and dirt that arises when making charcoal and bricks - one of the few ways to earn some money. (...) And then - in the midst of the narrowness, the stench and the filth - a piece of green paradise - Philips garden.“ more...

To be a Guest or Student in Tamera in 2012:

Dear guests, network partners and visitors!

Thank you for your interest in Tamera! Until the end of January 2012 we are in an intensive community time which we will use to consider and work with the many issues lying in front of us and to work with the many things which want to be seen and connected in the right way in such times of transformation. This process needs time. At the moment we can therefore only give the first few key dates for 2012. We will continue add to this during the next weeks. Please repeatedly check here or register for our newsletter to be informed about all current developments. more...

Auroville hit by a Cyclone

The Tamera Community sends greetings of solidarity to Auroville. On December 30th, the "Universal City", founded 40 years ago by Sri Aurobindo in Southern India, was severely hit by a cyclone. Many people lost their homes. 70 % of the forest, which the inhabitants have planted for decades with much love, was destroyed. The catastrophies which we expect in these times of transformation also hit projects which develop alternatives. We wish and hope and want to help that the planetary community grows together more and more, that we join forces and learn to cooperate with nature and with each other in a way that all those desasters at the end lead to new and powerful beginnings.
For the first measures Auroville needs money. We ask all who can to help and contribute with a donation. more...

Tamera Newsletter for the New Year 2012

"2012: The Mayan date represents a planetary shift in consciousness. We are facing a cosmic opportunity; a huge door is opening."

Dear friends worldwide,
We greet the peoples of the Earth. We greet the groups on all continents preparing the new age. We greet the newly developing planetary community. We are in a huge cosmic transformation. The great peace of which we have dreamt so long without avail can now be fulfilled if humanity remembers its sources and builds its culture on new foundations. This process is already taking place."
These sentences mark the beginning of the text "Beyond 2012" written by Dieter Duhm some years ago. Now, the time has come.  We are approaching the year that has become a symbol for the necessity of global change - and also for the growing possibility that the worldwide peace initiatives will join forces to connect to a planetary community for the cooperative co-existence of all beings. It is clear that such a year has to be well prepared.  This winter serves as a time for us in Tamera to set the course for really becoming a global model and a school for the future. The community of coworkers, guests and students, as well as the whole network, shall be able to take part in peace training which will enable us to develop an overall worldwide alternative, consisting of many decentralized models in the different regions of the world. Read the Newsletter: more...

The new “Big South Lake” comes alive

and is still looking for financial supporters

With every walk to the South Valley of Tamera, we are moved by the vastness and beauty of this new space, fresh and blossoming with life. In gentle curves, the dam, the large new terraces and slopes are nestling into the land. They form and surround the new retention space, which is now gradually filling with water. We deeply thank all the forces that helped and supported these successes! Now we are looking for people who love our work, and will donate money to help cover the building costs. more...

Peace Massages and Peace Messages

Colombia and UK

This Christmas, the cosmetic company Lush has a new product: They produce "Peace massage bars" made by cocoa butter from the Colombian Peace Village San José de Apartadó, a close partner project of Tamera. Lush: "We decided to use our trade to helpsupport their difficult position in the region. Caught in the crossfire of abrutal 40 year civil war, the community strive to break the cycle of violence and refuse to bear arms or take part in the prolific drugs trade in the area." On their website, Lush also offers a very easy and safe form to write e-mails directly to the fax machine of the Colombian president, asking him to stop the violence and to protect the peace community. For peace in Colombia, you can do two easy things: Give peace massages and send peace messages. more...

“Water Retention Landscapes as an Answer to Desertification and Globalization”

Second International Water Symposium in Tamera

April 27th (9 am) – 29th (3 pm), 2012 Tamera has invited water specialists and policy makers of many countries. Examples like the water retention landscape of Tamera shall show how desertification can be reversed and the water cycle in all climate zones of the Earth can be cured. Among the speakers are: Sepp Holzer, permaculture specialist and rebel farmer from Austria, who supports groups building water retention landscapes in many countries, Rajendra Singh, the "Water Gandhi" who has built hundreds of lakes in Rajasthan, John D. Liu, a film maker who accompanies large scale landscape healing projects in China and the USA, Madjid Abdellaziz, founder of Desert Greening, Algeria, Nora van Cauwenbergh, UNESCO, Belgium, Martin Vilela, Fundación Agua Sustentable, Bolivia, Catherine Austin-Fitts, economy specialist and many others. more...

9th of November: Global Grace Day 2011.

Six years ago, Sabine Lichtenfels, co-founder of Tamera,started the Global Grace Day. Worldwide, people come together to celebrate this day with meditations, performances, cultural and peace actions. Global Grace Day reminds us that all walls of separation will fall one day, the walls between individuals and those between nations. And it reminds us of the quality of Grace the peace-creating power of self change. To all those who want to take part: Here you can find the meditation text in many languages. more...

PRV Middle East: A time of serving and vision building

The group of Israelis, Palestinians, and Internationals who have the vision to create a Peace Research Village in the Middle East and, toward this goal, have spent several years of community training in Tamera, will go to Israel for half a year from November on.  more...

Tamera Solar, the first step was taken.

In October, our Ground Service Team installed a big photovoltaic solar energy facility. It was the first step to manifest the renewed energy concept for Tamera. From now on we can cover half of our electricity need with solar power.   more...

A Vision Becomes Reality

October 1st 2011, Update of Jeff Anderson´s Construction Site Weblog

Yesterday, three months after work first began on Tamera's new large water retention space, the intensive building and landscaping work accompanied by the constant clatter and roar of the big machines came to an end, and what began as a vision held deep within the hearts of a few individuals could be witnessed as a fully manifested reality of earth and stone. While some detailed finishing work remains to be completed, and the winter rains that will start to fill the retention space are still to come, the building team can now happily and proudly say to themselves “We did it!”  more...

New Micro-Biogas Plant

First flame

Together with the urban planner and energy activist T. H. Culhane from the US, the participants of the Global Campus built a new, small biogas plant within three days and finished another one that had been started last year. With the organic kitchen waste of just one day, enough gas for nine hours of cooking can be produced. This way the solar kitchen can be complemented with a biogas driven stove at night or during rainy days. The photo shows the first biogas flame on last Sunday night.   more...

Peace Community cocoa beans to Lush

Helping San José de Apartadó to become financially more independant

The Cosmetics Producer Lush (UK) has been using cacao beans from the peace community  San José de Apartadó in Columbia since summer. For the peace community this is a step into economic independence. Paulo Mellet, a Lush scout had met members of the Peace Community while participating in a peace education of Tamera.  more...

Last week of the Global Campus

3rd of September. last Update of the Global Campus Weblog

The last week of the Global Campus education period was as intensive as the previous ones in relation to the amount of knowledge that was shared both through the practical work on the construction of the new water retention space, which is still moving at full speed, and through the biogas and solar technology course conducted by specialists Jürgen Kleinwächter and Thomas “T. H.” Culhane. With T.H. we built a micro biogas plant for the Solar Village Test field which is already in use. (by Talita Soares) more...

European Voluntary Service (EVS) in Tamera.

Each year a few dozens of young people from all over Europe come to Portugal as European Volunteers. The EVS program of the EU takes over the basic costs. Three young women came to Tamera from mid 2010 until Mid 2011 as European Volunteers. more...

Solar fruit dryer to help the Colombian peace community San José receive fair banana prices

byJulien Wagemann

During the peace training session of the Global Campus in Tamera, energy technologists and students built the prototype for a solar fruit dryer: With more advanced technology, it will eventually help the residents of the Peace Village of San Jose in Colombia to sell their bananas as a dried fruit to Europe and thus receive a fair price for their main product. more...

Why love and sexuality have a key role in the research work of Tamera.

Basic thoughts by Tamera´s co-founder Dieter Duhm

The love between man and woman is one of the most beautiful things possible to experience on our earth. Nobody who is in this state of love can imagine that it will ever be over. All the same almost all love relations fail. Human society lives in a collective heartache. The area where we could experience the most beautiful is, for most, an area of deep disappointment, deep suffering, deep anger and often ultimate resignation. more...

Tamera Presents: Decentralized Solutions for Regions with Water Stress

Water Specialists from many Countries Met for a Water Symposium in Tamera

From 12 to 14 August, water specialists and decision makers from ten countries met for a Water Symposium in Tamera. Among them were the Bolivian ambassador to Germany, Walter Prudencio Magne Veliz, and Sepp Holzer, ecological visionary and mountain farmer from Austria. The aim was to explore the benefits and chances of decentralized and natural water management systems. more...

Buen Vivir

by Walter Prudencio Magne Veliz, Bolivian Ambassador in Germany

Tamera is very happy about the significant Water Symposium that took place from 12 - 14 of August. Water experts of different countries shared their knowledge. Sepp Holzer and Bernd Mueller spoke about the water retention landscape as a possibility to heal the hydrological balance with decentral systems wordwide. We felt especially honoured by the participation of the Bolivian Ambassador in Germany, Walter Prudencio Magne Veliz. Here you can read his talk in the English translation.  more...

Impressions of the Summer University 2011

"Why and how can the earth be healed?" About 300 peace workers from many countries gathered in Tamera, many of them young people willing to find the trigger point for a system change. They studied the theory and the practical knowledge of a model for the future. See the beautiful photos of an amazing festival for a better world. more...

The "Sign" for Global Compassion

On Sunday, 24th of July, the community of Tamera erected the "sign" on the dam of Lake 1 - a piece of metal art. Like Ludwig Schramm stated in a matinee, it stands for "global compassion, for the absolute decision to end the suffering on earth and to protect life whereever you are." (Fotos: Elias Barrasch) more...

GEN-conference: "Seeds of Hope in Times of Change"

Representatives of Ecovillages from Europe, Africa and the Middle East met in Tamera

From the 7th to the 11th of July, the annual conference of GEN Europe took place in Tamera: More than 200 representatives of ecovillages and community seekers from 35 nations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa came to connect and to think about common strategies and projects. The big topic was the necessity in these times of change to make the experience of this diverse movement accessable for many. more...

Soldiers sentences for murders in San José de Apartadó

Colombia

For many years, members of the peace community San José de Apartadó - a close cooperation partner of Tamera - have been persecuted and murdered by paramilitary, guerilla and even soldiers, the perpetrators were not accused. This seems to have changed. A group of soldiers was sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing a member of the peace community San José de Apartadó in 2006.  more...

Hope for Colombia

Film is ready

Hope for Colombia, the 53-minute film about the GRACE Pilgrimage in Bogotá in November 2010 produced by Raphael Buenaventura is ready. The premiere took place in Tamera. The film is a portrait of impressive peace activists. It is a film that touches us and awakens in us a hope to construct a different future even in difficult situations like Columbia. We wish that the film spreads widely. The producer is still searching for financial support for the distribution of the documentary and for places where screenings can be organized. From mid July on the film can be seen in full for free at: www.hopeforcolombia-film.com

Ecovillages and Sustainable Living Conference 2011

7. Jul 2011 - 11. Jul 2011 in Tamera

Now you can register: This GEN conference will give participants a deeper understanding of cutting edge developments of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), focusing on GEN-Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Opportunities will be provided to learn about and practice facilitation methods and pedagogies used during the conference (experiential learning, action learning, participatory learning, incorporating the wisdom and diversity of participants). This year there will be a special focus on the dimension of education. more...

PEOPLE IN EUROPE WAKE UP!

May 29th, ALL CITIES OF EUROPE- CENTRAL SQUARE

"People in Europe wake up, let´s make a better life, let´s talk, let´s meet, let´s change everything." We greet all the young people of all cities in Europe who meet on this day and tell the world that we have to change. With all our friendship and solidarity we send you words and thoughts for a perspective. How could life go on after the breakdown of the mega systems?

My heart opens in the knowledge that we can restore the earth

By Maddy Harland, publisher of the Permaculture Magazine

"It is almost unbelievable that in such an arid landscape, so much water can be collected.  The whole landscape is being reaquified. My heart opens in the knowledge that we can restore the earth. This story must be a part of our new narrative." Maddy and Tim Harland, publishers of the Permaculture Magazine (UK) were in Tamera where they met Sepp Holzer. Here you can read Maddy´s impressions.

Education in Ecological Future Knowledge

12.-17. August: Praxis Seminar in Holzer´s Permaculture with Sepp Holzer in Tamera

"Holzer´s Permaculture is landscape design in a larger dimension. Correct the mistakes of past, enable the symbiosis of mutual effects, let nature work, reestablish natural cycles." (Sepp Holzer) -  Languages: German, English, further languages upon request. -  more...

Regards to a Generation in Movement: May Portugal become a Role Model for the World

We send greetings to Portugal and its young awakening generation. The day of 25th April reminds us of Portugal's revolutionary power: It was 37 years ago, when the country shook off a decade-long dictatorship within a few days and put an end to centuries of colonial rule. Now Portugal itself is supposed to become a colony, a colony of the EU. This does not correspond to the power of this country.  more...

Participate Now: Help for Colombia, Protection for San José de Apartadó!

This is an urgent call for support. The inhabitants of the Peace Community San José de Apartadó, with whom we have been and are connected in deep friendship and intense cooperation for years, need our help now. The Colombian Peace Community is again massively under threat on various levels. In such situations we've often experienced that international attention can save the live of innocent people. Giving a few minutes of our time can have an important effect. (Here you find the link to the urgent action of Amnesty International. Please choose the window: English, German or French)

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