The first
day was the welcome for the volunteers and the introduction for the European
Voluntary Service. As practice exercise, we had to explain to other volunteers
about our project. My co-workers and I drow the feelings and some symbols which
are important for us for represent our work on the farm.
We drew a tractor in the middle of the paper as a
symbol of work on the farm. Another diagram we wanted to highlight was the
shape of the ellipse. On the farm everything is connected, all our actions
affect and are involved in the cycle of nature.
With
post-its we wanted to highlight some of the tasks and objectives of our
project. The apple and carrot
represent cultivation, care and harvest at the farm. The following post-it "local" represents the promotion of
responsible consumption, production and the importance of self-supply of
resources in the ecovillage.
The circle of people represent the
community and the importance of making decisions together, for example, carry
out an activity or resolve any existing conflict.
The word
"BIO" symbolize a new
lifestyle. In the community consumerism is not the governing system. Ecological
and environmentally friendly products with the environment are the priority in
the ecovillage. An example would be the use of ecological detergents and
personal products, the association between plants on the farm to prevent the
use of pesticides or bioconstructions of some buildings.
The recycling symbol represents other
objectives of the community, the rule of the "3 R" (Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle), applied, for example, management of solid waste in the community.
The watering symbol means the importance of
water as a natural resource in the community. It is essential to supply water
to irrigate farm crops. Thanks to water the community can consume their own
food. The water is regulated with care and drip irrigation system inside the
polytunnels and houses collects rainwater for irrigation of their own plants. On
the farm there are dry compost toilets or “compost toilet” that don’t use this
natural resource.
With the world diagram we symbolised "think
global, act local", promoting rural development in the community and being
really aware of the effects that our actions can have on the world and on
future generations.
The sun diagram means the use of renewable and clean energy. As we said in the
first point referring to the ellipse, everything is a cycle, we have to be
aware that climate change is happening today and we are responsible for
determine actions that stop or at least reduce it.
Finally, the
last drawing is a diagram that ends
in a heart. This drawing is one of the 17 main objectives of sustainabledevelopment of a United Nations report to transform our world. It means good
health and wellbeing like consumption of local and healthy products of organic farm, like
we do in the community. Activities that connect mind and body like tai-chi or
help you to find your emotional balance as meditation are promoted in the
community for good health.
"To
transform our world, we must transform its cities" says UN chief on World
Cities Day. Promoting rural and community development, Cloughjordan Ecovillage
with the community farm promise to be a good example of sustainable community,
as we draw in the paper to explain what is our beautiful project.
