aktuenli projekti
Balkan Earth Sister ~ Project in Stara Planina, Serbia
In April 2023, a gathering of women from Balkan countries took place on Stara Planina as part of the Balkan Earth Sisters project, supported by the Reconstruction Women’s Fund. We came together with the aim of getting to know each other better, establishing connections, sharing our knowledge and experiences of living and working in communities, as well as planning how to introduce women in the Balkans to the concept of permaculture, which they can use to initiate positive changes in their communities.
As a result of the gathering, using the Dragon Dreaming technique, we managed to “dream up” a regional event with a much larger number of women who either wish to live and work in sustainable communities or are already doing so to a great extent. We also envisioned presenting valuable life skills from permaculture and other sustainable practices at ecological, economic, and social levels during the gathering to empower and prepare women from the region to take the initiative in bringing about positive changes in their communities.
All the women at the gathering are engaged in sustainable practices such as permaculture, gardening, alternative education, natural building, personal development, or possess social skills that contribute to group harmony. The women present brought an element of sustainability and regeneration to every activity we carried out.
In the setting of an old traditional village in southern Serbia, we experienced the warmth of the local people and their homes, the nature surrounding us, and the food that enriched all our senses. We spent four days working and creating together. The gathering included discussions and lectures, dance workshops, body and ancestral connection practices, a village tour to explore the local environment, a visit to the waterfalls, and a lesson on traditional throat singing in the forest.
During these four days, we created a safe space for women, learned how to be friends and support one another, recognized the challenges we face in society and in our relationships with others, and took away ideas for the next steps in the project, as well as valuable experiences that we will apply independently for a more sustainable life.
