PRESENT STORY OF SUNSEED

January-March 2023

In January-March 2023, I completed a two-month internship in the Sunseed Desert Technology project. During my time there, I conducted interviews with residents of Los Molinos and current members of the community, which led to the creation of a small-scale zine. This zine aims to provide a glimpse into the present story of Sunseed.

“I had been searching for different communities and ecovillages to learn about their models of self-organization in order to create one in Georgia. Existing communities offer valuable insights into power dynamics, co-living systems, cultural tolerance, and holistic care for both individuals and nature.

The purpose of this zine is not to criticize, endorse, or impose specific ideas about Sunseed or communities in general. Instead, it aims to share personal reflections and the current story of Sunseed. Often, we romanticize nature and have lofty expectations of communities and ecovillages, so it is important to reflect on the challenges and real work involved behind the theories and imaginations.”

“The reflections presented in this zine are personal and derived from the conducted interviews. Projects like Sunseed are in a constant state of transformation, making it challenging to define or provide definitive insights about the place. Each community undergoes changes influenced by ongoing projects, individuals, power dynamics, conflicts, and political or economic situations. Within these pages, you will discover some initial observations gleaned from my two-month stay at the Sunseed Desert Technology project in Andalucia, Spain.”

Ecovillages are no longer mere utopias. There are now over 10,000 ecological projects united under the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN). Additionally, there are numerous traditional villages that may not identify themselves explicitly as ecovillages or communities, yet still embody the core principles and functioning ideas of ecovillages.

“An ecovillage is an intentional, traditional, or urban community consciously designed through locally owned participatory processes in all four dimensions of sustainability (social, cultural, ecological, and economic) to regenerate social and natural environments.” This is how GEN defines ecovillages, but each settlement has its own unique approach to the term and the concept itself.

Living and surviving in a world dominated by wild capitalism and centuries of industrialization, it is evident that we have lost our connection to the land, ecosystems, and nature in general. As humans, one of the youngest species on Earth, we have managed to alter, diminish, and transform the life expectancy of many other species around us. Recent events, such as massive urbanization, centralized economic policies, mass production/consumption, and global ecological crises, have clearly influenced our perspective on nature. We tend to view nature either as a resource to exploit or as an expensive retreat destination, which shapes our mindset and mental state differently.

While I do not believe in perfect or well-managed societies, ecovillages and eco-communities, to me, represent the most ethically and morally aligned ways of coexisting with our diverse social and natural environment.