Ancient roots, new energies: reflections from the European Ecovillage Gathering 2025 in Hungary
This summer, the GEN Europe Gathering 2025 brought together in Hungary hundreds of people engaged in ecological and social transition. Rodrigo Braga from GEN (Global Ecovillage Network) shared this reflection piece that captures the atmosphere of the event, where sharing, deep listening, and collective imagination outline possible paths for the ecovillage movement. GEN is the reference network where intentional communities and member ecovillages meet to exchange ideas, solutions, and experiences.
Collective spirit: the sharing circles
Rodrigo writes that each afternoon began with a one-hour sharing circle, a space where hearts, minds, and visions meet. In his group were, among others, Ross, Heather, Amena, Steffen, Margarita, Yuluka, Henny, Jules, Daniel, Dorota; and on different days Grace, Dolores, Kin, Natalie, Elisangela and Anna. A kaleidoscope of experiences that turned the circle into a guiding thread of the Gathering.
Day 1: relevance in a changing world
The key question of the day: how is the ecovillage movement perceived today?
It emerged that, in the past, the movement was a point of reference for permaculture, natural farming, facilitation, alternative economies, and sustainability practices. Today, many organisations have specialised in those areas. Legacy courses, however, have lost appeal and revenue, risking underfunded infrastructures. Hence the need to redistribute resources and strengthen coordination across local, regional, and international levels.
Recalling GEN’s origins, Ross revisited the initial idea: a “funnel” of resources able to redistribute funds to the regions while ensuring administrative coherence and regional autonomy. Among new work streams: AI translations to make resources accessible in more languages, support for regional gatherings with international presence, and encouragement to turn digital engagement into in-person experiences.
Day 2: technology and trust
Technology emerged as a bridge. The idea of a “Network Passport” took shape, an identity recognised across the network. The memory of welcoming people fleeing the war in Ukraine showed how pre-existing trust makes collaboration, hospitality, and resource sharing smoother. A mobile app, proposed by Dolores, could match needs and offers, also beyond GEN, engaging allied regenerative movements.
Day 3: rethinking the economy
Grace shared years of experimentation with tokens, crypto, and DAOs, noting how these systems can reproduce abstractions that distance us from relationships. She proposed instead a model based on trust evaluation: in many communities, trust already enables access to food, housing, or vehicles without monetary exchange. At network level this could translate into peer-to-peer exchanges sustained by trust and mutual satisfaction. She also presented a game to experience these dynamics and several case studies. The urgency to attract youth and volunteers resurfaced: a shared volunteer database could help many communities, especially those with ageing populations.
Day 4: looking ahead
Among the final takeaways, the idea that GEN’s communications should also reach businesses and institutions, not only the already engaged public. Ross highlighted important achievements, especially youth engagement, and the potential still to be expressed. There was talk of partnerships, new geographies, and how the new GEN platform can respond to the network’s real needs. Rodrigo expressed both the responsibility of coordinating this work and the joy of a path that feels shared.
Workshops and collective energy
In the workshop about the new portal, participants’ enthusiasm mirrored many features already on the roadmap.
Rodrigo collected contacts of people interested in becoming beta testers. Dorota, from the well-known Findhorn community in Scotland, brought that energy onto the plenary stage to warm applause. Conviviality and collaboration also took shape around shared meals: GEN Europe’s interest in embedding the new subscription in its membership, support from CASA, GEN Africa and GENOA, connections with the Transition Network, and discussions around the IT Toolbox.
Indigenous and traditional perspectives enriched the programme, with a workshop led by Sonita, Konkankoh, Coffee, Thalea, Yuluka and Margarita.
GEN Europe Gathering 2025
Where did the gathering take place?
The Manas Garden ecovillage
The event was held at Manas Garden, near Lake Balaton, in the municipality of Lengyeltóti (address: Rágniczapuszta 4, 8693). Hosted by the association Mindenegyüttmegy, the project started in late 2021 across roughly 80 hectares. The distinctive feature is that it was born from the recovery of a former Hungarian holiday village, the Kék-tó Üdülőfalu, once featuring a brutalist hotel and a campsite. Today these spaces have been transformed into a community-driven, regenerative context dedicated to permaculture, research, education, and events.
The site includes green areas for workshops and plenaries, camping zones, light structures, and common spaces. The approach centers soil and water care, agroecology, and community life, with a strong focus on hosting educational and cultural initiatives. In this setting, the GEN Europe Gathering 2025 turned Manas Garden into an open-air laboratory where encounters and visions intertwined with the place’s history and renewal.
A special invitation: GEN’s 30th Anniversary Book
Want to dive deeper into the people and stories of the movement? Download the first edition of the GEN Europe 30th Anniversary Book. It offers a behind-the-scenes window into experiences shared during the Gathering.
Final reflections
According to Rodrigo’s report, the challenges are concrete: staying relevant, sustaining community infrastructures, weaving digital and in-person participation, valuing diverse cultural contexts and decolonial pathways. Just as concrete are creativity and commitment. Whether through a Network Passport, trust-based economies, or a common platform, the movement is building tools that serve communities and the wider regenerative ecosystem.
The work is big, and so is the energy. Most importantly, we are in this together.
Editor’s note.
GEN is a large family spread across several continents. Not all communities and ecovillages are part of it, and in broad networks it is natural for different social, ecological, or political visions to emerge. Over time, some projects chose not to join or decided to leave.
Today, G.E.N. remains the most established international network dedicated specifically to ecovillages. There are, however, related or complementary networks, such as national and regional associations, or networks of intentional communities and transition groups with different focuses (see the red box below).
Within the movement, there is also an ongoing debate about the role of spirituality. Some communities consider it central, others adopt secular approaches. This plurality is part of the richness and, at times, the complexity of the ecosystem.
National or regional ecovillage networks
- RIVE – Rete Italiana Villaggi Ecologici (Italy): connects ecovillages and community projects, facilitating exchanges and events nationwide.
- RIE – Red Ibérica de Ecoaldeas (Iberian Peninsula): an Iberian network of eco-aldeas and related projects, with training and mapping initiatives.
- GEN Deutschland (Germany): national network for communities and ecovillages with activities, local clusters, and joint projects.
Related and complementary networks (different focuses)
- Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC): resources, training, and a global directory of intentional communities.
- Transition Network: the movement of transition towns and communities, for local action on climate and resilience.
- ECOLISE: a European network gathering community-led initiatives on climate and sustainability, with programmes and advocacy.
- CohoUS – Cohousing Association of the United States: network and resources dedicated to cohousing in the United States.
- UK Cohousing Network: support, best practices, and a map of cohousing communities in the UK.
Have you ever stayed in an ecovillage? Do you live in an ecological community or dream of founding one? Write to us. We’ll be happy to hear your story and share it on Voluntouring.org.