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Research Report: Social Innovation and the Global Ecovillage Network

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Research Report: Social Innovation and the Global Ecovillage Network TRANSIT | Research Report: Social Innovation and the Global Ecovillage Network Theme ssh.2013.3.2-1 Social Innovation- Empowering People, changing societies Project Full Title: “Transformative Social Innovation Theory project” Grant Agreement n. 613169 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no 613169 Suggested citation: Kunze, Iris and Avelino, Flor (2015): Social Innovation and the Global Ecovillage Network. Research Report, TRANSIT: EU SSH.2013.3.2-1 Grant agreement no: 613169 Acknowledgements: Our acknowledegements go, first of all, to the members in the initiatives of GEN, Schloss Tempelhof and Tamera who welcomed us, shared their work with us and gave (extensive) interviews. Besides, I, Iris Kunze, would like to thank my colleagues and Prof. Helga Kromp-Kolb at BOKU for their support and feedback. I would also like to thank Sarah Mitternacht, MA student at BOKU, who contributed some interview transcriptions conducted forher MA study on regional development and on Schloss Tempelhof. I, Flor Avelino, would like to thank all the people from Tamera who took the time for interviews, conversations, showing me around and introducing me to people. In particular, I would like to thank Fátima Teixeira, Leila Dregger and Irma Fäthke. Last but not least, I would like to thank Tim Strasser, an intern at DRIFT in 2014, who helped me very much with the transcription of the interviews. Date: 2015 Authors: Iris Kunze and Flor Avelino Contact person: Iris Kunze ([email protected]), Center for Global Change and Sustainability (gW/N) University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Borkowskigasse 4, A - 1190 Vienna Table of contents 1 Introduction to the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) .................... 6 2 Methodology ................................................................................................ 9 2.1 Researcher’s relations to the case ............................................................................... 9 2.2 Methods.................................................................................................................................. 9 2.2.1 Overall methodology ...................................................................................................................................... 9 2.2.2 Interviews ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.2.3 Participant observation ............................................................................................................................. 12 2.2.4 Document reviews ....................................................................................................................................... 14 3 Analysis of the ecovillage movement and GEN ............................. 15 3.1 Transnational networking: GEN as formal network of the ecovillage movement 15 3.1.1 Descriptions and definitions of an ecovillage .................................................................................... 15 3.1.2 Development of GEN as a global network ........................................................................................... 16 3.1.3 Recent developments in GEN ................................................................................................................... 18 3.2 Aspects of ‘innovation’ and ‘change’ within GEN ................................................ 19 3.2.1 Relation with social innovation .............................................................................................................. 19 3.2.2 Relation with system innovation ............................................................................................................ 21 3.2.3 Relation with game-changers .................................................................................................................. 22 3.2.4 Relation with societal transformation ................................................................................................. 23 3.2.5 Relation with narratives of change ........................................................................................................ 23 3.3 Aspects of empowerment and disempowerment of GEN ................................ 25 3.3.1 Governance ..................................................................................................................................................... 25 3.3.2 Social learning ............................................................................................................................................... 28 3.3.3 Resources ........................................................................................................................................................ 29 3.3.4 Monitoring and evaluation ....................................................................................................................... 30 3.4 Question by interviewees to TRANSIT research project ................................. 31 4 Local initiative 1: Schloss Tempelhof (TH) ...................................... 32 4.1 Overview of developments in Schloss Tempelhof .............................................. 32 4.2 Aspects of ‘innovation’ and ‘change’ of Schloss Tempelhof ............................ 36 4.2.1 Relation with social innovation .............................................................................................................. 36 4.2.2 Relation with system innovation ............................................................................................................ 39 4.2.3 Relation with game-changers .................................................................................................................. 40 4.2.4 Relation with societal transformation ................................................................................................. 41 4.2.5 Relation with narratives of change ........................................................................................................ 41 4.3 Aspects of empowerment and disempowerment of Schloss Tempelhof ... 42 4.3.1 Governance ..................................................................................................................................................... 43 4.3.2 Social learning ............................................................................................................................................... 47 4.3.3 Resources ........................................................................................................................................................ 50 4.3.4 Monitoring and evaluation ....................................................................................................................... 51 4.4 Other issues about Schloss Tempelhof ................................................................... 52 5 Local initiative 2: Tamera .................................................................... 53 5.1 Overview of (development of) Tamera .................................................................. 53 5.1.1 Community Identity .................................................................................................................................... 53 5.1.2 Space and Ecology ........................................................................................................................................ 55 5.1.3 Networking, Outreach and Communication ....................................................................................... 59 5.1.4 Background & Development .................................................................................................................... 62 5.1.5 National & Regional Context: Portugal & Alentejo ........................................................................... 65 Transit – Grant agreement n. 613169 – WP4 – CASE STUDY REPORT Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) –2015 3 5.2 Innovation and Change in/by Tamera .................................................................... 68 5.2.1 Relation with social innovation .............................................................................................................. 69 5.2.2 Relation with system innovation ............................................................................................................ 70 5.2.3 Relation with game-changers .................................................................................................................. 71 5.2.4 Relation with societal transformation ................................................................................................. 72 5.2.5 Relation with narratives of change ........................................................................................................ 74 5.3 Empowerment and Disempowerment in/by Tamera ...................................... 75 5.3.1 Governance ..................................................................................................................................................... 80 5.3.2 Social learning ............................................................................................................................................... 85 5.3.3 Resources ........................................................................................................................................................ 86 5.3.4 Monitoring
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