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1st Eco Camp African Way
1st Eco Camp African Way event joined the World Cleanup Day
August 27, 2022
Rainer Hettenbach joins the African Way technical team
October 20, 2022Updated on August 28, 2022
The 1st Eco Camp African Way was held from September 16th to 18th, at Quinta Monte Cardal in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal, standing out as a shining example of how indigenous knowledge systems can catalyze town planning, communal management, and seed effective sustainability communication in South North collaborations.
It was organized in liaison with local and national partners (ex: Montemor Municipality, MINGA Cooperative, CAMPINTEGRA Association, AMORA Association, Healing Forest Portugal, among others) to inspire young adults to overcome their fears and live their dream lives. It turned out to be an open call to business entrepreneurs interested in alternative ways to networking and regenerative business to partner with African Way.
TEAM BUILDING
The event facilitated the trust for more collaboration in the mobilization of the Alentejo community for the African Way and the working group of youth associations of Montemor. Besides the natural building workshop, Permaculture practice workshop and cultural exchange, there was a field trip to clean up the Almansor River as part of World Cleanup Day. In the cultural evenings highlighted by Ambazonian dancing and international cuisine, fireside chats were used for aligning hearts to the higher purpose which boiled down to the fact that beyond the skin we carry the same fire and light in our hearts represented by love.
LISTENING CIRCLES
The deep listening circles and moonlight night walk served for personal transformation and finding one's place in the intersection of system's change. Most of the young participants expressed their appreciation for the weaving exercises of inner work with the outer work that created feedback loops in applying positive African values for game changing orientation in systems thinking. It was discovered during these deepening relationships sessions that if we are prepared to meet each other where we are, magic happens.
HIGHER PURPOSE
Some philosophical and historical underpinnings of African Way discussed during the shared intentions elucidated the challenges faced in South North partnerships, opening hearts and minds on the love economy which if well integrated in the digital revolution would create regeneration ripples in Europe's regeneration process. In his closing remarks, Joshua Konkankoh, elder leader of the African Way, said it´s useless to talk about love if we cannot connect to each other's souls and see eye to eye in the life container, Mother Nature who has the power and wisdom to make us human.
NEXT STEPS
The 2023 Eco Camp African Way is already on the drawing boards, promising to used working together as a tool to promote inclusion and participation between different organizations to formulate partnerships in local development projects design and implementation and strengthen global South-North partnerships.
