About the Organisers
We the organisers are an unnamed group of people whose backgrounds include that of Teachers, Natural builders, Artists, Parents and Environmentalists. All are passionate about the value of community-led living and the potential it offers to address many of our societal and environmental problems. We formed in January having met at various workshops, talks and follow on meetings around the topic of co-operative housing. Our group are all agreed that there is a significant desire for community-led living initiatives but there is a lack of connection and paucity of knowledge between like-minded individuals and groups which we hope will be addressed through the Unconferences.
EldonEldon is a primary school teacher with an interest in Steiner Waldorf and Forest School education. He became convinced of the necessity for more self sufficient models of living to be pioneered when studying Environmental Science. Eldon experienced community living when he was a co-worker in a Camphill Community. For the past year he has been actively studying, researching and networking towards realising his aspiration of a community led housing and agroforestry project. He hopes that the ICLU will provide opportunities for like-minded people to meet, initiate projects, fill knowledge gaps, establish support networks, and leave feeling empowered and inspired.
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JackieJackie is a mother of one with a background in Anthropology. After having her first child, Jackie came to realize that mainstream community did not connect with her on an intuitive level so she began to research sustainable, community based, living options. It was while researching this that she met the other organizers. It is Jackie’s hope that this project will bring like-minded people together, to learn and grow from each other and try to realize healthy alternatives to our segregated family lifestyles and to reconnect with others about topics that affect our community as a whole.
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foxFox gained an interest in cooperative living through his passion for democratic education. He has co-founded two democratic schools, the Sudbury School Paris and Wicklow Sudbury School. Fox got the idea for running an Unconference on Community Living from the annual European Democratic Education Community Conference, which served as a catalyst for many pioneers, like himself, who have attended the EUDEC conference and gone on to co-found democratic schools across Europe. He hopes that the Irish Community Living Unconference will serve a similar role for community projects around Ireland.
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AllanAllan has built up broad knowledge and experience of grassroots organisation for sustainable development over the past decade. His interests lie in solidarity economy, rewilding, agroforestry, circular economy and a participatory decision making culture. With his recent return to Ireland, he hopes to contribute to a new paradigm in community empowerment over 'the commons' and new collaborative structures for a resilient and justified housing revolution that benefits everyone.
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AdrianAdrian returned to Ireland recently after spending much of the last decade living, traveling and working n different countries. Before returning home he spent a year on the west coast of America volunteering on organic farms and learning to build off-grid sustainable abodes with Earthship Biotecture. Adrian is eager to explore the possibilities of building sustainable/resilient communities in Ireland and is very pleased to be involved with ICLU to bring like-minded people together.
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SeleneSelene moved to Ireland last autumn and has fallen in love with the people, the land, and spirit of this place. Her dreams include living in a food forest, creating laws which allow for taxfree inheritence of family land, promoting inter-generational lifestyles, and moving into sustainable global/local balance. She is currently studying for a permaculture design certificate, and practicing public speaking and Nonviolent Communication. Her background is in nature inspired spiritual service.
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