The Village Building Convergence is excited to announce a growing relationship with Gaia University International!

Gaia University focuses on the relocalization of higher education and offers accredited degree programs for real-world action in self and planetary transformation. These programs cultivate world changers working for local and global sustainability, justice, and peace. Associates have access to a powerful global network of leaders, advisors and peers offering support and guidance in the development, implementation and documentation of their self-directed project work.

Orientation Workshop: May 12-20, 2010
Extension Workshop (Village Building Design Course): May 28-June 7, 2010

Location: Portland, OR
Orientation Instructors: Andrew Langford and Liora Adler

Upcoming Degree Programs at VBC

Integrative EcoSocial Design (IESD) BSc, MSc, GD*
Integrating the ecological and social aspects of design into projects that focus on ecosystems, societies, communities, technologies, and personal lifestyles.

Several experienced City Repair people are available to serve as specialist advisors for IESD associates. Our work will help you in empowering those you live, work or play near to design and create human-scale places in urban settings, planting the seeds of village life within the city. City Repair specialist advisers will support associates as they initiate and nourish placemaking projects where they live.

Organizing Learning for EcoSocial Regeneration (OLE) MSc, GD*
Applying organizational learning and design to educational projects.Some people focus on the development of a GU regional center as their primary project.

Open Topic (OT) BSc, MSc, GD*

For those who are working at a strategic level as world changers and want to design their own program topic. You may likely already have a clear and appropriate project in mind.

*GD Post-Masters Graduate Diploma

Contact Information

For more information about Gaia University, and to register for these workshops, please email info@gaiauniversity.org or visit: www.gaiauniversity.org

Instructor Biographies

Andy Langford and Liora Alder have spent the last 35 years working to create projects which will affect the personal and global crises of our times.

Andrew Langford, MSc and Dip.Perm.Des
Gaia University - Co-founder and President

Permaculture Association of Britain - Founder and lead designer of the Permaculture Diploma WorkNet. www.permaculture.org.uk

Global Village Institute, Board Member - www.i4at.org

Andy brought Permaculture to the UK in 1986 and initiated the Permaculture Association of Britain, as well as the Permaculture Diploma WorkNet upon which the design of Gaia University is based. He has been active in the European permaculture and ecovillage networks, is a member of the European Permaculture Council and has served on the European Council of the Global Ecovillage Network.

Alejandra Liora Adler. MEd.
Gaia University - Co-Founder and President

Global Ecovillage Network - International Advisory Council and UN Representative

Global Village Institute - Vice-President www.i4at.org

Bioregional Coordinating Council - www.bioregional

Liora has focused on the human architecture underlying ecovillages and other social change groups. She has shared her experience and knowledge in 30 countries, as a member of the Board of Directors of the Global Ecovillage Network, its representative to the UN, and as a co-founder of two ecovillage projects in Latin America, Huehuecoyotl Ecovillage in Mexico and La Caravana Arcoiris por la Paz, a mobile project, now in its 12th year, and in Brazil.