Ecotopia 2004 Netherlands

EYFA (European Youth for Action)  and a Coalition of five 
Dutch  Organisations (A SEED, IVN-jong, JMA, LHUMP and 
VIA)  want to invite  you to  
                                           Ecotopia 2004 Netherlands 

Ecotopia is an international gathering on environmental and 
social justice issues  for young people all over Europe. It occurs 
every summer since 14 years ago,  changing from one country to 
another in Western/Central and Eastern Europe.  This year the 
14th edition will take place in The Netherlands, at the nature  
reserve Gandelwaard, near the historic Castle Loevestein. 

Ecotopia is not just a "holliday" camp. It is a place for learning 
and taking  action, working together and having lots of fun. 
Ecotopia is self-organised and  run out horizontally. During the 
camp all decissions are taken by the participants  at the daily 
morning circles, and everybody is responsible for creating the  
programme, solving problems and running out the daily tasks. 

Ecotopia is also a functional model of self-sustainable community 
that puts into  practice the principles of an environmentally 
friendly life-style: waste recycling,  vegetarian kitchen, consensus 
decission-making, and the use of alternative  energy. 
Furthermore, Ecotopia is the place to exchange experiences, 
spread  information and enrich one's knowledge about the 
environment and other social  and political issues through 
workshops, debates and art.  

Around 200 - 600 people use to attend Ecotopia each year, 
sharing skillls and  knowledge about a wide range of themes 
related to environmental problems:  climate change, transport 
and mobility, GMOs, organic food, sustainable  energies, 
strategies for actions, alternative media, global politics and 
economics,  migration, racism and xenophobia, influence on and 
of people, cultural issues...

This year's focus is on "Water and Bread". We will be looking 
at different  perspectives on our basic needs, from issues of 
agriculture and water  management to fair trade, politics and the 
enlarged EU.  

The programme at Ecotopia is totally dependent on YOU. If 
you have any skill  that you would like to share with others you 
can organise a workshop or  presenation on any topic you like. 
Just fill in the application form for workshops  that you will find 
in the site: 
http://www.ecotopia.nl  
. 

To participate in ecotopia fill in the application form for 
participants  
and write to: [email protected] 
before the 1rst June ! 

(There is a limited budget for travel reimbursement). 

AND Don't forget that one  of the best ways to reach Ecotopia 
is the BIKE TOUR. Last summer the Bike Tour  went through 
Poland and Ukraine to reach the Ecotopia festival in the  
Transcarpathian region. This year we will start in Vienna, and 
cycle through  Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and the 
Netherlands to Gorinchem. 


 On the way we will share daily tasks and take part in actions of 
local  environmental and cycling groups. More info at: 
www.thebiketour.net 
For subscribing to the biketour: [email protected] 


get hooked on the Ecotopia rope: 

...Germany (1989), Hungary (1990), Estonia (1991), Bulgaria 
(1992), France  (1993), Romania (1994), Poland (1995), 
Czech Republic (1996), Scotland  (1997), Germany (1998), 
Romania (1999), Finland (2000), Bulgaria (2001),  Ireland 
(2002), Ukraine (2003), Netherlands (2004)