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Shivalik Eco Village Project
Author: Paul Chi
Date: |
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Eco Shiva home page
The founding of ECO SHIVA in India
- here is an initial report from Paul Chi illustrated with pictures he took in October 2008 on his first visit to India and the land dedicated to the ECO SHIVA project
In front of the reception area, Bagga Ji, our wise teacher of healthy living practices and a personal escort on my local tour - a man much loved and admired throughout the villages
A team of people from all walks of life are pulling together to set up an Eco Village in a beautiful part of the Earth, located within the Shivalik Hill range in the north of India at the foothills of the Himalayas. This is a pioneering project within the region that aims to develop a model of sustainable living, both in harmony with the physical environment and the local communities. The project is being set up in such a way that neighboring small holder farmers, craftsmen, laborers and their families will directly and indirectly benefit from it.
The people of India extend the warmest and most beautiful welcome
And know how to party
1. location
a. key words: Shivalik Hills - Morni Hills - Chandigarh (nearest city) - Raipur Rani (nearest village)
a. foothills - fertile land - forests - rivers - streams - lakes - cliffs
c. conservation area (government protected zone) - small holdings - wild animals - farm animals
 Mehar Singh, one of our neighbours, has been farming this way all his life
2. Intention
a. eco-village - global - cultural exchange - co-education - forming a trust to establish shared ownership and responsibility
This is the spot where Bagga Ji wants to base his Eco Village School
b. to involve the local communities in all aspects of the project - boosting the local economy 
Potter Ram Singh, keeping alive the traditional crafts.
c. rickshaw kings - some of the poorest people in India are experts in eco-friendly transport and we will be campaigning on their behalf and providing a base for a small community within our Eco Village
a couple of photos I took in Delhi
d. vision for the shivalik hills - developing a replicable model of healthy ecologically sane living for the region
 Hansraj Singh is on watch all night and every night, chasing animals away from the crops, mainly Rice at the moment
3. people
a. people involved now
 The founder of the project is Gary Young, here viewing one of his favourite locations on the site
and committed key workers, representatives of local businesses and farmers, such as Rai Singh
b. people effected by the project - the indigenous people living and working in this vicinity of the foothills and tradesmen in local villages
Mukhtiar
c. people we envisage being here -
Paul, Goldie and Nitu - Goldie is managing a successful hand-made clothing workshop in an impoverished part of Delhi. It is hoped that the company and the work-force will be able to relocate in the vicinity of the Eco-Village, a much healthier and more hospitable environment
4. current status of the main site
a. simple shelter for kitchen, a store house and a building in need of restoration.
b. specific sites earmarked for project development within an area about 1 kilometer in diameter, for example
c. neighboring farmers are working the land - paddy fields - some vegetables - some fruit trees planted - irrigation water comes from a huge lake and pure water is pumped from a deep source.
5. kinds of help required - input from people who have expertise (teachers or students) in
a. horticulture
b. organic farming
c. permaculture
d. eco-friendly building construction (caves, domes, earthships...
e. alternative energy
Many helping hands
Eco Shiva home page
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