2018 April to September

GEN-Japan
Gaia
Education
Global Ecovillage Network JAPA
NIndex page (font Avenir Bold, 24 pt)

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Course Overview ………..……………………………………………………….………………………… 01

01.1

Participants …………………….……………………………………………………………….………….… 02

01.2

Course Ryhthms……………………………………….……………………………….…………………..… 0202

Highlights & Challenges of each dimention ………………………. ………….……………………..… 04

02.1

Social …………………………………………….……………………………………………….………...... 04

02.2Economic …………………….…………...................................................................…...........…..… 05

02.3

Ecological …………………….…………...................................................................………....……. 06

02.4

World view …………………….…………...................................................................……..........… 07

02.5

Design ……........……………….…………...................................................................…….........… 0803

Lesssons Learnt – Notes for Future Benefit ………………………….…....................................… 09

03.1

Notes of our Learning ………………………….….....................................................................… 09

04

Summary of the Project ………………….……………………………………….……......….………..… 10

04.1

A big GAIA FAMILY was born when the program ended.……….………...……......…..……….… 1005

Participant Quotes …………….………………………….……………...........………………………...… 11

Wing/EDE GEN-Japan Gaia Education

01 Course Overviews
With full of affection and energy to GAIA, participants were certified to complete the program of theSecond GEN-Japan’s EDE on 17th September 2018. Innovative six months program, three-days (or four-daysin Sep)-residences a month, brought big awareness to all participants. At the end of the program, theypresented each “My first step toward the next society building” in front of people, at the class of As One
Network Suzuka Community in Mie, Japan, that is an urban ecovillage established in the end of 2000 and amain learning place of GEN-Japan’s EDE. Supporters and 2017-graduates gathered from various places ofJapan in order to listen and celebrate to their presentation.
Through the ScienZ Method, the abbreviation of Scientific Investigation of Essential Nature + Zero, amethodology that As-One has innovated for community building, step by step, participants could observe
their inside and the root causes of fear to human relation issues like split and conflict among people.At thesame time they could observe and experience what a agreat possibility we human have! It means, theyget to know that human will be able to go together and solve them peacefully.
All participants could do their best to learn awareness- based conversation, from April to September. The
time of conversation was constantly held. In the circle or small groups, they open their true heart and mind,
and then finally natural and beautiful relationship emerged and covered all of them. They can get
confidence to learn more on 4 dimensions, both in visible and invisible contents. Here was the new
networking created.
From out-standing pioneers like Hide Enomoto, Keibo Oiwa and Prachar Hutanuwatra, 15 participantslearned also their strong spirit. And we opened some of those lectures for city people to join. When each1

lecture ends, all participants wanted gatherings. Through those conversations after lectures, they said thatthey could get the real learning.
By the innovative three-day or four-day a month format including weekend residencies and visits to local
projects and case studies, participants could stay to learn from three leading sites; June, Shantichty withbeautiful land-scape by permaculture design; August, Transition Town Fujino with the biggest circulation oflocal currency in Japan; April, May, July and September, As-One Network Suzuka Community with 18 years
history of urban-style community building, also as an experimental site of Scienz ( Science + Zero ) Institutewith the accumulation of the research on human nature and the social systems.
4 primary facilitators are well experienced; one is an authority from university, three instructors of theScienZ Method, created for community building in As-One Network. And On-Line two hours group session
was held between every month program, in order to help participants not only to review and deepen thelearning points, but also to keep motivation higher.
All participants could aware, “We can get back to authentic selves.” They have started creating theawareness-based conversation on their feet as their first step toward the new social body, and also they arehaving the gathering for the next members of the EDE 2019.

01.1 Participants
15 participants gathered. One from Hokkaido island,two members are from Shikoku island, and other 12participants are from main land like, Fukushima, Tokyo, Shizuoka, Nara, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Okayama.
One university student, one doctor, two hotel owners, one consultant of healing, a cook, a restaurant
owner, two organiers of their Retreat program, and two retired person from a commercial company before
the EDE course. And also one worker has quit the company during the course. Males are 3 and females 12..
They have strong will to create something related regenerative community.
Almost of all participants were recomended to join this program by 2017 EDE’s ones. Their quality oflearning will, ability and influence to others were higher than ever. As the result, the learning atitude andclass atmospher become higher than ever even in the beginning.

01.2 Course Rhythms
The first day, 12:00 acceptance. 13:00 to 15:00 check-in and exchange of home-works and challenges withbreaks. 15:00-1700 visits with orientation to local sites. 17:00 to 18:15 free time and taking a shower 18:1519:30 a night meal and rest, 19:30-21:30 practical session. 21:30 social time.
The second day, 6:30 to 7:30 maditation, diaries, connecting nature, 7:30 to 8:30 a breakfast and rest, 8:30
to 10:00 lecture or practical group exploring, interaction with host members with breaks. 10:00 to 12:00
group work. 12:00 to 13:15 lunch and rest. 13:30to 16:00 open lecture and group session. 16:00-18:00 visits2

a local hot spring, rest and stay in nature. 18:15 a night meal and rest. 19:30 to 21:30 practical session.
21:30 social time. (One more day for designing in September).
The final day, the same schedule in the morning. After cleaning 13:30 to 15:00 final session. 15:00 to 16:00
report writing as the reflection.
And On-Line two hours or three hours group sessions were held between every month program, in order tohelp participants not only to review and deepen the learning points, but also to keep healthy mentalcondition.

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02 Highlights & challenges of each dimension
02.1 Social
All subjects were covered comprehensively.

02.1.1 Making Social Bases by dialogue.
They could recognize every person has different
background inside, which is from culture,
history, environment of family and diverse
condition. Through opening and observing theirinside deeply under such differences, they
could find their own true heart by themselves
through dialogue in a circle. Especially by theScienZ method, dialog both of one-self andothers made participants realize how every
person is interdependent in reality; nobody
likes struggling with others. People naturally
like to live together. Their interest transitedfrom the result to the process. They could
experience to open their true heart and have aconversation to start being together. They
could feel a peaceful atmosphere among
themselves even if there were some feeling oremotion of antipathy before. In addition to this,participants stayed at three different sites, an
open-style urban community, a beautiful
country site in permaculture design, andtransition town site. Especially As-One Suzuka
Community is a model of flexible social
structure in urban area with 18 years
experiment based on study. Experience to stayat As One make participants empower naturallythat people can trust people. It is the key forsustainable society building to respect andsupport each other. Then they understanddecentralized-interdependent-social structure
can be created by new stories based on real humanity. It means that they can get to know how to manifest
such kind of society on their site.

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02.1.2 Quotes
From faculties: Yuu Mizuki/ NVC & Piano meditation: when we want to manifest healthy human relationship,
it is fundamental truth to connect deeply with their own hearts at first.
Masashi Ono/ Scienz method, As-One Network Suzuka Community: “Society aims to support anyone to live
the authentic self pleasantly!” Such transition of view of society has been fostered. That becomes to thefoundation for sustainable society building.

02.2 Economic
All subjects were covered:

02.2.1 From Globalization to Localization
In the trouble sea of globalization, our focus is
how to build and keep the independent island of
local economy; in other words, from ego to eco.
The essence of economy is not by monetary
exchange but love and trust exchange.
At Transition Town Fujino, one hour distancefrom Tokyo, participants could learn the typical
local currency called YOROZU, which coversmore than 200 households in the city.
And another case they learnt and muchinterested in an inner economy of As-One’s“SPACE JOY”. That is still for certain 76
members, but participants got to know thepossibility that no one needs money for daily
food and necessities including coffee or alcoholor special skills and knowledge, like a big family
based on closeness; depends on each trust
through mutual understanding. They learned
how the person is satisfied with affection incommunity members. In the result, they could
get to know that people become to be free andencouraged to open their full personality withlove to others; all people need is to be loved
and love to others essentially.

5Community business model is the Lunch Box Company of As-One Community, whose hand-made-anddelivering-lunch-box is very popular in Suzuka city, such as more than 1000 customers a day. Participants
could learn such way of thinking and management as interdependence between the community business,
local economy and city people.

02.2.2 Quotes
Keibo Oiwa: Social anthropologist: Local power is much important. Now is the beginning of the end of
Globalization; Local is beautiful
Participants: It is essential for us to create the community business as a reliable showcase to people.

02.3 EcologicalAll subjects were covered:

02.3.1 Over views
Participants stayed at a beautiful green buildingof Shanthikuthi, a retrofitted old school building
as a training facility of Fujino, and a renovatedhall as the Eco & Community Station of As-One
Suzuka Community. Those examples made themrealize that they have already enough on theirfeet. As-One’s farming company is a model toreuse of abandoned farming fields. That helps
local water management and nutrients cycles.
Participants could learn that there are lots ofabandoned fields and forests in cities, not inmountains, waiting to be maintained, while local
people are getting older. On whole systemapproaches, participants experienced practicalpermaculture design in Shanthikuthi, and they
made maps on cycles of water, energy and food as grope works after study-tour. Through examination of
their present living by Eco-Footprint, they found their problems against sustainability, and discussed on thesolution. Another example was the Urban-permaculture way of living in Yokohama city, which encouraged
participants because of its closeness to their circumstances. Their most favorite work was the cooking ofwild grasses in Shanthikuthi. After taking a walk to pick edible grasses by the guide, they enjoyed together
learning how to cook with the outside cooking stove.

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02.3.2 Quotes
Kenji Usui / Permaculture / Shanthikuthi: weneed to get to know we have enough.
Atsuki Kuga/ faculty, vice representative of GENJapan: It is just the first step to get to know thereal balance of our way of living. We need toreform our way to the right direction.

02.4 World view
All subjects were covered comprehensively.

02.4.1 Over views
The Earthrise from the moon, participants could
see this historical photo and share their feelingon it several times during the course. In themorning, they could write diaries or take a walkfor meditation. In the evening, they observe theirtrue mind at hot springs in nature. ThroughScienz Method, participants tried to deeply
observe their true heart and find the essence toact something. And they became to notice theworld was not isolated but as one.

02.4.2 Quotes
A faculty, Hidetake Enomoto encouraged,”It isundeveloped and most powerful natural energy
for human to imagine.”7

02.5 Design
02.5.1 Observing the present condition and designing the future plan.
Shanthikuthi at Nagano pref is one of model cases of permaculture. We stayed to learn from the reallandscape. First, Divided into 3 groups, they had an excursion to observe cycle of water, energy, food, andthe total design. Then they reminded their own living, comparing the model case. Almost of all participants
live in urban area. And so the activities of As One Network Suzuka Community made them encourage
designing their future plans. Their focus was torebuild the human relationship around their living
site. They could learn that the members in therelation gradually became their bases toward theregenerative communities.
By the way of “World Shift”, Tetora Tanizaki ledthem to find the next step to realize that. In addition,
they focused on the human relationship building; itmeans they know how important each heartcondition. When the time for presentation started in
the final day, facilitators did not call any names.
Silence was necessary for them. And then the first
person raised her hand and she confidently spoke
aloud, showing her picture in front.

02.5.2 Quotes
Takaaki Kumakura / a faculty, primary facilitator / I
have never seen such mindful conversation andatmosphere as all participants willingly transited to
be interdependent.

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03 Lessons Learnt – Notes for Future Benefit
03.1 Notes of our Learning
From the last year’s Lesson-Learnt, we could
lead participants to grow as partners, not guests.
They joined the group of living work every
month. Those activities made them not only help
self-time management understanding the dailyschedule, but take care of each other bycompassionate bond among them; like theKitchen to prepare the dining, the Cleaners tokeep cleaning common places, and they feely dosomething necessary.
And they could feel
happy
to see the other’s awareness andgrowing.
And another adding was to have a bodyexpression class in the program. From the last
Survey, some students and a faculty suggested to want body expression or art class. And we had Social
Experiential Activities in April and September. The first one is for them to get relaxing. The last one is toconfirm their relationship building at the end of program. They enjoyed a lot. Especially the first one in April
worked better than we expected.
Two supporters have been appeared from 2017 graduates, and they did video making and took care of
2017-2018 gathering. We could created the new structure for participants to keep in touch and encourage
each other; GAIA FAMILY. And four supporters have joined them from 2018 graduates. They have started
the new gathering for the next EDE.
ScienZ Method has worked well to break each belief system in mind and observe what reality is by eachself.. Participants loved the conversation time called “Time to explore”. We need to give more official
explanation as a methodology.
August was too hot to concentrate on program. The City was crowded because of the traditional summer
festival. We needed to have excursion about Transition Town activities, but we decided to minimize theschedule and have enough rest to stay inside. That worked very well for participants’ health condition.
When we stayed at Transition Fujino, an aged participant could not become familiar to their vegetarianstyle meals. She hesitated to express her real appetite. We needed more careful observation toparticipants.
Almost of all participants seem to be satisfied with the program. From the open questions of the survey,
their answers showed their satisfaction. They mentioned they liked the time to explore by the Scienz
method as the strength of the program.

904 Summary of the Project04.1 A big GAIA FAMILY was born when the program ended.

The 2017 participants gathered for the 2018 ones to celebrate for their graduates on the end of theprogram. The 2018 members were much surprised and moved by their presence. At the same time theirvivid presentation reminded 2017 ones of their own experiences. And then they had a talk and decided tostart the new group for graduates; The Gaia Family. They have kept in touch to encourage each other tobuild their social bases.
Relationship between primary facilitators was very well. We could talk anything not with hesitation but withpeaceful and familiar mind. Participants could see how important it is!

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05. Participant Quotes
I could become to have hopes for the future. I was surprised at lots of things we already have in oursurroundings.
I will become the person who can listen to one’s true heart, not appearances and words, and then talkpeacefully from my true heart.
I could get to know what a diverse and huge love has been supporting and loving me.
When we can have trust and love to others enough, we need not money so much.
relationships are essential for our happiness and community building.

11Such human