ORIGINS: Back to Basics- Building Community and Applied Participatory Learning

ORIGENS: Back to Basics- Building Community and Applied Participatory Learning

Through a practical project using diverse natural building techniques, participants will experience living as a community and develop skills to increase learner participation.
This course content is designed based on the 3 ethics of permaculture:
- EARTH CARE: Natural Resources: management and protection. Introduction to Permaculture. Natural Building Techniques and materials:stone, adobe, cob, wood, clay, lime, etc.
- PEOPLE CARE: community participation, practical learning, hands-on, mindfulness, nature awareness and connection, non-violent communication
- FAIR SHARE: Alternative Economics, Community living, participatory learning, cooperation,

Tools such as mindfulness, non-violent communication, deep listening and empathetic listening, will be introduced and practiced in the group.
The common, practical focus is the building a “Chicken house/ Gallinero” using a diverse range of natural building techniques. Experts from the Origen’s team will guide the practical sessions, in the field of carpentry, natural materials and local techniques. Origens specializes in participatory and highly practical learning. All participants will have the opportunity to practice the techniques, use the tools and be involved to their maximum capacity. Later, we will review techniques and technical information learned during the day’s activities.
Learning outcomes include: participatory learning methods, leadership, teamwork, natural building techniques, natural resource identification and management, a brief introduction to permaculture ethics and principles, peaceful communication, public speaking, giving and receiving feedback, inter-cultural relations.
Participants will be encouraged to be independent and responsible for their own learning. The program will also ask participants to contribute and share their own experiences and skills in regular “Each one Teach one” sessions.

WHO?
Ferran Bergonyo: co-founder of Origens, builder and expert in natural building techniques. Ferrran worked as a “monitora” with youth in summer camps and also as a scout leader. This experience inspired him to start Origens which has worked with local youth, engaging them in local projects during the summer.
Kate Curtis: with over 9 years of experience in youth education, she is a facilitator of Permaculture, Deep Ecology and Life Design. Co-founder of Soil*Sun*Soul and Creative Languages, she has also developed various participatory learning materials with Gaia School Asia.
Origens team of experts: Guest facilitators in Natural Building with years of experience facilitating practical trainings.