When dreams come true
......... It is sometimes a bit chaotic .... We loved this land when it was bare, hilly, covered with meadows .... How will it be tomorrow, in one, two years ?... Here, the change is visible by the day, houses sprouting up like mushrooms...
As for me, I joined the project in 2010 ... Retired, I was bored in the city and dreamed of a small piece of land to grow vegetables, gaze at the sky and a slightly wider horizon... As many people, I was a little depressed by the bleak future we are promised for the planet, and disappointed by our society which not only has lost some appeal, but worst, doesn't inspire our youth any more, our grown children who, seem not to be keen to follow the example of their parents ...always complaining about their work load.
One day, I had the opportunity to see the film of Coline Serraut "Local solutions to a global disorder". I was heartened to see that there were many projects around the world emphasizing harmony and balance with the earth, or dare I say, ... with the cosmos ? And then, the same week, by chance, I came across a TV show on eco-villages and "the penny dropped" as we say ! The idea struck me, it was so obvious : "But I, also, can do it ! " So I searched on the web « eco-village », and one thing leading to another, I eventually found the site:
http://ecohameaudandral.over-blog.org/ ....
In no time I was won over by the chart.
See for yourself in the heading "Values that unite us" :
".... We believe that another world is possible, from now on we want our lives to be in line with our ideas. We find that liberal globalization generates only competition, commodification, individualism, increased exploitation, inequality and poverty, destruction of the ecological balance and the environment, depletion of natural resources ... We stand for a world where the economy is at the service of men and nature, and not men and nature subservient to the economy. ... "
In no time I was won over by the chart.
See for yourself in the heading "Values that unite us" :
".... We believe that another world is possible, from now on we want our lives to be in line with our ideas. We find that liberal globalization generates only competition, commodification, individualism, increased exploitation, inequality and poverty, destruction of the ecological balance and the environment, depletion of natural resources ... We stand for a world where the economy is at the service of men and nature, and not men and nature subservient to the economy. ... "
History :
The project itself began between 2005 and 2008.
Some people, together or separately, were taking part in different meetings on eco-villages or hamlets projects.
Spring 2008: Sylvain and Michèle found the land. The charter is drawn up, partly through cyber meetings ...
July 2008: first meeting in the Lot.
July 31th : the preliminary sales agreement is signed.
August: Meeting in the Lot, writing of the SCI Articles and mapping out the houses locations.
September: meeting in the Var. Work on the articles, the specifications statement, the financial plan.
12 September 08: Application lodged for the building permit of 16 units.
November: meeting in the Lot. Finalization of the company's Articles. Specifications. Site clearing workshop. Meeting with the architects.
2009: Meetings. Implementation of the different jobs.
March: Selection of an architect for the planning permission. Registration of the Association's Articles, official constitution (memorandum) of the SCI. Signature of the land purchase final act.
April, May, June: Work on the planning permission and the specifications statement.
July-August: Camping on the site, mounting of a yurt, site clearing workshops, sanitation of the source, straw-earth wall, debates, etc.
September: presentation of the project to the Mayor of Vigan City Hall, the architects and landscapers of the DDE (Deparmental Section for the Equipment), architects of the CAUE (Council of Architecture, Urban Planning and Environment) of the Lot and Aveyron.
Dismantling of the yurt.
October: meeting - Work on the terms of decision making.
November: meeting organized by the architect with all the different partners involved (Road Service, EDF Elecricty Company, Telecom, etc.)
December: implementation of the different jobs - Social component, specifications statement, rules of procedure.
2010: registration and delivery of the planning permission.
2011: archaeological excavations .... Phew ! What a relief, they found nothing!
Coaching starts with a consultant : " Relationships : the seal of the community practices." Because in the end, the real adventure is relational, isn't ?
2012: completion of the servicing works and first building permits.
February 2013: First house pops out the snow !
Meanwhile, the work of the group continues with its ups and downs, festive evenings, relationships difficulties, permaculture courses, participation in a film about Transition, greeting and receiving Altertour, plantations...
Gradually, most of us have came to live nearby, which facilitated exchanges, meetings, and the group life began to take shape ...
The project in a nutshell :
25 individual bioclimatic houses, a common house and utilities on a building plot of 1.5 ha. Vegetable gardens, orchards and other food crops will add value to the 7 ha of agricultural land surrounding the building zone. The co-housing community is conceived so as to reduce its environmental impact and foster social ties.
Today, thirty three adults and nine children are shaping this living space. They are drawing the bases founded on social and generational diversity, solidarity and mutual assistance, sharing of resources and respect. Thanks to their democratic functioning and their active secular non-violent citizen initiative, the future inhabitants of the eco-hamlet of Andral want to forge an alternative to neoliberal globalization.
It is not easy to hear and respect each other when you have thirty people together, or even less. So, at some point, we decided to get some coaching, which is still in progess, to make sure that everyone finds its place and that project keeps moving forward. In a gentle and caring way, some co-habitation ruling tools have been implemented to ensure that everyone has the same rights and duties.
A personal account :
"I look forward to seeing the houses of all shapes and kinds emerging from the ground and the children of the hamlet, the present ones and those to come, investing all the corners of this place from the source to the vegetable garden, groves to the meadows, orchard to the henhouse ... I can't wait to see my grandchildren joining their gang during the summer vacation. I dream to see them grow on the foundations established by their parents or grandparents, in this materialized dream of a living space which is a real alternative to competition, individualism, precariousness underlying the liberal system.
With these experiences emphasizing cooperation, mutual aid, listening, respect for others as well as for nature and earth, learning a real democracy, I want to believe that they, in turn, will be able to face more daring challenges, knowing for a fact that other worlds are possible." (Véronique)