Thus began a close collaboration with many groups at both the national and international level dealing with the issue of monetary reform and complementary means of payment.  Margrit has organized a network of competent experts in this subject, and their work continues to gain increasing recognition.

1994, Declan became Founding Chairman of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN -www.ecovillage.org)  and coordinated the European GEN office until 1999.

In September 2003, Declan, together with Christian Gelleri, a teacher of economics at the Waldorf School in Prien, organized the first network meeting of initiators and supporters of a regional currency.  In 2005, that network gave rise to the Regional Currency Association, of which most regional currency initiatives are a member today. In parallel, Margrit initiated a group of consultants for the regional currency initiatives, which includes both initiators of regional currencies as well as university

teachers, lawyers and bankers working on the theoretical basis for solving the specific problems, which occur in the implementation of new currency systems.  Their research has helped in the functionality of many regional currency systems.

In 2003, Margrit founded the non-profit organization, MonNetA at Lebensgarten Steyerberg to explore whether, and if so, how complementary currencies can help to solve social, economic and environmental problems.  The results of her work are published on the website: www.monneta.org.  Since 1986, Margrit has become an expert on the subject of money, and has made numerous presentations on the results of MonNetA’s research to develop creative solutions to systemic financial problems.

In 2005, in the collaboration of Liora Adler and Andrew Langford, Declan helped to develop the concept of a new institution, called Gaia University. It resulted in an organization

called GAIA Action Learning Academy in Germany, a sustainability-oriented initiative for individuals of all ages and educational backgrounds offering opportunities and support for independent learning and action.

Declan’s latest project began in 2009 with the creation of the Permaculture Park at Lebensgarten Steyerberg (PaLS). Here Permaculture principles are practically applied on the agricultural land next to Lebensgarten. It is a research and demonstration project, at the same time offering food security to Lebensgarten’s residents.  On what once was barren land now grows a wide variety of healthy vegetables, herbs and fruit.

You will find information and publications related to all these projects in the library on our website.