From Ekistics to GEN to Gaia University

This PowerPoint presentation with many colourful sides (originally ca. 60 minutes) will show how the holistic thinking I have learned in the late 1960’s from C.A. Doxiadis has influenced my life, my design work and my environment. This has not been done in the usual planning methods, it has been done with and for people who have recognized that change in our life-style is necessary to avoid ecological collapse and who saw themselves as designers of their surroundings, indeed of their lifes. The usual academic methods were supplemented by action learning and action research, leading to a pre-occupation with other holistic design methods, eco-village design education and, lately with Gaia University and its self-learning programmes. This young university without walls, based on action-learning, is building regional centres in Germany the UK and on the east coast of the USA, followed by Brazil, Nepal, Portugal, Spain and the west coast of the USA. Some of the members of its Advisory Board are WSE members -and Support from others WSE members is solicited as generalist and specialist advisers.