You are invited to Ecotopia 2007 - Migrations

This year Ecotopia will take place between 4 - 19 August in Aljezur in the south of Portugal.

What is Ecotopia?
Ecotopia is a two-week activist camp and an open event for everyone interested in environmental and social justice issues. Ecotopia takes place every summer since 1989 in a different country. It is organized by EYFA (European Youth For Action) and hosted by local grassroots environmental organizations. This year, the 19^th Ecotopia will be hosted by GAIA (Grupo de Acção e Intervenção Ambiental).
Ecotopia is a place for networking, learning, exchanging experiences and spreading information about environmental, social and political issues and campaigns. Several hundred people attend Ecotopia each year to share skills, to discuss alternatives and to address a wide range of themes and issues like strategies for actions and campaigns, racism, xenophobia, homo- and queerphobia, creative dissent, alternative media, social centers, sustainable building and infrastructure, organic/fair trade food and farming, climate change, biological diversity, GMOs, etc.

This years' theme 'Migration'
Ecotopia covers a wide range of issues but has each year a particular topic that stands out. This year we look particularly at the theme Migration. There will be a 3 days Migration Focus on the venue from 10^th to 12^th of August.
Throughout these 3 days there is space to discuss the reality of a 'Fortress Europe', of detention camps and different kinds of repression on 'illegal' people, and to share experiences in the struggle for equal rights and global freedom of movement for all. In the setting of Ecotopia we will also look into the reasons and effects of urban-rural/rural-urban migrations and address the global increase of environmental refugees.

Community
Ecotopia is horizontally and self-organized. It brings an alternative and environmentally-friendly way of living and organizing into practice: DIY (do-it-yourself), consensus decision-making, waste recycling, a vegetarian/vegan organic kitchen and the usage of alternative energies as much as possible. It is strictly forbidden to use non-ecological stuff (soap,shampoo etc) in the camp. Everyone is asked to involve themselves in decision-making processes, the daily creation of the program and the running of the camp. During the 2 weeks, participants can use Ecotopia as a platform to spread information in the area and to organize local actions or cleanups.

Location
Aljezur is a small town in the south of Portugal situated in the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park in the Algarve region. The landscape is dominated by cliffs, clear sand and dunes. It is known for its archaeological and historical richness. Once founded by Arabs in the 10th century, the Aljezur of today has a mixed population of 2700 inhabitants. Most Aljezurians make their living from traditional agriculture with sweet potato and peanut being typical products for this region.

Alternative Economics
Ecotopia's economics are based on the Ecorates system - an alternative economic system developed by EYFA, which is based on living standards and income of people rather than financial markets. Ecorates currency is used in Ecotopia and in many other meetings and magazine subscriptions with the aim to create fair prices to balance the economical differences between countries. Please help us update the Ecorates by filling in the Ecorates questionnaire Thank you! For more information on ecorates see www.eyfa.org/ecorates

Take part
We would like to invite everyone interested to come and want to contribute to the program by giving workshops, presentations, discussions and screenings on the theme of migrations and any other interesting topic or environmental issue. Groups and individuals are welcome to present their work, and also to network and plan meetings within Ecotopia.
If you need a visa to come to Ecotopia, please contact Salome (salomeribeiro@gaia.org.pt) till 30^st of June 2007 the latest, better NOW!
If you want to apply for travel reimbursement, please fill in the registration form before 2^nd of July 2007.

Prepcamp (23^rd of June - 4^th of August 2007 )
Every year, before Ecotopia starts, there is a Preparation Camp of 1-2 weeks in the venue for setting up the infrastructure of the camp. This year Ecotopia Prep-Camp will start 23^rd of June 2007. If you want to participate the PrepCamp, please mention this while filling in the online registration forms. 

One of the best ways to come to Ecotopia has always been the Ecotopia Biketour.

Bring your projects, ideas, creativity and your tent to Ecotopia!!

EYFA & GAIA
ecotopia@eyfa.org
www.ecotopiagathering.org/
www.gaia.org.pt
www.eyfa.org