The period between crises becomes shorter and shorter indicating that the world, as we know it, can’t continue. We face multiple imbalances. On the individual level – anxiety, stress, loneliness, and poor health. At the collective level – inequality, discrimination, separation, oil crisis, financial crises, and the pandemic. On a global scale – climate and biodiversity crises, polluted air, water and soil. 

For centuries we have improved life by treating symptoms and borrowing resources from future generations. We can’t maintain such an unsustainable lifestyle any longer. A paradigm shift is on its way. For a solution to work, it needs to be perceived as an increase in the quality of life. 

The Health, Happiness and Green Living course is a unique opportunity to increase your understanding of how life works and learn how to design sustainable projects, such as a community, a garden, an economic system, an enterprise, as well as your own health, home, and career. 

🌀 12 weeks in a community at the seaside

🌀 Tours to other Danish ecovillages and eco-initiatives

🌀 EDE and PDC certificates

🌀 Max. 30 participants

🌀 Comfortable accommodation and healthy meals

At the course, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how life works through the prism of 4 dimensions: social, ecological, worldview, and economic. You’ll develop skills to create strong communities and successful green projects, live a more sustainable life, and increase your ability to master your thoughts and actions.

The program of the course includes a wide variety of topics: 

🔆 PDC (Permaculture Design Course – a system of sustainable design)

🔆 Effective Communication (shared decision-making via sociocracy, conflict resolution via NVC)

🔆 Personal Transformation (getting in touch with our own patterns and meanings)

🔆 Regenerative Economy (personal finances, starting a business, forms of capital)

🔆 Health and Well-Being Practices (healthy cooking, happy habits, daily rituals)

🔆 Open Space (an opportunity for students to share their own passions and ideas)

🔆 Project Design (creation of ecovillages and permaculture projects)

• Instead of the standard 4-week EDE, our course lasts 12 weeks to dive deeper into learning and practicing the EDE program
• On top of the EDE certificate, you also get a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC)
• As the course is planned together with the Danish Ecovillage Network LØS, there will be excursions to several ecovillages during the course
• There will be an increased focus on self-care, so you can create/maintain the stamina and flexibility required in this changing time
• There is more free time in our daily schedule. You get a better integration of new skills and mindset as you will spend more time creating design projects as well as continuing to work on your own projects. 
• The course will include a macrobiotic cooking workshop and detailed training in sociocracy
• You and your group will complete at least 2 larger designs during the period (an ecovillage project and a permaculture design project), as well as many smaller ones
• Avnø Oasis has several projects in the implementation phase which you can get involved in or observe. 
• Besides the facilitators from the ecovillage movement, qualified in permaculture and sustainable practices, we also work with internationally recognized health facilitators with an in-depth understanding of the interconnection of living conditions, food, mindset, lifestyle, body, mind & soul. They will support you in restoring your natural state of health and happiness.

The emerging ecovillage Avnø Oasis is a vibrant space of enlightenment, community, transformation, and change-making. No one will leave from there untouched. The same counts for an EDE. No wonder, that the combination of an EDE and Avnø Oasis is a perfect match!

Avnø Højskole, one of the first projects of Avnø Oasis offers a global learning space in an inspiring environment. Avnø Oasis is in the process of establishing a co-housing community, a health sanctuary, and other green socio-economic enterprises. We aim to turn it into one of the most inspiring green hot spots in the world. 

The venue is rather big, with enough space for students to both have privacy and also get a sense of community. Besides the classrooms and the well-equipped auditorium, you find facilities like a gym hall, a fitness center, a library, a music room, and even a sewing and a painting room. Avnø is situated near the sea in beautiful natural surroundings with a public nature center just a short walk away. At the site, a permaculture garden is being established and the forest is just next to the main building, offering outdoor ‘classroom’ options.