The Green Road

Global Ecovillage Network Ukraine, Permaculture Network Ukraine, Global Village Institute, Gaia University and Ecosystem Restoration Camps have come together to mobilize our ecovillages and permaculture farms to host displaced people fleeing the war zone and to grow extra provisions to share.

Thousands of Ukrainians are displaced and wandering. Like so many Yemenis under Saudi jets, their eastern and southern cities, towns and villages are being bombed every day. Being in locations situated mainly in the countryside, we are in a position to shelter families either on a long-term basis or temporarily, as people wait for the best moments to cross the border to a safer place, or to return to their homes if that becomes possible.
 

We’ve called our project the “Green Road.” <https://www.gvix.org/greenroad> We have 62 sites in Ukraine and 265 around the region, a northern road, a road through the cities and a southern road. These are something like the underground railroad, but with very few places to rest along the way, they might better be thought of as the Trail of Tears 2022. With tanks and artillery barrages at their heels, thousands are moving desperately by night and hiding by day. We pass out an instruction set that includes the rules of traveling, getting through or around checkpoints and advice for crossing the borders into different countries.

We have set up a landing page  to solicit more sites, with the information on how the project can be supported through on-line donations, crypto, direct wires and other support. Those in the United States wishing to make a tax-deductible gift can do so through Global Village Institute by going to PayPal.me/greenroad2022 or by directing donations to greenroad@thefarm.org.

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So far we have collected and distributed around 220,000 euros. The collected money is being spent only for peaceful purposes: to improve the accommodations (often people are hosted in old empty houses without anything and it is winter now), to feed people and to transport them. Special attention is needed for children, the elderly and the sick.

We all had hoped that the war would end in several days or that we would manage this project with our own funds. Neither of those came true. As we start to think about the future and gardening season, we want to involve people in growing food. We would like to acquire additional farm machinery, seed, and be able to erect greenhouses. We need to counter the food crisis at the local level, as may you all in the days and months to come.

Another part of our project is resupplying the first aid kits of Ukrainian permaculturists who stayed in Ukraine to support vulnerable members in their communities or, forced into military service, have become paramedics. Our primary objective is to supply them with materials for wounds and trauma because civilians are suffering similar injuries to the military.

We shall be very grateful for your support for this project, for sharing this information, and for every warm word in social networks.

Iryna Kazakova, GEN Ukraine
Anastasiya Volkova, Permaculture in Ukraine
Albert Bates, Global Village Institute and GEN Ambassador

Liora Adler, Gaia University and staff, Ecosystem Restoration Camps