The opening session of the 2012 Gathering will explore the topic of sustainability and members of the Findhorn Foundation will join the participants to engage in the discussion. Each session is co-created by all involved and promises to be an inspiring meeting. Over the next few months, until the Gathering commences in May, we will introduce you to some of the members of our community who are excited to be involved…
Ana Rhodes Castro has been living and working in the Findhorn Foundation since 1994. During this time she has worked within a variety of areas in the organisation. Ana has been a member of the Central Management team over the last seven years, six of those spent being responsible for the area of Spiritual and Personal Development. This comprised of internal trainings, conflict facilitation, supervision and other internal structures that support the Findhorn Foundation to function gracefully and efficiently at an individual and collective level.
In February 2009 Ana stepped into the role of Chair of Management/Focaliser of the Findhorn Foundation. “What called me to take on this role was my deep love and desire to continue to serve and support the unfoldment of the Findhorn Foundation in the world as a Holistic Educational Centre, a Spiritual Community and a system dedicated to walking lightly on the planet”. Ana is one of the representatives of the Findhorn Foundation working in conjunction with the UN.
Part of her accreditation is as a Transpersonal Psychotherapist. She is also trained in Process Oriented Psychology. This enables her to work as a Psychotherapist, with young people, single adults and couples in the local Moray Area, Scotland. Ana also runs regular trainings and offers consultancy in Spain, the UK and other international locations such as South America.
One of Ana’s greatest passions is maximizing the inherent potential of individuals, groups and organisations in a way that is supportive and enhances the natural leadership that lives in people.
May East is a sustainability practitioner, educator and designer heading two international organisations: Gaia Education and CIFAL Findhorn – UNITAR Associated Training Center for Northern Europe.
Based at the UN Habitat Best Practice Designation Findhorn Ecovillage since 1992, May has been leading a whole generation of sustainability educators delivering trainings in 23 countries in the most different stages of development and in both urban and rural contexts, under the umbrella of Gaia Education.
A tireless networker she has played a prominent role in developing relationships between the UN and the Findhorn Ecovillage, culminating in the launch of CIFAL Findhorn in 2006.
May facilitates international think-tanks such as the Club of Budapest World Wisdom Council and delivers Transition Training since 2008, creating pathways for low-carbon global to regional performance.
She has a UNITAR diploma on Climate Change Diplomacy and has recently been nominated one of the 100 Global Sustain Ability Leaders 2011.
Graham Meltzer has a deep, abiding interest in shared or communal living, having lived two years on Kibbutz, eight years in Australia’s largest commune and five years at Findhorn.
Graham’s academic research of the last 15 years has focused on cohousing – looking specifically at the link between social cohesion and effective environmentalism.
His current role in the Findhorn Foundation is community architect and project manager, and teaching applied sustainability in undergraduate and postgraduate courses run by the Findhorn Foundation College.
Graham is organising the June 2013 event here at the Findhorn Foundation, Communal Pathways to Sustainable Living: Past, Present and Future.
If you have any questions or there are particular aspects of this topic you would like to explore, please email the co-ordinator of the Gathering christine.lines@findhorn.org
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