There will be 20 participants maximum. If there are too many applicants, the first ones who will have confirmed their participation will be able to attend the program.

Our facilitators come from different backgrounds: Dr Omid Hashemi is an Iranian scholar and practitioner in the theatre and performing arts, teaching at the University VIII in Paris with 20 years experience. Gijs Spoor is a Dutch social entrepreneur and system change facilitator, working with activist movements in India since 2003. Alex Jensen has been coordinating the Local Futures work related to development alternatives in Ladakh, and associate of the Sambhaavnaa Institute of Public Policy and Politics in Himachal Pradesh, India. He represents Local Futures in the Vikalp Sangam/Confluence of Alternatives India process. He worked with cultural affirmation and agro-biodiversity projects in campesino communities in a number of countries, and is active in the degrowth movement. Robyn Bors (co-host at the farm) offers introduction to Nonviolent Communication (NVC) (https://www.cnvc.org/ ), and weaves in Constellation facilitation to the embodied aspects of the curriculum. She guides yoga/meditation practice, and creates spaces where music may enter. Robyn will serve the project both as Provision space holder - bringing awakened understanding to all tasks related to gardening, cooking, cleaning and holding the group space clear, including speaking to meta process dynamics emerging within the group. Lars Veraart (co-host at the farm) is a veterinary doctor by profession, who moved into small-scale regenerative farming and facilitates hands-on immersion in peasant agriculture. Lars will serve the project as Provision Grounds holder. He also guides exploration of the bioregion, including bird and other species identification, and coordinates the exchange visits to regional sites. Dr Ana Margarida Esteves is a Research Fellow at the Center for International Studies of the ISCTE - University Institute of Lisbon, and Guest Assistant Professor of the Department of Political Economy. She facilitates the academic sessions, in particular those on facing the polycrisis, decolonisation, radical ecological democracy and the re-emergence of commons. She brings an inspiring possibility orientation as a member of SEADS (Space Ecologies Art and Design), a transdisciplinary and cross-cultural collective of artists, scientists, engineers, and activists that is actively engaged in deconstructing dominant paradigms about the future and develops alternative models through a combination of critical inquiry and hands-on experimentation. Members of our scientific committee have been guiding curriculum development. These include Dr Begum Ozkaynak - Department of Economics Boğaziçi University, Istanbul Dr Suryamayi Clarence-Smith - lecturer American University of Paris, Auroville Cansu Gurkaya - PhD student, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris Emilia Lewartowska - PhD student, International Development Research Group and Social Dynamics and Change Roskilde University Denmark.

Practical workshops/skill sharing Intellectual inquiry, including academic literature and discourse Art/craft sessions, storytelling Collective creativity, futurism/foresight, imagination Community living and physical labour Guest speakers and local exposure visits

The learning starts when you leave your house. The GSR team can provide you with; Materials to study on the way (like podcast recordings that go well with long bus rides) Suggestions for inspiring projects and organisations to meet (based on our extended networks and allies such as Global Ecovillage Network, Auroville, Ashoka fellowship, Catalyst 2030) Templates for meaningful interactions with organisations/ initiatives along the way (can be tweaked based on your personal preference and interest, but in general this includes workshops/skill sharing, art/craft sessions, storytelling) The overall learning objectives of the Prefiguring Alternative Futures Summer School are: Understanding our collective predicament, often referred to as the Polycrisis or Metacrisis Increasing confidence in local, people based responses to this global crisis Understanding holistic frameworks to assess and evaluate systemic alternatives to the destructive systems of imperialism, capitalist extractivism and consumerism Integrating various faculties, including intellect, creativity, imagination, care and physical labour Experiencing shared inquiry and response making We don’t have specific objectives for places to be visited along the way, as this depends on agreements and interest of both hosts and travellers. Our intention is to make the experience as relevant as possible for as many people as possible, realising that we can not make everyone happy all the time.

Depending on where you travel from, the costs of transport will vary. From the UK to Romania may cost Eu 200, from India it will cost around Eu 550 - (one way, excluding return). For accommodation and food along the way expect to budget Eu 150 from the West and Eu 250 from India. The summer school itself costs Eu 300 per person. So in total budget Eu 650 when coming from the West or Eu 1100 when coming from India. + add onward / return journey as per your wish.

The program is designed for adults. Children participation will have to be considered on an individual case basis with the validation of the hosts in Provision. In any case, children will be under the full responsibility of their parents.

Exchange with place based initiative is key to the GSR design and relationships with these communities are one of the most important values of the Silk Road we wish to help manifest. So we expect you to act as ambassador of this future inter-cultural network. Every cohort of travellers builds on the achievements and reputation of its predecessor. We don’t yet have detailed processes for this, but intend to facilitate long-term accumulation and integration of subsequent inquiries and collaborations. See more in this draft manual GSR Playbook .

We decide on this together within the group that is eating. In most cases we cook for ourselves so it’s up to us.

As of May 5, 2024 we have the following information: Travelling from India: 10, of which 5 participating in the Summer School Travelling from Western Europe: 7, all participating in the Summer School

That depends on where you start from. The GSR team of volunteer coordinators has prepared some elements of the journey, but most is left to you, the traveller. If you are joining from India, you benefit because this is the home base of most of the GSR team and they will travel along the same route. So there is a certain degree of “tagging along” possible. If you join from the West (like NL/FR/DE) we have less experience and less established contacts, but can still support you by sharing contacts and making introductions. For the proposed itinerary from India (dated May 2, 2024), click here For the proposed itinerary from Western Europe (dated May 2, 2024), click here

We have applied for funding from the European Union (Erasmus), which implies a number of limitations: it is only applicable for residents of NL, FR, GE, DE, PT, TK, BG and RO we will hear by end of May whether or not we get this money. We also applied for other funding, but will only hear after the program has started whether or not we get this money, so for all practical purposes this is not helpful in deciding whether to join or not.

The accommodation at Provision in Alunisu offers various options, including three community houses and land traditionally used for hosting volunteers and projects; The Blue House, a classic peasant house with cob walls and blue lime finishing, accommodates four people with a compost toilet and wood-fired shower. The Tiny House, also housing four people. The School House can accommodate eight individuals and is connected to the Blue House with a water stream. Both houses have a large orchard at the back. Additionally, there are ample spaces for tents and hammocks, previously utilised for various projects. An old traditional Hay Barn is also available for use. Places to sleep will be allocated based on physical ability needs and requirements participants will share with us. In terms of budget: if you bring a tent you will always be more independent and we can discuss reduced pay for tents compared to housing.

Most important is an attitude of co-creation, taking initiative and responsibility to increase the relevance and appropriateness of our program. Whatever skills you have can find their place in the extended community of the Green Silk Road, but it requires effort and participation.

We recommend everyone to take out health/travel insurance. For medical support: we will provide detailed information about available doctor in the village before reaching. If the first aid kit is not enough support, there is always a car available that can take individuals to the closest hospital. Regarding mental health: there is a trained psychologist on the spot that is available for 1-1 conversations, and also hold sessions about non-violent communication, guiding reflection groups, and to have safe feedback sessions. She is also there to support the team with any conflict.

Before the program, the GSR volunteers support by keeping in touch with travellers for any raised concern and sharing contacts from place-based initiatives for the travellers’ itinerary. The program itself follows a holistic approach which should enable the participant's ownership of the project and make it meaningful. After the program, several ways of building on the experience will be suggested. The Green Silk Road covers many life aspects, therefore there will always be a way to integrate the experience to it. The year 2025 will be even more ambitious in terms of travel and education.

The rough flow of the 10 days is as follows; Day 1 Arrival Day: getting to know the place and each other Day 2 Market Day: The participants bring their shareables to the local market and we collectively purchase all items needed for the following week Day 3 DeGrowth Day: understanding the Polycrisis and Civilisation collapse, as well as holistic Alternatives through the lens of the Flower of Transformation Day 4 Romania Day: contextualising the summer school in Romanian current affairs and civil society trends Day 5 Specialisation Day: Participants form groups to go deeper into sector-specific challenges and questions. eg: food systems, democracy, economy, art & culture ,etc Day 6 Story Day: Human library as a method of learning about each other's stories in depth. Also visiting local practitioners, and trekking to the Apuseni mountains to learn the stories of the land Day 7 Provision Day: helping out at the farm with practical projects such as hay making or building repairs Day 8 Art Day: at the system change studio participants are guided through collective creative expression and preparing for the presentation tomorrow Day 9 Market Presentation Day: Everyone to present the collective inquiry and story of the week at the farmers market in the form of an art installation and/or skit & song Day 10 Closing Day: cleaning up and saying goodbyes