The Earth, Wood & People training took place from 22-30 June, 2025, in Bozevce village in Kosovo, where GAIA, an SCI partner, has been developing an educational program for permaculture and natural building. The village is under (natural) construction, and is being built with the help of international and local volunteers.
Natural Building
Natural building is not a new or revolutionary concept. In fact, humans have been following this method for millennia. Everything from wooden huts to complex structures capable of hosting thousands of people has been constructed using natural materials. Natural building is one of the most outstanding achievements of our kind.
The Earth, Wood, & People training began with an introduction to natural building concepts. Then, the conversation delved deeper into the connection between natural building and broader topics. Climate change, global crisis, traditional knowledge, injustices, and inclusion were all discussed. A goal of the training was to demonstrate the complexity of our society. Moreover, participants learned that there are alternatives to many of the problems that exist today.
Testimony from a Volunteer
According Victoria Schreiner, a volunteer from Vienna who participated in the Earth, Wood, & People training, „Earth, Wood, and People was a course led by amazing trainer Katja and Alex who introduced us to basic knowledge behind earth and wood as building material, showed us possibilities to use those materials and we gained hands on experience replastering windows and building a roof for the well. They showed us old abandoned houses in the village, where we could see how natural building constructions were done and we visited a beautiful hill with a stunning view… We even had the first Pride in Bocevce with a music circle, campfire and funny oldschool games! Although… there is still so much to learn, experience and gain knowledge in… we already learned so much!“
Moreover, Victoria added, „This programm has also helped me a lot to overcome my own fears and boundaries as well and to broaden my horizon and to make new friends.“
