Do you ever feel that your friends stop listening when you start talking about sustainable fashion or lifestyle? If so, you could probably benefit from joining a community with a similar vision where you can find like-minded individuals, discuss your ideas, and discover the type of projects you want to participate in.
It is a well-known fact that communities bring many benefits to our well-being. They can encourage change. Unite its members towards a common goal. Engage in a meaningful process. Create impact.
Southeast Europe has a lot to offer in that regard. Here are some examples of sustainable communities in SEE that you can join in 2022.
#1 Name: AUBG Sustainability Club
Based in: Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
AUBG Sustainability Club is the first ever community founded by students of American University in Bulgaria. Its purpose is to bond people over creating a more environmentally friendly campus through small changes. For instance, as part of the AUGB Civic Engagement Day, the team has recently participated in a tree planting event whereby 100 Japanese cherry trees were planted in Blagoevgrad.
#2 Name: Agency for Sustainable Development and Eurointegration – Ecoregions (ASDE)
Based in: Sofia, Bulgaria
ASDE – Ecoregions is a non-governmental organization founded in 1998 in Bulgaria. The organization works in collaboration with the state administration, municipalities and civil communities in implementing sustainable development projects of long-term national and public interest. Throughout the years, they have had different master plans for multiple municipality projects.
#3 Name: Green Association
Based in: Sofia, Bulgaria
Established at the end of 2012, the Green Association was formed by a group of friends in Bulgaria with the initial goal to promote non-standard solutions for environmental protection. They also organize many events to promote living in small communities, while being environmentally conscious. Their “Green House” initiative has been running for two years and strives to create a shared workspace that promotes positive influence on each of us by offering sustainable social interaction patterns.
#4 Name: The Hives Project
Based in: Nea Sermili, Greece
Greece-based, this non-profit entrepreneurial organization aims to inspire a positive effect in three topics – Culture, Education and Environment. Another reason for their development as a community is the need to organize information, infrastructures, and resources of environmental interest. They are open to new members and visitors. One of their projects is called “The White Rabbit Guesthouse”, an eco-friendly community project that provides sustainable and reasonably priced quality accommodation.
#5 Name: Aurora Community
Based in: Hunedoara, Romania
Aurora is a Romanian-based “intentional spiritual community”, fighting for economic, ecological, and social self-sufficiency and sustainability, motivated by a deep sense of self and community transcendence for the greater good. The community believes in the ability of individuals and groups to discover new and creative solutions to the problems and difficulties of climate change reality. Recently, they created a fundraising campaign to mobilize citizens to actively participate in forest preservation and conservation in the region of the Western Romanian Carpathian Mountains.
#6 Name: Loc de Troc – Micile Bucurii
Based in: Bucharest, Romania
Launched as a spin-off of Micile Bucurii, an environmental NGO started as a Facebook community, Loc de Troc offers a marketplace for the exchange of goods and services. Their goal is to promote the circular economy, as well as community collaboration. The community already gathers more than 16,500 members.
#7 Name: Village Cera, Croatia
Based in: Cera, Croatia
This project in Croatia was organized by a group of people in 2021 with the goal of building an eco village based on the infrastructure of the old village of Cera. Their aim is to renew the understanding about land and soil preservation, food production and trade, renewable energy, reforestation, traditional handicrafts, herbal preparation education, building with local materials, animal care, and so on.
If you know of examples of sustainable communities in SEE that are not on this initial list, drop us a line at The Recursive Newsroom.
