In this issue of the Journal, we’re visiting an eco-village. We’re in Ukraine – let’s not forget the war. But we turn towards those stories that respect nature, even in these inhuman times. We discover then that where nature is respected, so is man.
A map of special places is coming together between our pages. In the next issue, and the ones that follow, we’ll connect the dots.
Narrative genre: Entering the City. Historically rich genre: Ranging from ancient verses about Christ in Jerusalem to filming city marathons. Indeed, we too will watch this tale unfold like a movie sequence shot with a hand-held camera, giving it a sense of excitement. A road sign appears in the flickering image: «Zeleni Cruchi». «Green Roads»: and it seems like the caption to a Windows-screensaver-variety of landscape: flooded with bright meadows.
Characters: they are nameless, out of respect for their tragedy. The language they speak is Ukrainian. The soundtrack is interrupted regularly by bombs falling close by, too close. The sequence shows without a doubt refugees from today’s war, immersed in a verdant landscape.
FLEEING FROM THE BOMBING IN KIEV.
Five zones lie beyond the road sign in the Ukrainian village of Zeleni Cruchi. Our refugees have crossed the border of the outermost. But it’s neither a no-fly zone, nor a no-man’s land. Meaning, land that’s forbidden to fly over, or where the term no-man evokes a state of anguish. On the contrary, these Zeleni Cruchi areas flourish in harmony with the environment. It sounds strange to talk about war and ecology in the same sentence.
Or does it?
THROUGH PERMACULTURE ZONES.
The village that the sign promises is an eco-village. Here permaculture is practiced (emphasis on culture). It’s a real agricultural philosophy. The areas dividing the vicinity of inhabited places require less and less care. So, we go from the house – the center of activity – to the untamed forest, where we observe nature and learn lessons to bring back home, inside.
For example, in Zeleni Cruchi they’ve planted aromatic herbs to attract insects that will pollinate other plants. In an eco-village, nothing is kept at a distance. Indeed, hospitality is really possible, even in times of war. Outside the door is the forest, but it’s not sinister like in fairy tales. Our camera passed through the five zones, one after the other. The refugees are safe and the story continues.