MISSION

REDES’ mission is to revitalize the rural villages of the Sahel to address the global challenges of climate change, desertification, and rural poverty.

VISION

We in REDES envision a prosperous, green, biodiverse Sahel where all enjoy abundance and peace.

REDES’ network of ecovillages serves to inspire others in the region to take action toward this vision.

OUR ECOVILLAGES

The majority of the ecovillages in REDES are located in Senegal and Mauritania. REDES is headquartered in the ecovillage of Guédé-Chantier, outside of Dakar, in northern Senegal.

OUR STORY

Who we are

The Network for Ecovillage Emergence and Development in the Sahel (REDES, its French acronym) is a grassroots community association dedicated to developing a mutual support network of ecovillages in the Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa. REDES was founded in 2015 by Dr. Ousmane Pame, the former mayor of Guédé-Chantier and current president of the Global Ecovillage Network Africa. The village of Guédé-Chantier had been operated under ecovillage principles since 2007, and has since become the nucleus of REDES’ network. Since its founding, REDES has not only expanded (currently 141 villages across Senegal and Mauritania, and counting!). it now also includes collaborators and supporters from around the globe.

What is an ecovillage?

Ecovillages are conscious communities emerging all over the world in the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) that are making a commitment to a more sustainable and just future. While some ecovillages are built from scratch, those in REDES are traditional villages that have chosen to combine modern sustainable and regenerative practices with the strengths of their deep cultural roots and rural quality of life. Ecovillages design themselves through collective, local decision-making to meet human needs such as employment, community, education, and equity, while living sustainably and protecting their natural surroundings. REDES exists to support these ecovillages as they emerge.

What we do

We use a results-oriented, grassroots approach to taking tangible steps on the ground to carry out our mission of

revitalizing the rural villages of the Sahel to address the global challenges of climate change, desertification, and rural poverty and to realize our vision of ;

a prosperous, green, biodiverse Sahel where all enjoy abundance and peace.

Our priority action areas cover:

Promoting relevant practices and encouraging collaboration among ecovillages, while strengthening biodiversity in the Sahel’s ecosystems;
Deepening the social conditions in which ecovillages and all community members (including women and youth) can prosper;
Revitalizing the wisdom from our best cultural, gastronomic, medicinal, sacred traditions that supports our mission and vision; and
Building local and international partnerships that strengthen REDES’ capability of delivering results on the ground, and increase partners’ awareness on the socio-economic, cultural and environmental realities of the Sahel.

Examples of how ecovillages are coming together with REDES’ support include

Establishing community orchards and forests to restore and strengthen biodiversity, reverse desertification, and increase food security,
Digging wells and irrigation pipelines to ensure adequate water supplies,
Building eco-schools, to provide new economic opportunities for their people instead of having to migrate,
Organizing and holding food processing training,
Running ecovillage design courses for local youth, women and community leaders, and
Hosting international academic and service learning programs in ecovillages.

By taking care of the land, ecovillages are taking care of themselves. Together, these ecovillages are turning the tide against social and environmental pressure by building sustainable and regenerative communities.