GEN — Global Ecovillage Network

An international network of intentional communities (ecovillages) that share ecological, social, and governance principles. GEN coordinates communities across dozens of countries, providing a platform for knowledge sharing, mutual support, and collective advocacy. It has developed an internal “passport” system — an informal credential allowing GEN members to travel between ecovillages with certain privileges — making it a practical example of translocal identity and mutualized mobility.

Michel Bauwens references GEN’s passport system as an example of entanglement: shared identity infrastructure that enables practical solidarity across a network of place-based communities. The comparison to Medieval guild halfway houses — where guild membership guaranteed hospitality across Europe — illustrates the long historical lineage of such translocal mutual aid networks.

Referenced in: Ep 3