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Email:
Yahoo Messenger: uevn MSN Messenger: uevn AIM Messenger: uevnf
ICQ: 114970838
email us
Phones: (593) 99-581-219 (593) 91-847-091 USA Fax: 1-253-595-6153 USA: 1-305-515-8137
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an intentional community in south Ecuador |
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FAQ part I |
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Please explain all your email groups/lists, etc.
We have 3 forums and one email lists:
· To reach all the members (only) at the same time.
We have several moderated forum messages lists that you can subscribe too.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LosVisionarios-ec If you are seriously interested in moving to Los Visionarios in Vilcabamba Ecuador this is the new forum to post your questions and meet others.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EcoVenusCountryClub This forum is for those interests in the Eco Venus Country Club.
uevn-announcements This is a list for an announcement only. This is a moderated list, approx. 1-2 message per month. As Press here to view archived messages To subscribe go to: uevn-announcements or send email to: uevn-announcements-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
uevn-discussion is for those interested in visiting and joining us or that have visited, here is where you can ask question from us and from other who have visited or are in the process of doing so. Press here to view archived messages To subscribe go to: uevn-discussion or send email to: uevn-discussion-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
uevn-introductions is for those interested in sending us an introduction letter only; once you send your introduction letter you will have access to all the other introduction and bio’s. Send you introduction letter via email to the address on the left, and an email to uevn-introductions-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/ecuadorinvestment/ If moving to Ecuador and wondering how to earn a living via investing in a business this is the forum to join. It is a discussion forum for you to discuss investment opportunities in Ecuador with other investors. The forum is for you to meet other investors whom you may decide to team up with to invest in Ecuador business opportunities. This is an open forum to discuss pros and cons of a potential investment, including the pros and cons of the Ecuador political situation from the investors prospective. We the creators and sponsors of the group will be posting all the business opportunities we presently have, some are as low as a few thousand dollar secure investment others are very high risk very high-earning potential, others are as high as 500 million dollars and even more. Our projects range from small to huge we have something for every investor.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LojaProvinceInfo The LojaProvinceInfo forum is for general information and discussion of the areas of Vilcabamba, Malacatos, La Toma etc. of the Province of Loja Ecuador. To post information on places of interest to visit such as the Petrified Forest, water falls, restaurants, concerts, fairs, nightlife activities, dating, where to buy organic foods, group purchase, information about schools, government, medical doctors, attorneys, transportation, related web pages links, UFO activities, etc. To plan trips and recreational activities with others; for parents to discuss child education issues and activities. It is NOT for advertising of real estate nor any business activities, though general questions regarding where to relocate will be tolerated and a description of where you live is also acceptable. This forum is NOT to discuss other areas of Ecuador; for this there are other forums, except when planning a group trip from Loja to those areas. Discussion of pros/cons of one area vs. another is also an acceptable discussion subject. This forum is mainly for those who live in these areas or want to move here and want to connect with others. It is encouraged that you place an introduction of yourself and what your hobbies and interest are, be sure to mention where you live. This forum WILL BE moderated.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uevn-spanish Este foro es para los que desean crear su propia comunidad intencional basada en los principios y metas de la Federación de Eco Aldeas UEVN.
Note: Remove spaces between @
What is our mission? Are we just going to try to make a better life for ourselves, or are we going to do something to help the local people? Are we running away from something or towards something? The question of running away versus towards something is a personal thing -- we can only answer for ourselves. There are elements of both for us. We are motivated by getting out of this stagnant city life of the living dead, getting away from an empty TV culture that has lost all meaningfulness for us, getting away from the misery that we see coming on the horizon due to environmental carelessness, global economic crisis, etc. We are running away from all this and TOWARD a group of people whose company we dearly enjoy, to live in a natural setting where the land and water and sky is unpolluted, so that we can create something together that we will see the rewards from over years and years of our lifetimes. Yes, helping the local people is something we all very much want to do. No, we don't have it all figured out yet -- this is in the making as we speak. The good thing is that these ideas are so young that they're still transformable into whatever we want them to be -- you just have to be willing to take action.
What work, planning, networking can we do on this end before leaving for Ecuador? Join and start using the e-mail lists and chat for a daily discussion.
How can I get my things there? We have successfully shipped 20-40’ containers to Ecuador; you can also send 8x8x8 via plane. Note: There are lots!!! Of documents to file first in order to not pay import taxes, all this takes $$ and time. If is advisable to bring as much as you can with you by hand vs. shipping. You may get a one-time import permit for your entire household; there is a limitation of 6 month upon arrival and you must have applied for resident visa. It is advisable that you consult with an attorney ASAP if you are planning to import.
What if I need something overnight? Federal Express delivers in 2-3 days, DHL, and private curriers. You can get almost anything from anywhere in the world. It will usually cost you import taxes!!! And the fees are 2-3X of national ones.
Do you have a vision for the infrastructure necessary to support a community such as shelter, kitchen, waste disposal, decision-making, ownership, energy resources, etc.? Yes, also see The Venus Project They have videos and literature that describes in detail some good goals to follow. In addition we have people who have lived in community and have very good knowledge on decision-making processes.
Do you have vehicles and equipment for roadwork, and agriculture? Yes. We own most tools needed for construction, in fact we have finished construction of a 6500sf concrete dome, 3 large water tanks, 2 large pools for fish, 2 large septic tanks and one wood cabana/hut. We are starting on two more concrete domes for housing in 2004-5. We own a 4x4 truck.
Do you have lists of what you think each person should bring in regards to supplies, equipment, tools, etc. necessary to help build and develop the community? Yes. Email us for the details.
Do you have detailed information and tips on preparations necessary to be legal to travel and reside in Ecuador? To ship containers? The cost? Yes. Emails us for the details.
What work, planning, networking can we do on this end before leaving for Ecuador? Start using the e-mail list for a daily discussion.
The weather info in your area? Rainfall, seasons, weather problems etc. There are 2 seasons -- rain or no rain. The temperature only varies a few degrees throughout the year.
Currency value? To give you an idea, you can hire a worker for $7-9 USD a DAY. Maid for $120-150 per month. Taxi ride anywhere in the city of Loja just $1 USD. Taxi ride to Vilcabamba from Loja (45 minutes) $1.25 USD, Airport $5 USD in a shared vehicle, $25 private. Prices based on March 2005. Private pickup trucks are available in Vilcabamba and Malacatos for $4-6 per trip.
How far from nearest basic supplies outlets; market, hardware store, bank and communications? Big city? 45 minutes to the city of Loja. Airport? 1 hour. Ocean? 5-7 hours.
Modes of transportation; horses? 4 wheel drive? Preferably 4X4, but a car may be used.
What building materials are available nearby? Same as any big city, just some delays in getting it.
Water locations, purity, water rights? Pure water flows through the land, as 2 streams that come down the mountain, unpolluted because no one lives up there where the water comes from, there is no one to contaminate it before it reaches our area. These streams run through the land, to be used for all our needs, irrigation, etc. A few people have drunk from the streams without treating the water and have had no problems, but we use reverse osmosis & UV filters for cooking and drinking. There are also 2 water sources that come from the top of the mountain in hoses and a large irrigation canal that comes’ from 10 km.
Government support or local intervention? Political environment? We have tremendous support from the local government, from helping us negotiate land to helping with tractors and materials. Political environment is neutral unless and until you pose some sort of a threat. Now that the country converted to US dollars, things are getting much better.
To what degree are you self-sufficient? We are 80% self sufficient at this time, and we have plans to be 100% self sufficient, once the land kindly supports us. We have several electric generators with plenty of fuel, plenty of medical supplies for emergency, emergency food storage, several acres of crops, etc.
What do you grow at this time? Potatoes, parsnips, peanuts, garlic, onions, parsley, pineapples, prickly pears, a few varieties of corn and beans, tomatoes, leeks, cilantro, cumin, thyme, basil, marjoram, carrots, lettuces, beets, lots of coffee, plantains, bananas, apples, grapes, peaches, pears, maracuya, granadilla, figs, soursop / guanabana, sunflowers, avocados, watermelons, cantaloupe and several types of squashes, salt-wort, date palms, custard apple, cherimoya, mamey, genip tree, papayas, babacos, sweet potato, coconuts, plums and many others that grow only in this part of the world; medicinal garden, ornamental plants, orchids and deep jungle project.
All of our water irrigation tanks are finished, full and operating; we have 80% drip and micro aspersion system throughout the property.
What animals do you raise for food? Chicken, rabbits, pigs, ducks, geeses, pigeons, goats, cows, guinea pigs and 3 fish ponds.
Available temporary accommodations during settling? We have a four-bedroom house and one cabin. Electricity, hot water, telephone, Internet, etc. is available at the community building.
At present what land parcels are available? How many acres in a parcel? We will only sell the exact amount you need for your private home no more no less. This is included in the joining fee, see Visiting Rules for Prospective Members. There is plenty of space to build from a simple house to a luxury one.
What is The Venus Project? The plans for The Venus Project offer society a broader spectrum of choices based on the scientific possibilities inherent in current technology and direct that knowledge toward a new era of peace and sustainability for all. Through the implementation of a resource-based economy, and a multitude of innovative and environmentally friendly technologies directly applied to the social system, The Venus Project proposals will dramatically reduce crime, poverty, hunger, homelessness, and many other pressing problems that are common throughout the world today. We feel that the Venus project includes and embraces our hard-core ideals and takes them in many steps further out. Venus addresses many other areas that we at UEVN had not had time to even think about. We feel that our ideals and long-term goals are compatible and would like to join teams/efforts to work towards a common goal. The Venus project focuses on enhancing the lives of all people through the best of science and technology and they also have been ready to continue, expand and further out their vision. The Venus Project presents a bold, new direction for humanity that entails nothing less than the total redesign of our culture. We found out that not only can we build a model place for ourselves but also for the rest of humanity. The blueprints have already been worked out, most details have been ironed out and the time to do it has come by bringing us all together for this special event. There are many people today who are concerned with the serious problems that face our modern society: unemployment, violent crime, replacement of humans by technology, over-population and a decline in the Earth's ecosystems. As you will see, The Venus Project is dedicated to confronting all of these problems by actively engaging in the research, development, and application of workable solutions. Through the use of innovative approaches to social awareness, educational incentives, and the consistent application of the best that science and technology can offer directly to the social system, The Venus Project offers a comprehensive plan for social reclamation in which human beings, technology, and nature will be able to coexist in a long-term, sustainable state of dynamic equilibrium.
If you have any further questions after reading The Venus Project by all means, we strongly encourage you to send an email to Roxanne or Jacque at tvp@thevenusproject.com and they will gladly answer and fill in the details.
Also be sure to read THE WORLD PEACE GARDEN PROJECT AND WORKING MODEL FOR SPACESHIP EARTH These are a series of articles written specifically on Ecuador. Click above to read them.
How are we going to earn money over there? We are sure that by living together and raising much of our own food we can get by on less. We doubt that there will be any jobs available in the nearby city. We have been planting additional crops, irrigating, erecting fences, repairing the road, constructing buildings, raising animals, etc. Earning money maybe the least of our worries in the near future, but it is at this time. We are working very hard doing fundraising for our foundation, see Fundacion Condorhuana Our goal is to do a series of project in the area, when we accomplish this it will provide a good mean of members to earn money.
How are we going to share money and other resources? We think that most of our belongings will end up being communally shared simply because we are a very small, close-knit family type of group, and you can't very easily let one person go without something they need in that kind of a group. We won't have any luxuries that we can think of, so we can't see there being any haves or have-nots. We think there's a general understanding, though, that we will be free to keep private property/money over and above what is contributed to the group (that is to say, no one's going to seize your bank account or steal your blankie). But there is also the general understanding that we're all in this together and we must share to make it through the ordeal that we must go through in the beginning.
How will we interface with the local people? We are interfacing with many of them at this time, from workers to government officials, and we been having an exceptionally pleasant experience.
Will we let local people join us? Yes, in fact there is a group of approx. 10 Ecuadorian that we are communicating with. Most of them are young people who are disgusted with the society they live in and are ready for a change, the only thing holding them back is the fact we do not have an established mean of earning money.
Should we learn Spanish? Many people speak English, French, German and other languages in the nearby town of Vilcabamba, though we DO recommend that you make the effort of learning some Spanish. Part of the fun of living here is interacting with the local people, many of them will surprise you of their very high level of formal education, for example 60% of the city of Loja population has a minimum of 4-year university degree.
How will the local people view a bunch of foreigners with a lot more resources than they have coming in to live among them. Are we going to arm ourselves against them? We don't expect this to be a problem because we think the presence of a group of people, a fence and a SEVERAL dogs, will discourage snooping and take away the opportunities and the courage for theft. As we establish our boundaries, we are reaching out over time and developing relationships of mutual respect and trust. We hope to make more friendships, to share, to get to know the culture and people, etc. Yes, we will have a few guns for purposes of scaring away wild animals from our livestock, possibly hunting, and absolute-last-resort self-defense. We will have them under lock and key since there will be children in the community.
What about Visas? Ecuador is one of the easiest countries to get a permanent visa. Most countries require an investment of $150-300,000USD for a resident visa, Ecuador presently requires a minimum of $25,000 for a permanent investors visa. As a tourist you may visit up to 3 months, there are also sponsorship visas for 6 months. For more detailed information go to the Ecuador embassy web pages at: www.ecuador.com Immigration attorney fee for processing visa range from $2,500.00 to $3,000.00 USD.
How can we help? You can start by answering some of the questions found in Visiting Rules for Prospective Members and email them to us at uevn_private@uevn.org and be sure to join our email lists How to subscribe/unsubscribe to the UEVN-announcement forum list
How do we get there? Take a flight to Quito or Guayaquil, Ecuador. We recommend Quito. From Quito you may take a plane or bus to Loja. We recommend www.costamar.com They are discount travel agents to Ecuador. By bus, there are buses leaving from the bus terminal all day; we recommend PANAMERICANA or you can catch a FLIGHT connection from QUITO, or GUAYAQUIL (which are the international airports, whichever is better for you) to LOJA. There are currently two airlines who offer this service: TAME and SAEREO
From the LOJA airport in la TOMA (Catamayo) there are cars leaving for the LOJA BUS terminal all day. You share the ride and it is cheaper, $3-5 USD per person. $15 USD if you want to travel alone, they will take you to (TERMINAL DE BUS), bus terminal.
AT the Bus terminal there are vans leaving every half hour to Vilcabamba... the cost $1 per person.
Just say the word Vilcabamba. The window that sells it, the company is called Vilcaturis and you buy the ticket then pay 3 cents for the terminal transboard. You go through a passage and outside are the vans, all the rest are busses; the vans go to Vilcabamba.
When you are ready to come visit us, email us for more detailed directions and travel information.
WARNING: PLEASE! DO NOT COME WITHOUT A SET DATE AND TIME INVITATION. WE HAVE ONE TOO MANY DOGS AND THEY DO ATTACK STRANGERS.
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