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Formed: 1978 Established: 1995
Tamera - Healing Biotope I
7630 Colos,
Portugal
 Tamera is an international project for a future without war, with a site that comprises 331 acres, 30 km inland from the Atlantic coast. The project sees itself as a base and training camp for global peace work.
Since 2006 Tamera offers a 3 years education programm. Students learn in theory and practice how to implement Peace Villages in the context of a global healing concept. An important aspect of the education is Tameras experience and knowledge about community and building trust, truth and transparency also in the area of love and sexuality. Another main aspect is the study of the "Political Theory" by Dieter Duhm that shows up the possibility of global changes through local work.
From 2009 on the education programm will be officially acknowledged by "Gaia University" that offers a masters degree.
Based on 25 years of peace research and community experience, Tamera has been founded in 1995 by the sociologist, psychoanalyst and author Dieter Duhm, by the free theologist and author Sabine Lichtenfels and by the physicist Rainer Ehrenpreis.
The aim is to develop a cultural model of a nonviolent lifestyle for a couple of hundred people and the implementation of a "healing biotope". A "healing biotope" is a life community of people, animals, and plants whose life forces complement each other and are no longer blocked by each other through violence and fear.
Between people the character of Tamera is guided by honesty in relationships, truth in love, and transparency in the community and above all taking on one's own responsibility and thus steering free of leadership cults.
Currently about 100 staff members and many students live and work in Tamera in the areas of social design/community building - ecology - alternative technolgy ("Solar Village Project") - international peace work/conflict resolution (mainly in Israel/Palestine, Colombia, India).
Tamera is looking for support and cooperation with other committed peace workers and future-orientated communities world-wide. Our main "meeting point" for contact and network is the annual Summer University in Tamera.
 
Website: http://www.tamera.org/
Contact:
Healing Biotope I Tamera
Monte do Cerro
P-7630 Colos, Portugal
Phone: +351-283-635-306, +351-283-635-484
Email This Community!
Last Updated:4/5/2008
 
Visitors Accepted
 (Please contact us or our website in order to find out when your visit is possible.)
Visitor Process: Please contact us via phone or email to find out wether we are open for guests at the moment you want to visit us. Please check our website for our the current schedule and more information how to visit Tamera.
Network Affiliations:
GEN - Global Ecovillage Network
Population
Adult Members:
90
Child Members:
15
Non-member Residents:
0
Open to new adults:
Yes
(We are searching for more co-workers, particularly in the areas of crafts, ecology, and technology. The process to find the decision to become a co-worker needs some time, and the profound knowledge of the basic ideas of community, peace work and life in Tamera)
Open to new children:
Yes
(Depending on the communication and integration of the parents)
Gender Balance:
47% M 53% F
Open to which gender(s):
All genders welcome
Age Focus:
Young Adults
(We mainly wish to attract young adults and youth as they are the future of our planet. We offer an education to become peace worker.)
Age Restrictions:
No
Government
Decision Making:
Other
(By consensus, but not in a formal bureaucratic way. It is based on trust and solidarity in the community. This is very important as otherwise decisions on consensus often mean decisions on the lowest level.)
Identified Leader:
No
Leadership Core Group:
Yes
(Yes, about 30 people of the community are a kind of core group. This group is open to others who want to take over the same amount of responsibility and are respected by the core group.)
Labor and Money
Financial Style:
Other
(The staff members of Tamera earn some small amount of money for their work, so they can buy clothes, drinks, and extra needs by themselves. All staff members work full time in Tamera, everybody has his special job. Sometimes we have work to do where we need many people (olive harvest, big ten constructions etc.) Then of course many of the community help.)
Labor Contribution:
Expected
(We all have our special tasks and jobs that are necessary to run the place, build up the infrastructure, welcome guests, do research etc. In this sense of course it is expected that everybody who lives here contributes labor - but not in a formal law of a certain amount of hours/month)
Join Fee:
Yes
(Outside of special events/courses, all guests pay a fee of 25 Euro /day (Portuguese and Third World Countries pay less) for lodging in tents and food. They are expected to participate the actual work and thus experience the community life. Special courses have an extra fee.)
Regular Fees:
Yes
(We are all together responsible to take care for the financial situation. In times we need more money than we get through the guests and donations, many members go outside, take jobs and try to earn some money in order to continue the work here.)
Land and Buildings
Rural
(30 km away from the Atlantic coast. Half the way between Lissabon and Faro. The next village is about 4 km away.)
Area:
330 acres (133.5 hectares)
(The site is covered with korkoak, zistroses, olive grows, bramble and thistles, there is an orchard and a small orange nursery, and among them all whitethorn, quince and a colorful meadow in the spring. There are some artificial lakes, suitable for bathing, three abundant springs, various fountains and water drilling holes as well as a number of underground waterlines.)
Land Owned By:
Community-controlled land trust
Number of Residences:
15
(There were five derelict buildings on the site, which have been partly restored and made habitable in the meantime. Additionally a guest center, some houses for the staff members, a big guesthous, a summer-kitchen and a camping place have been constructed.)
Cohousing:
No
Food, etc.
Percentage of Food Grown:
6-20%
(The numbers of co-workers grew much faster than our gardens, but we are constantly growing more and more own food, mostly vegetables.)
Share Community Meals:
Nearly all meals
(Not all 100 members eat together, but they eat in groups in about 3 different kitchens.)
Dietary Choice or Restrictions:
Diet is up to each individual
(Though we agreed on vegetarian food on the place because of ethical reasons)
Dietary Practice:
Vegetarian only
(We eat nor meet and fish on the place which does not mean that each member is a fully dedicated vegetarian already.)
Alcohol Use:
Used occasionally
Tobacco Use:
Used Occasionally
Social Factors
Open to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Transgender members:
Yes
(we are open to lesbians, gays, bisexuals but we have no gays and lesbians but some bisexuals.)
Restrictions on Romantic Relationships (between consenting adults):
No Answer
(Truth and transparency in love relationships is an important part of our social work and living together. This is independent from the form of relationship (romantic, monogamous, polygamous..))
Shared Spiritual Path:
Yes
(There are no religious or spiritual obligations, but there is a common direction that shapes the spiritual character of Tamera. This includes the desire to build things up, the desire to think in new ways, respect for life, participation in creation and solidarity with its beings, and friendship towards animals.)
Which Spiritual Path(s):
Other
(We do not follow any special spiritual path but are open to elements of many paths. Each individual chooses his/her form of spirituality. But we celebrate a common spiritual morning attunement everyday which is performened by different individuals.)
Educational Style(s):
Home schooling
 
 
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