“Vivere una Scelta”: Eterogeneità e Prefigurativismo nella Rete degli Ecovillaggi Italiani

Ecovillages are the outcome of a long historical process that combines ecological, pacifist, feminist, spiritual, communitarian, and neorural demands and has tried to propose concrete alternatives to the neo-liberal values and lifestyles. They are intentional communities that experiment daily new ways of cohabiting, building, producing, communicating, sharing, and consuming, with the aim of diffusing a culture of sustainability that blends together social and environmental justice, economics, human relations, and spirituality in a holistic fashion. In order to do so, they create networks of information and sharing that connect not only the communities, but also individuals and other associations with similar values, as well as the civil society and government institutions, both locally and transnationally. These networks are marked by high heterogeneity and fluidity among participants, horizontal and inclusive decision-making processes, and prefigurative strategies and tactics. Therefore, the totality of communities and networks acts like a proper social movement, which, according to its strategies, goals and values, can be considered part of the broader “movement of movements”. Within this movement, however, ecovillages stand out by their focus towards the emotional and spiritual aspects of the relationships among the actors involved. This feature often allows them to overcome conflicts and to use differences as agents of change instead of causes of deadlock. Analyzing practices and narratives of the Italian Ecovillage Network (RIVE) through a multi-sited and an engaged approach, this dissertation reflects upon the challenges and the opportunities that come with an ethnography led in a Western context and in collaboration with movements that engage with prefigurative politics such as the ecovillage movement. For this reason, ecovillages are considered not only a locus of cultural production, but also living laboratories for experimenting with practical solutions to some of the most urgent and challenging issue that humanity is facing.