Rio +20 from 20th to 26th of June in Rio de Janerio in Brasil it will be follow up of starting summit of twenty years ago. Filip, who spent most of his life in Auroville, is passionate about forest, and sustainable projects, actively involved in Tree House Community... no doubt that summit is very attractive to him, because over 190 countries will participate on Rio +20 with their head leaders, ready to sign some serious commitment in behalf of their governments. Filip wants to document the event, and will try to build a special tree house.

I stopped by to speak with Avikal, an architect under Manu's direction at the International House, about what he calls the "Ladder House." The structure, which is made of bamboo ladders, rope, and Tetrapack sheets, is a mobile work and living space. At two and a half levels, the structure contains an office, 2 living areas, and a composting toilet on the first level. On the upper levels there are 8 bunk beds for in-house living; and best of all, the entire structure can be partially deconstructed and moved for on-site working conditions. Read more

Tonight we can see two interesting theater plays – at 7pm at Visitor Centre The Mankeys presents form Monkeymotion to Mokemotion, and 8pm at Sri Aurobindo Auditorium in Pavilion of Indian Culture the Morodokmai Theater Troupe from Thailand will put on the stage Chitra by Rabindranath Tagore. Tomorrow at 5pm at Creativity Hall of Light L'Avenir d'Auroville will share with us Residential Zone Presentation, and on Friday Sadhana Forest will celebrate its 8th birthday with an all-day festival of workshops and live performances! Free bus rides. Read more

Today’s featured interview is with Bridget of l’Avenir, explaining a bit of what’s in the housing project pipeline. Announcements include poets of Auroville reading as part of World Poetry Movement 24 Sept., Auroville Film Festival's 121 films run September 29th through October 3 and, the Residents’ Assembly Service calls for a for a complete review of the selection process for future Councils and Working Committees on Thursday 29th September at 4:30, Sri Aurobindo World Centre for Human Unity. Read more

In addition to their regular service, the L'avenir team will be available once a month to community members. The first was yesterday on Wednesday, September 14th, at the L'avenir office, Town Hall. And here's and excerpt of interview with Dorle and Sauro on that . Auroville Bamboo Research Centre will be planting seedlings of bamboo tomorrow at 7am on the grounds of Centre, and In the afternoon at 5pm in Conference Room at Town Hall few speakers will talk about bamboo - its usage, significance in Auroville and bioregion. Read more

With announcement about temporarily "closed" doors of Entry Service caused for the first time in their mandate since 2009 to get some feedback from a cross section of the community. We need the human asset in order for community to grow, we need energy, expertise, finances - everything that committed new comer can bring. Entry Service is in charge of screening candidates, but if the community doesn't fully open the doors by providing the infrastructure necessary to welcome new comers, the Entry Service is more like bouncers.

The General Meeting of yesterday gives hope and shows progress. This news offers an excerpt of it; listen to the entire thing later on today on AurovilleRadio and attend the next meeting in two weeks. Annoouncements: computer classes for Seniors with teachers Uriel and Ganesh begin Thursday 21st July at 2pm, Kolam Computer Centre at New Creation. Help build Auroville by pioneering a new community! The Transit Lounge, an experiment in dis-mountable housing with common facililties presented Thursday July 28th 5 pm Town Hall Conference Roon. Read more

In today's news we feature Bridget from L'Avenir d"Auroville talking about outcome of the survey on housing, and many other issues related to it. The full interview with Bridget and Muthaeh from L'AVenir d'Auroville was recorded by Monica and will be soon uploaded on AV Radio page. Buddha garden is celebrating it's Basil day on Tuesday, June the 21st and on this occasion they will offer Pasta with Pesto from 11.30 am to 1.30 pm. Everyone is welcome. AV GAS Service and Working Committee informs us that they have received information from the LPG gas agency in Pondicherry that they will shortly introduce a new booking system for purchasing the LPG gas, IVRS(integrated voice recognition system). Read more

Last Wednesday General Meeting follow up will be tomorrow at 5pm again at SAWCHU, and you are all kindly invited to participate. The Auroville Housing needs and resources survey was completed by 175 people in Auroville. Surveys gives valuable data from a planning point of view and also a database that will allow more effective communications on housing issues with those in need. Anyone that is not included but would like to be, can call to housing service from mid June onwards where he/she will be helped to updated online. Thanks to the pilot project ‘Community Information Centre' as part of the ICITI Project, funded by Stichting De Zaaier (through PCG), we are now able to offer at Savitri Bhavan individual computer access to a large range of study materials: documents, audio and video relating to the lives, work and writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Three stations with monitor, mouse and earphones are connected to a central server. Users can browse freely and access all the materials stored in the server. Read more

The Transit Lounge project has taken solid roots. Every Wednesday, prospective users gather to discuss issues, share ideas and visit builders to get first hand experience of the 8 housing designs. At the start of this week, we share an interview with Architect Manu, who summarizes last Wednesday's meeting in which "users" were brought together with builder Peter A. Luminosity and his design "Beyond Johnny". This weeks meeting will take place on Wednesday 18th at 5pm, location Reeve. Prospective "users" will have the opportunity to meet with builder Eric and receive explicit information on his Auzolan Construction. We are looking to follow the development of The Transit Lounge/ Dis-Mountable Housing Project, but if ... Read more

On Wednesday 4th of May, new and old residents gathered at Courage community for a tour to develop a stronger understanding of the physical space of the site on which the project will manifest. In this rather informal meeting "potential users" were given an intimate platform to discuss concerns and acquire more information on details surrounding the project. The community meeting in this broadcast, facilitated by Architect Manu and Dorle from Auroville and L'Avenir d'Auroville, with input of Courage- and prospective "users", gives a brief summary of Transit Housing project while embracing subjects around communal infrastructure and especially waste water systems.

In today's news we feature short report on yesterdays meeting of L'Avenir d'Auroville on dis-mountable houses proposition. Meeting was held behind Courage community where the actual site of this kind of temporary community should be. Savi proposes A 4-Day Program for Volunteers and Students" from 9th of May until Thursday 12th of MayThis program is free for registered volunteers. They will meet on Monday at 9am at Evergreen entrance. After this program they will have on Thursday 12th of May at Unity Pavilion at 5pm "Volunteers gathering" - an opportunity to share experiences between long and short term volunteers. Read more

Tonight the first batch of 26 children is leaving to Auroville Nature Camp - 2011 at Kavunji in Kodaikanal. Which will be between 4th to 12th of . They will leave tonight just after midnight from SAIIER Transport Campus by bus and they will return by bus on 12thMay at 7pm. Some Services and units are closed for a short or longer summer break, and they all advise you to check out the summer timings before you visit them. Tomorrow at 4,30 pm L'AVenir d'Auroville invites all interested at the gate of the Courage community to the 2nd Transit Lounge meeting,to walk to the actual site. Afterwards they will continue the meeting at the Solar kitchen terrace where the talk will be about the site, common infrastructure, number of people willing to commit and any other topics and questions and answers that come up. Read more

"It takes too much time to build houses compared to the need", here is the concrete starting statement Bridget assessed to explain the reason why of the Dis-mountable Housing Project to the sixty persons who came to attend the meeting on Friday April 15th, 2011 at the Town Hall Conference Room. The Auroville Transit Lounge project team presented details, images and costs of the projects as well as the sites that are dedicated for it. Dis-mountable Housing aims at providing solutions to new comers and Aurovilians who need housing for the time being of their own house construction. Read more

Dorle from l'Avenir d'Auroville and Manu, Architect working on natural and renewal materials, are giving additional information on the issues builders and architects have faced to develop Transit Housing solutions and how they are trying to find answers. Both explains why the Dis-mountable Housing is first targeting new comers and Aurovilians who have the ability to fund the construction of their own house while staying in a "transit housing area". Dorle also inform on the forecast cost for family, couple or single units as of today. Read more

Aurovilian Johnny, Australian born, a man who is the quintessence of an Aurovilian; he lives simply, happily, he works/teaches simply because he is. Johnny reveals that he has always been fascinated with small spaces and the science of building.  As a student of Buckminster Fuller (who was not in fact an architect) Johnny took it to heart that 'man is a problem-solving device,' and imbibed Bucky's geometric insights. From all this comes the small de-mountable house, an optimal house for this climate, states Johnny. A de-mountable house is not a new concept by any means; in 1945 it was available in the West: ordered by mail and delivered by helicopter. Read more

It was over-packed at the Visitors' Center on Saturday evening, in anticipation of a new production of 'Genius Incorporated Presents' causing laughs way before the show began. As previously announced, the 'Doppelganger' is a scientific fiction of future possibilities, with the advent of dual consciousness; each of us might have expected various options for the play we were all anxious to see. The Genius team didn't let the public down – this humorous piece was insightfully critical as usual, with some new approaches and excellent video clips.  And of course, with an original story of three beings (which highly resembled three known friends in Auroville) coming for a visit, and a possible encounter with a new conscious human being, a superhuman.

On Thursday at the TAMIL NEW YEAR Celebration at Sri Aurobindo Auditorium Bharat Nivas, Pavilion of Indian Culture at 7.30 pm will be the cultural program of classical devotional songs and dances of India from different teachers and their students. On Friday 15th at 5pm in the Town Hall, Conference hall L'Avenir d'Auroville will present Dis-mountable housing project. In this meeting they will include a presentation from L'avenir d'Auroville, Housing service and designers on · new site location and plan for a dis-mountable housing project. On Friday 15 April at 4 pm in Pavilion of Tibetan Culture. "Rainbow Child" Auroville Program will open a children's art exhibition. Tomorrow, on 13th of April Matrimandir will remain open for Aurovilians and Newcomers from 6 am to 9 am, and from 4.30 pm to 8 pm only. There will be no visitors concentration on that day because of the elections. Read more

En el programa de hoy Alex hace un análisis de la cuestión de la vivienda en el mundo y lo compara con la problemática de Auroville y los desafíos evidenciados por los Aurovilianos que tienen que encontrar un sitio en donde vivir. Joseba, del Housing Service, nos explica como es la base de esta cuestión en Auroville, cuales son las innovaciones que se intenta hacer para no repetir antiguos errores, cuales son sus desafíos y planes para el futuro. En una muy interesante entrevista, se explora los detalles y los escenarios de este momento en la cuestión de la vivienda en Auroville.

Today's news features a short passage from an interview with Johnny that centers around housing: permanent housing, movable housing, temporary housing, likely a viable solution to the ubiquitous shortage of housing? The interview in its entirety will be available next week. Announcements include Rock Your Soul, a Pop-Rock-Blues Concert tomorrow at Visitors' Centre plus an invitation to the Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony for the Auroville Institute of Integral Health on Monday morning. Read more

The Residents' Assembly Service organized the General Meeting on housing on Thursday at 5pm in Conference Hall in Town Hall. Entry Service, Housing Service, L'Avenir d'Auroville and FAMC will share with us some information, and we might find some solutions together, validate priorities and legitimate decisions on that always vital subject. Emergence will have a concert tomorrow at Sri Aurobindo Amphitheater, Bharat Nivas at Pavilion of Indian Culture at 8pm. At Pitanga between 9 am to 12.30 to 2pm to 6pm tomorrow we can still register for the Darshan on 21st of February. Read more

AurovilleRadio is excited to report a break in the clouds of long standing: the acquisition of an FM radio license seems to be in the offing, due to the financial backing from Daniel of Tanto Pizzeria and input from Dr. Karan Singh chairman of the Auroville Fundation who stated in last Governing Board meeting here in Auroville, that it is important for Auroville to have an FM radio station. Also of import: now on Auronet at the bottom of the homepage find the in real time what's new in AurovilleRadio. Also in the news: innovative ideas for the solution of the housing shortage, notice of the beginning of the Market Season and, news of Gump-A-Lumpa Fair 2010. Read more

The earliest settlers on the land of Auroville: Debora and Bob. Listen to Debora reminisce about those days, back in 1968....Forecomers is the name Mother gave to that area and Debora and Bob were those pioneers to come first. Under primitive conditions they built a basic strructure on an arid plain overlooking a canyon, chosen for its beauty. Water was delivered daily by truck which meant boiling it for drinking as well as learning to bathe with perhaps two cups of the precious commodity, until a bore well was prepared. Debora, visiting Auroville today, finds the present living conditions indeed luxurious compared to 40 years ago. She also describes meeting the Mother.

18th of September has been marked as World Bamboo Day to bring the awareness to the planet of benefits of this amazing fast growing, sustainable grass. In Auroville we joined the celebration for the first time, and it started in the morning by planting around 100 plants of bamboo, which was followed by the Market at Solar Kitchen with display of many very beautiful bamboo products. The day ended by cultural event in the evening at Visitor Centre where the recordings of next piece are from, divided in two parts – in first one interesting talks by Pashi and Rolf, and demonstration of the bamboo cycle, in the second part you can listen to the amazing musical fashion show, Bamboo band and Jivan with friends. Read more

Auroville's three day workshop 'Green Practices' ended on the 28th of August. During this intensive experience 30 speakers from Auroville and almost 50 participants explored the meaning of Green Practice here in the City of Dawn. On the final day after the final session, Alan of Auroville Today moderated a 45 minute interaction between the participants and a panel, composed of Latha of l'Avenir d'Auroville, Durganand Balsavar, architect and urban planner from Chennai, Sumant Kachru of JHM Hotels from Surat and Dave Wallack, IFMR in Chennai. Here's the recording of that session. The full Green Practice workshop recording will be published in the next few days on both www.auroco.org and AurovilleRadio websites.

Last Friday, the 5th of February 2010, the residents of Sadhana Forest invited numerous guests to their Brazilian Night. A very interesting film about the art of Capoeira and its development was shown, delicious vegan organic Feijoada was served and finally the audience could listen to and watch an amazing play by the Sadhana Forest Band. With a lot of wonderful Brazilian rhythms like Samba and Axé, the band offered a humorous understanding of Brazil´s past, including the story of the slaves, colonization, and the indigenous people from the Amazon.

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When two research centers with extensive knowledge do things together new concepts arises. The bamboo research center and the earth institute joined hands to experiment with houses built of bamboo and earth. The house was built using a mixture of traditional and modern techniques to create sustainable and cool house. This interview dives deep into the experiment and tries to give a picture of the ups and downs of bamboo used as a major construction material in building. Pablo and Thomas from the Earth Institute share their experience with us.

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Bamboo is an Eco-friendly raw material which has been used in Indian for centuries by craftsmen, it has been used a s a building material and in cooking likewise. Over a period of time this craft has been lost and forgotten. Auroville aims to develop itself sustainably and spiritually, what can Auroville do to help people regain the skill of such craftsmanship and how can Bamboo be re-introduced in our society today? We confronted Sundar, at the Auroville Bamboo Research Center, to give us some more insight into this topic of discussion.

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With a background in carpentry and now architecture, Regina built her own house using mostly sustainable products like mud, coconut fiber, red earth, stone, and bamboo. Are you worried about earthquakes or termites attacking your house?  From the first layer of red earth to the woven roof, Regina will tell you how she built her own house. Listen to the following program for Regina's step-by-step guide to build your own earth-sourced house. Regina also offers personal consultation to dedicated builders.

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Sadhana Forest is about growing trees and growing people. Volunteers from all over the world, as well as Aurovillians, work together in this new reforestation project. They practice an eco-friendly way of life including veganism, alternative construction, solar energy, water resource management, and composting toilets. Last week, Aviram who has created this community with his wife Yorit, organized an experimental one week workshop on earthbag construction. Around 40 volunteers and Aurovilians full of positive energy and good will, trying to build an earthbag dome! AurovilleRadio spent an afternoon to capture the warm ambiance and some impressions of this workshop.

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