What People Are Saying About Us
From the local mayor of neighboring village Relíquias to a UNESCO “Mayor for Peace” and leading political activist Noam Chomsky, here’s what partners and supporters of Tamera say about our work:
Voices from the Region
“[In Tamera] I became convinced that it’s possible to fight the desertification of nature. And to have newly populated areas with models of social life that respect nature and the dignity of people. In this way, the Alentejo really becomes a land of bread and peace.”
—Dom António Vitalino, former Bishop of Beja
“Coming from many different countries and continents, the visitors and members of Tamera bring new cultural, social and important ecological impulses into the municipality of Odemira.”
—José Alberto Guerreiro, President of the Odemira municipality
“Through the integration of the Tamera community into our local community our economy is strengthened and we succeed in our battle against depopulation … ”
—Daniel Balinhas, Mayor of Relíquias, our neighboring village
Voices from Portugal
“The work that has been done in Tamera for many years is very important, because it can assist Portugal in the fight against the privatization of common goods, especially of water, that we’re currently seeing all over.”
—João Labrincha, activist, founder of the “Geração à Rasca” movement
“Their efforts to address questions of social and ecological reorganization has great importance to society, particularly given the economic and ecological crisis we currently face … I urge you to support their efforts.”
—Zachary F. Mainen, Director of the Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Lisbon
“Tamera distinguishes itself in the Alentejo landscape as it integrates many interesting projects. As well as the Stone Circle and edible landscapes, a highlight for me is the “Water Retention Landscape,” which – if applied to the entire region – would efficiently raise the level of water sustainability, and consequently of the well-being of people and nature.”
—Paula Maria Gonçalves Soares, Assistant Professor, Department of Visual Arts and Design, University of Évora
“Tamera is a utopia come true. A laboratory where we can help humankind to become more aware that we are one. Tamera’s existence is a miracle, but a natural one, because it’s aligned with a greater purpose that we all serve.”
—João Teixeira da Motta, artist, writer, former diplomat
Voices from Around the World
“In its actions and words, Tamera has demonstrated an impressive dedication to an inspiring vision that seeks to address urgent problems of the day, ranging from dilemmas of ordinary life to awesome questions of decent survival. Daunting tasks, but unless seriously undertaken the future may be grim.”
—Noam Chomsky, political dissident, linguist, Professor Emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
“My female spirit becomes so strong, courageous and ready to battle peacefully when I see Sabine discussing world peace with army leaders. It makes me feel like I can move mountains when she describes the female role as givers, nourishers, protectors and servers of what we love on Earth, birthing the divine within humanity.”
–Tiyeda Bawiena, co-founder, Centre International de Développement Agro-Pastoral CIDAP (Togo)
“At Tamera I found a rare thing indeed – a gathering of beings, working both on themselves and with each other, to get to the very roots of the conflicts inherent in human nature and heal the wounds. This is work that takes true intelligence, will and courage. Without this work I doubt we can survive as a species, and Tamera is a pioneer.”
–Sally Silverstone, Biosphere II, USA
“They have taken this incredibly complex issue of sex, love, relationship and honesty to a level of experimentation better than any other community I know that’s been trying it. It’s very attractive.”
—Patch Adams, MD, clown activist and founder of the Gesundheit! Institute, USA
“If you’re having one of those bad days when you can’t imagine how the world will pull out of this nosedive into the abyss, check out the work of Tamera and remember the immense creativity and potential that surrounds us.”
— Starhawk, Earth activist, permaculture designer, author and teacher
“There is an old system which doesn’t want to die and there is a new system which can’t be born yet. Through projects like Tamera I see that it could finally happen – the old system can pass away and allow the new one to emerge.”
—Martin Almada, human rights lawyer, Alternative Nobel Prize laureate, Paraguay
“Your pioneering spirit is a source of inspiration which nourishes our peace process. We don’t have words to express how grateful we are for all the support you have given to us, for all you have taught us and the amount of respect and solidarity arising in our cooperation. All of it for a better world!”
—Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, Colombia
“Tamera is a living example in the Western world of what a society in alignment with nature and life can look like. It gives us, with our Andean vision of ‘Vivir Bien’ – living well in harmony with Mother Earth – a reference point, and an example for how to manifest and live this vision in a modern way.”
—Fernando Huanacuni Mamani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bolivia
“Most likely the largest decentralized, community-based permaculture water management project yet attempted … [A] highly promising, widely replicable, scalable model, especially for arid, semi-arid and eroded lands, but adapted to nearly any climatic conditions …”
—Buckminster Fuller Challenge, Honorable Mention 2012
“Tamera for me is an example of what the world should be; it’s a place to learn what it truly means to be a human being. Tamera does not isolate itself and run away from the problems of the world but is dedicated to healing the pain. The community’s involvement in Palestine, Israel, Colombia, India, and in many other places is for me a true light of hope for a better future for all of humanity.”
–Sami Awad, nonviolent activist, Director of the Holy Land Trust, Bethlehem, Palestine
“My experience in the peace community of Tamera was a gift … [My friends in Tamera] haven’t left me alone, even in the most difficult months of my life, when I’ve been exposed to political and military persecutions … I thank them for their daily endeavors to bring together many people on a global level, to defend the poorest people in Colombia who are fighting for their right of life and peace.”
—Gloria Cuartas, human rights activist, former Mayor of Apartadó, awarded by the UNESCO as “Mayor for Peace,” Colombia
“For almost 40 years, Tamera has been a pioneer in a wide range of solutions … The pre-existing models for Healing Biotopes may play a crucial role in the knowledge transfer and modelling the new modes-of-being. They also have the ability to capture the imagination of a new generation awaiting hope and transcendence on a planet headed towards a Great Collapse of some kind.”
—Alnoor Ladha, Executive Director of The Rules, board member of Greenpeace International, USA
“This is a place where dishonesty doesn’t last very long. I get a glimpse of a ‘new normal’ here … a profoundly important experiment in healing our inner and outer rupture with nature.”
—Charles Eisenstein, speaker and author, USA
“I wholeheartedly support the work of Tamera. I think the concept of creating communities based on love, harmony and peace is wonderful.”
—Arun Gandhi, President of the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, USA
“From what I have seen, Tamera is the most advanced effort to work out the implications of our situation and construct a viable alternative.”
—Daniel Pinchbeck, author and speaker, USA
“Tamera is one of the ecovillages in our global network that we always listen to, as you are taking very radical and innovative steps in many directions and with great courage – like your peacework, [education program] and Solar Village project … ”
—Ross and Hildur Jackson, founders of the Global Ecovillage Network, Denmark
“Tamera is a real inspiration for our Indigenous villages where the notion of community has been terribly corrupted by bureaucracy. There’s a promise here of returning to the idea of the village and the village raising our children.”
—Noel Pearson, Aboriginal leader and lawyer, founder of the Cape York Partnership, Australia
“After nearly a decade of working within the consciousness movement, I believe that Tamera and the movement of Terra Nova: Global Revolution and the Healing of Love, carry a fundamental key to unlocking the shift in human consciousness.”
—Betsy Pool, Institute for Human Mythology, Damanhur