Ecotopia a Success, but next one 2012 - Please read

[markuspetz]

In short - Ecotopia 2010 was a success, but a lot of rain meant that set-up costs not covered. Running costs were. So now 2 people take on money side personally. So they cannot organize this year. So next one will be 2012, UNLESS others step forward with support money OR time.

Markus Petz- see full newsletter below.

Ecotopia Newsletter (1-21 Aug. 2010, Flaeming Region (Germany)

Hallo Friends,

First of all we wish you a very good and above all environmental friendly (ecological) 2011… Here in Germany the year started with lot’s of snow, than rain and floods around all the bigger rivers…. And not only here, but it seems everywhere in the world the climate has decided to show that it is not just a rumour, but it is really happening the climate is changing… With other words reasons enough to wish you more than ever before a lot of sustainable energy for all your environmental actions this year….

We excuse ourselves that we haven’t informed you about what has been going on around Ecotopia in the last months, this newsletter is therefore more an explanation what has happened and were we stand at this moment.

Financial “problems” after Ecotopia 2010

After Ecotopia 2010 we in the Fläming started full energy preparing the next Ecotopia, but after a few weeks it became clear that we could not invest the same amount of energy straight away as we had shown in the months before. Some of us invested so much time as volunteer that they first had to find so paid work in order to be able to pay of their rent, telefons, other bills and as well as private loans they had taken up in the preparing time of Ecotopia. Others were confronted with private (family) developments through which they weren’t able to spend all the time in preparing Ecotopia 2011 as well as they wanted.

But above all the nearly 17.000 Euro which was invested into the infrastructure of Ecotopia 2010 and which was not taken in as participantsfee, donations or profit became a bigger problem than we thought. More precise, Ecotopia 2010 aimed at a break even by an average of 300 people a day, however mainly due to the rain (it never rained so much in August in the last 100 years), the average participation was not more than 200 persons per day. That means the running cost (food, electricity, water, renting bikes, tents, etc.) we all were able to pay, but most of the investments (building wood, toiletwagens, tent, electricity cables, water pipes, but also postcards and other promotion material) not.

Some rumours went around that on Ecotopia some people didn’t pay enough or even nothing for their stay or whatever they drank out of the Ecobar, this however may be true, but after going through all the bookkeeping accounts it can be said that that this amount of people was so incredible small, just a handful, if so much, that it would not much have changed the overall accounting, there were clearly enough just not enough participants. And the costs for stayed nevertheless the same.

We are furthermore happz that the Eco-system worked very well and we thank all the participants for the honesty they showed accounting their own private exchange rates.... This among all the other very positive experiences gave us the feeling that Ecotopia 2010 was a very succesfull gathering and that was improved by the many postive reactions we got afterwards.

After Ecotopia we hope to overcome this financial hole by organising Ecotopia 2011 again in Wiesenburg and try to overcome the winter with loans, donations and possibility that we could get fast funds for the next year, although some fundraising actions (thanks to all the people and organisations who donated) brought together nearly 5.000 euros the situation became more and more critical since the organisation who was responsible for our finances wanted to clear up the situation before the end of the 2010. This resulted in a few months of very heavy discussions and ended a few weeks ago in a “solution” that a few people (mostly Dorothee and Wam) overtook personal the responsibility to repay all the remaining debts (nearly 12.000 euros).

Ecotopia 2011

All in all what happened made it nearly impossible to really concentrated ourselves on the preparation for the next Ecotopia (2011). Especially Dorothee and Wam had to find possibilities to earn privately as soon as possible enough money to fullfill the promise that they pay personal the remaining money back, and since they are still not able to copy themselves they spend more time working to earn money and not on preparing Ecotopia.

Therefor it seems that a big Ecotopia 2011 in Wiesenburg will be a big wish but not more than that. At least we do not see how we will be able to find time and energy enough (on our overloaded workweek) to invest in the preparation. Beside the fact that nobody is having any resources left to invest in promotion or all other things which had to be done.

Ofcourse it is a pitty that the good experiences of Ecotopia 2010 would be without a directly (any) followup, we still are sure that besides this money hassle thing Ecotopia was nevertheless a big success. We also hope that we are able to finish this whole financial challenge by coming summer and are full of fire to concentrate ourselves again on the realisation of dreams, Ecotopia and an ecological Camping and festival place in Wiesenburg-Bahnhof. Also the town of Wiesenburg has shown big interest in it, they are more or less disappointed that we seem to be not able to realize Ecotopia this year again in their town. But are very willing in all ways to support us in any way in realizing it in 2012.

Our proposal is to organising in this year in August a small Ecotopia preparation camp in our region, especially for people who are interested in active helping to prepare a bigger Ecotopia again in 2012 on the same place as last year.

But if there are people around Europe who like to organise Ecotopia 2011 somewhere else that would be also fantastic. Maybe we can combine it with other planned sommercamps, f.e. in Wendland or somebody, some organisation is busy with planning something bigger for this sommer and is willing to host Ecotopia. That is ofcourse up to all of you.

We are open for ideas, questions, tips and whatever… please mail us at info@ecotopia2010.org

Last but not least we wish you ones more an fantastic 2011….


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