I think it is fair to say that building strong communities is something that CELL Iceland strives to achieve. The program itself does so by offering the students different ways to build our personal connection to the communities in Iceland and Sólheimar Ecovillage. For example, in Sólheimar we work in arts and crafts workshops alongside the ecovillage’s permanent residents. Also, we frequently take group hiking trips all over Iceland. In order to build community with each other, we cook all of our dinners together and collaborate on projects.
Every week we all get together and watch a documentary with a focus on some facet of the environment. Many of the films are thought provoking and push myself to think beyond my personal communities. This type of community building allows us to share a physical space and our personal thoughts. This past week we watched Racing Extinction, a film following the multiple teams of filmmakers, scientists, and activists drawing attention towards mankind’s destruction of at least half of the world’s species. The film was hard hitting because it documented the hunting and removal of many endangered aquatic species. It is hopeful as well because these groups of collaborators are making impactful differences that are educating the public and saving species from extinction. After the film many of us had lingering thoughts and ideas. Many of us sat in silence, letting the film’s messages sink in. I observed the other students talking about their local governments and dream jobs. Laughter was a common sound for the rest of that night. It was warm, intimate, and comforting. In times like these, I believe there is hope for our generation of environmental stewards.
Thank you for reading.
Best,
Luke Watkins