Category: Projects

Gaia Thrive is a project to support the transformation of the world of business from one of competition and stress to one of cooperation and presence. We can and should make business as peaceful and loving as the rest of our lives. In fact most of us spend so much time in business and work that it is perhaps the most important part of life to be transformed.

Business can be done in a way based on finding our flow, and each of us contributing in our best way, and supporting each other so that together we go further and are stronger than separately. This requires a shift in attitude towards being rather than doing, but is no less effective than stressful doing based business. In fact in many cases more effective. It also requires a shift in structures from individual wealth and control based companies to collective wealth and control based cooperatives and democratic businesses. (note you can still become wealthy – if that is your goal)

We invest in businesses that are ready to grow into cooperative businesses with money and time. This allows us to focus on startups and enterprises that are exciting but still quite small.

you can invest in us in the ethical investment of building community ventures, and you can support through your time, and build yourself a career as our partner, and you can bring your projects for us to build together. Let us flourish as one.

A course in practical spirituality based on understanding and sensing the infinite universal energy field and how it interacts with individual human and other energy fields.

This course is based on a series of related and connected classes in different subjects and approaches to the spiritual energy fields. Each one gives you a piece of wisdom, and an approach that can help in your life in different ways.

Classes include:
– Taichi, Aikido and the spiritual martial arts
– Qi, Prana and healing with energy fields
– Consciousness in Business and Leadership
– Social Transformation, unity, community and cooperation
– Culture, music and Dance
– Spiritual Traditions of the world, spiritual awakening, and spiritual ministry

The Church has lost a lot of people’s interest, and for a while it seemed that people were turning away from spirituality altogether, but now there is a rise in a passionate interest in authentic deep spiritual practice thought most people turn to the east for inspiration. But among those who have turned away from the church there remains a love for the ancient gregorian chant. Few can deny its beauty and depth. There is the opportunity and the call for a Gregorian Chant Revival – to show those who have become disillusioned with the church that the depth and mystery of spiritual practice that they are looking for do not have to be found on the other side of the world, that our own tradition has it too. To give people a taste of the deep peace that can be found in the traditional catholic spiritual practices – that the west also knows about mantra and sacred language. To those people interested in esoteric wisdom the traditional latin chants of the catholic church combined with the esoteric understandings that imbue christianity can become a powerful allure.

For those interested in thinking even more boldly – how about a training course in esoteric wisdom that combines some of the topics deeply interesting to people at the moment – spiritual martial arts, and healing methods, practical spirituality applied to building community and relationships and a more spiritual world, with Gregorian Chant and christian practice. This is something that would transform people, transform the towns in which they take place and truly make a difference in the world.

I am looking for support and partners in the Gregorian Chant Revival – who wants to learn to chant? what churches would like to host gregorian chant services? Who would be interested in taking this in exciting directions?

O Clube de Comunicação em Português é um projeto destinado a ajudar imigrantes em Portugal a aprender português de uma forma divertida e comunicativa, enquanto se envolvem na cultura, nas tradições e na sociedade ao mesmo tempo. Oferecemos aulas de língua baseadas na compreensão de músicas e histórias, além de atividades de comunicação (não focadas no aprendizado de gramática). Isso permite que você adquira o idioma da mesma forma que uma criança e se divirta ao longo do caminho.

No curso para iniciantes, aprendemos canções tradicionais portuguesas e, talvez, até algumas danças – uma ótima oportunidade para conhecer um pouco da cultura. Quando se animam, os portugueses são ótimos cantores, e não é só sobre o fado! Prepare-se para rir e aprender, ganhar confiança e desenvolver a habilidade de se fazer entender em português (e ficar à vontade para usar uma gramática imperfeita, desde que consiga transmitir sua mensagem). Você aprenderá formas gramaticais básicas e vocabulário, e ao final do curso será capaz de contar pequenas histórias sobre o que está acontecendo na sua vida.

Intermediário – Construindo Comunidade em Portugal

No nível intermediário, os alunos são capazes de se envolver em conceitos e questões mais complexas, por isso estudamos artigos relacionados à construção de comunidade e à sociedade em Portugal. Quais são as questões sociais ao nosso redor? Como podemos nos engajar mais com as pessoas e a sociedade, e o que é necessário para cercar-se de uma bela comunidade aqui em Portugal? Você aprenderá gramática e vocabulário mais avançados, mas o foco não será a gramática e sim a discussão. Esteja preparado para expressar sua própria opinião sobre os temas abordados na aula.

Avançado – Português em Acção

Quando chegamos ao nível avançado, os alunos já possuem competência na comunicação, sendo capazes de transmitir suas ideias e compreender os outros com facilidade. Em vez de continuar desenvolvendo o idioma por meio de livros ou estudos tradicionais, assumimos um projeto que utiliza as habilidades de comunicação dos alunos, permitindo que eles desenvolvam e ajustem suas competências linguísticas por meio da aplicação prática do português.

Cada turma pode decidir qual projeto deseja realizar. Pode ser teatro, escrever um livro em conjunto ou abordar uma questão social. Os professores tornam-se facilitadores e assistentes, ajudando na realização do projeto e nas dificuldades linguísticas que possam surgir. Por exemplo, ao escrever uma carta sobre uma questão social, pode ser necessário ajustar o texto para que soe profissional. Nesse processo de revisão e melhorias, muito aprendizado acontece.

Ao final do curso avançado, você terá desenvolvido bastante confiança para usar o português na vida cotidiana, além de refinar sua habilidade de se expressar corretamente e com eficácia sobre questões complexas.

Base Filosófica

O design do Clube de Conversação em Português é fortemente baseado nos princípios da Economia Comunitária da Teoria da Utilização Progressiva, no Desenvolvimento Comunitário Participativo e nos estudos mais recentes sobre Aquisição de Línguas. Ele é inspirado em iniciativas educacionais socialmente engajadas, como o projeto “This is not an Ulpan” em Israel, o trabalho de Paulo Freire e o Teatro do Oprimido de Augusto Boal.

O clube adota uma abordagem inclusiva e flexível, com espaço para ideias e melhorias de outras pessoas, desde que estejam alinhadas à meta maior de criar unidade, harmonia e comunidade. Essa estrutura permite que o aprendizado do idioma vá além da comunicação, tornando-se também um meio de empoderamento, colaboração e transformação social.

Participe

O Clube de Conversação em Português é um espaço aberto e inclusivo, onde todos podem contribuir para construir uma comunidade vibrante e acolhedora. Existem várias maneiras de se envolver:

• Como Aluno: Aprenda português de forma divertida e prática, enquanto se conecta com a cultura e as pessoas de Portugal.
• Como Facilitador: Traga suas habilidades, ideias e energia para apoiar aulas, projetos e atividades comunitárias.
• Como Parceiro: Colabore com o clube oferecendo recursos, ideias ou ajudando a organizar eventos que promovam integração e aprendizado.
• Como Voluntário: Ajude na logística, organização ou no planejamento de atividades, contribuindo para o crescimento do clube.

Junte-se a nós e torne-se parte dessa jornada de aprendizado, união e transformação comunitária!

The Portuguese Communication Club is a project to help immigrants in portugal to learn portuguese in a fun communicative way, and to engage in the culture and tradition and society at the same time. We teach language classes that are based on understanding songs and stories and communicating ourselves (not on learning grammar) This enables you to acquire the language in the same way a child does and have fun on the way

In the beginners course we learn traditional portuguese songs and we might even learn some dances – get to know something about the culture. When you get them going the portuguese are great singers, and it is not just fado. Expect to laugh and learn, develop confidence and the ability to make yourself understood in portuguese (and to get comfortable using bad grammar as long as it gets the point across) you will learn basic grammatical forms and vocabulary and by the end of it be able to tell short stories about what is going on in your life

Intermediate – Community building in portugal

At the intermediate level students are able to engage in more complicated concepts and issues so we study articles related to community building and society in Portugal. What are the social issues around us? How can we engage more with the people and society and what does it take to surround yourself with a beautiful community here in Portugal? You will learn more advanced grammar and vocabulary, but the focus will not be the grammar it will be the discussion be prepared to have your own opinion on the topics shared in the class.

Advanced – Portuguese in action.

Once we get to advanced level students have a competency in communication, and are able to get their point across, and also to undertsand others quite well. Rather than working on developing the language through more book learning or studying we take on a project that will use students communication skills, and allow them to develop and fine tune their language skills through practical application of the language. Each class can decide for themselves what project they are going to take on. They might choose to do theatre, or to write a book together, or to tackle a social issue. The teachers become facilitators and assistants to help take on this project and to help when language issues come up. For example in writing a letter on a social issue it might be that some editing is needed to make it sound professional, so in working through the editing and improvements a lot of learning takes place. At the end of the advanced course you can expect to have developed a lot of confidence in using portuguese in daily life, and fine tuning the portuguese usage so that you are confident to express correctly and effectively regarding complicated issues.

Philosophical Background

The design of the Portuguese Conversation Club is heavily based in the Community Economics of the Progress Utilisation Theory, Participatory Community Development, and the latest studies in Language Acquisition. Inspired by other socially active education such as “This is not an Ulpan” in israel, and the work of paulo freire, and the liberation theatre of Augusto Boal. It has a lot of room in it for other people’s ideas and improvements as long as it is always in the direction of creating unity, harmony and community.

Get Involved

Help us develop educational material, become a teacher or an assistant, or host a class yourself. We are interested in proposals, partnerships and suggestions.