Solheimar is an eco-village established in 1930 by Sesselja Sigmundsdottir on farmland in the south of Iceland. Her vision was to build a sustainable community and give children a safe home. It later expanded into the first eco-community establishing an equal partnership between mental and/or physical disabled and abled individuals.
The common goal is to achieve: Self-Fulfillment
The close knit community establishes an intrinsic sense of belonging and provides opportunities for everyone to develop and grow to the best of their abilities.
I visited Solheimar with Jen, Harald, Julia, Iris, Libby and Camilla as part of a poster project for my sustainable futures course. Some of them have been in contact with various eco-villages whilst others, including me, had never been to one.
As we arrived we received a very interesting and highly detailed presentation on the history of Solheimar and their current projects. The manager was very open and tried to answer all the questions we had. We then went to the different workshops currently operating at Solheimar. This includes pottery, weaving, candle-production, carpentry, herbal and a bakery.
It is clear that all members of the community are a valuable resource and contribute to the wider functioning of Solheimar. Equal respect is practiced within the community and the way in which the disabled persons needs are catered for from within shows that it is possible to integrate the"other" into society if we start caring again. They should not be excluded from ordinary life just because it is easier for us. Disabled persons have the same rights as the abled and should therefore inhabit the same geographical space.
Everyone will gain from this experience!
