Domestica Community - An Emerging Cultural Oasis in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Domestica Community - An Emerging Cultural Oasis in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Domestica is an estate and a community that brings together people of similar thinking, feelings and actions in a simple and magical story that opens the door that lead to a better world. Domestica seeks to encourage us to return to nature, where man and nature act in collaboration and synchronization, in harmonious rhythm of existence. Domestica discovers and teaches us the secrets of nature which are inexhaustible.
Local
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Laktasi municipality and wider Banja Luka region in North-West Bosnia and Herzegovina
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
No
No
Yes
2022-12-31
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Centre for Economic and Rural Development (CERD) Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Miodrag Last name of representative: Matavulj Gender: Male Nationality: Bosnia and Herzegovina Function: Executive Director Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Krnete bb Town: Laktasi Postal code: 78250 Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina Direct Tel:+387 65 528-419 E-mail:miodrag.m@cerd.ba Website:http://cerd.ba
Domestica Community - An Emerging Cultural Oasis in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Domestica is an estate and a community that brings together people of similar thinking, feelings and actions in a simple and magical story that opens the door that lead to a better world. Domestica seeks to encourage us to return to nature, where man and nature act in collaboration and synchronisation, in harmonious rhythm of existence. Domestica discovers and teaches us the secrets of nature which are inexhaustible.
The main objectives of our project are to:
- Create sustainable community where members of the community and other stakeholders have at their disposal a tool for their participation and involvement in reconnecting with nature
- Develop and implement Biodynamic agriculture model. Domestica farm get healthy food with regenerative principles applied
- Install the mini solar power plant to increase the level of energy self-sufficiently at Domestica community
- Make Domestica recognised as a place for usage and joy where various cultural and artistic contents are provided and were spirit of love to nature is revealed
- Enrich Domestica through diversity of cultures, people, opinions and actions base its functioning on equity, affordability and accessibility.
Domestica project accomplished all above-mentioned objectives providing to its members, local stakeholders and regional and European counterparts a beautiful, sustainable and inclusive place for human beings growth and their reconnection with nature. It also should be noted that this path does not have an end and the process of growth and maturation is continuing and we enjoy in any situation that could face us on this growing path.
Biophilia (Greek Philia – Love of - A Love of Life or Living Things)
Beautifulness
Liberty
Equality
Fraternity
The key objectives of our project in terms of sustainability are:
- To create a sustainable community of likeminded and conscious people from the environment, economic and social perspective
- To protect nature, preserve and regenerate natural resources, primarily soil, water and biodiversity
- To increase the energy self-sufficiency level through employment of renewable energy sources.
Life-Centred
Domestica Cultural Oasis has been successful in promoting lifecycle thinking and in gathering people around its concept of sustainable community where members leave and work in harmony with nature and where they are dedicated to their own and other community members’ inner and outward growth and development.
Nature Rooted
Domectica farm utilise biodynamic and regenerative agricultural practices that take care of nature and preserve natural resources. We promote and practically implement lifecycle-thinking methods such as considering soil as a living organism, composting, preserving old seeds varieties, water re-use, building a forest garden, etc.
Sun Powered
Domestica community installed a small solar power plant to provide electricity supply to its farm and educational/office building. The solar panels are mounted on the roof of the newly constructed summer classroom for children that have been built using the natural materials. Through this solar energy source, Domestica has reached 60% of self-sufficiency in energy consumption.
This project can serve as a model and could be replicated to other local communities in Europe by using its developed methodology and implemented approaches and through experience sharing and lessons learned that can be presented to other interested groups and/or communities. Replicable features include: model for sustainable community development in harmony with nature and based on freedom, equality and brotherhood principles, biodynamic and regenerative agriculture, usage of renewable energy sources, etc.
The key objectives in this area are as follows:
- To create Domestica as a space for usage and joy for members of the community and for others
- To establish Domestica as cultural oasis and to organise influential cultural and art co-creation happenings with various stakeholders
- To reveal spirit of love to nature (of which human beings are an integral part) and unfold positive emotions and thus build new cultural and social values based on biophilia (life-centred)
Aesthetically Designed
Domestica garden, including all activities and processes at the farm, are aesthetically designed and in a pleasing way satisfying two major baseline objectives: to be practical and usable and in the same time to be beautiful and enjoyable for members and other visitors and stakeholders. Domestica unique design offers a holistic and multi-dimensional transformative process based on thinking (Head), feeling (Heart) and willing (Hands) which see people as a “whole being” and involve them into co-creation. The special life-centred design was exercised in creation of all farm features and objects.
Culture Directed
Domestica is an emerging cultural oasis that provides a framework of authentic experience for deeper reflection, sense of belonging and sensory stimulation that acts as a catalyst for deeper engagement and transformation. Domestica set-up permanent cultural and artistic programme through which people can express themselves and get meaningful experience.
Transformative Determined
Transformation is necessary to change the prelevant anthropocentric eco-paradigm toward more sustainable values and behaviours grounded on BIOPHILIA. Domestica relays on humans’ natural affinity to engage with nature and living organisms. Through various techniques of self-awareness and self-knowledge improvement Domestica provides an authentic environment that many people find engaging and aesthetically inspiring. People describe Domestica as place where their soul remains.
The key objectives in terms of inclusion of our Domestica projects are:
- To boost diversity of people, opinions and actions in building sustainable and free community
- To create conditions for Domestica to be an accessible, affordable and equitable place for all
- To promote participation of various cultures and nations and to connect different cultural oasis across the Europe
Diversity Opened
Like healthy ecosystems, healthy communities require a rich diversity of members who build support networks, interact with reciprocity, and develop a collective consciousness. Membership is a state of belonging and members are people with a common interest and a common values. However, to reach that “commons” a full freedom is needed, the freedom of self-expression, opinions and actions and Domestica has this approach as a rule. Moreover, Domestica is also fully opened and aimed at inclusion for other interested people that are not our members. Only through complete inclusion and openness we can serve a larger society and develop new social models.
Equality Driven
For Domestica inclusion is about equality. Everyone has to have equal rights and affordable conditions for participation in our work and governance. Every human being has its value and meaning and therefore just by being deserve its place at Domestica. Hence, Domestica is accessible place for all, including people with disabilities and those with special needs. Gender equality is our favourite subject.
Participatory Enriched
Domestica nurtures participation and collaboration with similar initiatives and with people that share same values and believes, not only at local and national level, but also at regional (Western Balkan) and Europe level. People from all nations and cultures that hold similar views in regard to nature and life are our brothers and sisters. Domestica is completely open for internationalisation but not for the price of losing its own identity, culture and traditions.
Local residents benefit from "Domestica community" in a number of ways:
- A healthier environment: The ecological community preserves and restores the environment, which helps the population live in a healthier and cleaner environment.
- Increased economic opportunities, through our own production and services we bring new business opportunities and economic growth for the local population.
- The ecological community helped the local population to acquire new knowledge and skills, as well as to strengthen their role in preserving the environment.
- The ecological community helps preserve cultural heritage and tradition, which is important for the identity and heritage of the local population.
In order to involve citizens and the wider social community, we carried out the following activities:
- We educate community members and local residents about the importance of an ecological community.
- We have made it possible for residents to be involved in the planning, execution and monitoring of ecological community projects.
- We secured financial resources for projects and activities that will support the formation of an ecological community.
- We have created various cultural, entertainment and artistic events as part of the "Domestic Community".
- Established regional and international cooperation.
- A media campaign was created to promote the Ecological Community.
Domestica existed since 2017 as an organic farm and a social enterprise established by CERD and we were from the beginning aesthetically enhanced. However, we operated without other people participation and we felt that something is wrong in that original concept. At that time we got familiar with the biodynamic principles and movements from Croatia and our community (nature with people) story began.
Later we connected with similar regional and European initiatives and acquired their experience, lessons learned and advises. Hence, engagement of different stakeholders was crucial and the most influential for Domestica community development.
At the same time, local stakeholders were discussing and considering what kind of community would be appropriate for our local needs. By merging our local point of view, our desires, wishes and possibilities with external experience and lessons our Domestica community was crafted.
It is vital to mark contribution of a special event called Cultural Caravan with Miha Pogacnik, famous Slovenian violinist and artist who regularly travels across Balkans with quite large group of like-minded people and during their tour they always visited our Domestica Cultural Oasis to give us support in our development path. Many connections and practical engagements from those Cultural Caravan people were directed to our Domestica community.
Significant added value was yielded through the participation of these different stakeholders coming from the outside world in terms of getting knowledge and constructive thinking (Head); positive emotions, feelings and coalescence (Heart); and motivations, skills and will (Hands) which all was needed for our growth and development. However, it should be highlighted that actual sustainable growth and development relay on local stakeholders bearing in mind that implementation process and responsibility is in our hands and therefore inputs from different locals are vital for our existence
Design of Domestica and its development has started from the point of beautifulness and artistic perspective. We wanted to have a beautiful garden where people will feel good and enjoy.
The turning point was when we got familiar with the biodynamic agriculture which is a holistic approach in regenerative and sustainable work with land and garden and which is surrounded with many different but complementary disciplines and fields. Biodynamic agriculture provides us with transitional knowledge and perspective changing about earth, plants and living organisms and their interdependency and complementarity.
Consequently, we further develop our artistic and cultural approach with ingredients such as life-centred design, painting, music, drama, dance and other forms of artistic and cultural expression witch is favourable to nature, life and natural processes. This helps us in making our place to be beautiful and emotionally advanced.
In our development and implementation of the project, we relay on Waldorf education principles and we started development and implementation of our own approach in children non-formal education based on this field of expertise.
Knowing that relationship has a powerful affect on people’s emotions, thoughts and behaviours because human beings have a fundamental need to belong, we explore and began to utilise discipline of inner and outward human relations and psychology.
Health discipline was also important to connect our activities of vegetable and plant growing and getting our food with nutrition and human health. While social field was useful to recognise a need for providing social care for those in need.
Field of renewable energy was also put in practice through our solar power plant that is installed at Domestica farm.
The all representatives of the mentioned different fields have one common characteristic which is love to nature and human as integrative part of it, and their interaction was flourishing.
The following are main results, outcomes and impacts achieved by our project:
Result 1: Domestica sustainable community created; Outcome: Members of the community and other stakeholders have at their disposal a tool for their participation and involvement in reconnecting with nature; Impact: New model for society organisation and functioning has been developed and its replicability is possible to achieve.
Result 2: Biodynamic agriculture model developed and implemented; Outcome: Domestica farm get healthy food with regenerative principles applied; Impact: Long-term influence on wider society on methods for nature protection and preservation and regeneration of natural resources: soil, water and biodiversity ensured.
Result 3: Mini solar power plant installed; Outcome: Level of energy self-sufficiently improved at Domestica community; Impact: Positive example for others in employment of renewable energy sources is created.
Result 4: Domestica recognised as a place for usage and joy where various cultural and artistic contents are provided and were spirit of love to nature is revealed; Outcome: Different stakeholders (members and others) can enjoy and participate in various cultural events and can get positive emotions as an impetus for their change and adjustment to the resonance of nature; Impact: Seed was planted for the society change and for building of new cultural and social values based on biophilia.
Result 5: Domestica enriched through diversity of cultures, people, opinions and actions and it is based on equity, affordability and accessibility; Outcome: Community members and other local, regional and European stakeholders enhance their relationship and perspective through connection with diversified group of people and cultures. Impact: Influence at larger scale is created across different cultures, regions and nations. No need for borders in reconnecting with nature.
The mainstream actions still prefer anthropocentric eco-paradigm which put human being into the centre of life on Earth. On contrary, we extract our innovative character from ancient wisdom and tradition which amongst others includes an indigenous perspective and their way of learning. Indigenous education revolves around a transformational process of learning how to establish and maintain relationships between self, place and community. Indigenous epistemologies are grounded in the meaningful context of inter-relationships and nature experience. Hence, this approach could be considered as innovative in modern time, taking into consideration that it was forgotten and hidden for regular application and implementation.
Another innovative aspect of our project is usage of 3H model for learning and living and especially in nature reconnecting perspective (3H – Head, Heart, Hands). This model enable consideration of stakeholders as a whole being and include their development at different multi-levels.
Innovation from our perspective is putting together beauty and agriculture work. Usually and based on conventional stream there is no possibility to put together culture, art and agricultural work, while our approach is quite opposite and it turn to be successful in getting various and separated fields together.
Innovation can also be seen through internationalisation and connection with other similar initiatives in order to learn from each other but preserving the local perspective, need and responsibility for community development.
Innovation is also our relaying on the spiritualism. However, this spiritualism should not be understood as religious one but more in a sense to discover the same spirit in humans and nature which is necessary to develop love of nature and life-centered approach.
Through "Domestica Community" we want to increase awareness of the importance of ecological communities and raise the quality of life of community members. Methodological approach when establishing the Community (steps):
Members of the Community have defined clear and measurable goals, including the desired effects on the environment, biodiversity and "Domestica Community".
We carried out a detailed survey of the location and decided to establish the Community near the natural oasis "Balkis". Three early Christian basilicas, as well as the upper, lower and middle town where between 3,000 and 5,000 inhabitants lived from the middle of the fourth to the middle of the seventh century, were discovered on that site.
With the support of experts, we selected plant species that are adapted to the environment and that will create balance in the ecosystem.
We then prepared the ground for planting plants, including preparing the soil, installing an irrigation system and building an “insect hotel”.
We ensured adequate maintenance of the ecological community, including regular inspections.
We are developing an education program for the local population, and above all for children, about the importance of ecological communities and environmental protection. We organize trainings for community members where they acquire professional knowledge and skills,
We registered the necessary financial resources to maintain the ecological community, and created a number of our own products: organic fruits and vegetables, medicinal plants, solar power plant, production of natural cosmetics, promotional activities for the purpose of collecting funds, etc.
We create various cultural-entertaining and artistic events: shows, concerts, exhibitions, "farm parties", etc.
1. Methodology for the establishment and development of the sustainable ecological community
2. Experiences in biodynamic and organic production
3. Construction and commissioning of a solar power plant. Includes procedural experiences.
4. Business model
5. "Domestica" learning system - 3H method: The goal of the program is to teach the population about the importance of ecological communities and their role in a sustainable environment.
Program content: a. Definition of ecological communities b. The role of ecological communities in the environment c. The importance of preservation and sustainable management of ecological communities d. Examples of local ecological communities and their importance e. How the population can contribute to the preservation of ecological communities
Education methods: a. Lectures and presentations b. Discussions and workshops c. Walks and tours of ecological communities d. Online materials and resources
Duration of the program: The program can be organized as a one-day event or as a series of events over several days or weeks.
Examples:
Gamification: Learning through play, which enables the population to learn through fun and interactivity.
Collaborative learning: We encourage the population to learn from each other through joint activities and workshops, where knowledge and experiences are exchanged.
Practical activities in nature, which enables experiential learning and greater understanding of ecological communities.
A competition between teams in which each team will have the task of protecting a certain part of the ecological community.
Scavenger hunt: We organize a treasure hunt in an ecological community where participants must find certain plants, animals and other elements of the ecological community.
For educational needs, we equipped a classroom in a closed space and created an outdoor classroom, which includes a number of installations (example: garden circle).
Local environmental communities help solve global environmental problems by focusing on specific problems in their local environment and working to solve them. For example, the local community can work to protect natural habitat, disable air and water pollution, support sustainable practices in agriculture and forestry, promote recycling and waste reduction, and help preserve biodiversity. This not only helps in the process of further destruction of the environment in that area, but also contributes to solving a wider global problem.
The community can have a significant impact on global issues in the following ways:
Promoting a sustainable lifestyle: "Domestica community" often organises activities and events to raise awareness of the importance of a sustainable lifestyle and the environment. These activities also support the development of green technologies and alternative energy sources.
Waste management: Our community works with authorities and industry to ensure proper and environmentally friendly waste management. This includes recycling, composting and other sustainable waste management techniques.
Education: We often organise programs and activities for children and adults to raise awareness of the environment and the need for protection.
The community works with the authorities to ensure that laws and policies are enacted to protect the environment. This cooperation includes lobbying and participation in public consultations on legislation and policies.
Overall, the local environmental community can have a major impact on global issues by promoting sustainability and environmental protection at the local level.
