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2011 Spring | Arts & Humanities, Education & Outreach, Sustainability

Living in Systems: Participatory Decision-Making and Fulfilling Community Needs

Student(s):

Andrea Marcos

Program or Department(s):

  • Program on the Environment
  • University of Washington

Site supervisor(s):

Karen Litfin

Partner(s):

  • Auroville Botanical Gardens

Faculty advisor(s):

Karen Litfin, Department of Political Science, University of Washington

From January to March 2010, I travelled to Auroville—an international, intentional community in southern India dedicated to human unity and experimental living—to film a documentary about waste management. Auroville was started in 1968 in the state of Tamil Nadu, southern India. During my time in Auroville, I met different members of the community that were involved with waste management issues. While learning about the waste management decisions. I interviewed indviduals and filmed a large litter awareness event happening in the town. The documentary focused on the ways waste was being reintegrated into different systems.