The vision for the Earthville Network was first conceived in 1992 when Earthville's founder, Mark Moore, was on a study program in Nepal. He was inspired by the extraordinary wisdom, resourcefulness, and kindness of the peoples of the Himalayas, yet also alarmed by the destructive impact of unplanned and unsustainable "development" in the region. Recognizing that change is inevitable but can be shaped to some degree for the better, and aspiring to help build bridges of understanding, appreciation, and altruistic collaboration across cultures, Mark began organizing a global community of kindred spirits committed to developing and promoting holistic and replicable solutions for compassionate living and sustainable development, starting locally and networking globally.
Five years later, in 1997, an international group of volunteers led by Mark and his friends Scarth Locke and Dara Ackerman, in partnership with local collaborators, opened the doors of the first Earthville project, the Dharamshala Earthville Institute (DEVI) in the Indian Himalayas. DEVI was intended as a first step – a staging ground for launching other activities that would gradually flesh out the global Earthville vision. This expansion happened quite naturally, as many altruistically oriented people from around the world who passed through Dharamshala made connections at DEVI, which naturally led to friendships that evolved into partnerships and projects... and over the next few years the international network began to take shape.
In 2000, the Earthville Network was incorporated in California as a 501(c)(3) public charity. Earthville's team focused for a few years on building the "west" side of the "east-west" bridge, establishing educational, ecological, and charitable programs in the US while continuing to cultivate relationships and develop programs with strategic partners worldwide (including the Sulha Peace Project and the Vietnam Fund for Education, Music, and Infrastructure).
In the decade or so since its founding, the Earthville Network has expanded to include about a dozen projects spanning six countries, with more on the horizon.
Continue for a concise overview of Earthville's accomplishments to date »
To find out how you can support or participate in Earthville's charitable activities worldwide, click here.