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alternatives to the main stream world. This whole is free, is happy and can support other people make other people have a lot of people like to come here, because there are certain. This is the BBC world service, listening to don't log off with me, Alan dean, A gay hello, hello, hi: how are you can you? Please give me two minutes. I need to tell about the programme to to my friends. I will not disconnect, I will stay on the guy, but I will tell them. Ok, you bet yeah glib lives in view peace. I self declared

appended republic and artistic community in the lithuanian capital of vilnius today is April. The first recipes independence day, hey. How is it going tell me about the day o how's it going. You know, like. I said, wait, I see a lot of happy people and the band is playing on stage and there is a lot of things that happen in god, just like people sitting in enjoying the music enjoy real. The independent republic of EU peace has transformed once badly run down neighborhood in the heart of Vilnius, it had been the thriving jewish quarter, but was decimated by the nazis during the second

war and during the soviet period, which followed ended up as a crime written backwater, so main street was called the street of that it was one of the most abandoned and destroyed district of venus interesting. So back and nine kid just because, after the collapse of the soviet union, people started doing some things and feel tool and more three arches started watching this abandoned buildings, and then it was something like her. You know like a supernova explosion and on first of April. Ninety eight republic appeared so you have your own constitution, your government, yes and your own currency, yes,

and it is the most stable currency in the world just because, since the day it was introduced until now, one arose is still one glass of beer. So when I look at the window amount is in my home. I actually just see trees thought very lush and green, and I can't Please see any any straight all roads from here ram setting such lovely daisy lives in riverside collective residential settlement near motor worker on the south island of new zealand. tor children live here in this house and riverside where my office is as well off my husband. They live among one hundred or so people in hope. surrounded by farmland and rolling pastures where children in rome free yes, plenty of places where they can play

to go and be safe. Above all, riverside is a pacifist community built on values of social cohesion and teamwork. My husband was actually on here saw his grandparents were some of my original founders, committee was founded and nineteen forty one and my grandparents and law so to say they joined a nineteen. Forty six saw his father was born on riverside property as well, and so was he his father Mother still here, so he's, never really left riverside. I mean who had always sounds like an he's, the hermit, but he has left, but he's always returned so he's been here

I still say, he's been near his whole life and I am or actually from east berlin so from germany, and I are rife in two thousand for at the end of two thousand for if she just on a holiday- and I have been here ever since his interesting resource- you talk about east berlin- was it's something you perhaps you were looking for? Having come from that kind of background from an east german background and uncertainty about ground? was once upon a time very much part of the old eastern bloc yeah, I wonder let sometimes But I I had actually express a lot of adversities in east berlin I I'm I'm black I'm. So I was one of those efforts. Germans, who especially when the bold and down I'm forty two now was suddenly, quite aware of a lot of racism and saw,

time arrived in new zealand. My life, the last ten years, had really consisted of sending off very physical attacks. My reality living in east berlin and felt very uneasy, and not actually, I didn't feel safe in the world so coming to riverside. I'd, still really Remember the feeling. The relief I felt coming here our end walking down the street for first time in my life and not feeling like people away, just baiting or the coroner to spit at me or to attack me or to question e m. Wasn't I mean I was? It was incredible I in the the southern part of venezuela, and Amazonas David is a creator of his own community. He copious a sustainable, cooperative and eco village on the threshold.

the amazonian wilderness, its northern ay. The amazon rainforest that's where we declare our people there and believe it or not. I got the last property that exists well, maybe, thousand kilometers later. This is a traditional territory of the p roma David set up a copious with a plant. tagged and conserve the surrounding ecosystem through working and interacting with indigenous neighbours It took me a good eight years, to be able to Get close enough. the indigenous people. In order to get them to accept me. I mean they're they're, very much like the homage. if you know who the armature. Yes, I do yeah there are people I was. I was curious as to what

what they do and how they were actually got here and I saw how they live in everything, and I was really envious of this, because this is a type of society where. There is no domination. It's an air archetype of a society better, but there's a very great deal of mutual respect among everyone where were you originally from I'm from selling, new jersey. So miles was the plan that you wanted to live in this area be connected to the king, in its his around where you are in this part of went his way le, but also significantly, you wanted to to build a community yourself to actually attracts people to come and live and experience this kind of lifestyle.

This way of living right right, basically, so that they can so that they can share this view. His badge ended. I I mean I want it. I wouldn't changed it for anything. It is. Well, it is relatively raw, especially for someone. That's Looking for the compromise so look at where the culprits communication. If you like solitude, like rivers like trees and peace, and we want to meditate, feel violent centre with the earth. because this is a really good ways. One of the things that really tells people off about riverside community or that many people find estimating is that we are sharing our income most river I'd members working the community's dairy farm, its cultural centre, hostile cafe.

One of its many other business enterprises. All honey that that I see that my husband earns and that You know our neighbours earn everything into one pot that that idea of sharing is interesting because, of course, talking to you and hearing about your own background of eastern europe and certainly the communists dream was built on battle. That was the idea and whether it was either it was put in practice is something else, but certainly was the idea. Do you think that there was a pause to view? The always believed in that you think. Do you think there that that concept that that sort of democratic- and

unity concept of people sharing what they got. Ah, yes- and I also want to be very careful not to be misunderstood, met and it's not a communist society and saw it unites, calling a lot of a socialist ideas, but there is some the people live. You have all sorts of political opinions saw. What I think are always believed in is that the sharing of resources and provide. A group of people were quite a great advantage, but it doesn't matter how many hours you work or what work you do. Everyone is getting the same amount, and that is something that many people outside oversight

I struggled with and where they are often getting this communism label attached to us, because it's so it seems so outlandish for people to to do that. Originally, I'm from russia from Moscow. So I was born in moscow, and that was back in the: u s: s r, ever think that you would discover a place like the whoopi when you were in russia, where it back in those days back in those days, I, like I'm a dream person I like fantasize and the like, like creating some crazy ideas in my head and then make it happen. So I discovered that I can travel and search for

place where I can create the way I want without any limitations, without any things it. I need to accept these any talks of debts, so that was some sort of search for in there. Freedom we haven't sherman nearby, better able to provide, psychedelic, short term visitors to a copious. The venezuelan rainforest are invited to detox from civilization and open the doors of perception by way of psychoactive. Sub. This is provided by local shaman. Things like I was gonna our often used to you're driving.

but we're not looking for drug addicts to come out to visit us. You know what I mean: we're looking for nature lovers to come out and vegetables, but david get a feel for yourself. Has it been beneficial to to it takes psychedelic. I think so. so. I've always had positive experiences worry very colorful experiences, probably the only only only bad experience. I was time when, did it without a charmer, I mean it felt like I died. I thought I was dying. I actually over time That's what it felt like when I was I was. I was saying goodbye to people and then I woke up- and I was okay, but I spent hours in there and always without a chairman, so there's those different experiences, a job at different times, but I may justly

beverly to go all the way back to your childhood feelings? Had then to see things then he saw but also the sea colours and patterns and ideas over a daisy in the riverside community in new zealand. I wonder: what's in store for the younger generation lured by the patterns and ideas offered by mainstream society, and the outside world? They leave to go to university. That leave too the life of their non riverside peers, to give it a try and saw None of them have come back. My own daughter is we're joking about as she's working now at the supermarket after school, so she's king money, real money? That's going straight onto her account, so we're joking that she's earning more money than ass now and she laughed it. She says

There's no way, I'm ever gonna be a riverside cause. All this money will have to go into the pot and the needle I want all the money that I make. I want to use it. She laughs riverside us You know having grown up here and having all the freedom, but the idea to to have to change for the money that she works or to have to share that with others. Its income incomprehensible, what's clear to grab as he arrives at the street, no local, easy avenue of constitutions or the declarations of the usual peace constitution printed on large mirrored plaques right now, I'm standing near the wall was constitutions offers a precisely right. There are more than forty languages. This is what this is about, and this is what our constitution is about,

like do not fight back, do not win, do not surrender legend. Has it that the constitution of a zoo peace was drafted in nineteen. Ninety eight, during a sitting at the republic's parliamentary headquarters, actually a cafe situated in the main square, I'm just looking at the constitution now and Everyone has the right to be happy follows I. Everyone has the right to be unhappy and I think the significantly. No one has the right to violence. Yes, exactly! That's that's why we actually like we did a gate at all the actions that we are doing now today and our independence day to special. It sort of charity think so we just I have the nation box, which will be then transferred to the fund that

I use money pre in the proper way to help ukraine as an that's our way. Take the way of community help right That's cause herman and herman is in Buenos areas Am I got the money lovely to hear your voice? How you doing so be so good. I bid you be a family in our home herman and his family or just back home and when, as a result in china of the travelling through more, one hundred countries around the world by com, a life changing epic journey that spain twenty two years, really they were watching the next down, get it you didn't. danny was the word and they looked back. I use one hundred countries

covered by granting its unease. It's amazing by we only looking for the next down, along with his partner cabin area, open decided to hit the road at the turn of the millennium. Despite the fact herman's career, when as areas was very much on the up, there was it's beautiful opportunity. You get a job that it will be like for two years, a huge work, lovely andy, who was getting the job. He was enemies day a day and, thank god I didn't thing. I follow my hard to say no less go now, because no more than one and a half later there was a huge crisis in argentina,

And I would have lost everything my word. It just shows that either it's it's about, instinct, isn't it you? Obviously there was something inside you realize that you had to do it. It was instinct and approve correct and tell me about the vehicle. What vehicle did you jus he The vehicle a graham paige made in detroit in nineteen twenty at one thousand nine hundred and twenty eight grand page called the sort of thing you would see in those nineteen late. Two thousand and thirteen is american gangster is really the guy. You thought you know what a vehicle one a vehicle and at that point, herman, that car was over seventy years old you sneak out and carry it was really really all already and no one when I was getting that we so much happiness that we're gonna go with a car everybody

look like I used to be a you're out of your mind and so began twenty two year, long glowed traversing journey in a calm built in nineteen. Twenty eight we were given your home movies. Harm can keep. was coms, and we were all around england. We did you sleep one night, the whole united kingdom in a hotel It can't be was always in people homes, and we had to face so many times though, sadly, observatory, but we cannot. We already have an invitation and we get to keep going forward other. Why we spend. You're thinking our keen to another place there right. what we want you to teach waking opinion before new culture with nuth neutral land, new, already just new ways of life weight of thinking

He got really. We welcome you here to collect story to collect moment of flight, we're not here to collect things that we have. We won't be able to take to the next one. It was an odyssey which dramatic We changed herman's understanding of the world are involved, Tell you you are you need you got? You look for your place in the war by what, if we make it were our place that we don't see it like with a friend with the border. With allay my worry, we see it like our nice beautiful, become and also full of friends more than several thousand mean right. I think that's a very beautiful image that your creating this idea of a world is a place. You know that in a way it's beyond borders, it's beyond language, it's about connecting with people around the world.

Well, then, you're part of a wider world. Yes, I have candy hello, hawaii candle area and herman were childhood sweethearts and the epic traveling adventure was a dream they shared together. It was an adventure that brought them four children each born in different countries over the course of their travels. Of course, I was afraid so many times, because where, for example, in africa, we cross africa for three and a half years. the major event was so little in that moment, and it was a lot of risk. Of malaria. For example. Right I was worried I am not all that, but I enjoying so much emma Jane. I was so happy that I think there should be This is the best remedy for any signals that gun that cannot be right

I say I think I think that's a good philosophy and of course you are bringing up children at that point, you're responsible for them, but also they are doing something so unique compared to the children. There would have been there same age bracket in Buenos aires yeah. You know, you know what I think. We feel responsible with our children's show them the word work. Where were we then my there is like I hear is PAMELA refinery, hello. How are you a good, very good, very good, to hear you? This is pamper the eldest of herman and candle areas, children who enjoyed homes, schooling, with a difference while being literally road. We weren't home school. We were car school, so The journey we would be studying in the car usually and argentina has a programme, and they send you the test. Every

months. They have a lot of online activities and you get the print out. the material that you had to be starting right? So and it s a really cool cause. You got to study when you see at the same time. So as like you listed, draw me in the base camp of mount everest and do one question, though it be like where the task and in the world and you black always there their is just incredible. But sir, that's wonderful, How could a twenty two year long journey across five continents and over one hundred countries not be a life changing experience? everyone involved- the candle. I've heard that left in the year. Two thousand is not the case. That is talking now right. It is a really good. where and when you know Sadly, the one concerning one did and now I am very often very open to the surprises.

I realise that the best part of this work women in europe where the people- I am sorry, with her mother is now that I know now nearly one who were acting I got a war, but anyone who was conquered by the war. I learned so much from people, it's amazing how the more you meet people, the more you know, sorry how much more humble you become, because you know

you're, a beautiful, tiny piece of sand, but I'm very important piece of Sunday everyone he's right daisy, says life in using live. Riverside community has changed her to just from my own trauma said that happened in berlin and I had a tendency to church people, white people, a particular sort of white paper. So it's all you know it's over all, I'm much more positive. Now, looking at the world, I can see that there is some beautiful and I like humans more. I suppose it is inevitable that We ask you: do you think that you will spend the rest of your life riverside? I can't answer that. I don't know all I am This challenging it's not all nice

in her morn use its like living like this. It's it's got its challenges and both me and my husband, we just dumb, goes to a stranger, may I be contemplating leaving just because it becomes it becomes more difficult. right now at this moment in time we are both committed to making it still work too, be here- and we are still committed to to the people here and to the idea, but neck reagan might be different. Then this club, the end with another independence day in the republic of a zoo peace in vilnius. For you grabbed, you see. This is part of your life now to see yourself travelling beyond

did you think you would go somewhere else? The thing is that it doesn't matter where you live it matters if you feel home. So, in this case, I cannot even think about going somewhere at the moment, but if I feel that I've seen something here- and there is the way to next step to the next chapter- I'm always open to all this crazy. You things for David, any copious, the impact of the pandemic and restrictions placed on. U S, citizens travelling to venice, have taken their toll on the number of people coming to share his dream of building an alternative, sustainable life in the amazonian rain forest that hasn't killed the dream for me, I haven't my attitude about I mean I bought it with a purpose

Am I plan to see see it all the way through whatever its aims and for herman now back in buenos aires with candle area and therefore children next year, I'm dreaming you go sailing, sailing where around again again again, but this time I work by water, maybe exchanging his vintage car for no barge galleon. I can't wait to find out you ve been listening to don't look off. I am out of date to produce with qana garrett. The documentary is just one of our bbc world service podcast. There are many others, too cheese from here look at me. You threw me out

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