Main content

Skip to main content

Earth Community, Ep. 08 - Costa Rica, Longo Mai

View on the Pragda STREAM site

Longo Mai is a community founded in 1979 in Costa Rica with the support of the United Nations as a humanitarian shelter project to aid a region devastated by civil wars. Over more than 40 years of consistent effort, the community has successfully prevented the construction of hydroelectric plants, halted land erosion, and stopped the advance of pineapple monoculture into the mountain highlands.

The origins of Longo Mai trace back to Europe in 1968. A group of young people from various countries—France, Austria, Switzerland, and primarily Germany—sought an alternative way of life that emphasized autonomy and independence. They began settling in abandoned rural areas across Europe, left behind by farmers migrating to cities. During a time marked by war, one of their goals was to show solidarity with communities in need, which eventually led them to Costa Rica. Today, Longo Mai is a consolidated community with members primarily from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Europe.

Related Films

Earth Community, Ep. 01 - Mexico, Huehuecoyotl

In the 1960s, a group of itinerant artists founded Huehuecoyotl, an ecovillage…

Earth Community, Ep. 02 - Colombia, Nashira

Nashira was founded to promote environmental commitment and female solidarity,…

Earth Community, Ep. 03 - Peru, Eco Truly Park

Founded by the Hare Krishna community, a monastery seeks to transform…