Surrounded by the beauty of nature, we invite you to retreat, relax, reflect and recharge in the heart of the Free State. EarthRise Mountain Lodge is more than just an idyllic getaway and conference facility, though, it’s a new way of life.

By staying at the lodge you are supporting the EarthRise Trust, a social development project that aims to develop the local Naledi Village community by providing opportunities for sustainable livelihoods, as well as access to quality healthcare and education.

[See image gallery at earthrisetrust.org.za]

By combining education (theory) with production (practice), Earthrise will bring on board local and international actors to implement development that represents a transformative shift in the developmental model. By integrating participatory leadership, shared ownership and governance we will ensure long term viability and sustainability.

We have embarked on an important journey; one we believe that with perseverance can create the conditions to learn and build practical ways to move towards sustainability in the 21st century for the benefit of all the grandchildren, great grandchildren and those yet to be born. By working closely with like-minded people across borders we can heed the call by the late Nelson Mandela who, on the occasion of the Earth Hour, urged: “Let us stand together to make of our world a sustainable source for our future as humanity on this planet.”

In keeping with the Trust’s visions and founding aims, Earthrise will partner with Civicus, a leading global civil society organisation, committed to building an enabling environment for citizens to participate in building a just, sustainable and peaceful world.  In the short term this partnership will focus on assessing how and whether the UN Post 2015 Agenda can be used as a framework for rethinking and sculpting a future of peaceful humanity, and to examine the key transformational shifts needed to successfully meet the basic needs of all humans e.g. the right to food, shelter, education, health and livelihoods.

In the medium to long term, Earthrise wants to invest in and promote sustainable, long term and collaborative programmes for young people passionate about building a just, sustainable and peaceful world.

To take this idea forward, the Trust will, in the near future, undertake a feasibility study for a development programme that aims to build the next generation of civic leaders committed to a new social and environmental development paradigm.  The development programme will create space for actors from civil society focusing on, but not limited to, young people and women in order to promote active civic participation and engagement as a vital condition in overcoming the long term challenges we face as humanity.

[See image gallery at earthrisetrust.org.za]