May East

Biographical Information
May East (Maria Elisa Capparelli Pinheiro) "is a Brazilian social change activist who has spent the last 30 years working internationally with music, indigenous people, women, antinuclear, environmental and sustainable human settlements movements. Since 1992 she has lived at the Findhorn Ecovillage in Scotland where she is the Ecovillage Education Coordinator, the Director of International Relations between the Foundation, the Global Ecovillage Network and the United Nations. May is an sustainability educator and works internationally as Programme Director of Gaia Education. May is Director of CIFAL Findhorn, a United Nations Institute of Training and Research Associated Training Centre in Moray, Scotland."

"May East is a Brazilian sustainability educator and designer heading two international organisations: Gaia Education and CIFAL Scotland, and UNITAR Associated Training Center for Northern Europe. Based at the UN Habitat Best Practice Designation Findhorn Ecovillage since 1992, May is part of a whole generation of sustainability educators delivering training in 23 countries, in different stages of development and in both urban and rural contexts, under the umbrella of Gaia Education. A tireless networker, she has played a prominent role in developing relationships between the UN and the Findhorn Ecovillage, culminating in the launch of CIFAL Findhorn in 2006. She facilitates international think-tanks such as the Club of Budapest World Wisdom Council and has delivered Transition Training since 2008. She is passionate about driving long-term impact for sustainability, has a UNITAR Diploma in Climate Change Diplomacy and is currently advising a series of projects seeking to scale-up low-carbon investment in Brazil." Formerly married to Craig Gibsone.


 * Trustee, Artists Project Earth
 * Staff, Findhorn Ecovillage
 * Facilitator, World Wisdom Council
 * Steering Group, World Service Intergroup (2001-04) CV
 * Teacher, International Holistic University
 * Coordinator of Gaia Arts and Representative in Brazil, Gaia Foundation (1988-92)