The Project Is Not the Land, the Project Is the People
Details
- Interviewee: Parkash
- Role: Community Member and Co-Founder
- Community: Ananda Kalyani
- Date: 2026-01-14
- Language: en
Summary
In this interview, Parkash shares the story of his journey in creating a community project known as a 'master unit' in Portugal. He discusses his early interest in similar projects and how he became involved with this initiative in 2009 after recognizing a group was serious about establishing a community. Over the years, they have faced numerous challenges, including financial crises and difficulties in securing land, yet he emphasizes the importance of adaptability, shared leadership, and a commitment to serving the local community. Parkash also reflects on the personal growth required to succeed in this endeavor and the transformative experiences that have shaped the community's values and aspirations.
Through his insights, Parkash illustrates how the project's success relies not only on external resources but also on the willingness of people to work together, learn from each other, and maintain a shared vision. The journey has not been without obstacles, but by fostering resilience and collaboration, the master unit continues to evolve and thrive.
Key quotes
The project is not the land. The project is the people and the process.
From the beginning we tried to share leadership. Many people should carry responsibility.
If the group decides to go left it is better to align. Otherwise the group breaks.
We worked in festivals. Selling vegetarian food. Sharing books. Showing spiritual ideas.
We see the fire as a challenge but also transformation.
Transcript
**Sharon:** So let us start with your name. And where are we sitting right now.
**Parkash:** So I am Parkash and here we are sitting in the Kingdom in the river. You know the limit. That is one part of this master unit. This is a rented place. By the other side that you probably saw is bought by an American.
**Sharon:** And how did you get in contact with this project to begin with.
**Parkash:** Well, actually since when I was twenty more or less, I liked very much this kind of projects. I traveled around in summertime. When I was in university I was going to many projects and working mainly in Italy during the year. Since 2000 I moved to the northern side of Italy and they were trying to start such a project. They were not able to start. In 2009 we passed by Lisbon for many reasons. I knew that there was a good group here that wanted to start the project. So I found out this was a good opportunity. And then I said okay so if you are really serious now here I am.
**Parkash:** We stayed there nine months in Lisbon. We prepared the base. Came with the first people. We prepared the team. The team was already being prepared in the last fifteen years. But one by one that was living there. And then we decided to start in 2010 nonetheless. We came here to cover the area. First we settled in Korea. The people were more inclined to land. People more towards this land to see the perfect place to begin to work and move ahead.
**Sharon:** So you were part of the very first steps of creating this.
**Parkash:** Yes. The first two people coming here were me and my wife at the moment. We came here. It was really nice. But at the beginning it was really an adventure. And it continued to be an adventure.
**Sharon:** How many years is it now.
**Parkash:** Now 2025. So almost sixteen years. Fifteen years here in this specific place is only thirteen years because the first place was five minutes in this direction. We were two years in one place. Then the day before flying to Madeira to buy the land we came to know that there was a highway proposed to be built on top of the place.
**Parkash:** We were ready with all the money from the donations from all the friends. We were going to buy. And then on Friday we checked the highway plans. Maybe there is a highway that passes near you. And we checked and there was one big highway. Now the highway is not there but they had the plan. When there is a plan you cannot do anything in this corridor. I do not know how many meters around the possible highway. Luckily we did not lose all the money in that moment. Then we searched again. We mapped again all Portugal to see the best places. We defined two very good areas for this kind of project. Then we found that these environments were one of those places. So we researched more in the area until we found this place.
**Parkash:** One distinguishing component of the experiment with the project called master unit is service. Service to the local community in a wide sense. It can be nature, people, environment. This is what a master unit is. A master unit is a kind of project. It has a community inside but the concept is beyond that. Many people call this an eco village. But an eco village can be of different kinds. You can create a nice village in a beautiful land. The concept here is different. A master unit is directed to local service.
**Parkash:** Of course then you create examples. You create things inside because you want partial autonomy. You want to try methods that can be useful in the local community. But the main support should be for the local community. This is the main difference.
**Sharon:** What values guided you in the early days of doing this project.
**Parkash:** Good question. Let us see. It is already a few years ago. But I think values did not change. When you go back in time I can go earlier. I grew up in Italy. In the Alps. Beautiful mountains. Sport. Sea nearby. A wonderful school. I studied math and physics. Amazing professors. Very few students. A place where you can explore the possibilities of the mind.
**Parkash:** When I was there I met many spiritual groups. I met Ananda Marga and liked very much the combination of inner practice and action in the world. Meditation inside and service outside. I was an ecologist since I was a kid. I saw that humans many times do bad things to nature and use nature as a resource center. I began to go deeper into spiritual work. When you go deeper you receive so much. You want to share.
**Parkash:** So this sense of sharing became one way. Other people can be artists or activists. For me this path joined many efforts. I have a scientific mind and also care for ecological projects. This path allowed both. If you take a group of twenty or thirty people you find many interests. Ecological projects. Helping people. Education. Art. Activism. Changing systems. When these kinds of people work together you get the clash created by different ideas. These clashes create a healthier society. To create a healthier village this mix is valuable. This is the way to give back something meaningful.
**Sharon:** What is one thing you felt needed to change in you in order to succeed in this part of building this project.
**Parkash:** There is not one thing. There are many. If there is one thing it is me. You polish yourself. Like water polishes rocks. Life here polishes you. Living a life in harmony with others, spiritual practice, service, all of this polishes you. Many qualities are there inside us. They just need polishing.
**Sharon:** People speak about models. But from what I see it is mainly inner work. Many projects fail because people do not learn these lessons.
**Parkash:** Yes. Before coming here I tried to understand mistakes from other projects in Italy. I noticed some patterns. For example, when there is one charismatic leader the project grows fast. But when that person dies the project often declines. So from the beginning we tried to share leadership. Many people should carry responsibility. If I do something good I can give the benefit to someone else. Not focus on one person. This worked very well.
**Parkash:** Another pattern I found is that projects based on a spiritual reason have more possibility of success. When you do something with a mission you have strength. When difficulty comes you stand. Another thing I learned is adaptability. Many people come with wonderful ideas. They want to pass to the right. Others to the left. Imperfections clash. If the group decides to go left it is better to align. Otherwise the group breaks. It is important to feel inside. Not only rational thinking. To feel nature. To act with a clean mind. To serve without expecting recognition.
**Sharon:** How did you manage resources in the beginning.
**Parkash:** There was a group already in Portugal. Around sixty or seventy people. Another group in Italy. Many were activists. So the first base formed naturally. We knew each other better through work. If you sit on a beach everyone is a friend. When you work together you see imperfections. You wash your defects little by little. We worked in festivals. Selling vegetarian food. Sharing books. Showing spiritual ideas. People enjoyed the food. We collected money. Some contributed more. I created a company in Italy to support the project. The founders still support it. Little by little the project grew. Institutions understood us. After five years they saw we stayed. Challenges came but growth continued.
**Sharon:** Is there anything you wish you knew in the beginning.
**Parkash:** Yes. You need pioneers. People who jump. They make miracles. After fifteen years you need balance. I wish I knew that pioneers need to adapt earlier. To keep some fire but gain stability. Service can unbalance you. You do too much and lose your center. To help others you need to stay with yourself.
**Sharon:** Was there any moment where a challenge almost stopped you.
**Parkash:** We were lucky. Yes there were difficult moments. The financial crisis in 2009. I wondered how to support the project. I saw that when you try to do something good for others with a clean heart, help comes. The more you refine your actions, the clearer this becomes. People afraid of this lifestyle do not stay. Those who stay are strong. On a human level we had strength. The project is not the land. The project is the people and the process. If the place is destroyed you begin again. Financial challenges came but solutions appeared. A neighbor calling at the right moment. A donation. Support. When help is needed it arrives. Magic is not about spectacle. It is about inner clarity.
**Sharon:** Can you tell me about the land.
**Parkash:** We began buying land in 2012 or 2013. The first plot was divided into twenty parts. Owners in Spain, Canada, France. Difficult. But we continued. We bought nearby land. Then more pieces. At the moment the central part is around twenty to twenty five hectares. Plus rented land. Plus more being bought.
**Sharon:** How many members.
**Parkash:** Around twenty five core members. Around forty more during winter. Much more during festivals. The land is owned by one entity. Used cooperatively by several projects. Agriculture. Guest house. Environmental association. Education.
**Sharon:** Sources of income.
**Parkash:** Events. Guest house. Projects funded by institutions. Cooperation with universities. Technology and social innovation. Donations. Plans for local cooperative businesses.
**Sharon:** Significant challenges.
**Parkash:** There were challenges like climbing a mountain. Hard but part of the journey. Every six months there is a revolution. New people. New structures. Adaptability is important. Every five years there is a major change. We had a reset week after the fire.
**Sharon:** How was the fire experience.
**Parkash:** I was in Italy with my daughter. I received calls. People panicked. The firemen pushed people away. A small group came back to fight the fire with water. Managing from far was difficult. I grew up helping my father stop fires. It was hard to be away.
**Parkash:** The fire destroyed the forest. Animals came here because our land stayed green. But we see this as an opportunity to rebuild better. To plant native forest. The irrigation system and orchards burned. We will redo it. With support we can restore quickly.
**Sharon:** Anything else about challenge.
**Parkash:** When need appears help arrives. The project is strong because people act with sincerity. Even simple actions often bring the right support. We see the place growing. From tents to guest houses. From scattered land to a bigger collective land base. Many improvements. We see the fire as a challenge but also transformation. We can reforest. We can rebuild. We already receive offers to help. This is not a major problem. It is part of the journey.