The Global Villages Network was formally founded at the Third International Global Village Symposium in Vienna, but neglected for a long time. Look at the founding declaration:
http://www.give.at/give/gvn/gvndraft.htm
It was never totally abandoned and the personal relations grew with new events, and when Gleb Tyurin from Archangelsk asked to build up a supporting entity for a possible project in Russia, efforts were started to formally recreate it and fill it with life.