Regenerative Community: Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
The project that started the journey is an 8.65 acre site designated to house to model sustainable community. Nestled in some of Canada’s lush natural surroundings, this project blends modern lifestyles with planet saving designs and deeply connected community. Unlike most “green” building projects, this one incorporates social sustainability and economic resilience infrastructure in addition to fully circular environmental design. This makes the Austin Greens/S’a’lhstum [Link to a page just for this project, include the First Nations elder story/recordings from the original front page and some of the community images I will send you] community project a global landmark.
The original plan was to finish the rezoning and construction of this project before going global, but the appetite for Regenerative Community Development is ravenous and now we are co-creating a bevy of international Regenerative Community projects.
S’a’lhstum ‘Uxwiin Shxunutun / Austin Greens
The name offered to us by Elders Florence James and Gary Manson after touring our first project site based on traditional Snuneymuxw First Nations lands. We were grateful to listen to their guidance as we attempt to create our sustainable communities.
Ongoing Projects
Despite interest coming in from countless groups and communities in developed nations, we realized that we could have the biggest global impact by supporting projects in emerging nations, so that is where our focus is. Those countries have the greatest needs, the strongest motivation and the fewest restrictions. So, unhampered by archaic regulations that effectively enforce unsustainable building practices, supported/empowered by international experts and global champions and in partnership with passionate individuals, we have been proudly supporting projects of immense diversity and impact.
Team Burundi
In partnership with Gigawatt Global, a multinational determined to supply affordable renewable power to all of Africa, we are working with the locals to co-create a culturally unique community that helps them leap onto the world stage as a first class example of Regenerative Community. Given that Burundi is one of the 5 poorest nations in the Human Development Index, this project is glowing example of how a community can achieve its potential with a little catalytic support.
Team Rain Forest
In an effort to reforest 100,000ha (a quarter million acres) of Rain Forest in Indonesia we are offering our support to a collection of NGOs trying to rebuild a bioregion, while creating Regenerative Community within it.
Global Regenerative Economics Working Group Team
As a result of the networks we have built and our passion for seeing regenerative projects become fully self-sufficient rather than relying on charity, our team was asked to launch a Global Regenerative Economics Working Group. By bringing together Ivory Tower Theorists, Global Regulators, Financial industry Leaders, Grassroots Practivists and Experts that specialize in implementing effective change, this working group seeks to move beyond talking, through understanding and past the barriers to actual change. This has lead into a few key projects, the flagship effort being the development of the Regenerative Venture Funding Eco-System. Simply put, the goal of this project is to create a global system that makes it easy for people from all cultures, in all corners of the globe, to access funding for their regenerative efforts, while also giving them access to key supports needed to succeed. In doing this, we seek to simplify the challenge faced by those seeking to fund impactful projects while ensuring the funds are not only repaid, but that change occurs.
Team Hasten
As the Futures Forward team scoured the globe for leaders in Regenerative Community creation, only two people really stood out, one focused on India and one on Indonesia. We are extremely proud to walk arm in arm with Hasten in its efforts to revitalize ancient watersheds and Regenerative Community in India that seek to protect and integrate huge areas of forest land.
Infrastructure Building Projects
As part of our continuous search for like-minded world leaders to collaborate with, our team joined forces with groups such as the Global Regeneration CoLab, The Systems Change Alliance, the Permaculture CoLab, and Catalyst 2030, all groups dedicated to addressing aspects of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Permaculture for the Planet Team
As part of a commitment to ensure everyone has the ability to grow their own food our team realized that this was often just a matter of education. Faced with countless languages, a diversity of literacy levels and limited access to technology in vulnerable areas, the team came up with a collection of strategies. Combining info-graphics and videos that require no language skills, educational radio spots that can easily be translated into local languages and a train the trainer system supported by an online university we are developing a global set of tools for farmers to teach each other better ways of harnessing their land and locations for intense harvests that actually build healthy soil.
Upcoming Projects
Several municipalities and groups are actively exploring the possibility of locating a “Living Fully” community in their borders, we are considering all options and choosing the ones best suited to refining the concept before we spread it.