Social tools

Internally, we developed as an informal project that self organizes in a non-hierarchical way in an academic context. The results were great so far, much of it due to the innovative way we organise ourselves (so far voluntarily) and using decision-making processes based on sociocracy.

We designed a method for group meetings which we call the 5 A’s. It allows us to discuss many topics and have productive meetings instead of entering endless circular discussions and ending up fed up of the people that make up our group. Meetings are super important moments in which most of the active group is together – this must be praised and honoured, in such way that no it is never supposed to feel like a waste of time. Wanna know the magic recipe? Click the link: https://blog.permaculture.org.uk/articles/social-tools-structuring-university-permaculture-project

The gardens we built since 2009, are more productive and fertile, but also more appealing for social gathering and as a place to join the Faculty’s community and external members. While at first the focus was gardening and creating opportunities for scientific demonstration in regenerative agriculture and Permaculture, later on it shifted to how to involve the people, and therefore turning to socialscapes, non-formal education and regenerative social practices. As humans, we are ecosystem engineers. And after the experience of the previous years, we figured out that the most important is to reach the people, to develop a sense of community. We are working together in a synergetic way, bringing the sense that the whole is greater than its parts. Without thinking too much on that initially, we truly built up an intricate network, a web of people and organizations working together for the sake of our planet.

Video by Earth Collectiv ● Vasco Pissarra

Divulgação científica