Balance through Radical Participation

Regenerative Ecosystem Stewardship

Imagine a world where every five years, through Rotational Service Cycles, communities embraced longer term 40 year Ecological Cycles. They come together in daily rotation to support each other to harvest the wood of a forest, farm the rich soil for five years, and then move on to the next forest in the rotation. They allow the land and soil to heal, to clothe itself anew in green, until they return to the now mature, 40-year-old forest where they started to begin again. This rhythm, this dance with nature, was the method of many of our ancestors, a sustainable beat that promised subsistence for countless years.

In the heart of these communities, life pulsed with the beat of reciprocal service cycles for three days followed by a rest day, each four day week. It was a life where one's services were not only for their own soil but for the reciprocal construction of a neighbor's home, the mending of roofs, the nurturing of children, and the preparation of a shared feasts and so on. It was an intricate choreography of support that spanned beyond individual families, extending into the web of communal living.

This was a system that thought generations ahead, a complex economy of reciprocity with each other and nature. Communities offered their service commitments in a way that allowed individual families to draw from the collective pool of resources (commons), ensuring no one was left behind. Importantly, they pledged their own future support, sowing seeds of assistance for times to come. These daily, weekly, and seasonal cycles - would integrate with each-other and together into larger 40 year agroforestry cycles.

Within this dance, there is dynamic imbalance—of credit and debt, in both the social fabric and ecological foundations. And it was through the smaller community cycles and the longer agroforestry cycles that equilibrium was reestablished, a testament to true ecosystem stewardship.

The Breach

Sadly, these cycles have been disrupted, knocked off their ancient tracks by the heavy wheels of economic imperialism. These restorative rhythms have been abused and ignored, leading to disharmony on social and environmental levels. We stand amidst the echoes of these once balanced cycles, yearning for their restoration.

Seeding for Recovery and Well-being

Seeding commitment pools —the process of catalyzing the resources we possess and nurturing them towards well-being—is our way back to this equilibrium. It's an understanding of healthy social and ecological cycles, a blueprint and protocol laid down by our ancestors that whispers the secrets of longevity and prosperity.

Embracing Radical Participation

As we face the challenge of restoring what has been lost, we must introduce the concept of Radical Participation. It's a call to action for each of us to express our offerings, to weave them into pools that grow into larger polycentric networks. It’s about cultivating our connections, sharing our resources, and leaning into the wisdom of our ancestors.

Radical Participation is our pathway to rekindle the ancient wisdom of regenerative ecosystem stewardship practices. It’s an invitation to play our part in the grand design, to learn from the sustainable practices of the past, and to build a future where balance reigns once more.

Let us step into the cycles deep within us, not as echoes but as loud, vivacious calls to action—restoring, healing, and participating radically. Join us in this journey back to balance, back to the well-being of our communities and our planet.