Our Vision

We are passionate about building a society deeply rooted once again in the natural world, based on ethical and ecological principles, where humans live in complete harmony with their natural world and to the fullest of their potential, both individually and within their community.

If humanity is to survive, we have to care for each other and for the natural world we are part of. Somehow we seem to have forgotten that we depend on the abundance and diversity of the natural world for our existence. We have been depleting and degrading its finite resources in a relentless rate and we waste and dump and trash with every step we take. The pursuit of economic growth in itself as our main (and often only) goal in society is not only ecologically unsafe, but frankly a waste of human potential as well. Instead of being at the heart of our communities, providing fun, healthy and fulfilling work and a chance to socialise, express and improve ourselves by friendly competition, our economic system has become our worst enemy, over-exploiting nature including most of the human population. The sheer scale and pace at which we fish, farm, extract and deforest devastates entire eco-systems and is now actually threatening our own survival and life on earth as we know it.

We must accept that the relationship between humanity and its environment is one of interdependence within it, instead of control over it. We need to recognise our still limited understanding of the complexity of ecosystems and therefore protect and enhance biodiversity. Apply the precautionary principle when and wherever we are in doubt of the consequences of new technologies to the natural world.

We need to contemplate our core values and bring about profound social, economic and political reform. And we must do it sooner rather than later. We need responsible, wise and daring leadership within all levels of society, taking forward true change and thus creating a world in which we can all thrive and live a plentiful life within healthy ecosystems that guarantee our long-term survival.

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Our vision is inspired by several remarkable philosophers and scientists;

Deep Ecology, an ecocentric philosophy of nature, e.g. grass-roots ecological movement of which the principles were stated by philosophers Arne Naess and George Sessions in 1984;

Ecosophy-T, a new philosophy of nature, by prof. Arne Naess, philosopher and Professor Emeritus at the University of Oslo, Norway.

Ecopsychology, a form of psychology that suggests and studies the synergistic relation that exists between the human psyche and the natural world.

Permaculture is about creating human habitats by following nature's patterns. It is based on the philosophy of co-operation with nature and caring for the earth and its people. It seeks to foster the skills, confidence and imagination to enable people to become self-reliant as a community.

The Gaia-hypothesis, a holistic scientific view of our planet by British scientists Lynn Margulis and James Lovelock.

Biomimicry (from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is a new discipline that studies nature's best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems.

Cradle to cradle; remaking the way we make things, a provocative and critical view on the industrial revolution and 'unintelligent design'. Chalenges the belief that human industry must and will damage the natural world. By American architect William McDonough and German chemist Michael Braungarten. For more information, visit their firm MBDC online.

The Ecology of Commerce, a truly ecological analysis of business and the introduction of the restorative economy. By entrepreneur, author and 'poet laureate of American capitalism' Paul Hawken.

The Spell of the Sensuous, perception and language in a more than human world, draws us into an amazing series of investigations regarding the fluid, participatory nature of perception, and the reciprocity between our senses and the sensuous earth. By philosopher David Abram.

For an introduction to some of these visions, see:

'Deep Ecology' (by Arne Naess)
The Call of the Mountain (Transcript of an interview with Arne Naess by Jan van Boeckel, ReRun Producties 1997)
'Introduction to Deep Ecology' (an interview with Michael E. Zimmerman)
Deep Ecology Bibliography by Johannes Dingler

'Ecopsychology'(by Theodore Roszak)

Bill McDonough at Bioneer 2008 (Cradle to Cradle)
Interview Michael Braungart, 2011 (Cradle to Cradle)

Architect William McDonough speaks sustainable development (Cradle to Cradle)

The Ecology of Commerce (a book review by Scott London)

Permaculture Explained (permaculture.org.uk)

'Gaia Theory, science of the living earth' (an introduction by David Orrel)

'Who Am I? Who Are You?' The Identification of Self and Other in Three Ecosophies, an essay by Annie L. Booth in the Trumpeter (1996), ISSN 0832-6193 (including Naess' Ecosophy-T).


(For more extensive reading, please feel free to inspect our bibliography.)