New Community Paradigms

Local Futures works to renew ecological, social and spiritual well-being by promoting a systemic shift towards economic localization. A pioneer of the new economy movement, Local Futures has been raising awareness for four decades about the need to shift direction - away from dependence on global monopolies, and towards decentralized, regional economies.

Despite its remarkable achievements during the 20th century, the economic system of the past cannot continue into the future without a fundamental transformation. The science is irrefutable. The exponential growth of compound investment returns and, by extension, the exponential growth of the economy's material throughput demanded by the financial system, has positioned our global economy on a collision course with the finite physical boundaries of the biosphere. At the same time, this relentless and narrow pursuit of exponential growth of returns on invested capital, without reference to universally acknowledged moral and ethical values, is contributing to an ever-widening and destabilizing wealth gap, and security crises around the globe.

Online discussion forum

The SustyContextGroup is a network of thought leaders and practitioners advancing the notion of Sustainability Context, a performance accounting principle that assesses "the performance of the organization in the context of the limits and demands placed on environmental or social resources at the sectoral, local, regional, or global level" (to quote the Global Reporting Initiative, GRI, which coined the concept in 2002). Corporate Sustainability Architect Bill Baue and Center for Sustainable Organizations Executive Director (and The MultiCapital Scorecard Co-Author) Mark McElroy co-founded the Group in early 2012 to nurture the growing global community of practice of passionate individuals and organizations who see the vital necessity of incorporating this concept in corporate sustainability measurement, management and reporting.

More intimate, intense and in-depth means of communication on particular topics 

The Regeneration Hub Was Created To: * Empower citizens to engage with and support regenerative projects locally, nationally, regionally and globally. * Aggregate regenerative case studies from around the world to inspire project holders to collaborate and take action. * Inform communities and policymakers of the multiple benefits that regenerative systems offer farmers, cities and economies struggling to address the threats of food security, biodiversity loss and climate change. * Connect investors and funders with regenerative projects that have strong potential to scale. * Unite the global community of regenerative farmers, foodies, scientists, businesses, activists, educators, journalists, governments, entrepreneurs and consumers working with nature to solve our greatest challenges.

The Public Banking Institute was founded in 2010 to further the understanding and implementation of publicly-owned banks.

The Really Regenerative Centre is a backbone organisation which, as a bioregional learning centre for Sussex, is base for learning and action on climate change. It is a place from which research, learning and action can be coordinated and delivered to our communities.

Earth Protector Communities is a local to global grassroots movement in which Towns/Cities, Educational Institutions, businesses and other organisations work together to protect the land, wildlife, air, soil and water and also endorse the Stop Ecocide campaign, which supports the legal and diplomatic work to make Ecocide an international crime.

Milkwood is dedicated to teaching and sharing permaculture skills, for living like it matters. Online, in-person, in print… whatever form it takes to get you inspired and making a better world, we want to help help you learn.

"iLAND Criteria:  The purpose of the iLAND Criteria is to help projects to understand and implement best practice in permaculture demonstration and education, to help guide decision making for projects so that they can work towards creating an excellent centre. "

"IPEN is working to increase beneficial collaboration and cross-pollination in the development of permaculture education systems internationally.   To achieve this IPEN is building an international network and platform to enable permaculture education resources to be more easily shared, translated, accessed, enriched and adopted by a global teaching and learning audience. The aim is to expand and accelerate the growth and development of permaculture education on the ground for tutors, in national and regional permaculture education systems, and within demonstration projects that deliver permaculture education."

"A planetary wide network of nodes undertaking applied research, developing innovation practices, and mobilizing all this knowledge to enable leaders to realize Flourishing Enterprises worldwide. "

"The Continuous Improvement effort is developing a prototype process for improving how state and federal agency systems that fund, regulate, or organize ecosystem recovery might improve services to local actors working on ecosystem recovery. It is inspired by Gemba Kaizen theory, initially developed within the Toyota Production System, where improvement opportunities are identified by the people who do the work on the "factory floor" and rapid improvement efforts are enabled through standard practices, and encouraged by leadership. We work with the resources we have, because self improvement in an intrinsic part of good government. The current iteration has received support from the Puget Sound Partnership's Ecosystem Coordination Board and is being guided by Lead Entities, Local Integrating Organizations and Ecosystem Recovery coordinators. "

The Network Weaver Consultants Network is a loosely affiliated group of consultants who provide a wide range of network services for organizations, networks and communities. Some of the consultants have taken a 5-month intensive practicum on network consulting led by June Holley and Kristin Johnstad. However, there is no vetting process for this page: anyone who has experience can put their name on this site. Make sure you contact the consultants directly to access more detail about their experience, interests and availability. The map below shows the Network Weaver Consultants and Services. Click and hold on a consultant's node to focus on who they're affiliated with and what service they provide, click and hold on a service node to focus on which of the consultants provides that service. Keep scrolling past the map for the consultants' bios.

Our Videos and Webinars are a mix between conversations with #PDToolkit adopters, open AMAs with the connected community and featured talks with special guests. They cover all about platforms and ecosystems and how the strategy of the connected organization needs to change in the XXIst century.

"Regenerative communities are emerging in both urban and rural areas across every continent. The global Regenerative Communities Network honors and connects these efforts with a digital learning platform and through a long-term cycle of on the ground support. "