Common Earth
Description
"Common Earth is an international consortium supporting efforts to regenerate the wealth of Earth’s commons to meet and exceed the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The global commons are the dynamic, living systems that are the basis of life on Earth. Humanity’s social and economic well-being are dependent on the health of our common land, oceans, and atmosphere. Caring for them properly requires valuing human dignity and understanding that true wealth derives from a healthy planet.
Common Earth will launch in 2018 in partnership the Commonwealth of Nations Secretariat’s Innovation Hub. The Innovation Hub is focused on fostering innovation across the Commonwealth’s 53 member states. Together, the member states represent 2.4 billion people (60% under 30 years old), 21% of Earth’s land mass (spanning Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific), and 78% of the oceans’ exclusive economic zones. The diverse global community of the Commonwealth represents an unprecedented opportunity for transforming innovative ideas into action.
Common Earth emerged from the “Regenerative Development to Reverse Climate Change” initiative organized by the Cloudburst Foundation in October 2016 at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. Founded and managed by the Cloudburst Foundation, Common Earth is a collaboration of innovative practitioners, scientific research institutions, and funding organizations. It provides support to decision makers, communities, and companies across the Commonwealth seeking to meet their commitments to the Paris Climate Accord and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Members of the Common Earth consortium harness the potential of the Commonwealth’s unique places, people, and communities. It supports and develops local capacities and capabilities needed to address complex global challenges. The consortium is shifting the current model of sustainability from doing less harm to a regenerative model of doing most good. True wealth is when the world’s resources are managed to promote human happiness, dignity and prosperity for all people and future generations." (http://www.cloudburstfoundation.org/common-earth/)
Status
“Since October 2016 a series of meetings were held and in between the Cloudburst Foundation and a flexible team of pro-bono advisors and collaborators have kept the process evolving and have build the relationships and institutional frameworks and agreements to create Common Earth as a UK registered charity that will help the process of capacity building, showcasing, connecting and resourcing local and regional regenerative practice in different Commonwealth Nations and partner projects in non-Commonwealth countries.
One of the early outcomes of our weekly calls and initial working group was this map of mature regenerative projects around the world that David McConville created and a team of us helped populate. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but focussed on projects that have been around for long enough to tell a transformational story and have good ways to document it like an informative website or video.” (https://medium.com/activate-the-future/regenerating-the-wealth-of-the-earths-commons-8e30f6c339ac)
The second meeting
Report by Daniel Christian Wahl:
“The most recent meeting at Marlborough House showcased a number of locally grounded place-sourced regenerative projects from three different Commonwealth countries. A delegation from Aukland Bay presented a wonderful regional watershed regeneration project that is deeply rooted in the Maori cultural traditions and indigenous wisdom.
Nichie Abo from Dominica presented the work of the Kalingo Global Institute for Resilience and Regeneration which is deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of the descendants of pre-Colombian inhabitants of the Caribean. The project is closely linked to Dr. Michael McDonald’s work through the Alliance for Global Resilience and Regeneration to help the creation of vital local and regional infrastructures that will help people in place to face the coming climate disruptions with increased resilience and capacity to regenerate systemic health.
The other highlighted regenerative development project was how the island nation of Kirabati became home to the world’s largest marine protected area that safeguards the one of the world’s most important spawning grounds for pelagic fish like tuna — The Phoenix Island Protected Area (PIPA).
In addition a series of other projects presented more briefly, including a presentation by Christopher Nesbitt, the recent winner of the Commonwealth Innovation Award, on his work at Maya Mountain Research Farm. Eduard Mueller from the Universidad de Cooperacion Internacional (UCI) in Costa Rica presented on the many regenerative development initiatives that are moving ahead in his country.
Kate Raworth, from the Doughnut Economics Action Lab, offered a lucid and inspiring presentation about 21st Century Economics and the importance of creating the social foundations that enable people’s wellbeing within the ecological limits of our planetary boundaries. Stuart Cowan presented on Regenerative Finance, the 8 principles of regenerative economics and the network of bioregional regeneration projects that the Capital Institute has incubated through the Regenerative Communities Network.
Ben Haggard and Freya Yost presented on the role of Cloudburst Foundation and its partners like Regenesis Group and others who have been helping to build capacity for regenerative practice within the team running this initiative and through the on the ground work with the pilot projects showcased at the event. There is so much to digest and report on, but for now I will leave it at this and simply offer a few soundbites from the event and few official news releases from the Commonwealth Secretariat.” (https://medium.com/activate-the-future/regenerating-the-wealth-of-the-earths-commons-8e30f6c339ac)