Designing a Regeneration Fund for the Northern Andes

Last Thursday we had a very special work day in Bogota with members of Territoria, Paisano, Azai Consultores, and our new foundation Barichara Regenerativa to design a regeneration fund for the Northern Andes. This grew out of a powerful gathering that took place in Putumayo a few weeks ago for the Movement of Territorial Foundations in Colombia.

Our purpose was as simple as it is ambitious — to create a Northern Andes regeneration fund focusing on the restoration of hydrological systems (watersheds and precipitation patterns) while restoring ecological connectivity for biological corridors across the entire country of Colombia.

Current locations in Colombia where territorial foundations are being created

Throughout the day, we brought clarity to what regeneration is and how it can be understood at the bioregional scale. The territorial foundations of Colombia are all organized around holistic landscape systems that naturally fit into the bioregional lens, even though the people involved do not typically use the word “bioregion” to describe their territories.

What we found important to outline were a set of design principles for the fund that bring clarity to how it might work. Here is the initial draft of these principles:

1. Reconnect with Life :: Become part of local living ecosystems as experiential, relational, and embodied ethics for relating to ones territory.
2. Circularity :: Generating reciprocal relationships for the fund to cultivate abundance and perpetuate its existence.
3. Transparency :: Treating local leaders and investors as equal with information shared among them. Investors in the fund and the selection criteria for how resources are allocated, desired outcomes and trust in observable outcomes are all interwoven processes.
4. Those who do the work on the ground are the experts :: Mobilizing resources for local leaders to continue doing what demonstrably works in their communities and on the ground in their territories.
5. Our teacher is life itself :: We learn from direct experiences in our lives about what does and does not work.
6. Revitalization :: Restoring all forms of life and restoring ecosystem services in our territories.
7. We focus on processes not projects :: Give preferences to living processes in our landscapes as the focus of investments. Projects are thought of as being in service to (or helping manifest) the continuation of regenerative processes.
8. Cultural Transformation :: Augmenting the social interaction and shared experiences that awaken love and consciousness from indigenous cosmovisions of the Northern Andes.
9. Bridges of Transition :: Move away from extractive models and toward regenerative models.
10. Territorial Sovereignty :: Cultivate wellbeing that builds upon the commons to support the increasing autonomy of territories to regenerate themselves.

We then took these principles and crafted a story about the fund so that we can begin attracting investors who want to see this dream emerging into the world. Paula Jaime (on the left in the photo above) listened to each of us speaking so that a synthesis could emerge.

Draft Narrative for the Fund

Here is the narrative that Paula Jaime of Territoria drafted during the meeting. It will evolve and change as we manifest this story in the coming weeks, months, and years:

In a world where the future of our planet is at stake, it is crucial to act with determination and vision. We are at a critical juncture where environmental degradation, lack of food sovereignty and forced migration are alarming realities. But we, as global citizens, have the power to change this course.

Imagine a place where communities are masters of their own destiny, where the land is cared for and regenerated, and where autonomy is a palpable reality. This is the dream we seek to make a reality in the North Andean region, and we do it through a unique and powerful approach. Our Territorial Regeneration Fund is not just an investment, it is a statement of commitment to life itself. We are dedicated to restoring and protecting ecosystems, to guaranteeing life in all its forms. With every action, every funded process, we are building a more sustainable and hopeful future.

Why should you join this cause? Because together we can make a difference. Because we believe in collaboration as a driver of change. Because we allocate resources directly to local communities, empowering them to lead their own regeneration. Because we decolonize the process, recognizing and valuing the ancestral knowledge and wisdom of local cultures.

We are a global community united by a common purpose: to protect life in our territories. Our fund is more than an investment tool, it is an expression of hope and solidarity. Join us on this journey towards a future where all forms of life flourish and thrive. Together, we can make this world a better place for future generations.

Now we are preparing to make this vision a reality. Our next steps are to get the description of the fund published on the Territoria website and to attract the first donations so that we can practice putting these ideas into action.

We also envisioned a public fundraising event for May 22nd — the International Day for Biodiversity — and have started mapping out key aspects for how the fund can be managed collaboratively among the territories of Colombia.

There is much more to say, of course! I merely wanted to share this with you now while it is just emerging. Please share your thoughts in the comment thread below. We will all get to learn from this design process during the learning journey about how to Birth Bioregional Learning Centers as the different territories of Colombia organize themselves into a collaborative funding ecosystem.

Onward, fellow humans!