We are nature, and as interdependent human beings, we are responsible for valuing and caring for the relationships within ourselves, with other beings, and with the earth as the only known home for ourselves and generations to come.
Recognizing that so many initiatives around the world which share such fundamental values and are practicing this way of thinking and being, MINGAnet is an invitation to co-create a network of networks of “practice and thought,” groups of people working together to collaborate, reflect on their interests and needs, learn from each other, and advocate for political changes to further the care and regeneration of life.
The name MINGAnet comes from the pre-Columbian Quechua indigenous word “minga,” which means “work shared by the community.” Individuals and civil society organizations—including the academy—are invited to join this common effort to find ways to work together to bring about a different present and a better future for all.
With an emphasis on promoting dialogue and fostering information and knowledge management, MINGAnet aims to facilitate interactions among its members, increase the visibility of initiatives, encourage collaboration, promote the production of local knowledge, provide open access to quality information, disseminate research, and foster self-organization among its participant communities in a free and open way.
Our network currently consists of twenty-four local, regional, and national organizations who have expressed their interest in advancing this collaborative effort in an environment of co-responsibility and trust. These include groups and networks of nature reserves, solidarity farmers, agroecological producers, seed guardians, ecovillages, and universities, among others.
To help support the project, we are building a fractal digital platform which intertwines technological, organizational, and practical tools in order to cultivate collective intelligence and help us move towards the necessary transformations.
And because the care for life occurs mainly at the local level, we have focused our work primarily on local networks/communities, including indigenous communities and local farmers among others while starting pilot projects focusing on specific subjects very much connected to life care, such as climate change mitigation and food sovereignty, especially regarding seeds, agroecology, and consumption.
It is time to help recover lost values, lost sovereignties, the common good, and the care of life. This is the time to start a new era. This is a unique opportunity. We cannot but try, there is urgency, and life is calling us.
