Together We Can Grow: Resourcing the Commons Through Pathways to Wellbeing

• Published in: Systemic practice and action research 2023-10, Vol.36 (5), p.641-690
• Main Authors: Wirawan, Rudolf, McIntyre-Mills, Janet J., Makaulule, Mphatheleni, Lethole, Patricia Vhahangwele, Pitsoane, Enid, Arko-Achemfuor, Akwasi, Romm, Norma R. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Business and Management; Circular economy; Communities of practice; Methodology of the Social Sciences; Organization; Original Research; Sociology
• ISSN: 1094-429X; 1573-9295
• DOI: 10.1007/s11213-022-09613-z

This paper discusses transformative research in a community of practice, it is written in the form of a metalogue on our progress to date This iterative dialogue based on face to face meetings and regular virtual meetings. Together we illustrate and map the journey of developing the pathways to wellbeing software into story pathways to support a green circular economy. The metalogue enables weaving together the experiences and diverse ways of knowing whilst we explore the environment of a problem together we builds on the work of Gregory Bateson and his daughter Nora Bateson as well as the wisdom of Indigenous sages and scholars who emphasise the importance of strengthening relationships (in our fields of influence) as the route to human and more than human wellbeing. The research paper is one of several papers which will explore ways to enable participatory design and decision making through an online community of practice. Our “boundary” that we are setting in the paper focused around the building of relationships in which we are involved and which we are expanding (through a myriad of connections and networks) to build circular economic practices in Venda, specifically in relation to protecting sacred sites and being responsive to Mupo. The first author has a website https://www.wirasoftfoundtion.org/en_GB/web/biac-sig/home on which some ideas on circular economies are expressed. Our hope is that the small pilot can be used to demonstrate a way in which community education can be linked with social enterprises that support earning and learning together in ways that foster social and environmental justice.