Regenaissance: The Call to Heal

Regenaissance: The Call to Heal
Caption	The first edition (January, 2025), illustrating the book’s themes of regeneration and co-creation
Author	Sharon Gal-Or and Daniel Mihai
Country	Country Name
Language	English
Genre	Environmentalism, Sustainability, Regenerative Design
Publication Date	25 December 2024
Pages	219
Media Type	Digital (PDF)

1. Overview

Regenaissance: The Call to Heal (2025) - CLICK TO DOWNLOAD is a publication by authors Sharon Gal-Or and Daniel Mihai, focusing on a paradigm shift from extractive, industrial-era systems to regenerative communities that prioritize ecological well-being, inclusive governance, and cultural renewal.

Organized around metaphorical “gardens,” the book fuses ancient wisdom, modern technological tools, and actionable case studies, aiming to guide readers through a collective metamorphosis - akin to a caterpillar entering a cocoon and eventually emerging as a butterfly. By reframing concepts such as wealth, community, and land ownership, Regenaissance: The Call to Heal advances a vision of social and ecological balance rooted in co-creation, cooperation, and earth-centered stewardship.

2. Background

Polycrisis and the Meaning Crisis

The authors anchor their work in the notion of a polycrisis, referring to the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, social fragmentation, and economic instability. While many recognize environmental degradation, they often overlook additional systemic stressors - such as automation-driven job displacement, unaffordable housing, and widespread mental health struggles. By identifying these crises as overlapping and mutually reinforcing, the book highlights the importance of holistic rather than piecemeal solutions.

Equally significant is the meaning crisis, a sense of disconnection from each other, from the land, and from cultural or spiritual roots. As societies become more urbanized and technologically advanced, individuals may feel an existential gap. Regenaissance: The Call to Heal presents regeneration as a remedy: by restoring our bond with nature, community, and ancestral wisdom, we rekindle a deeper sense of purpose.

Why “Regenaissance”?

A portmanteau of “regenerative” and “renaissance,” Regenaissance indicates a global “rebirth” that integrates ecological principles, equity, and cultural renewal. Rather than merely “sustaining” current systems, the authors call for actively healing people and the planet. It channels the spirit of the historical Renaissance - an era of monumental creativity and intellectual leaps - yet focuses this rebirth on addressing today’s environmental and social urgencies.

3. Authors

Sharon Gal-Or

Sharon Gal-Or is an author and thinker whose previous works explore the merging of ancestral wisdom with modern innovations. His background includes studies of AI (termed “Angelic Intelligence” in earlier writings), ecological ethics, and global policy dialogues. Gal-Or emphasizes technology and philosophy for co-creating a just future, enabling communities to reclaim agency over resources and destinies.

Daniel Mihai

Daniel Mihai is known for blockchain-enabled philanthropic ventures, notably the Anu Initiative, which pursues transparency and direct accountability in charitable giving. He advocates decentralized technologies (e.g., smart contracts, token-based governance) to support community empowerment, tracking how funds translate into tangible social or environmental impact.

4. Book Overview

Metaphorical Gardens and Thematic Flow

The text is divided into 18 core “gardens,” plus an introduction and epilogue. Each garden builds upon the last, blending philosophical reflections with hands-on strategies. The structure aligns with a lifecycle metaphor:

• Caterpillar (Learning and Consuming): Foundational knowledge, understanding the roots of crisis, gathering tools.
• Cocoon (Stillness and Transformation): Internal reflection, unlearning old paradigms, discovering regenerative frameworks.
• Butterfly (Action and Emergence): Implementation of regenerative ideals via local governance, ecological initiatives, and innovative finance.

Throughout, the reader is reminded that mere intellectual study is insufficient - action is crucial, whether by adopting zero-waste habits or sharing land stewardship.

Key Concepts in the Gardens

• Regenerative Communities: A blueprint for settlements that restore local ecosystems, forge strong social ties, and encourage collective ownership.
• Community Land Trusts (CLTs): A cornerstone for keeping land in local stakeholders’ hands rather than subject to speculation; vital for permanent affordability, intergenerational land stewardship, and participatory governance.
• Regenerative Finance (ReFi): Evolving from DeFi, ReFi channels monetary flows toward ecological healing. Examples include local tokens, community lending circles, and transparent reforestation funding.
• Indigenous Wisdom and Custodianship: The authors discuss rotational farming, agroforestry, and consensus-based decision-making to illustrate respectful integration of Indigenous knowledge.
• The Declaration of Regenerative Stewardship Near the conclusion, Gal-Or and Mihai introduce The Declaration of Regenerative Stewardship, urging governments, non-profits, and private institutions to support frameworks like SOIL (Stewardship and Optimization of Intergenerational Land) and SEEDs (Shared Ecosystems for Equitable Development). By uniting around shared ecological accountability, entire regions can evolve from scarcity to resilience.

5. Major Themes

Transition from Extraction to Regeneration

Rejecting a narrowly “sustainable” stance - often merely slowing harm - Regenaissance advocates healing ecosystems, reforesting landscapes, reviving pollinator pathways, and strengthening cultural bonds. This resonates with movements like permaculture, agroecology, and transition towns, framing degrowth as a path toward community-oriented fulfillment.

Polycrisis and Systemic Solutions

Single-issue campaigns (e.g., reducing carbon emissions alone) cannot address crises comprehensively. Instead, solving multiple challenges - like water shortages, soil depletion, and inequality - requires a larger systems approach. The “polycrisis” concept underscores how climate upheaval, social fragmentation, and economic tensions converge, demanding an integrated response.

Culture, Ritual, and Myth

Distinct from purely environmental treatises, this work dedicates attention to culture as a unifying force. In “Garden 3,” the authors explore myth, ritual, and storytelling as catalysts for group cohesion and meaning. They propose that regenerative communities adopt or create inclusive rituals - such as seasonal gatherings, harvest festivals, or seed swaps - to embed shared purpose in daily life.

Participatory Governance

Frameworks like sociocracy, holacracy, and Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) facilitate transparent, equitable decision-making by distributing authority. By highlighting ecovillages and pilot programs worldwide, the book shows how trust, accountability, and adaptability thrive under shared leadership.

SOIL and SEEDs

A signature contribution is the pairing of SOIL (Stewardship and Optimization of Intergenerational Land) and SEEDs (Shared Ecosystems for Equitable Development).

SOIL: Adapts the principles of Community Land Trusts to ensure land remains a shared trust, preventing speculation and preserving affordability. SEEDs: Once land is secured, innovation hubs foster local business ideas, eco-ventures, and regenerative initiatives (e.g., compost cooperatives or solar microgrids). By unifying these approaches, communities can reclaim sovereignty over resources and sustain local economies and ecologies.

Trust and Transparency

Trust emerges as the core “currency” of regenerative efforts. The authors advocate open-ledger governance - via, for instance, DAOs - where public auditing of decisions and token-based voting minimize corruption and power grabs.

Intersection with Indigenous Knowledge

To restore biodiversity and cultural cohesion, the book emphasizes collaboration with Indigenous practices. Examples range from rotating crops for water stewardship to consensus-based councils mirroring tribal governance. The authors caution against extractive “adoption” of Indigenous methods, calling instead for equitable partnerships.

6. Chapter-by-Chapter Synopsis

Though the text spans 18 “gardens,” these can be grouped into three phases: Caterpillar, Cocoon, and Butterfly - representing learning, transformation, and action.

Introduction: Through the Garden Gate

Frames the polycrisis and exhorts readers to become both gardeners and guardians.

Garden 1: The Why – Purpose, Vision, and Urgency

Discusses clarifying deeper motivations for regeneration, highlighting the paradox of urgency vs. burnout.

Garden 2: The Blueprint for Regenerative Communities

Covers Community Land Trusts (CLTs), community-driven design, and eco-village fundamentals.

Garden 3: The Systems of Belonging

Explores culture, myth, and ritual as societal glue; references sociocracy, holacracy, and DAOs for equitable governance.

Garden 4: The Living Systems Model

Addresses food sovereignty, water cycles, rewilding, and agroforestry.

Garden 5: The Village Economy

Introduces eight forms of capital (natural, social, financial, cultural, spiritual, material, living, and intellectual) and local currency models.

Garden 6: The Currency of Trust

Focuses on trust as fundamental to all regenerative undertakings, illustrated by ROSCAs and other grassroots finance methods.

Gardens 7–10

Discuss resilience in crisis zones, Earth-Centered Technology, custodianship, and the paradox of participation.

Gardens 11–16

Highlight global equity, cultural clash navigation, and scaling regenerative frameworks to industrial contexts.

Garden 17: The Current State of Regenerative Communities

Analyzes successes/failures, questioning if new communities risk replicating exploitative structures.

Garden 18: The Call to Action

Encourages personal metamorphosis (“the butterfly effect”) and broad-based engagement, culminating in a future-oriented stewardship declaration.

Epilogue: The Path Ahead and The Butterfly Effect

Emphasizes a collective hero’s journey for systemic transformation.

7. Innovative Frameworks: SOIL and SEED

Regenaissance: The Call to Heal introduces two transformative frameworks - SOIL (Stewardship and Optimization of Intergenerational Land) and SEED (Shared Ecosystems for Equitable Development). These interconnected models provide a practical, scalable blueprint for fostering regenerative communities globally, addressing the polycrisis, and reimagining land use, community development, and innovation.

SOIL: Stewardship and Optimization of Intergenerational Land

The SOIL framework redefines the concept of land ownership by treating land as a shared trust rather than a commodity. It adapts principles from Community Land Trusts (CLTs), ensuring that land remains affordable, accessible, and ecologically protected. SOIL prioritizes equity, resilience, and regeneration, serving as the foundation for sustainable development.

Core Features of SOIL:

-> Land as a Trust: Land is collectively owned and managed to prevent speculation and ensure affordability for future generations.

-> Equity and Access: Focuses on securing land for marginalized communities, refugees, and younger generations who are often excluded from traditional land markets.

-> Ecological Protection: Encourages sustainable land use practices such as rewilding, regenerative agriculture, and conservation.

-> Governance Models: Implements participatory governance through sociocracy, community assemblies, and consent-based decision-making to ensure local stewardship.

Applications of SOIL:

-> Affordable Housing: By removing land from speculative markets, SOIL ensures stable, affordable housing for communities.

-> Regenerative Agriculture: Provides land access for agroecology, permaculture, and agroforestry practices, supporting food sovereignty and biodiversity.

-> Crisis Response: Offers a scalable framework for integrating displaced communities, addressing migration and climate-induced relocation.

-> Local Economies: Promotes self-sufficient, place-based economies by anchoring communities with secure land tenure.

SEED: Shared Ecosystems for Equitable Development

The SEED framework builds on the foundation of SOIL by creating hubs of innovation and creativity within regenerative communities. These hubs - referred to as SEED hubs - serve as incubators for local enterprise, education, and technological advancements that align with ecological and social well-being.

Core Features of SEED:

-> Dynamic Hubs: Spaces for community-driven enterprises, such as green technologies, decentralized energy systems, and regenerative farming cooperatives.

-> Community Innovation: Encourages co-creation of solutions through education, skill-sharing, and collaboration with academic institutions and NGOs.

-> Economic Resilience: Supports local business models that prioritize ecological restoration and equitable wealth distribution.

-> Scalable Projects: Offers templates for replicating successful initiatives in diverse cultural and geographic contexts.

Applications of SEED:

-> Agroecology Enterprises: Facilitates the growth of community-supported agriculture and food co-ops.

-> Green Technology Development: Supports projects like solar microgrids, water purification systems, and composting cooperatives.

-> Education and Skill-Building: Hosts training programs on sustainable practices, fostering lifelong learning and local expertise.

-> Cultural Revitalization: Encourages the integration of Indigenous knowledge, storytelling, and rituals to strengthen community bonds.

Integration of SOIL and SEED

Together, SOIL and SEED form a holistic model for regenerative communities. SOIL provides the stable physical and legal foundation, while SEED drives the innovation and economic activity needed for resilience and growth. Their integration ensures that communities operate as living systems, balancing ecological health, social equity, and economic viability.

Key Synergies:

-> Shared Governance: Both frameworks emphasize participatory decision-making, ensuring alignment between land use and community goals.

-> Economic Sustainability: Revenue generated by SEED initiatives supports the maintenance and expansion of SOIL-protected lands.

-> Global Scalability: Designed to adapt to various legal, cultural, and environmental contexts, allowing for widespread application.

-> Resilience in Crisis: By anchoring communities and fostering innovation, SOIL and SEED offer robust solutions to challenges such as climate change, automation, and migration.

Vision for Global Impact

The SOIL and SEED frameworks envision a future where communities reclaim agency over land and resources, fostering ecosystems that balance human and environmental needs. By prioritizing equity, ecological restoration, and participatory innovation, they present pivotal tools for catalyzing a global shift toward regeneration.

8. Criticisms and Debates

Risk of Commodification

Critics note that “regenerative” can be prone to greenwashing or “impact washing.” Though the book warns against exploitative practices - such as carbon-credit speculation - some argue it lacks fully developed guardrails for preventing corporate misuse of the term.

Challenges in Scaling

Many examples center on small-scale or ecovillage contexts, prompting questions about scalability to dense urban areas or entire national economies. The authors mention city-level rewilding and enabling legislation like Scotland’s Community Right to Buy, but skeptics want more detailed frameworks to persuade mainstream institutions.

Resource-Intensive Transitions

Retrofitting infrastructure or converting large swaths of farmland can be costly. While the book touts Regenerative Finance (ReFi) and public-private partnerships, some planners demand deeper feasibility analyses to address significant financial hurdles.

9. Legacy and Continuing Movements

Regenaissance: The Call to Heal aligns with broader efforts to restructure societies around ethics and ecology, including:

• Doughnut Economics (Kate Raworth), calling for social/ecological ceilings
• Transition Towns, promoting community-driven resilience
• Rights of Nature, granting ecosystems legal personhood
• Regenerative design (e.g., permaculture, Syntropic Agriculture) that treats landscapes as partners, not commodities

The book’s long-term impact may hinge on the success of pilot projects, public adoption of SOIL/SEEDs, and grassroots mobilization. Future editions aim to incorporate reader-contributed case studies for constant refinement.

10. References and External Links

References

Gal-Or, S. & Mihai, D. (2024). Regenaissance: The Call to Heal. First Edition

Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, Scottish Parliament

Champlain Housing Trust. (n.d.). Official Website

Doughnut Economics (Kate Raworth, 2017). Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist.

Transition Towns. (n.d.). Transition Network Initiative

External Links

Regenaissance Group on LinkedIn – Collaborative network for readers and practitioners

Anu Initiative – Mihai’s blockchain-based platform for transparent charitable giving

Community Land Trust Network – Resource hub for CLTs worldwide

Permaculture Principles – Overlap with the book’s frameworks

Blockchain-for-Good – Exploring decentralized solutions for philanthropic impact