The African Earth Jurisprudence Collective is a community of practice reviving Indigenous lifeways
to enhance resilience
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We accompany African communities on journeys of decolonisation, guided by the philosophy and practice of Earth Jurisprudence. Together, we are reviving indigenous wisdom, strengthening food sovereignty, protecting sacred natural sites, restoring nature, and recognising eco-centred governance. Together, we are healing destroyed diversities and enhancing resilience to the polycrisis of our time. Together, we are a uniquely African hope, innovative and ancient.
Trainings for Transformation
The Collective has grown out of a series of courses, held by The Gaia Foundation and Siama, that critically assess the impact of industrial growth society and explore Earth Jurisprudence as a life-sustaining alternative. Graduates go on to mentor trainees, inspired by indigenous practices of intergenerational learning.
Community of Practice
We are a continent-wide constellation of Earth Jurisprudence Practitioners. As a home for graduates and facilitators of the Trainings for Transformation, this community of practice ensures that our endeavours are sustained and sustaining.
Accompanying Indigenous Peoples
As Earth Jurisprudence Practitioners, we return to our roots and create the conditions for Indigenous Peoples to bring their complex cultures back from the brink.
Reweaving Resilience
Wherever a community starts their journey of decolonisation, these processes ultimately reweave resilient biocultural systems.
Earth Jurisprudence Explained
‘Jurisprudence’ defines how we govern our lives. Western jurisprudence considers humans to be separate from and superior to nature. Laws stemming from it have legitimised the destruction of our home. Earth Jurisprudence considers humans an inextricable part of the animate world. It is inspired by indigenous cultures that sustained balance for millennia, by centring their governance around their ancestral lands and waters. Described by the UN as “the fastest growing legal movement of the 21st century”, the African Earth Jurisprudence Collective is putting the philosophy of Earth Jurisprudence into practice with communities and ecosystems.
The third cohort of Earth Jurisprudence Practitioners have graduated in Benin, through an initiation ceremony rooted in the lore of earth, air, fire and water.