Developing Capacity for a World That Works for Life
Developing Capacity for a World That Works for Life
A 7-week Online Course with
Samantha Sweetwater • Spring 2027
Evolving the shape of self and civilization. Exploring the great questions of our time.
How shall we conceive of ourselves relative to the Earth? How shall we shape our attention, care, restraint, and generative action? Who and what are we, and what do we need to know about ourselves and the rest of Life to move through civilization transition with wisdom, resilience, and hope?
This course is an inquiry into what it means to be human in the age of metacrisis, when the operating systems that shaped modern civilization are breaking down and a new story is struggling to emerge.
Over seven weeks, we'll explore what it meand to be human this time of techno-cultural transition through seven essential questions:
How is this time different?
Who and what are we humans relative to the biosphere?
What is alignment?
Why do bodies matter?
What is the relationship between sovereignty and interdependence?
What stories and seeds can carry us through?
How will I live in community as kin?
Each 90-minute session combines teaching, embodied practice, group inquiry, and integration exercises. You'll engage frameworks from the book True Human: Reimagining Ourselves at the End of Our World, including the Structures of Separation, EnLifenment, the 10 Rememberings, the 10 Lenses of Wholeness, the Invitations to Life Culture, and the path to Planetary Relational Maturity.
This course is for those who:
Sense we're living through a threshold moment for our species
Want to understand the metacrisis at a systems level
Are ready to do the inner work that systemic transformation requires
Know that personal and collective evolution are inseparable
Seek practical frameworks for navigating complexity with wisdom
Are interested in living into the answers of the great questions of our time
Key Benefits
Join author, Gaian futurist, and wisdom facilitator Samantha Sweetwater to explore and inhabit the worldviews we need to become True Humans today.
Skills Gained
Holistic problem-solving – tackle complex sustainability challenges with an integrated approach.
Inclusive leadership – champion equity, diversity, and social justice in your work and community.
Sustainable finance & economics – align your career, life, and finances with regenerative principles.
Project design & ecosystem restoration – create and implement sustainability projects that regenerate communities and natural systems.
Cross-cultural communication – collaborate effectively across diverse communities and global networks.
Strategic sustainability planning – manage projects with clear goals, impact assessments, and resilience strategies.
Measuring impact – use sustainability indicators to assess progress and guide meaningful change.
Join author, Gaian futurist, and wisdom facilitator Samantha Sweetwater to explore and inhabit the worldviews we need to become True Humans today.
Reasons to take this course
The framework we need don’t exist in conventional education
You'll learn:
How separation consciousness created the metacrisis
What Planetary Relational Maturity means and why it matters
The 10 Lenses of Wholeness that reorganize perception
Practical invitations for living as Life Culture
We’re tired of solutions that don’t address the realm problem
Why this time is different (it's a rite of passage, not just a crisis)
What humans are for (custodians, not dominators)
How to align power with Life's flourishing
Why bodies, resilience, and agency are the tools of transformation
Personal and collective transformation are inseparable
This course integrates both:
Inner work (embodied practices, self-inquiry, nervous system regulation)
Outer work (systems understanding, cultural analysis, strategic action)
You'll see how your personal healing serves collective transformation
You'll understand how to work at multiple scales simultaneously
Samantha Sweetwater's work bridges worlds
Samantha is rare: she speaks the language of systems thinkers, indigenous wisdom keepers, technologists, activists, and spiritual practitioners. She can translate between bioregionalism and boardrooms, between soil and soul.
Over 30 years, she's guided thousands through personal and collective transformation. Her work integrates:
Deep ecology and Gaian philosophy
Embodied practice and ceremony
Systems thinking and complexity science
Leadership and regenerative design
You'll receive:
Frameworks that actually help you navigate complexity
Practices you can use immediately
A worldview that holds both grief and hope
The clarity to act from wholeness, not fragmentation
Join author, Gaian futurist, and wisdom facilitator Samantha Sweetwater to explore and inhabit the worldviews we need to become True Humans today.
Gaia’s 4D Framework: Unique and impactful approach to Sustainability & Regeneration.
Social, Ecological, Economic, and Worldview dimensions combine to offer a holistic approach to sustainability. Gaia’s 4D Framework connects people, nature, local economies, and personal growth to create balanced and resilient comunities and projects.
The programme is divided into four interconnected dimensions: Social, Ecological, Economic, and Worldview.
Each dimension spans eight weeks and can be taken individually as Focus Course or as part of the full course.
Social
Enhance your leadership and collaboration skills with practical tools to empower communities, advance social justice, create inclusive solutions, and implement effective governance strategies.
Starts: October 12, 2026
Ecological
Master regenerative design and ecological practices to restore nature, applying principles of permaculture, ecosystem resilience, and innovative environmental solutions.
Starts: 11 January 2027
Economic
Develop regenerative economic models by integrating local economies, ethical finance, conscious consumption, and systems that foster prosperity without depleting natural resources.
Starts: May 24th, 2026
Worldview
Expand your perspective by embracing holistic values, ecological ethics, and transformative spirituality while balancing innovation with ancestral wisdom.
Starts: 22 March 2027
Course details
Course format:
Online, flexible modules with guided live sessions
Price:
300 GBP - Low income
350 GBP - Regular price
400 GBP - Abundant
There´s a limited number of scholarships spots, you can apply here by Feb 23rd.
Duration:
7 weeks
starting 1st March 2027
Facilitation:
By Samantha Sweetwater
Certificate:
Recognised certificate upon completion of the full course
Is the Humaning 101 course for you?
This course is designed for:
Regenerative practitioners and sustainability professionals
You work in permaculture, regenerative agriculture, ecovillage design, or ecological restoration
You understand living systems but want deeper philosophical grounding
You're building projects that serve Life and want to refine your worldview
Systems thinkers and complexity navigators
You see the interconnections but struggle with how to act
You're trying to design interventions in complex systems
You want frameworks for understanding our civilizational moment
Leaders, educators, and change agents
You're guiding organizations, communities, or movements
You know technical solutions aren't enough—consciousness must shift
You want to lead from wholeness, not just strategy
Activists and organizers
You're exhausted by fighting against and want to build for
You sense that resistance alone won't create the world we need
You want to ground activism in regenerative worldviews
Seekers and students of Earth wisdom
You're drawn to indigenous perspectives, deep ecology, and Gaian consciousness
You want to integrate spiritual practice with systems change
You're ready to do the work of becoming a True Human
Anyone navigating the metacrisis
You feel the grief, overwhelm, or confusion of our collective moment
You want frameworks that help you make sense of what's happening
You refuse to look away and want to understand how to respond
What you bring:
Some familiarity with systems thinking, regenerative design, or ecological worldviews
Curiosity about the deeper questions of human identity, purpose, and direction
Willingness to do inner work alongside conceptual learning
Openness to embodied practices and group inquiry
90 minutes per week + 1-3 hours for homework/integration
No prerequisites required beyond:
A sense that something fundamental is shifting
Willingness to question inherited assumptions about humans and nature
Desire to become part of the solution, not just the problem
Guided by experts in social transformation.
The GEDS Full Course is guided by dedicated professionals with real-world experience across all dimensions of sustainability.
Meet some of our facilitators:
Aline Van Moerbeke
Flemish-born and based in Spain since 2000, Aline discovered permaculture during a Gaia EDE course on Mallorca, where she first explored whole systems design and bioconstruction. Soon after, she co-founded PermaMed (Permacultura Mediterránea), where she continues to serve as a board member. Her early focus centered on education, community collaboration, facilitation, new economies, and inner landscape design. More recently, she co-founded La Casa Integral, a cooperative of permaculture designers and facilitators in Catalunya.
Emma Woods
Dedicated to democratizing economic thinking and empowering others to have their say on the economics that shapes their lives. Tired of peddling economic growth and conforming to a neoliberal neuronormative career path, Emma left a career as a successful senior economist in the UK public sector to set up Flourish Economics which offers alternative economics education, imaginative workshops and radical thought leadership.
Gracelynn Chung-Yan Lau
Gracelynn Chung-Yan Lau, PhD, is a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor (RTC) specialized in expressive arts therapy. She holds a doctoral degree in Cultural Studies at Queen’s University, where her research focuses on integrating creative writing, critical autoethnography and expressive arts therapy as a “critical/therapeutic inquiry” method in community-based inquiry and in education.
Root Cuthbertson
Growing up between Montreal, New Hampshire, and Boston, Root learned to love dancing, music, poetry, public libraries, matching needs with resources, monofloral honeys, generously inclusive humor, and stories about healing and hope.
Facilitator
The GEDS Full Course is guided by dedicated professionals with real-world experience across all dimensions of sustainability.
Meet some of our facilitators:
Samantha Sweetwater
Author, Gaian Futurist, Wisdom Facilitator
Samantha Sweetwater is the author of True Human: Reimagining Ourselves at the End of Our World and a wisdom guide who has spent over 30 years facilitating transformation across five continents.
She is the founder of Dancing Freedom, PeaceBody Japan, and One Life Circle, and has trained hundreds of facilitators worldwide in embodied awakening and regenerative leadership.
Her work sits at the confluence of deep ecology, systems thinking, indigenous wisdom, and futures visioning. She works with CEOs, founders, funders, activists, and communities navigating the intersection of personal healing and civilizational transition.
Samantha brings:
Deep systems thinking: understanding how parts relate to wholes
Embodied practice: 30 years of somatic facilitation
Indigenous lineage: trained in plant medicine ceremony and Earth-based wisdom
Gaian philosophy: conceiving humans as part of the living planetary body
Practical application: translating worldview into daily practice
She lives her teaching: rooted in bioregion, devoted to place, tending the future with love.
Emma Woods
Dedicated to democratizing economic thinking and empowering others to have their say on the economics that shapes their lives. Tired of peddling economic growth and conforming to a neoliberal neuronormative career path, Emma left a career as a successful senior economist in the UK public sector to set up Flourish Economics which offers alternative economics education, imaginative workshops and radical thought leadership.
Root Cuthbertson
Growing up between Montreal, New Hampshire, and Boston, Root learned to love dancing, music, poetry, public libraries, matching needs with resources, monofloral honeys, generously inclusive humor, and stories about healing and hope.
Gracelynn Chung-Yan Lau
Gracelynn Chung-Yan Lau, PhD, is a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor (RTC) specialized in expressive arts therapy. She holds a doctoral degree in Cultural Studies at Queen’s University, where her research focuses on integrating creative writing, critical autoethnography and expressive arts therapy as a “critical/therapeutic inquiry” method in community-based inquiry and in education.
What past students say
This course didn't just change how I think—it changed how I feel in my body, how I relate to the land, and how I show up in my work. The frameworks are brilliant, but the transformation is embodied."
– Permaculture Designer, Portugal
Samantha bridges worlds I didn't know could be bridged. She speaks systems language and soul language in the same breath. This is the education I wish I'd had 20 years ago."
– Sustainability Consultant, Australia
The six weeks gave me a worldview that actually helps me navigate the metacrisis without despair. I finally understand what it means to be human in this moment—and what to do about it."
– Activist and Organizer, US
Have questions? We’ve got answers.
No previous experience is required. All you need is a passion for community building and collaboration.
The course is designed to fit busy schedules with around 10 hours per week of flexible study. Though highly encouraged, Live Sessions are not mandatory and are recorded to be watched later.
Yes! The course provides hands-on tools you can apply immediately in your community.
A comprehensive programme covering four dimensions of sustainability: social, ecological, economic, and worldview.
No prior experience is required. This course is designed for both beginners and advanced learners. Whether you’re new to sustainability or looking to deepen your expertise, the course provides accessible and actionable content for everyone.
Entirely online with live sessions, group discussions, and self-paced assignments. You’ll have access to experienced facilitators, a supportive learning community, and rich resource materials.
Yes, each dimension can be taken as a standalone course, so if you are interested in specific dimensions, you can take them separately. Enrolling in the full course provides a holistic understanding of sustainability and is more cost-effective.
The Design Studio is the integration piece of the GEDS Full programme that you can join after complete the 4 Dimensions.
Participants have life-long access to the course material. Though the course has a defined length, participants can go back to the material any time after the course completion.
Have questions? We’ve got answers.
A comprehensive programme covering four dimensions of sustainability: social, ecological, economic, and worldview.
No prior experience is required. This course is designed for both beginners and advanced learners. Whether you’re new to sustainability or looking to deepen your expertise, the course provides accessible and actionable content for everyone.
Entirely online with live sessions, group discussions, and self-paced assignments. You’ll have access to experienced facilitators, a supportive learning community, and rich resource materials.
Yes, each dimension can be taken as a standalone course, so if you are interested in specific dimensions, you can take them separately. Enrolling in the full course provides a holistic understanding of sustainability and is more cost-effective.
The Design Studio is the integration piece of the GEDS Full programme that you can join after completing the 4 Dimensions.
More about the Design StudioParticipants have life-long access to the course material. Though the course has a defined length, participants can go back to the material any time after the course completion.
A comprehensive programme covering four dimensions of sustainability: social, ecological, economic, and worldview.
No prior experience is required. This course is designed for both beginners and advanced learners. Whether you’re new to sustainability or looking to deepen your expertise, the course provides accessible and actionable content for everyone.
Entirely online with live sessions, group discussions, and self-paced assignments. You’ll have access to experienced facilitators, a supportive learning community, and rich resource materials.
Yes, each dimension can be taken as a standalone course, so if you are interested in specific dimensions, you can take them separately. Enrolling in the full course provides a holistic understanding of sustainability and is more cost-effective.
The Design Studio is the integration piece of the GEDS Full programme that you can join after complete the 4 Dimensions.
Participants have life-long access to the course material. Though the course has a defined length, participants can go back to the material any time after the course completion.
Developing Capacity for a World That Works for Life
A 7-Week Online Course with Samantha Sweetwater
Speak with us on Whatsapp!