semente (Portuguese for “seed”) consists of a set of tools and methods to help communities understand and act on collective processes, resources, and dynamics. It focuses on a systems view of commonalities and differences, and in the use of circular metaphors inspired by the interaction between humans and nature. In that, semente honours to the ways communities worldwide interpret time, work, and the world.
In its first versions, developed between 2022 and 2023 (read about the development here), semente was based on a canvas with fields inspired by the relationship of humans and plants:
- A central area with three fields represents the community. Seeding lies at the centre, as the combination of stakeholders and present conditions. Surrounding it are two additional fields: compost (those things that need time before they enter the system, such as decisions the group is not yet ready to make) and silo (the principles and elements that the community wishes to maintain over time).
- An horizontal axis from time through seeding and pointing at fruits. This axis helps orient efforts towards commonly agreed upon outcomes.
- A vertical axis starting on soil (past accomplishments, history, memory) growing through handling (tools, techniques, everyday work).
Processual documentation about the releases of semente and earlier stages of development can be found in this GitHub repository. A new phase is underway with results expected for March 2025. Ongoing documentation about it can be found in the Lab.
