By: TRAJECTS African Hub
Day 4: Envisioning Just Energy Transition & Engaging in bioregional plural sustainability
Returning to the inspiring Hasso Plattner d-school at the University of Cape Town, we focused on shaping tangible sustainability futures. The day involved imagining Just Energy Transitions and strengthening inclusive participatory governance.
Presentations included developing bioregional systems within “inhabitable zones” and soils at risk, where organised communities have devised innovative strategies for territorial recovery. These efforts aim to transform soils into spaces of socio-ecological resilience in Colombia.
Anastasya Eliseeva (with the microphone), co-leading a session on Day 4. Photography ©TRAJECTS/Oscar Gutierrez
Emphasis was placed on the need to embed plural and relational values into territorial governance to guide energy transitions along life-affirming, community-driven paths. Insights from a South African activist group highlighted the importance of “Circle not Ladder” and noted how Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, influenced by the Siksika people in Canada, overlooks the original circular model rooted in reciprocity, community, and Earth care.
A practical workshop on plural community engagement and intercultural collaboration examined our researcher positionality—considering our research locations within our bodies and contributions within the territories we engage with.
The evening featured an impactful theatre piece, "Old King Coal," by playwright Mike van Graan. The play addressed the human toll of the fossil fuel era and was performed by activists from eMalahleni. It was organised by Life After Coal, a coalition including groundWork, the Centre for Environmental Rights, and Earthlife Africa.
Day 5: Ethics of Care & New Beginnings.
Our final day started with a reflective walk-through of Table Mountain National Park, connecting us with the land that hosts us. We discussed UCT’s efforts to restore indigenous trees in the burnt forest area.
We also collected our food waste from the Global Academy, where we participate in the Paca or Paca Digestora Silva composting technique from Colombia, which involves layering and heavily compacting organic waste (food scraps) within a temporary wooden frame, using human stomping to create anaerobic conditions—essentially mimicking forest floor decomposition.
Group picture above the UCT tennis courts following a Paca Digestora Silva composting demonstration led by TRAJECTS Latam Hub Academic Coordinator Nataly Díaz. Photography ©TRAJECTS/Oscar Gutierrez
We then walked through the UCT campus, observing sustainability projects in action. The concluding sessions focused on developing an ethics of care in technology and sharing powerful "possibility models." Participants explored diverse scenarios through creative and somatic methods that would enable communities to attain permanence, sovereignty, and self-generation. Engagement on public policies for energy communities highlighted the need to reflect the processes and sociocultural configurations of various actors or agents, which must be understood through their practices, experiences, and discourses. This is necessary to build knowledge networks and demonstrate how these relate to local, regional, or global discourses, such as just or energy transitions.
We closed our Global Academy in an interspecies systemic constellation, reminding us that the story of human domination over other species was a mistake, and we need to respect all forms of life. The heartfelt closing circle, the celebrated local community, the knowledge, and the hope we've built together over these five incredible days. The work continues!
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TRAJECTS Global Academy aims to engage career practitioners and academics in a knowledge exchange discussion. This allows for the provision of crucial insights from TRAJECTS’ work, serving to develop and disseminate locally embedded, yet globally aware expertise while providing further networking opportunities.