fromtheroots puts focus on what we do and who we become once we untangle the roots of how we got into the individual and collective/systemic problems we have, and are re-nourished by healthy roots of core, community, calling and cycles (we’ve previously named these as your deepest self, Earth, ancestrality and Afrika). Then we have the stamina and grace to heal and recreate life. To dream, imagine and build anew while listening to and with our roots of life-aligned ways of being. We redesign life for regeneration, FROM THE ROOTS.
fromtheroots is a beyond-State pan-Afrikan organism birthed in the soils of East Afrika inviting Afrikans to root deeply into self, ancestors, Afrika and earth to sustainably source power, possibilities and imagination outside of and beyond a State-ic TINA* universe, so we divest from colonial desires, harness the disruption of collapse & transform wounds into medicine that restores our curtailed capacities to enact sovereignty for regeneration and together create a tapestry of enlivened beautiful just pluriversal communities. Our aim is to support activists, healers, artists and social justice organisers to un/learn coloniality and practise differently to decolonise and reindigenise for just regenerative worlds. We do this through offering embodied un/learning experiments, holding a continuing community of practice, being in relationship with indigenous wisdom keepers and curating a living library and archive.
*TINA = there is no alternative
Our fromtheroots framework, a labour of love, healing and ancestrality developed over years. This framework began with a question – bless that questions open worlds. After travelling around the world and learning more about what has come to be called the polycrisis, the multiple interconnected crises we are experiencing in all spheres of life: ecological, political, economic, social/relational, psychological… I had a question about what there is in indigenous Afrikan ways that could be medicine for the deep troubles the world was/is in.
What is there from us that we can lead ourselves and the world with, rather than wait to be led by the folks who caused the mess? The journey to articulate a framework for regeneration thought from a place wounded by colonialism began… and continues.
The fromtheroots framework is articulated by Wangũi wa Kamonji inspired by a study of indigenous Afrikan lifeways. This work: facillitating, curating, creating, writing, performance, etc. The framework holds that being deeply grounded in the roots of core, calling, community and cycles while we engage healing and creation will support us to practise regeneration. Regenerations results from individuals and communities embodying their sovereignty to prevent death, heal dis-ease and add more life.
