​A convergence of creative ideas, stories, practices ​and resources from social change leaders and practitioners across the world...
​
“Going barefoot is the gentlest way of walking and can symbolise a way of living - being authentic, vulnerable, sensitive to our surroundings. It’s the feeling of enjoying warm sand beneath our toes, or carefully making our way over sharp rocks in the darkness. It’s a way of living that has the lightest impact, removing the barrier between us and nature.

Adele Coombs, “Barefoot Dreaming”
Subscribe ​
​to Updates
​العربية    Kiswahili      Español      Bahasa      English     Français      漢語      Português       Việt

​Calling Practitioners, Farmers and Healers working with regenerative and agroecology practices addressing climate change to contribute to:

The Barefoot Guide on
​Climate Cooling

Call for Participation - Download here
Expression of Interest Form - Click here

​DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: 17 September​ 2021
Climate change is not an abstract concept. It is already changing the livelihoods, lives and future potential of everyone, and will particularly impact on the lives of children and young people. While the urgent need for carbon (CO2) reduction is well known, the potential to mitigate, adapt, and even cool the earth through regenerative practices has not been widely discussed or shared.
​There are people, organisations and communities all over the world who are working with soil and water cycles in natural systems to transform harmful practices and restore Earth’s health. We want to share these stories, practices and approaches that have the potential for climate cooling with as many people as possible. 

Do you have such a story that you would like to offer to this Barefoot Guide?

We are looking for people who want to share their experience, knowledge and work with nature to address climate change.
​We would like to hear from you if you:
  • ​Have knowledge of natural systems and how to work with regenerative practices to address climate change.
  • Have lived experiences and practice of mitigating or adapting to climate change through working with nature (soil, air and water cycles).
  • Have experience in working with communities on behavioural change in their relationship to climate change and the Earth.
  • Are an illustrator or graphic artist who wants to help develop creative insights and compelling images about climate change and climate cooling.
Call for Participation - Download here

If you would like to participate in a Writeshop to develop this Barefoot Guide or to be an artist/illustrator go to the Expression of Interest Form - Click here

​DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION 29 AUGUST​ 2021

Bientôt ~ Soon ~ Próximamente
​
Français, English &  Español

Future Convergence

Cultivating Practices of Collaboration
for Social Change

By the Forus Barefoot Guide Writers’ Collective
We believe that civil society organisations have a unique and historic role to play to challenge, re-orient and galvanise actors from all spheres of society to work together, reducing polarisation and nurturing our common humanity. We need to learn to engage government and business to put people and planet before power and profit. But we also need to change ourselves as civil society, to step out of our silos and corners and turn towards each other to mobilise and multiply our collective potential.

This Barefoot Guide, written by thirty-one civil society leaders and practitioners from twenty countries from across the world, describes a range of practices and experiences that bring diverse people and organisations together towards a vision of a planet that is more equitable, inclusive, humane and sustainable.
Español
  
Français

​English
A publication of Forus
Forus is a member-led network of 69 National NGO Platforms and 7 Regional Coalitions from all continents representing over 22,000 NGOs active locally and internationally on development, human rights and environmental issues.
Serie de agroecología​

​SOBREVIVIENDO COVID-19 EN MÉXICO
El remedio olvidado

by the Natural Food Barefoot Guide
Writer’s Collective
¿Cuál es la mejor manera de enfrentar a la COVID-19 en México? ¿Cómo pueden aquellos que viven en áreas urbanas densamente pobladas o en zonas rurales remotas sobrevivir mejor a la COVID-19 si se contagian?​​
​​The Second Mini-Barefoot Guide
​In the new Agroecology Series

​Whole Landscapes,
Whole Communities

Working with Nature to Heal, Transform and Regenerate Landscapes
By the Seed Knowledge Initiative Agroecology Landscape Barefoot Guide Writer’s Collective​
This mini Barefoot Guide is an introduction to the SKI partners’ journey of landscape-level work with communities in the Southern African region.

​It is a resource to those communities and those working with them to think about why this landscape-level work is important, to find inspiration and lessons from successful stories around Africa and how to go about working with communities to do the work. 
​Click to preview
​in ISSUU
A publication of the Seed Knowledge Initiative
The Seed and Knowledge Initiative (SKI) is a dynamic partnership of diverse Southern African organisations committed to securing food sovereignty in the region. We work with smallholder farmers to become more seed, food and nutritionally secure through farmer-led seed systems, improved crop diversity, and the revival of local knowledge systems. 
​Le premier mini-guide « Terre à Terre» de la nouvelle série sur l'agroécologie

​Survivre à la COVID-19: le Remède Négligé

Comment les populations africaines peuvent-elles gérer au mieux COVID-19 ? Comment les personnes vivant dans des zones urbaines densément peuplées ou dans des villages ruraux isolés peuvent-elles survivre au mieux à COVID-19 si elles sont infectées ?​
​The First Mini-Barefoot Guide
​In the new Agroecology series

​Surviving COVID-19: 
​The Neglected Remedy

by the Natural Food Barefoot Guide
Writer’s Collective
How best can people across Africa deal with COVID-19? How can those in densely populated urban areas or in remote rural villages best survive COVID-19 if they get infected?​
​This mini-Barefoot Guide has been produced under The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), a broad-based alliance of different civil society actors that are part of the struggle for food sovereignty and agroecology in Africa.

New Barefoot Guides  under development​

Picture
​​Future Convergence: Cultivating Practices of Collaboration for Social Change 

​Social change cannot find momentum or breakthrough without the combined forces of change actors. Different forms of collaboration are required . This Guide, being written by members of Forus International explores the stories and practices of how people have worked together to forge successful approaches to real social change.
​
Picture
​The Story of Seed

​How seeds are the source of life and describing the sacred practices of family farmers and communities in protecting, multiplying and sharing seeds so that they are not monopolised by the few. Held by the Seed Knowledge Initiative with 18 practitioners, researchers and farmer leaders from Southern Africa.

Barefoot Guide Images are in the Creative Commons - Free for you to Use

All the images used in the Barefoot Guides are freely useable for non-profit work. You can access them all here:

Barefoot Guide Image Download Page
Picture
​Barefoot Guide 1
Working with ​Organisations ​​and Social ​Change
​
​Download all languages
​Download English pdf
Picture
Barefoot Guide 2
Learning Practices in
Organisations &
​Social Change
​
​​Download all languages
​​Download English pdf
Picture
Companion Guide to Barefoot Guide 2
Designing and  Facilitating Creative Conversations & Learning Activities

Download English pdf
​​Download French pdf
Resources for Social Change
We also have a range of useful exercises, tools, games, stories and poems for you to download and adapt for workshops and meetings
​Go to the Resource Library
Picture
​Barefoot Guide 3
Mobilizing Health ​Assets for ​Transformation 
​
Download English pdf
Picture
Barefoot Guide 4
Exploring the ​Real Work
​of Social ​Change
​ 
Download all languages
​​Download English pdf
Picture
​Barefoot Guide 5
​Mission Inclusion:
​Building a World Where ​All Belong
​
Download all languages
​Download English pdf

Picture
​Barefoot Guide 6
Generative Leadership:
Releasing Life in a Turbulent World

Download English pdf
Picture
Barefoot Guide​ 7
Surviving COVID-19: 
​The Neglected Remedy

Download English pdf
​Téléchargez le PDF en français​
​Descarga el PDF en español
Picture
Barefoot Guide 8​
Whole Landscapes,
Whole Communities

Download English pdf
​
Picture
Barefoot Guide 9​
​Future Convergence
Cultivating Practices of Collaboration
for Social Change

Coming Soon...
Español
Français
​English
​
Barefoot Guide Images
All the images used in the Barefoot Guides are freely useable for non-profit work. You can access them all here:

Barefoot Guide Image Download Page

WHAT HAVE OTHERS SAID ABOUT THE bAREFOOT gUIDES...

The Barefoot Guides have been the key influences in my life and work… my constant companions in my community and organisational development work. 
Marie Corcoran-tindill, Trainer, Facilitator of community and group processes, Dublin 

The Barefoot initiative is itself an exciting expression of social change. 
Inez Hackenberg, Utrecht University 

As a trained action learning facilitator their guides have helped me work with grassroots communities in Myanmar and Thailand. 
Kevina Maddick, Program Manager at Right To Play, Bangkok 

The Barefoot Guide's transformative process… shows us the way to transcend borders, sectors, limits, to break the silos! 
Vincent Stevaux, ITECO, Bruxelles

Barefoot Guide has been creating phenomenal content for the critical process of experiential reflection at both individual and organizational levels. 
Jesse Chen, Changemakers, Washington 

…a wonderful contribution to open access knowledge, grounded on a great depth of experience and horizontal learning from across the world. 
Samantha Button, East Africa Program Head, Maliasili 

…the Barefoot Guide collection is having a great influence, especially the lives of field workers and communities. 
Muta Wakilu Tamasco, Ghana 

The Barefoot Guide Connection has a unique and truly transformational approach to collaboration, learning and facilitating social, transformational change across borders. 
Tobias Troll Director, EDGE Europe at EDGE Funders Alliance, Bruxelles 

This unusual and exceptional volume (and series) is hugely accessible yet deeply rooted in solid theory and extensive practice across a wide range of contexts and fields. Expect from it something truly unique in its combination of insight, reflection, experience and highly usable mixed text/visual presentation. It is not "dumbed down." I have seen it bite as deeply at high academic and professional level as at grassroots community leadership level, an astonishing achievement worth honouring. 
Professor Jim Cochrane Cape Town 

Contact Us