CIRCLE (Collective Intelligence for Regenerating Cultures and Living)

CIRCLE (Collective Intelligence for Regenerating Cultures & Living Ecosystems) project is a training program organised by
the ZESTE in partnership with other European organisations involved in this application.
The main topics of the project are local resilience in knowledge and practices focused on regenerative hydrology,
permaculture and agroforestry. To apply all these knowledge and practices a team of trainers has been selected. We carry
out this project because we have identified local issues around the thematics of water, climate, drought, soil depletion which
are due to global warming. We believe to fight against global warming it is necessary to move towards a more sustainable
and resilient world. We want to find local solutions by gathering youth workers and trainers to think together about tools,
skills and new lifestyles to fight against it. Nowadays people feel distant from the possibilities to be involved in this change.
We intend to change this by empowering youth workers : they will acquire skills and knowledge to participate in the
ecological transition and to disseminate them within their own organisation and country and all around Europe.
One of the project’s objectives is to reinforce links across Europe to create cohesion. We will promote cooperation and
mobility with the EU's partner countries, encouraging young people to take part in European democracy values. This project
will also respond to the very worrying issue of unemployment. The skills and knowledge that will be shared during this
program will allow youth workers to be more efficient on the labour market. In line with this idea, the trainers will provide
tools, keys and knowledge in favour of the ecological transition and fight against global warming. For example by working on
the water resource, permaculture and agroforestry with youth workers and people who face difficult situations (economical,
social, geographical, disabilities, war).
The aim of the project is to involve youth workers in the fight against global warming by disseminating various skills and
knowledge. We will put in place formal activities such as permaculture conception (ethics and principles of design / design
elements into a system, / zone and sector analysis), hydrology (water management principles, design for water and how to
apply it in the ZESTE project), keyline design, water caption and storage. Concepts of agroforestry will be introduced with
our horses such as dynamic rotational grazing in order to develop farming as a soil regenerative tool.
These aims fit with local needs to reforest a portion of old grazed land and accelerate succession for areas undergoing
natural reforestation, to create agroecological facilities to preserve soil health and biodiversity and last but not least to define
areas dedicated to grazing and to preserve wetlands.
In the continuity of these objectives, the training will be completed with non-formal activities like talking circles, theater but
also evenings with topics on the different countries present or language classes in order to develop collective cohesion and
a European feeling. Moreover, these activities will enhance personal development, self-esteem and initiative. All these
different formal and non-formal activities will raise awareness on alternative lifestyle models, more sustainable and resilient.
It will also enhance inclusion, diversity and European values.
The main facilitator will be Permalab’s team. PermaLab is a research and training company in regenerative agriculture,
hydrology and in permaculture. They assist individuals, groups, professionals, farmers and communities in the design and
development of their land, farm and territory in France and abroad. Moreover they already assisted numerous Erasmus + all
around Europe. ZESTE is already working with Permalab for the design and development of the domain's design and
hydrology study.
One of the main trainers is Chan Sac Balam. With extensive experience in agriculture, water engineering, and sustainable
development, Chan Sac's work focuses on advising and supporting farmers, businesses, communities, and landscape
managers in Europe, America, and Africa. He is the co-founder of PermaLab, whose mission is to participate in the global
regeneration of ecosystems and essential life cycles. He is also co-founder of Regenerative Farming Consultancy and
Regenerative Farming Greece, a structure that accompanies the agroecological transition in Greece and other
Mediterranean countries. Their work specialise in system design and implementation and monitoring of agricultural and
water operations. In addition, Chan Sac is also CTO of the forestry company Koralya Bois, a structure that addresses
climate change through carbon sequestration and sustainable and eco-responsible habitat construction. In addition to his
extensive field