The Regenaissance

Friday, 14th February 2025, I was joined by Daniel Mihai and Sharon Gal-Or, authors of Regenaissance: A Call to Heal, to discuss the concepts of regeneration and what it means in the context of the economy, society, and the planet. We debated the idealism of regeneration, its necessity for future sustainability, and the challenges of current political and economic systems. Here are the key highlights:

We need regeneration to transform extractive economic systems into sustainable, community-based ones.

When I asked both authors about their perspective behind writing the book, Daniel stated that the inspiration came from the overwhelming polycrisis we face. To define it, the polycrisis is a series of interconnected crises that fuel each other, creating a compounded global challenge. To him, societal and planetary healing is what we need to go through and promote, which was his driving force behind this project.

Sharon, on the other hand, believes the world needs an upgrade not just in thinking systems but in living systems—a rebirth, a shift from the caterpillar to the butterfly. Drawing inspiration from the 15th-century Renaissance, a time of awakening in philosophy, science, and art, he stated that we need a new Renaissance, one centred on reconnecting with Mother Nature, with each other, and with ourselves.

In a shared voice, both authors affirmed that societal and planetary healing is the core idea behind the book. Regenaissance: A Call to Heal advocates that we become custodians of our shared world, not conquerors.

Healing is seen as essential and goes beyond patchwork fixes, requiring a fundamental shift in societal and economic foundations.

Sharon spoke on societal healing as decomposing capital—transforming financial capital into social and ecological impact. Economically, he added that healing means shifting from extractive to regenerative systems, where wealth isn’t just measured in dollars or euros but in things like soil fertility, mental well-being, and community resilience.

For Daniel, healing from a societal perspective means reconnecting with our shared humanity, rebuilding trust, and designing communities rooted in belonging rather than competition. From a planetary perspective, healing starts with understanding that we are not separate from nature; rather, we are nature. Healing the Earth is, in essence, healing ourselves.

Technology, in this case, Web3 ReFi, is a tool that can be used constructively or destructively and is not inherently liberating.

When I asked both speakers how to make Web3 ReFi a key instrument in building the village economy within an economic system built on extraction and competition, Daniel mentioned that we shouldn’t frame regeneration strictly through the lens of Web3. Going down memory lane, he reminded us of the early ReFi years, where over $150M flowed into Web3 carbon markets. Today, it’s hard to find any clear evidence of the success of such a huge capital inflow.

Blockchain is just a tool—it can be used for good if we choose to, and there are people in this space doing the right thing. In his words, what matters most is the application of ReFi to real-world regenerative efforts.

Some view regenerative practices as idealistic, making adoption even more difficult.

For Daniel, the biggest obstacle to adopting regeneration isn’t the lack of technology, funding, or knowledge—it’s the deep-rooted attachment to old ways of thinking, where we’re entangled in systems designed for short-term gains. Exploitation is rewarded, while regeneration is seen as idealistic. There’s also the issue of emotional resilience—fear of change, attachment to convenience, and scepticism about whether another way is possible.

However, there’s also good news: shifts happen faster than expected. When enough people experience the tangible benefits of regeneration, change accelerates. Daniel calls this the “critical mass.” He doesn't think we’ve reached it globally yet, but everyone in this space likely feels this is the right path.

Looking to bury the narrative of regeneration as an idealistic movement, Daniel countered that although regeneration seems idealistic, it is exactly what we need as a species to reverse the damage and shift the balance in favour of nature, given that we have been chipping away at the ecological systems we depend on for too long.

Lending his voice to Daniel, Sharon added that not everyone will adopt the regeneration vision. Some will resist it and even accuse it of being libertarianism or some other -ism. He finds it unfortunate that, even if most people don’t fully grasp it yet, regeneration is already happening.

Achieving regeneration requires the participation of grassroots movements and acceptance at both global and local levels.

When asked how to ensure authenticity and originality in the Regenaissance should it kick off without the corruption that stems from politics and governance, Sharon emphasized that we must change current policies and governance schemes, empower community-driven solutions, and shift leadership models away from centralized, extractive systems.

With land as a key driver of extractivism, Sharon suggests implementing Community Land Trusts (CLTs) and the SOIL & SEEDS model, which promote community-led land stewardship. This approach empowers community members to participate in decision-making regarding the use of the land they collectively steward.

He added that these models prevent speculative displacement, and at their core, they are not-for-profit organizations where members of the community make up the board. When a community collectively owns, stewards, and cares for its land, it becomes more resilient, stepping outside the broader control of government structures while still maintaining governance. This aligns with the principles of sociocracy and holacracy, decentralizing governance and making it more local.

My conversation with Daniel Mihai and Sharon Gal-Or reveals that planetary regeneration is a deeply philosophical revolution that requires a lot of faith. In reality, there’s just a speck of regenerative activities going on to counterbalance the effects of extractive activities. I can only hope that we attain the Regenaissance as soon as possible before the planet goes haywire. I truly appreciate both authors for putting their foot down to write a 200-page book on what our future might look like should we adopt regeneration, and I hope to have them on the ReFi Weekly again.