Note: This post was written for Machuca Valley Community to support their guild creation journey.
Some days ago, the Transformational Events & Continued Education Way came together to birth something new—a guild, or as we fondly call it, "Way," with the support of a framework that help them craft their future vision. But diving into the idea, it dawned on us that the concept of a guild might seem a tad elusive, especially in a world where transactions often rule our collaborations.
So, what's a guild, really?
Picture a web interlinking a diverse bunch—businesses, individuals, organizations, all woven into a tapestry that supports and sustains each element. Guilds thrive on complex reciprocity, where benefits flow indirectly, often tricky to measure.
Within this web, reciprocal benefits blossom. Take, for instance, a Retreat Center meshing with nearby homeowners who offer up their extra space to host participants. Add in a local tour company, environmental protectors, and healing practitioners—each benefiting, in their own unique way, from this interwoven collaboration.
This strategy can be crafted and opens our eyes to the dance of mutual interest, sparking creativity in how we can make it a reality.
Action item: Envision the future of your guild as if it was present today, carrying out its role as an integral part of Machuca Valley. It is most productive to do this as a conversation, it also serves as an initial parameter to identify potential guild members.
Without a connection to a shared end state, it is easy for a guild to become an instrument for the mutual benefit of its members, yet fail to support co-evolving and symbiotic relationships with their place.*
In nature, guilds exist organically—a community of life forms nurturing one another, like a small community of bacteria, fungi, plants and animals that provide for one another.
In our human landscape, a guild prospers when each member invests in the collective good, embracing diverse thinking and fostering trust within relationships. This synergy brings us closer to unlocking the potential that transcends what we can achieve individually.
As stakeholders, we are the custodians of "what could be." Our Ways seek to unite us around a shared purpose, intertwining with the very essence of this beautiful place—Machuca Valley.
What does Machuca Valley want to become and is yearning for? How can our Ways serve this calling?
Rather than just partners in transactions, our Ways aim to be **regenerative nodes in a network, where not only humans might benefit from this interaction, but the place that has called all of us here will express its potential. We've often viewed the world through the lens of transactions, but wealth, as many intuitively sense, extends far beyond mere money. Economists too recognize this; financial capital lacks intrinsic value unlike other forms of wealth.
Our guilds can breathe life into the community by considering different forms of capital:
🫱🏼🫲🏾 Social Capital: Fostering cooperation, trust, and mutual benefit among interconnected groups.
🌱 Natural Capital: Embracing the living systems that nurture life itself.
🏘️ Produced Capital: Assets (like buildings) enabling the flow of goods or services.
📚 Human Capital: Nurturing individual health and capacity through education, experience, spirituality and growth.
🪙 Financial Capital: The currency that fuels goods, services, and capital growth.
Here are some guiding questions to help shape your vision for “The Way”
1. What transformation and future vision for the valley is our Way bringing to life?
2. What does Machuca Valley want to become? What is Her call?
3. How can my Way contribute to Machuca Valley’s vision?
Let's keep the momentum alive as we venture forth to cultivate guilds that nurture thriving interactions, mutual growth, and the blossoming of Machuca Valley's true potential.
Warmly,
Daniela Luján
*Mang, P., Haggard, B. (2016). Regenerative Development and Design: A Framework for Evolving Sustainability. United Kingdom: Wiley. Pg 100
**Regenerative: A transformative and evolutionary process that revitalizes socio-environmental systems.
ABOUT ME: I'm a regenerative development strategist and an active member of Regenesis Group community “The Regenerates” since 2020, deeply engaged in guiding systemic change within community development and purpose-driven projects since 2014. Originally trained as an architect specializing in bio-architecture, sustainability, and innovation. I also thrive as an educator, fostering growth and encouraging continuous evolution.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/arqdanielalujan/
https://www.regenerat.es