Inkiri Institute

#SDGAction42923

Description

Intro

The Inkiri Institute is a non-profit organization, run by a intentional community of 35 adults and 14 children, structured in 2011, that aims to create conditions, through its activities, so that the nature of Love and Truth of the Human Being can be manifested in different aspects of life, such environment relationship, personal relationships, education, health and self-knowledge. In this way, it aims to promote the human being as responsible agent of its own individual reality and, consequently of the collective reality in its surroundings, realizing the experimentation of new solutions of human organization and its sustainable development.

Objective of the practice

All our actions are done through more than 25 projects developed in Inkiri Piracanga, Península de Maraú region and other parts of Brazil. Among the projects worth highlighting the Inkiri School, that provides quality education for 30 children living in the community and other local communities, provides training for educators and is now recognized by MEC as a reference in education in Brazil. Still in the scope of education, thus contributing to Goal 4, we have the School of Nature and the Inkiri University that promote education for young people and adults, including training certified by Gaia Education. <br />
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The region of Piracanga has the gift of a very pure water table, which can be consumed directly in most faucets. This water is protected and honored with great respect and care and demands responsibility: the chemicals, if used, contaminate the water table that is only three meters deep. While the banana tree circles are prominent in the treatment of gray water (from showers and sinks) of homes and the Inkiri Center, black waters (from toilets) are directed to an evapotranspiration fossa system - which are closed chambers that do not allow the leakage and the contamination of this material to the water table. The proper functioning of these systems depends on each person passing through here, so it is not allowed to use products that are not biodegradable.<br />
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To ensure Goal 12 we have created the SER Inkiri Program, which overflows the best of the Inkiri Community for the region where we live with the commitment to invest and support other communities and initiatives that generate positive results in society and regenerative to the environment. We provided technical assistance for new tecnology implementation such as water treatment system, waste management, greenbuilding, permaculture, financial consultation and other services. Among this projects a CSA relationship (Community sustains agriculture) established between our restaurant and ten family farmers living in conditions of social and economic vulnerability. Sewing and embroidery classes for women and adolescents willing to empower through art and creativity. In order to promote integrated and inclusive education, the Institute provides social grants for courses and training offered by the Inkiri community. Aiming at fomenting the local economy, the Inkiri Institute provides small loans through the microcredit relationship for new ventures and investments in family agriculture.

Partners

Each year we receive the visit of approximately 3 thousand people who come from all over the world to participate in our courses, retreats and residency programs, or simply to know what we are doing here in the practices that encompass our pillars: Nature, Community, Criação, Crianças, Arte, Autocinhecimento e Alimentação. We have been expanding our action to other comunities in our region, feeding partnership with local projects such as CO2 compensation, Universities, private and public schools and also local government organizations.

Implementation of the Project/Activity

“Inkiri” is a greeting used by a tribe who lived here many years ago, in the Piracanga region of the Maraú Peninsula (BA). It means “The love in me greets the love in you”. It inspires our dream: to recognize and to manifest the Love and the Truth that exists in us, in everyone and in all places. We are an intentional community committed to making this dream come true. We are formed by around 35 adults and 14 children and teenagers. We dedicate ourselves to developing our self-knowledge and we offer the tools we use to those who come to participate in our courses, retreats and programs.
The Inkiri Community’s leader is Angelina Ataíde, founder of the Ecovillage of Piracanga and the Inkiri Community. It was Angelina’s childhood dream of creating a world of happiness with no suffering which opened the door for us to be able to cultivate the Inkiri Dream today.

At first this community was created in a very intuitive way until in 2011 its first form is born through the creation of the Inkiri Statute. In this process various forms of social organization were experienced. In the political aspect, for the most part, a system of leadership was adopted, represented by a single individual, that Angelina, founder of the project. Today the political system is well-organized and organized through councils, responsible for different areas of work. The economic systems underwent at least 3 changes until we reached the current model with the Forest Project structure, which in addition to using this unique form of organization also created its own currency and bank.

Results/Outputs/Impacts

More than 3 thousand people a year getting inspired and experiencing a new and sustainable way of live. The environmental work at Inkiri Piracanga allowed more than 2.6 million liters of naturally treated water to return to the water table without any contamination. Around 85% of the total waste generated in Inkiri Piracanga is organic, and 100% of this waste is treated right here in our composting center producing 70 tons of compost a year - material used to enrich the local soil, giving life to the vegetation. Around 8 thousand tons of waste were recycled or reused, which is 10% of the waste generated. Last year still had more than 5,000 seedlings planted and the agroforests managed, with drastic pruning and replanting, reached 15.000 m2, including new species among native, ornamental and edible. The newborn Inkiri Economy demonstrated its strong potential by moving $ 20 million ($ 14 million in the local economy), processing more than 23,000 operations (11,000 of them 100% in Inkiri $) through the management of 88 accounts - of which 58 are linked to the PPA (Purpose in Action Program) and 30 other community funds and projects, and to manage 45 CLT (Consolidation of Labor Laws) employees. Health and food wise, in addition to serving delicious food to our about 3,000 visitors a year, Inkiri Food is responsible for spreading a more conscious food culture without animal suffering, about 44,380 vegan meals a year, which represents 22,200 kilos of food without any type of meat or derivatives.

Enabling factors and constraints

Empowering factors we mainly have the diversity of people contributing skills within the community group, unitedd the will to realize dream s together, and contribute to a happier and more balanced world.
As a restriction we have the distance and bad conditions of access roads, this after logistical disorders, and the isolation makes comunication more limited by the low internet signal, etc. These challenges are overcome by researching technologies appropriate to our conditions for internet and communication and the distance from urban centers is overcome with services and products offered in the community itself and strengthening a local economy.

Sustainability and replicability

Our local currency and the strengthening of the domestic economy strengthens our economic resilience just as the strength of the community's purpose and dream drives the actions of the inkiri institute. In social terms we have our decision-making dynamics for thematic councils and a shared leadership that unites different visions for the maintenance of collective dreams and agreements. The good relationship with surrounding communities and the social projects developed in the surroundings and generating regional impact. All technologies for ecological sanitation, agroforestry and waste management, as well as bio-construction and solar panel systems for energy and water supply all contribute strongly to the ecological resilience of this community.

Conclusions

I am open to share more information about but regarding time and the fact that I only found out about this calling last minute, i am unable to send more details at this moment.

Other sources of information

piracanga.com/en
piracanga.com
Social Impact: https://d11hxxcqjd5s4e.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/relato…
https://doe.inkiri.com/

SDGS & Targets

Goal 15

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss