In the past several decades, as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), multilateral institutions, and governments have purported or attempted to address global problems like poverty and hunger, they have generally ‘helped’ impacted humans by using a top-down approach that combines imposed upon charity, prescription, and ‘solutions’ conceived of by the ‘benefactors,’ not by those impacted. This patronizing approach is strongly reminiscent of Euro (of European descent) imperialistic notions of superiority over lesser peoples in need of ‘civilizing,’ of lesser peoples incapable of governing and taking care of themselves. 

The fact is that the world’s most pressing challenges have been caused by colonial, post-colonial, and neocolonial global extractivist systems that result in ecocide (killing of living and non-living components of ecological webs (ecowebs)^[1]) and jīvacide^[2], the destruction of the jīvadiversity (diversity in living)^[3] of human communities, i.e., the destruction of their inherent culturally and ecologically rooted creativity, self-reliance, and resilience. Ecocide and jīvacide have caused irreversible biodiversity loss (species extinction), the climate crisis, and widespread inequity (injustice, poverty, disenfranchisement, identity loss, hunger, violence).

Setting aside for a moment what causes suffering for the overwhelming majority of humans (and our planet) and that justice and equity can be brought about only through systems transformation, it is becoming increasingly clear that lasting change must be rooted in grassroots solutions with full participation (and at least partial origination) by the impacted communities themselves. 

Thus, institutions attempting to ‘solve’ global challenges must do so in genuine (non-condescending) partnership with impacted communities. The first step in such a partnership is to endeavor to earnestly understand the motivations and aspirations of a community’s members. If a particular ‘solution’ proposed by a facilitating institution (like a nonprofit organization) does not at least satisfy community aspirations, the community will not participate in implementing the ‘solution’ and the project will fail.

The goal of the FiveBecomings (Pañchabhūmi)^[4] project of the Śramani Institute is to restore the interconnected (ecosymbiotic) wellbeing of diverse humans and ecologies across all bioregions, so that impacted communities (Communities) can (re-)establish ecosymbiotic self-reliance^[5], i.e., regeneratively produce the Commodities and Services (C/S) required to fulfill their basic needs from their own ecowebs.

At the heart of each FiveBecomings project is a FiveBecomings Commons^[6] that is stewarded by the local Community who collaboratively innovate on their Commons to regeneratively produce C/S from local, biodiverse ecological resources. The Community also work to transition their FiveBecomings Commons to a Sahankuri (Sustainable Agroecological Hub Anchored in Native Knowledge, Use, and Regenerative Innovation), a new type of rural innovation & culture center that offers the essential amenities of a city, but is rooted in Indigenous/local biodiversity, cultural and ecological identity (ecoself), principles of regeneration, and community self-reliance.^[7] Each Sahankuri is unique due to its particular landscape (ecoweb) and Community context (Community-ecoself^[8]), featuring a variety of amenities, including: water centers, innovation & entrepreneurship hubs, native biodiverse food forest, health center, energy & waste processing centers, cultural centers, native biodiverse markets (SHOPS), learning/unlearning centers (EDUCATION), women’s shelter, and animal-based transport.

The success of every FiveBecomings project hinges not merely on active Community participation and leadership, but vitally on the Community’s own ecology-rooted ancient Indigenous Knowledge-Technologies-Practices (Ādi-Knowtep).^[9] It is thus essential to not only understand the aspirations Community members have had within the mainstream status quo but also to work with them to envision a realizable alternative that exceeds these aspirations. 

Through repeated and prolonged conversations with Community members, we (the Śramani Institute and our co-implementing partner nonprofit institutions) have learned that the real possibilities afforded by FiveBecomings greatly motivate members to help implement a shared vision for an equitable and regenerative future that enables them to experience many types of life-changing transitions. 

Life-changing transitions motivating Community members to implement FiveBecomings

Subsidized → Self-reliant

In many regions/countries, the impoverished, marginalized Communities whom FiveBecomings projects are intended to serve are eligible for a wide array of government subsidies, including food and housing assistance, guaranteed part-time employment, and schooling for children. Dependence on such subsidies, which are often inadequate to enable Community members to fulfill their basic needs, leaves them feeling helpless. The possibility of freeing themselves from such dependence through self-reliance (the goal of FiveBecomings) is a welcoming transition for Community members. 

Trend followers (extractivist lifestyle) → Trend setters (regenerative lifestyle)

With the onslaught of social media and the ready accessibility of cell phones, members of even remote Communities (especially youth) are bombarded with images and videos of trends in extractivist lifestyles based on satisfying wants through consumption (and waste). Egged on by the corporate algorithms fueling these social media, Community members are captured into becoming trend followers of such extractivist lifestyles that they don’t have the means to afford, causing anxiety and depression. Local, sustainable innovation being a central focus of FiveBecomings, Community members are motivated to establish new regenerative lifestyles that promote their interconnected wellbeing, thus becoming trend setters in a world that must be reshaped for us all to survive.   

Climate devastated → Climate resilient

The climate crisis (one effect of ecocide) has created uninhabitable conditions throughout the planet, causing temperature extremes, unseasonal droughts and floods, water shortages, and other catastrophes that adversely affect impoverished, marginalized communities. Vast numbers of communities across the world have become climate devastated, resulting in hunger, poverty, disease, and death. FiveBecomings projects not only restore the ecological health, biodiversity, and resilience of the landscapes impacted Communities inhabit, but strengthen the ability of Communities to sustainably thrive on these landscapes. This possibility of becoming climate resilient significantly motivates members to implement FiveBecomings.

Marginalized-isolated victims → Global role models

The poverty, hunger, and inequity Community members face on a regular basis often leave them feeling isolated and victimized, especially because when they seek recourse through official channels their calls go unheeded. People do not want to feel that they are victims, that they are helpless and unheard. Community members understand that FiveBecomings offers a novel regenerative rural alternative to existing extractivist systems and are therefore motivated to be the people who establish this alternative and become global role models for the change that is possible. 

Food-energy-health insecure → Food-energy-health secure

In many parts of the world, marginalized communities (especially in rural areas) do not have access to sufficient food, energy, or healthcare, despite the existence of numerous government subsidies. FiveBecomings projects have the goal of establishing food security, energy security, and effective healthcare, thus motivating Community members to implement the projects.

Migrant laborers → Local entrepreneurs

Having limited livelihood opportunities, a large percentage of working adults in rural communities leave their homes daily and/or seasonally to work as migrant laborers in other parts of their country or the world. These migrant laborers leave behind their families to work in often precarious conditions for low remuneration. FiveBecomings promotes local entrepreneurship based on local resources. Not having to leave their homes and not being at the mercy of exploitative employers are significant incentives for Community members to implement FiveBecomings. 

Lost identity-dignity → Restored identity-dignity

In the global profit-amassing economic system, local ecology-rooted identities and self-reliance of communities are actively discouraged and dismantled, so as to expand the consumer base for mass-produced extractivist C/S. Combined with being systematically impoverished and being made dependent on government subsidies, marginalized communities are forced to suffer a loss of identity and dignity. FiveBecomings projects emphasize the revitalization of ecology-rooted identities and self-reliance, thus restoring both the identity and dignity of Communities.

Dependence on inequitable resource allocation → Stewardship of equitable resource-sharing

Private property is a legal and economic concept that has been forced on nearly all of the world’s peoples through first Euro colonialism and then multilateral institutions set up by the colonizers. As profit amassing hinges on the profit-maker (e.g., corporations) owning as much property (land) and its natural resources as possible, misappropriating the lands of communities has played a central role in the extractivist system. In many cases, communities are impoverished because their lands, along with the natural resources within them, were misappropriated by others, leaving these communities no option but to become dependent on being inequitably allocated resources. FiveBecomings projects reverse the enclosure of the commons^[10] (i.e., reverse privatization of property), thus returning stewardship of land and its natural resources to the Communities relying on them for their wellbeing. The possibility of participating in the equitable sharing of resources is a powerful motivator for Community members to implement FiveBecomings.

Beneficiaries → Investors

Finally, in the mainstream extractivist system, impoverished communities are relegated to being beneficiaries of subsidies and charity, as they try to meet their basic needs. Being dependent on a system they cannot control leaves community members feeling helpless and sometimes hopeless. Every FiveBecomings project establishes ecology-rooted self-reliance for a Community through a novel economic model^[11] that enables every participating household to be an investor in their own economy. The prospect of having control over their own livelihoods and wellbeing as active investors (not passive beneficiaries) provides significant incentive for Community members to implement FiveBecomings.

1. K. Mitra, Ecological Webs (Ecowebs): Collaborative Creativity Through Adaptation Feedback Loops, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh092025-006 (3 Sep., 2025).

2. K. Mitra, FiveBecomings: Countering Ecocide and Jīvacide Through a Non-Human-Centric Approach, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh092025-003 (2 Sep., 2025).

3. K. Mitra, Beyond Biodiversity: Jīvadiversity — Diversity in Living, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh082025-003 (21 Aug., 2025).

4. K. Mitra, Restoring the Interconnected Wellbeing of Humans and Ecologies Through FiveBecomings, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh082025-010 (26 Aug., 2025).

5. S. Mukherjee & K. Mitra, Ecosymbiotic Self-Reliance: Fulfilling Basic Needs from Ecowebs, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh092025-010 (11 Sep., 2025).

6. K. Mitra & S. Mukherjee, FiveBecomings Projects for Community Self-Reliance: Design and Implementation, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh082025-001 (18 Aug., 2025).

7. K. Mitra, Sahankuri: Regenerative Rural Innovation & Culture Centers (Alternatives to Cities), Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh02202-001 (5 Feb., 2026).

8. K. Mitra, Individual Ecoself and Community-Ecoself: Importance in FiveBecomings, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh092025-011 (10 Sep., 2025).

9. K. Mitra, Ādi-Knowtep and Their Importance in Ecosymbiotic Resilience of Human Communities, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh092025-008 (4 Sep., 2025).

10. K. Mitra, Reversing the Enclosure of the Commons through FiveBecomings, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh042025-042 (13 Apr., 2025).

11. K. Mitra, LivingConfluence: Community Wellbeing-Rooted Economics, Law, Governance, and Education (ELGE), Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh012025-002 (10 Jan., 2025).