Events & Gatherings

We understand the universe as a vast woven fabric: an intricate weave, just like everything in nature. Each thread is connected; when one is pulled, the entire tapestry shifts. This is the delicate balance of life, and it is why we must learn not to unravel, but to weave, to mend, and to knot.

These gatherings are an invitation to listen deeply, to work collectively, and to imagine otherwise. We co-create spaces for mutual learning and respectful exchange between humans and non-human beings, where different knowledges intertwine and grow together, weaving the many voices of the Earth into a shared tapestry.

We welcome participants from different backgrounds and experiences, creating opportunities for meaningful exchange and collective learning.

Rather than stopping at awareness, our events encourage participants to connect reflection with action. We create spaces where grief, hope, responsibility, and possibility can be held together, opening pathways for personal and collective engagement.

The residency emerged from the historical and ecological context of the Tsáchila nation, marked by the impacts of colonization, loss of territory, environmental contamination, and the risk of cultural and linguistic disappearance.

The program included workshops and activities focused on:

-Weaving and cultural preservation, alongside Tsáchila women artisans who work with paja toquilla.
-Ecological restoration, using Analog Forestry methodologies and participating in planting ceremonies.
-Sound and music, exploring ancestral songs and contemporary sound practices around the ceremonial marimba.
-Cinema and community storytelling, through story circles, collaborative filmmaking, and the creation of community media.
-Rights of Nature
-Alternative Economic Systems
-Indigenous Knowledge & Land Practices
-Creative Approaches to Problem Solving
-Territory and body

Background:

For centuries, the Tsáchilas have lived in the region that is now Ecuador. Colonization not only led to the killing and displacement of Indigenous people but also to the theft of natural resources, the suppression of cultural practices, and the loss of their language. Almost 60% of the native tongue has been completely lost. The forests that used to be their protective territories are now almost destroyed.

Today, the few remaining Tsáchilas strive to maintain their way of life, their language, and their traditions. However, the increasing pollution, industrial agriculture, and urbanization; in sum, capitalism, continue to have a significant and negative impact on these communities.

One of the most urgent issues is the lack of access to clean drinking water and electricity, due to the contamination of the rivers in the surrounding areas. This directly affects the community’s health, food security, and cultural practices.

We believe that the solutions to these challenges must be creative, ecological, and rooted in community collaboration.

This program takes a pluralistic and transdisciplinary approach, moving beyond "argument culture" and boundaries set by academic and artistic disciplines. Here, everyday problems and questions concerning community life and restorative living define the landscape, not the disciplines themselves. This allows for a unified and applicable body of knowledge to emerge.

About the location:
La Floreana is a long-term ecological restoration project located in Santo Domingo de Los Tsáchilas, Ecuador. It serves as an experimental research base for tropical forest regeneration by mimicking the structure, function, and diversity of primary forests through principles of Analog Forestry. Over the years, La Floreana has hosted and facilitated gatherings, environmental education workshops, and biological research in collaboration with REFA.

TEJER-NOS was an invitation to listen deeply, imagine otherwise, and weave possible futures rooted in care, reciprocity, and ongoing collective action. The residency aimed to build lasting relationships, networks of solidarity, and impactful collaborative processes.

"All of us, as humans, only truly move forward when we walk in community."

We thrive in this shared work, building long-term relationships centered around care, respect, and mutual learning.

Our gatherings focus on human rights, the rights of nature, and collective healing; weaving creativity, ancestral wisdom, and community action into projects that foster sociocultural and ecological transformation.

Co-creating relationships that outlast these encounters.

"Let’s reimagine what collaboration can mean: Rooted in care, reciprocity, and committed, ongoing action."