About the series Terranauten

In 1968, Buckminster Fuller described the Earth as a spaceship, a finely engineered vessel, rich in systems and resources, carrying its crew through the universe. His provocation was simple: we are all astronauts, whether we know it or not. The only question is whether we act like passengers or crew.

Fuller's Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth was never really about technology or design. It was about us. About what human beings are capable of when they finally understand the system they inhabit and take responsibility for it. This question has never been more urgent.

And it has never been more open. Terranauten is a masterclass series by De Groene Afslag School that brings together international thinkers, makers and pioneers at the frontier of new economic thinking. Each session is a navigation exercise: part lecture, part dialogue, part collective inquiry. Together, we explore what it means in this moment, on this planet  to be human on Earth. As a living question we hold between us.

In this first edition of Terranauten renowned author and activist Helena Norberg-Hogde is our special guest.

Small, Slow and Local:
Moving towards an Economics of Happiness

Helena Norberg-Hodge is a linguist, author, filmmaker, and a pioneer of the new economy movement. She is the founder and director of Local Futures, and the convenor of World Localization Day and the Planet Local Summit. Her influential works include the inspirational classic "Ancient Futures," "Local is Our Future," and the award-winning documentary "The Economics of Happiness," as well as "Planet Local" and "Closer to Home."

Helena's contributions extend beyond her writings and films. She founded the International Alliance for Localization and co-founded both the International Forum on Globalization and the Global Ecovillage Network. Her impactful work has earned her prestigious awards such as the Alternative Nobel Prize, the Arthur Morgan Award, and the Goi Peace Prize for her efforts in revitalizing cultural and biological diversity, and strengthening local communities and economies worldwide.

During this evening Helena will share her wisdom with all of us. Natasha Hulst (Schumacher Action Labs en Bioregional Weaving Labs) will be our host for the evening (in English) and will lead an open discussion with Helena and the crowd. This is your chance to ask all your questions!

Join us at De Groene Afslag to explore how small, slow, and local initiatives can transform our economy and enhance happiness, guided by Helena Norberg-Hodge's profound insights and pioneering work.

Schumacher Action Labs: Schumacher Action Labs exists to help grow commons-based, life-affirming economies - ways of living and organising that increase the conditions for people, land, and other beings to thrive. We create spaces to learn, imagine, and experiment together - lectures, summer schools, gatherings, labs - where we can explore how to ‘common’.