The Earth Elders at Davos

This year marked an important milestone for the Earth Elders as we participated in a series of global gatherings shaping the future of systems, economies, and consciousness. Our journey began at the World Systemic Forum 2026, organised by the System Change Foundation and hosted by BSH at the remarkable Underground Future Lab in Flums, Switzerland—an immersive space designed to catalyse bold thinking and systemic transformation.

One of the highlights was an extraordinary meeting of minds with Melanie Ryan, CEO of Unearthadox, and Anca Damarell, Head of Innovation, whose work is pioneering new approaches for a regenerative future.. We also had powerful exchanges with Liza Zogib, who is director of DiversEarth and leads Nature, Culture and Spirituality at IUCN and is guiding a global sacred sites initiative. Special gratitude goes to Sarah Queblatin, of Living Landscapes, whose quiet leadership, humility, and tireless weaving continue to amplify and strengthen our collective mission.

While much attention is placed on the official programme of the World Economic Forum, as with COP, which has a similar convening energy around protecting institutional old-power decision-makers whilst separating them from minorities, change-makers and activists, the most meaningful dialogues occur in the wider ecosystem of gatherings hosted by organizations, institutions, and global innovators that occur on the sidelines. Throughout the week, the Earth Elders convenor Mindahi Bastida spoke at multiple events each day, contributing to discussions on circular economies, regenerative systems, and ethical leadership.

Mindahi Bastida, (far right), with fellow leaders at the Female Quotient Lounge during the Davos gatherings, where global voices convene to explore leadership, equity, and regenerative futures.

Mindahi Bastida, speaking on a panel at the House of Pioneers, sharing ancestral perspectives on regenerative systems and the responsibilities of humanity to the living Earth.

Key highlights included participation in the Female Quotient and the House of Pioneers. And we were especially honoured to deliver closing reflections for the Nature Lunch hosted by the European Biodiversity Coalition, Nature Wealth Foundation, the Nature Positive Initiative, and Innovate4Nature—one of the largest and most influential events outside the official forum. There, Mindahi and Ryan shared the vision of Original Living Responsibilities in sessions on space, consciousness, and the future of humanity.

For the Earth Elders, engagement in spaces like Davos is essential. We seek not only to share ancestral wisdom but also to understand the forces shaping global systems. The world is at a turning point. Predatory economic models must evolve into regenerative ones—economies that honour all life, restore balance, and ensure that future generations inherit a living planet. The time to act, guided by the wisdom of the ancestors, is now.

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The conversations emerging from gatherings like Davos point toward a deeper shift in how humanity understands responsibility to the living Earth. The Earth Elders continue to advance this vision through the principles of Earth Jurisprudence, which recognise the rights of nature and the responsibility of humanity to live in balance with the natural world.

Learn more about Earth Jurisprudence and how these principles are helping shape a more just and regenerative future.

Explore Earth Jurisprudence