12: Stepping Stone – Localism

The “well-being garden” represents the socio-ecological system that provides a fertile ground for individuals and their communities, valuing very diverse lives, to survive and thrive. Its perimeter is defined by the essential dimensions of that ecosystem that needs to be constructed and/or protected, the common ingredients (the “enablers”) to be provided through good system-governance, so that a rich variety of valued lives can be enjoyed in harmony with nature and across diverse communities. Once these enablers are made available universally, and on an enduring basis (which is where resilience comes in), then it would be left to individual communities to choose how they wish to live their lives. This is essentially what we mean by well-being.