The regenerative power
of the commons.

Dear human fellows,
Whoever you are, wherever you are, defend the forest. We take forests for granted, but at the rate at which they are being destroyed, one day we will wake up and they will no longer be here. Forests are on the way to extinction, and when the forest disappears, a part of us also dies, because we are not just walking on the surface of this Planet, we are the Planet!
I was born and raised in Lisbon, Portugal, but the best memories of my childhood are the moments spent in Nature. It was a time without smartphones, video games and social networks. The children were busy climbing trees, building houses with sticks and leaves, getting dirty playing with mud and swimming in the cool waters of the rivers. I remember picking mushrooms in the forest, or simply lying in the shade of the old oaks that protected us from the summer heat. I remember the joy of hearing the birds and the comforting sound of running streams of water. The forest was beautiful and alive.
40 years have passed, the ancient oaks were cut down, the chestnut trees disappeared, the pines were sold, the diverse forest that existed was extinguished and turned into a desert of highly flammable eucalyptus. We can no longer find mushrooms, the streams of water are gone and the wolves are extinct. The ground is getting drier and the risk of fire is extreme. The entire ecosystem has been broken and is rapidly failing.

It is heartbreaking to witness, every summer, my country being ravaged by increasingly devastating fires. If you could see the extent of all the damage inflicted by the flames, you would cry too.

The economy grows, but in the end, we all lose. Life itself loses in ways we cannot imagine. So wherever you are, defend the forest and protect its precious resources. Defend life and always speak for those who have no voice.

Together we can weave a new story. A story that takes care of the Earth, that protects, regenerates and reinforces the role of communities as guardians. This is the regenerative power of the commons, united in love for the Planet and in respect for the life it contains.

Never doubt your inner strength, your power and ability to determine and create the future you want for yourself and for generations to come. We live in challenging moments in the history of humanity, an extraordinary opportunity for us to make a difference and place ourselves on the right side of history.

Filipa Simoes
Terra Livre Co-founder