The Digital Circle celebrates 10 years of work and we want to take a moment to celebrate!
The Digital Circle started in 2016 and since then we have been exploring, testing, and prototyping digital tools for permaculture. Over the years, many people have contributed to this work. Some have helped with websites, servers, systems, documentation, research, governance, community support, tool testing, open source advocacy, hosting, troubleshooting, and countless behind the scenes tasks that often go unnoticed but make the work possible.
To all past and present contributors: thank you.
The Digital Circle exists because people keep showing up to ask difficult questions about technology. Who owns the tools we use? Where is our data stored? What happens when community infrastructure depends on extractive platforms? How can we make digital systems easier to understand, easier to maintain, and more aligned with care for people, care for the Earth, and fair share?
Within the circle, there is also a micro-enterprise team: supporting permaculture projects, organisations, and aligned initiatives with practical digital services, including ethical hosting services, Nextcloud collaboration spaces, app development, tech support, digital infrastructure advice, and guidance on open source tools.
This work is rooted in open source and free software, open hardware, privacy-first tools, resilient systems, renewable and lower-energy hosting, and appropriate technologies that serve communities.
You can learn more about the Digital Circle and its services here:
thedigitalcircle.org
perma.earth/digital-circle-services/
At the moment, the Digital Circle is also actively contributing to the Grow Project through several connected areas of work:
CollectiveImpact, GRP1
Through our Permaculture Convergence Aggregator team, we are participating in this research project which includes building a repository of existing permaculture research and contribute to buildling a collective impact framework elevating permaculture as a viable answer to today’s global challenges.
EthicalSoftware, GRP2
Continuing the Digital Circle long-standing work of researching, testing, and promoting ethical digital tools, including open source alternatives that better match permaculture ethics.
PermaGlobalSpace, GRP3
Contributing to the development of shared digital spaces where permaculture practitioners and aligned projects can connect at a strategic level, collaborate, and find each other across regions and borders.
Community Owned Startup Incubation, GRP5
The Digital Circle Services is supported to develope our Micro-Enterprise through participation in the Community Owned Startup Incubation programme identifying areas for improvement and investing time and energy to address these.
DigitalLit, GRP8
Building digital literacy is a core activity for the Digital Circle so that more people in the network can understand, choose, and use ethical digital tools with greater confidence.
Techservices, GRP9
The Digital Circles offers practical technical support and digital services to CoLab members, circles, projects, and aligned organisations that need reliable, ethical infrastructure on a day to day basis.
Digital infrastructure shapes how we communicate, how we organise, how we share knowledge, how we build trust, and how accessible our work is to others. The Digital Circle helps provide the ethical tools to do so. If you are interested in ethical digital tools, open source software, digital infrastructure, appropriate technology, or supporting permaculture projects with practical tech skills, you are warmly invited to join the CoLab and our circle, or send us an email to contact@thedigitalcircle.org to inquire about our services.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this work over the years.
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