Pluriverse of Alternatives: Courses
An online introductory course on Alternatives
The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.
It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth and of death, in ebb and in flow.
I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life. And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment.
~ Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali, Poem 69 –
Dates:
September: 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st, 27th, 28th (Total 8 sessions of 2 hours each)
Timing: 5 pm to 7 pm
Additional optional sessions will be held during the week to support peer learning, open discussions, collaborative reflection and participant-led sharing.
Apply here : https://forms.gle/xvwf95T2R8CHJtUF6
Fees: ₹2500/-
(Limited financial assistance available for those in need. Reach us at [email protected] if needed.)
Why the need for this course?
We are living through a polycrisis/metacrisis, a convergence of ecological, social, economic, and personal crises that are deeply interconnected. This crisis is not just about individual issues, but about the collapse of meaning, disconnection from nature and community and systemic structures that prioritize profit, growth and efficiency over equity, care and ecological integrity. In the face of these overlapping crises, the need for genuinely transformative alternatives becomes urgent. (Transformative means creating deep, systemic change, not just fixing problems on the surface, but rethinking the way we live, relate and make decisions so that they are rooted in care, justice and ecological balance. It invites a shift in our values, worldviews and actions toward building a life-affirming future for all beings.)
Across India and the world, individuals and communities are not only resisting dominant systems but actively envisioning and building alternatives, some emerging anew, others reviving traditional, indigenous or place-based ways of living rooted in cooperation, sustainability and justice. These alternatives are not necessarily marginal or utopian; many are grounded in existing systems and local wisdom, offering scalable and adaptable pathways for change.
This course is an invitation to critically engage with such initiatives, question dominant paradigms and explore values and practices that enable meaningful transformation. It draws from the diverse experiences and accumulated wisdom of the Vikalp Sangam ecosystem, a platform that brings together stories of grassroots alternatives across India.
Who is this course for?
This course is open to anyone who is:
- interested in exploring transformative alternatives to mainstream systems,
- Including youth(above 18), researchers, activists, educators, facilitators and people/ community based people working in NGOs, community organizations and social enterprises and beyond.
It is designed for those seeking a deeper understanding of systemic issues and practical pathways for ecological, social and economic change. Whether you are new to these ideas or already engaged in alternative movements, this course provides a space for learning, reflection and action.
If you care about building a just, compassionate, and life-affirming future through collective, practical action, then this course is for you.
Course Objectives
- To understand interconnectedness of the polycrisis
- To critically engage with dominant worldviews that are exploitative and extractive
- To learn about some inspiring existing alternatives and grassroots examples
- To recognize the deep interconnectedness between humans and nature as a foundation for just, regenerative ways of living
- To envision a just, equitable, ecologically abundant future for all beings
- To create peer-learning spaces and discuss individual and collective pathways to practical action
Core Framework and Values
This course is anchored in the Flower of Transformation, part of a framework developed in the Vikalp Sangam process, which identifies key spheres, ecological, social, political, economic, cultural (personal and collective), that must be simultaneously nurtured for deep systemic change. It helps us holistically understand, design and evaluate alternatives to dominant paradigms in ways that are just, sustainable and regenerative. You can explore the full framework here.
The course also draws upon other frameworks such as Swaraj, Political Economy, Indigenous visions, Degrowth, Post growth etc. and ways of sensing/knowing/doing, rooted in the lived experience, practices and worldviews of our facilitators and communities. These may include ecological design principles, systems thinking, indigenous knowledge systems and approaches to inner and outer transformation. Rather than presenting one fixed model, we aim to nurture creativity, critical thinking, imagination and deep inquiry.
At its core, the course recognizes that no singular solution or framework can fully address the metacrisis, the overlapping ecological, social, economic and existential challenges of our time. Transformation is an emergent, multidimensional process that calls for humility, openness and a diversity of responses – a pluriverse rather than a universe – grounded in care and integrity.
The following values emerging from both spiritual and secular ethical traditions will serve as foundational pillars throughout the course:
- Dignity & Trust – Honouring each person’s worth and perspective.
- Simplicity & Sufficiency – Prioritizing need over greed.
- Non-violence & Harmony – Fostering peace in human and more-than-human relations.
- Equity & Inclusion – Creating space for the voices of those traditionally marginalized.
- Creativity of Labour – Recognizing the value and dignity of all forms of work.
- Interdependence & Solidarity – Encouraging mutual care, reciprocity and collective flourishing.
- Joy & Celebration – Making space for fun, creativity and the arts in transformation.
- Justice & Truth – Upholding fairness in all actions and honoring both lived experience and evidence-based understanding.
Course Outline
Module 1: Introduction to the Crises
Session 1: The Interconnected Crises
Session 2: Critique of the dominant systems
Module 2: Introduction to Alternative Thinking
Session 3: What is an alternative?
Session 4: Alternative Food and Agriculture
Session 5: Alternative Education
Session 6: Alternative Technology
Session 7: Rights of Nature
Module 3: The Path Ahead
Session 8: Practical Actions (3 hours)
Module 1: Introduction to the Crises
In this module we introduce the participants to the interconnected nature of the crisis and how the current dominant model of development is at the heart of the crisis.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand how different crises (ecological, social, economic, cultural) are interconnected
- Learn about the dominant development and political models driving these crises
- Reflect on the meaning of development and personal connections to systemic issues
- Create space for personal storytelling and collective inquiry
Learning Outcomes:
- Participants can describe the key drivers of the current global crisis
- Participants can critically reflect on dominant systems like capitalism and liberal democracy
- Participants begin to map links between personal experiences and systemic structures
- Participants articulate their initial vision of a just and meaningful world
Session 1 (6th September)
- Introduction to the programme
- Introduction of participants and team
- Introduction to the interconnectedness of crisis
- Grounding activity: sharing a photo or story that personally moved participants, as a way to map/link crises through personal experiences
Session 2 (7th September)
- Tenets of the dominant model (capitalism, industrialization, extractivism, planetary boundaries)
- Include the currently dominant model of political governance, liberal democracy / nation-state etc.
- Begin conversation around “What is development?” and “What kind of world would you like to live in?”
- Homework: Reflect and write/draw your vision of a just world
Module 2: Introduction to Alternative Thinking
In this module we introduce the participants to the idea of alternatives through various frameworks and examples while exploring three themes of Food, Education and Technology.
These three domains are central to our everyday lives and offer powerful entry points for systemic transformation.
Food connects us to nature, culture, health and livelihoods, and is deeply intertwined with ecological sustainability and justice. In the face of industrial food systems, we examine the disconnection from the Earth and the loss of knowledge around wild plants and traditional foodways. Participants may explore how food can serve as a pathway to reweaving our relationship with the land, community, ancestral wisdom and beyond.
Education plays a foundational role in shaping our worldviews, values and societal structures. Reimagining education opens up possibilities for fostering compassion, critical thinking and equity. This theme invites reflection on what it means to truly learn, unlearn and co-create knowledge systems that nurture both individual and collective well-being.
Technology, increasingly, mediates how we relate to one another and the natural world. With the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence and other digital tools, this module encourages a thoughtful, ethical and community-driven approach to technology. Participants may explore how we might reclaim agency in a digitizing world, counter disconnection from ourselves and the Earth and ensure that technology serves life, rather than the other way around.
Together, these themes span the personal, social, political and ecological spheres, making them ideal grounds for examining and reimagining transformative alternatives.
Participants will be guided to use frameworks as a lens to evaluate and design alternatives in these themes, and reflect on how alternatives engage with multiple petals of the Flower of Transformation.
Learning Objectives:
- Explore what “alternatives” mean in different contexts
- Learn about real examples of food, education, and technology alternatives
- Understand key frameworks like the Flower of Transformation, which is a composite of Gandhi Tagore- framework, systems thinking and so on.
- Recognize indigenous and community-based knowledge systems
Learning Outcomes:
- Participants can explain what qualifies as a transformative alternative
- Participants identify examples of grassroots alternatives from India
- Participants apply frameworks to analyze case studies
- Participants reflect on how alternatives challenge dominant systems
Session 3 (13th September)
- What is an alternative? (examples, case studies, provocative questions)
- Frameworks for alternatives: Flower of Transformation and others.
(The Flower of Transformation is a composite framework that draws from diverse streams of thought and practice, including classical and folk traditions, humanitarian values, and insights from a wide range of thinkers such as Gandhi, Marx, Phule, Ambedkar, Aurobindo, Tagore, as well as feminist, environmentalist, adivasi, indigenous, tribal, and Dalit worldviews and more ultimately seeking to dissolve the dichotomies between them.)
Session 4 (14th September)
- Theme: Food and Agriculture
- Case studies from diverse regional contexts (e.g. DDS, Pagdandi Collective)
- Include a panel discussion or breakout format for interaction
Session 5 (20th September)
- Theme: Education
- Examples from alternative education initiatives
Session 6 (21st September)
- Theme: Technology
- Examine the risks and challenges posed by dominant technological systems (such as surveillance, AI bias, environmental impact and more), while also exploring community-led, ethical, and ecologically mindful alternatives that empower rather than alienate.
- Case studies
Session 7 (27th September)
- Rights of Nature
Module 3: The Path Ahead
In this module we invite participants to envision and dream of a just, sustainable and equitable future and inspire practical action.
Learning Objectives:
- Imagine and co-create visions for a just, sustainable future
- Learn tools for collective dreaming and planning
- Encourage real-world engagement with local alternatives
- Inspire participants to take personal and collective action
Learning Outcomes:
- Participants share creative ideas for building alternative futures
- Participants identify next steps they can take in their own lives or communities
- Participants gain confidence to connect with or start local initiatives
- Participants leave with a sense of possibility, support, and direction
Session 8 (28th September)
- Visioning for a better future
- Introduction to tools for collective dreaming and/or visioning
- Reflections on transformation as an ongoing and emergent process
- Sharing group reflections and project ideas
- Discussion on practical action, ways forward, and staying connected (Walking the vision/dream)
- Homework: Visit a local alternative and share your observations
For any questions regarding the course, reach us at [email protected]