The team of REGEN-Nations

Sarah is a regenerative design strategist weaving collective experiences in peace building, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) conservation, environmental education, and humanitarian assistance for 15 years. She designs inclusive ecosystems of collaboration through innovation labs and learning journeys to transform the narrative of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into Design for Resilience and Regeneration. She is trained in Ecovillage Design and Ecosystem Restoration Design, and holds a merit diploma and advanced certificate in Permaculture Design. Prior to founding Green Releaf Initiative in the Philippines, Sarah has worked with GEN as representative to the UN Climate Conferences, served as global trustee, regional council member, and currently, as a wisdom keeper for GENOA. Sarah also helped incubate GEN’s EmerGENcies Program and GENOA’s REGEN Nations. With a background in ecopsychology and transformative artmaking, she applies a trauma-informed understanding of resilience in her work with climate and conflict vulnerable communities in the Asia and the Pacific region.

An educator by heart, Trudy offers her nurturing character and positive attitude to ensure that people’s learning and other needs are being met.  Her focus is on supporting people and communities to empower themselves and to find meaning in their own life experiences.  As part of her personal praxis, Trudy is constantly learning and reflecting on her life experiences, which she uses in her capacity as a facilitator. Trudy is a key contributor in bridging communities, organisations and individuals in Asia and Oceania. She is currently working with Permaculture for Refugees and an indigenous community in Queensland, Australia. She was GEN’s Networking Director, GENOA coordinator for several years and co-initiated the REGEN-Nations learning program. Trudy is an accredited trainer of Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) and Analog Forestry (a design science for ecosystem restoration). In addition, she has studied, practiced and taught permaculture and deep ecology for many years. She has been the head of a democratic school in Thailand for migrants and refugees, managed a sustainability education centre in Sri Lanka, and facilitated a variety of workshops across Asia and Oceania, for communities, youth and women. Originally from Sri Lanka, Trudy has lived in several traditional villages and communities, and visited many ecovillages around the world.

Na is a regenerative designer, mud builder, artist and teacher dedicated to nurturing the human potential to regenerate our world. She believes in the power of the individual, respects the interbeing of life and sees the world as a web of connections. This results in a holistic approach to life and work, embodying regenerative action with creativity, compassion and generosity.
She spends her time helping individuals, organisations and communities to create life enhancing systems. You can find her consulting, designing, coordinating, facilitating, project managing and getting her hands very dirty. Na is blessed to be able to contribute to local, regional and global projects working across varied sectors including art, ecosystem restoration, regenerative business, women’s empowerment and education initiatives. 

Thao Kin is an ecology and environment trainer with an academic background in Sustainable Development in Ecology and a heart for compassionate space holding. She has worked with different hats in numerous non-formal educational projects in Vietnam as coordinators, trainers, facilitators and course designers. She has a passion for Deep Ecology and is training herself to be a Work-that-Reconnects Facilitator. Her calling is to bring the awe and enchantment of nature back to human consciousness through education and living experience. Kin is also the network weaver at Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) Oceania and Asia and member of the Network Steward Circle of GEN.

Hema is an intentional community and transformative process facilitator and an EDE (Ecovillage Design Education) trainer. She has previously worked in the field of international development with projects around South/Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands and South America. Upon seeing the international scene of all sorts of projects, she was driven to think more deeply about the sustainability of human development, which inspired her commitment to foster a more conscious culture of human existence on earth. She is currenting founding her school with the goal of rehabilitating relations between and with all beings.

Vivian Lee is an inner gardener and social artist who loves bringing people together to explore new ways of being. Through meaningful conversations and authentic connections, her practice at the intersection of art, ecology and well-being focusses on regeneration and healing. Trained in trauma-informed yoga facilitation and practising as a mindful eating facilitator and relational somatic touch therapist, Vivian holds intentional and safe spaces for self-discoveries and critical discourses. She was involved with the Transition Town movement while living in Los Angeles, and is currently working on a Soil Regeneration Project as an active member of Foodscape Collective, a ground-up community in Singapore. She completed the REGEN-Nations pilot training in March 2021 and is currently undergoing a course in Dragon Dreaming designed for the GENOA community.

Angel de la Flor is a community-builder, changemaker and social entrepreneur from Iloilo, Philippines. She is currently working for various grassroots projects in the rural development and education sectors.  She was part of GENOA REGEN-Nations 20-21 cycle that inspired her to initiate Project Hilway, a program that seeks to aid the children of farmers in their education during the pandemic. Angel is committed to pursue all paths and projects that lead to genuine transformation and change for her community. 

Hieu Nguyen is a sustainability educator and consultant, currently overseeing sustainability projects for an international primary school in Vietnam. Informed by  spiritually rich and culturally diverse life experiences, he’s taken the leading role in varied contexts from running international volunteer programs, designing youth conservation education agendas, organizing conferences and events to inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds to the healing power of nature. He founded Barefoot in the woods, an art and nature play program that offers guided nature walks that aims to inspire a felt connection with nature.