The pilot 'Voice and Vote to Water' in the Muisca community of Sesquilé is based on the Muisca's deep spiritual and cultural connection with water. In their worldview, water is sacred, reflected in rituals and offerings in ponds and water sources. Muisca mythology, rich in references to water, includes places such as the Bogotá River and the Iguaque Lagoon, central to their religious practices. However, colonization drastically altered these traditions, negatively impacting water sources and soil. Now, the Sesquilé region and the 'Los Hijos del Maíz' reservation face environmental challenges due to agricultural and livestock exploitation.

This project seeks to mitigate these impacts and preserve water-related traditions. Despite westernization and colonization, the veneration of water and aquatic entities such as snakes has survived in certain campesino practices, keeping alive the local culture of respect and protection of water sources.

The use of Conversational Artificial Intelligence (CAI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) in our 'Voice and Vote to Water' pilot is crucial for several reasons. The CAI, leveraging technologies such as natural language processing and machine learning, allows water, a sacred element in the Muisca cosmovision, to have a 'voice' in the discussions. This symbolizes its importance, ensuring that its needs are considered in territorial development decisions. In addition, the CAI facilitates dialogue between different stakeholders, processing and communicating complex information in an understandable way, which helps build common understanding and raises awareness of environmental and cultural issues.

On the other hand, IoT connects physical devices, equipped with sensors and processing technology, to transmit real-time information about water quality and environmental conditions. This data enriches the CAI, enabling accurate representations of the conditions and needs of water and the natural environment. In addition, IoT sensors can provide early warnings about environmental changes, enabling quick and efficient responses to emerging problems. This combination of advanced technologies with ancestral knowledge represents an innovative and respectful approach to environmental and development issues, promoting education, awareness and inclusive participation in the decision-making process.

The "Voice and Vote to Water" project in Sesquilé, Cundinamarca, focuses on reviving the Muisca cosmovision and offering alternatives to territorial development and water management, in a context affected by agricultural and tourism development. The integration of Conversational Artificial Intelligence (CAI) and IoT sensors will give "voice" to water, allowing its participation in management and conservation decisions. AI, trained on Muisca cosmovision and current environmental data, together with real-time IoT data, will enrich conversations, combining ancestral and contemporary perspectives.

This approach seeks not only to solve environmental problems, but also to educate and raise awareness about sustainable water management and respect for indigenous culture. Involving the Muisca community, farmers, entrepreneurs and government entities, the project proposes a model of environmental governance that is fair and sustainable, respecting ancestral traditions. The objective is to establish a new paradigm in natural resource management, where nature itself is a key participant, creating an impact on cultural preservation, sustainable water practices and participatory environmental governance.

This pilot marks a milestone in the integration of environmental sustainability and cultural conservation, fusing advanced technology with Muisca ancestral wisdom. Its innovative character is reflected in the use of Conversational Artificial Intelligence (CAI), trained with Muisca and environmental principles and data, to give symbolic voice to water, actively integrating it into decision making and reflecting both ancestral knowledge and current concerns. This unique approach makes water a key player in negotiations, fostering a cross-cultural and multi-sectoral dialogue between indigenous communities, farmers, entrepreneurs, and government entities, and establishing an innovative model for recognizing the rights of nature.

This project stands out not only for its cross-cultural and collaborative approach, but also for its practical application of IoT to collect environmental data in real time, enriching CAI and supporting evidence-based decisions. It represents a cutting-edge approach that addresses environmental and cultural challenges holistically, demonstrating the potential of technology to empower communities and protect nature, and offering a replicable and scalable model for the inclusion of nature in environmental decision-making.

In the "Voice and Vote to Water" pilot, we seek to learn how advanced technology, such as Conversational Artificial Intelligence (CAI) and IoT sensors, can be integrated with the worldviews and ancestral practices of indigenous communities, in particular the Muisca community. This knowledge will be key to understand the interaction between ancestral wisdom and modern technology in solving environmental and cultural challenges. In addition, we hope to understand the dynamics of collaboration between diverse actors, including indigenous communities, entrepreneurs, farmers, and governmental entities, and how to facilitate intercultural dialogue and negotiation of interests to achieve common goals of sustainability and respect for nature.

We also aim to assess the impact of giving nature a symbolic voice in decision-making and learn how a rights-based approach to nature can influence territorial development and its viability in other contexts. We seek effective methods to measure the environmental and cultural impact of our actions, and address the practical and technical challenges of implementing environmental technologies such as IoT sensors. These learnings will be fundamental to validate and improve our strategies, promoting a more conscious and sustainable environmental governance model.

At Pluriversa, we are committed to communities and postdevelopment, adopting an inclusive and participatory approach. Our work focuses on creating a better future by integrating different actors in the search for innovative solutions to environmental and cultural challenges.

Our previous work includes the speculative design project Natural Intelligence - the Voice of Nature, and the creation of futuristic scenarios for the use of blockchain in post-development. We have participated in the design and implementation of digital solutions for B2C and B2B markets in the financial and energy sector in Colombia, Mexico and Peru, which gives us a solid foundation for this project.

Natural Intelligence - The Voice of Nature. 🥇 Winner of the Futuring Peace Competition issued by UN’s DPPA. 2020.

In our pilot, active community involvement is fundamental. We collaborate closely with local leaders and experts, including specialists in Muisca cosmovision and environmental technologies, to ensure that our initiatives respond to community realities and needs. Through open dialogues and interactive workshops involving diverse local stakeholders, we promote mutual understanding and joint exploration of solutions for sustainable territorial development that respects the environment and indigenous culture. We employ participatory research methods, focusing community perspectives and knowledge in our inquiries, and foster collaborative ecosystems that connect communities with a broad spectrum of stakeholders. In addition, we focus on environmental awareness and education, and on disseminating success stories to inspire other communities. Community participation in environmental monitoring and decision-making, empowered by IoT technologies, is essential to achieve sustainable and positive change.

At Pluriversa, we apply a strategic and tactical methodology to execute innovation project pilots, tailored to the specificities of each context. We start with thorough preliminary research to understand the context and needs of the target community, using interviews, data analysis and field studies. This approach is complemented by the recruitment of relevant stakeholders, ensuring that our interventions are relevant and effective. The participatory design phase actively involves the community, encouraging co-creation and aligning the project with their real needs. Training is a cross-cutting component throughout the process, equipping the community with essential skills and knowledge.

The pilot is executed in phases, beginning with small-scale testing to assess feasibility, followed by gradual implementation that allows for adjustments based on feedback and community adaptation. Ongoing monitoring by our research team facilitates measurement of impact and identification of improvements. Ongoing feedback from the community and other key stakeholders is vital for project iteration and adjustments. From the outset, we considered scalability, designing the pilot to be expandable and replicable, taking into account economic, cultural and technological variations.

This integrated and adaptable approach has been fundamental to the success of our previous pilot projects.

Our pilot addresses the challenges of social impact investing in the Global South through several key strategies. First, it facilitates the financial inclusion of marginalized communities using Bitcoin, offering access to the global economy and promoting sustainable practices in agro-ecological communities. This initiative also emphasizes the importance of youth empowerment in technology adoption, ensuring intergenerational knowledge transfer and long-term sustainability of the project. In addition, it promotes the creation of circular economies and the internationalization of local producers, enabling them to access international markets and fostering self-sufficiency.

The pilot also includes financial and digital education to improve the competence and autonomy of communities in the digital space, preserving and promoting local cultures through digital platforms. Collaborative networking between local communities and global players is encouraged, increasing knowledge sharing and business opportunities. This project offers unprecedented transparency and traceability through blockchain technology, and empowers community autonomy, decreasing dependence on external support. Together, these measures not only address immediate challenges, but also establish a framework for sustainable and inclusive community prosperity in the Global South.

In difficult environments, communities often struggle to survive, leading them to rely on informal or illegal financial services that perpetuate poverty. These include usurious loans with high interest rates, illegal lending services such as "pagadiario" or "gota a gota", unsustainable pyramid schemes, and gambling, which rather aggravate their economic situation. In addition, women's lack of economic autonomy often keeps them trapped in cycles of gender-based violence.

On the other hand, community banking offers a sustainable alternative, operating in groups that practice savings and credit with rigorous methodologies and start-up support. These groups allow members to borrow at low rates and promote trust and social fabric, contributing to local prosperity and the identification of new leadership. In Colombia, the GLAC methodology of these groups is regulated, highlighting their focus on people and improving their quality of life through savings and credit.

Bitcoin is crucial to this pilot for several key reasons. First, it is the most widely recognized and globally adopted cryptocurrency, making it ideal for communities seeking to integrate into international markets and attract tourists. As a store of value, Bitcoin offers long-term stability, protecting against inflation, an essential feature for volatile Latin American economies. Its decentralized nature gives communities greater economic autonomy, free from government or financial constraints.

In addition, the security and transparency of Bitcoin's blockchain technology fosters trust and reduces fraud. The Bitcoin network is robust and secure, with an extensive community of developers ensuring its constant improvement and accessibility, even for communities unfamiliar with digital technology. Bitcoin has proven to be effective at the national and community level in regions such as El Salvador, offering a replicable model. Its ease of use, accessibility and low transaction cost, along with the support of a vast global community, position it as the most viable and effective option to empower marginalized communities and connect them to the global economy.

The global financial system, dominated by a debt-based economic model, has generated a cycle of economic boom and bust, characterized by overinvestment and speculation resulting in bubbles and severe recessions. This situation has led to worrisome debt, especially in emerging countries, affecting all industries and people, and exacerbating problems such as boom and bust cycles, excessive leverage, systemic risk, economic inequality, and dependence on unsustainable growth. This vicious cycle is crucial to understand because of its impact on the global economy and everyday life.

In this context, Bitcoin emerges as a decentralized and deflationary alternative to the traditional financial system. Not being subject to government control, Bitcoin proposes a form of economic independence and a more stable store of value. However, despite offering new possibilities compared to fiat money and government-controlled monetary systems, Bitcoin is not a panacea for debt problems. Responsible debt management and taxation remain challenges that require solutions beyond cryptocurrency adoption.

Effective management of Bitcoin price volatility is vital in the pilot project due to its fluctuating nature. To protect against short-term fluctuations there are several strategies that could be implemented, for example, maintaining a diversified portfolio that includes Bitcoin, and local currency. Converting Bitcoin to local currency after receiving payments and creating emergency reserves in local currency. Ongoing education on the Bitcoin protocol and community support are essential to understand and manage the associated financial risks. In addition, community stabilization funds and flexible credit policies (if credit is enabled) can be implemented to adapt to market volatility.

For merchants, hybrid pricing and short-term fixed price agreements can be employed to minimize exposure to long-term volatility. Other tactics include Dollar Cost Averaging to reduce the impact of volatility on long-term investments and the use of stablecoins for certain transactions. Exploring financial hedging options and establishing partnerships with cryptocurrency exchange platforms can also offer additional protection. Successful implementation of these strategies requires a balance between taking advantage of opportunities and mitigating risks, with ongoing planning and adaptation to changing cryptocurrency market conditions.

Bitcoin and its environmental impact generate a complex debate, but there are arguments in favor of its sustainability. A significant portion of the energy to mine Bitcoin comes from renewable sources, and the industry is constantly looking for cleaner and cheaper energy. Compared to the traditional banking system or the gold industry, Bitcoin consumes less energy. Moreover, its energy consumption contributes to its security and decentralization, making any attack extremely costly. In terms of social and economic sustainability, Bitcoin facilitates access to global financial systems for marginalized communities, offering financial inclusion and resilience to inflation.

This pilot, focused on marginalized communities in Colombia and the Global South, recognizes that Bitcoin can be key to the long-term sustainability of these communities. Environmental criticism has driven innovations within the Bitcoin ecosystem, such as greener consensus protocols and Layer 2 technologies for efficient transactions. Bitcoin not only presents opportunities for economic and social empowerment, but can also be a useful tool for funding green projects, verifying sustainable supply chains and offsetting carbon. Sustainability in this context encompasses environmental, economic and social aspects, and Bitcoin offers promising solutions on these fronts.

Still, the sustainability use case for Bitcoin is more complex and exciting. For a full reply, please write to hello@pluriversa.org.

The pilot project seeks to integrate Bitcoin into community banking in ecotourism and agroecological communities in Colombia, especially in sectors with financial barriers and limited access to broad markets. In Latin America, economic challenges such as inflation and high national and international transfer fees erode the income of agroecological producers, while globalization and technological advances offer new opportunities. Bitcoin presents itself as a counter-hegemonic tool to address these concerns.

The pilot anticipates positive impacts on youth prosperity, empowerment, financial resilience, autonomy, strengthening circular economies and access to international markets. It is expected to increase financial autonomy and foster local circular economies. Despite challenges such as resistance to change and the need for technological infrastructure, with appropriate education and training, these obstacles can be overcome. The collaboration with Pluriversa will ensure continuous monitoring to measure impact and adjust the project, with the goal of not only addressing current financial challenges, but also fostering long-term sustainable prosperity and community empowerment.

This is a pioneering initiative that introduces Bitcoin in marginalized communities, combining cryptoeconomics, ecotourism and agroecology. This financial innovation promotes local circular economies, allowing trade and exchange of services to take place within the community, thus strengthening economic autonomy and minimizing dependence on national currencies. In addition, the project stands out for its intergenerational approach, assigning young people a crucial role as technological facilitators, and offering holistic training in internet use, community stewardship of funds and community bank structuring.

The initiative acts as a hybrid model that intersects philanthropy, impact investing and financial education, maximizing social impact and promoting community empowerment. In addition, it introduces blockchain technologies and educational tools in emerging technologies, positioning communities on a path of technological adaptation. With the support of Pluriversa, the project adapts and learns in real time, ensuring its scalability and replicability in other communities. This innovative approach seeks to empower communities to operate outside of traditional financial systems, creating sustainable and self-determined community empowerment and prosperity.

In this pilot, we hope to deepen our understanding of how Colombian and Global South communities, with their varied cultural, socioeconomic and technological realities, adapt to Bitcoin technology in their community banking. We seek to identify barriers and facilitators, with a particular focus on intergenerational dynamics and technological adoption, and how youth act as agents of change. In addition, we will examine the local economic impact of Bitcoin in terms of trade, financial resilience, tourism and circular economies, while analyzing community and market responses to cryptocurrency adoption.

Our goal is to assess how financial literacy evolves within these communities and the effectiveness of existing Bitcoin technologies, identifying logistical and operational challenges. This learning will not only improve the effectiveness of this project, but also inform future cryptocurrency adoption initiatives in vulnerable communities globally. We aim to develop a replicable model, based on the knowledge and results obtained, that will serve as a guide for future Bitcoin economic empowerment initiatives in similar contexts.

At Pluriversa, we are committed to fostering technological integration in marginalized communities, recognizing that the appropriate adoption of technologies such as Bitcoin can be a powerful tool for socioeconomic progress. Our previous experience includes extensive research on community needs and barriers to Bitcoin, financial education workshops, and the creation of futuristic scenarios for the use of blockchain in post-development. We have participated in the design and implementation of digital solutions for B2C and B2B markets in the financial and energy sector in Colombia, Mexico and Peru, which gives us a solid foundation for this project.

Bitcoin training for young people from the Anglo-Spanish School. On screen the Bitcoin genesis block. La Ceja, Antioquia. 2022.

Our approach to the "Community Banking Adopting Bitcoin" pilot focuses on collaboration and dialogue with communities, employing participatory research methods to center their voices and perspectives. We emphasize youth empowerment, integrating youth into training and knowledge dissemination on emerging technologies. In addition, we work with local merchants to incorporate them into the Bitcoin ecosystem and foster circular economies, while seeking to engage the ecotourism sector. We collaborate with technology providers to ensure secure and efficient transactions, and plan to share success stories to inspire other communities. This comprehensive strategy, with the community at its core, aims to create sustainable and positive change in financial inclusion and economic empowerment through Bitcoin.

At Pluriversa, we apply a strategic and tactical methodology to execute innovation project pilots, tailored to the specificities of each context. We start with thorough preliminary research to understand the context and needs of the target community, using interviews, data analysis and field studies. This approach is complemented by the recruitment of relevant stakeholders, ensuring that our interventions are relevant and effective. The participatory design phase actively involves the community, encouraging co-creation and aligning the project with their real needs. Training is a cross-cutting component throughout the process, equipping the community with essential skills and knowledge.

The pilot is executed in phases, beginning with small-scale testing to assess feasibility, followed by gradual implementation that allows for adjustments based on feedback and community adaptation. Ongoing monitoring by our research team facilitates measurement of impact and identification of improvements. Ongoing feedback from the community and other key stakeholders is vital for project iteration and adjustments. From the outset, we considered scalability, designing the pilot to be expandable and replicable, taking into account economic, cultural and technological variations.

This integrated and adaptable approach has been fundamental to the success of our previous pilot projects and is essential to our community banking initiative adopting Bitcoin.