Select Page

PETER REICHENBACH

SEVENGARDENS * RCE RUHR UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY, GERMANY

“When you learn that the colors and make-up you use are sourced from children that will eventually die from poisoned lungs, you’ll want to use natural colors. That’s rare and expensive? That’s what I thought. So, I turned to making my own, and it’s so easy, fun and lucrative, that now kids, schools and business holders all over the planet are doing, too.”

Peter is a world expert on the ancestral craft of sourcing colors from plants. His personal use has grown to an educational program for sustainable development with practitioners in 30 countries.

The first time of making color from red cabbage is irresistible for children, youth and adults. There is something deeply archaic and magical that connects with our nervous system and sense of wonder. Everybody is captured by the colors dripping and moving on one’s plate. Forgotten are shiny electronic toys. (view how Ceci and Luis use this as a door for education on seeds, gardening and food) 

The low threshold approach to creating colors from free materials around us in nature for all sorts of uses like art, play, learning, therapy, dyeing, business, research etc. is wildly popular with educators from all walks of life.

Further aspects that are often overlooked are

  • the ability to self-acquire skills of satisfactory professional quality for one’s own use, to create products for oneself, as gift, to sell to others, and to have a skill to train to others, also at school
  • living the SDGs in Action. sevengardens truly covers all 17 SDGs
  • research on ancestral crafts that can be found, learned from and complemented in all cultures and traditions on Earth; the field is truly fascinating. Did you know that some fairy tales are actually recipes for making color?

which are reasons why sevengardens is one of the best recognized UNESCO status initiatives on the planet. 

People initiated to sevengardens know that motivation, creativity, dreaming, sense of research and experimentation are strongly boosted by Peter’s humorous tales of his adventures, of good practice examples, of other real life practitioners that one can meet in the global sevengardens network, and guidance where to learn more and find answers to one’s questions …

That’s why we are beyond proud to include him in our Speakers line-up and encourage everyone to take part and enjoy the experience of meeting the master himself.

TOPICS

art

health

colors

ancestral craft

heritage

product innovation

small business

decentralized organization

PREPARATION

Peter's story

Peter’s passion as an artist made him research pure, proper colors free from child slavery, poisons and commercial interests. To overcome these awful conditions, he founded sevengardens to spread the idea and empower millions of people to remember ancestral knowledge that solves a whole range of problems and reignites a sense of wonder for nature.

“Everybody has competences. Just discover and wield yours, share with others and create a good world together. You have the resources that you need.”

What appears simple has become a smash hit at kindergartens and schools, with nature and crafts lovers, and a surprise enterprise for people in poverty in more than 50 of the world’s 200 countries. Several countries have added it to their educational textbooks!

Today, Peter gets phone calls from ministries asking to include it in vocational training, and that he fill out a funding application. “Stop right there,” he says, “money, complicated forms, not with me. I am busy. Everybody has competences. You have competences, too. So, you arrange the finance and integration in educational programs.” And so it happens.

It is spreading like a fungus, the pioneer plants that made Earth fertile. That’s a good thing. Which creative spores will you add to the global sevengardens network?

Research the internet for sevengardens and sevengardens dialoger, also in combination with regions, cities, topics … share your results with the group. Converse on what fascinates you or what thoughts, ideas and questions appear.

ACTIONS

The best thing you can do is experiment with sourcing colors from plans with a sevengardens dialoger or someone else skilled enough to give you a flying introduction with fun and magic. Go for it and make Peter’s day by sharing your best discoveries, breakthroughs and breakdowns!

This will spark plenty of questions, idaes, questions … and it introduces you to the universe that Peter knows up and down. Once you share the basic magical experience you will so much better relate to the adventures, tales, partners and opportunities he will present to you in your conversation. 

+

FOLLOW-UP

Wow, where to begin?

Your group of many talents and passions can dash into producing experimental paintings, oil colors, plant dyeing gardens, dye wool, train children, learn from elders, meet partners abroad, team up with local and faraway allies, make an exhibit on ancestral color making and medieval products … which can ripple on and on like rainfall all over town.

Whatever it is, make sure to share with Peter – become part of the sevengardens network – and with us!

Connects great with