Grass routes is a non-profit project agency and creative NGO, founded in 2007 to evoke change towards a more creative and sustainable world. Grass Routes aims to stimulate knowledge exchange and creative competence within communities and organizations and raise awareness for issues of sustainability. We design and realize local projects with a global view, connect sustainability with creativity and create change from the grassroots. Grass Routes currently focuses on sustainability in fashion and design. Grass Routes is a Dutch foundation and a German association since 2008. From our base in Berlin we operate on both local and international level.

MISSION

Grass routes stands for a creative, sustainable development.

Mentality change

Grass Routes strives for a mentality change towards creative and sustainable thinking and living and stimulate sensibility for the values of local communities and individuals, of cultural diversity, of social and cultural needs, of animals, wilderness and beautiful landscapes.

Creative competence

Grass Routes aims to stimulate knowledge and creative competence and to develop the creative potential of communities, individuals and organizations. We empower active citizenship and an open exchange of values, knowledge, creative competence and sustainable practices worldwide.

Sustainable development

We believe that economical activities should be in balance with principles of sustainability and fair trade, with cultural and ecological values and with human rights. Therefore we promote sustainable living, working, producing, traveling and trading and support the rise of a market for products, production methods and trading methods that are truly sustainable and fair.

PHILOSOPHY

The things we do are based upon two core values: creativity and sustainability.

Creativity gives flow. It is a source of inspiration and progress, of thinking outside the given frames, of going further and developing.

We believe in a creative potential residing in every individual, community and organization.

The presence of creativity in a process, a project, an organization or within an individual is essential to keep it dynamic. Creativity makes one able to reflect and relativate, to develop vision and to come with solutions and new concepts.

Sustainability is the art of keeping balance. In ecology it means to have a balanced ecosystem.

Sustainability applies to ecology and environment, to people and communities, to cultural values, social welfare and a healthy economy.

A sustainable system takes all the aspects of the planet, society and it’s inhabitants into account. Sustainability is about spending no more energy or resources than available. It evokes a truly economical way of thinking with respect for the longer-term consequences of acting and with care for our planet and its inhabitants.