From the archive
11 Nov 2026
Della Duncan’s starting point is a familiar tension: people may want their work to support a more just and regenerative economy while earning a living in a system that rewards extraction, competition and profit. Duncan is a Right Livelihood Coach, co-host of the Upstream Podcast, and co-designer and co-facilitator of a course on regenerative livelihoods. Her article treats work not only as a set of tasks, but as a place where values meet ownership, decision-making and everyday workplace habits.
One useful distinction is between the purpose of an organisation and the way it is run. A nonprofit may pursue a social mission yet keep decisions opaque and management top-down; a conventional business may concentrate ownership and profits. Duncan points to worker cooperatives and worker self-directed nonprofits as forms that can distribute power more equitably, while warning that democratic structures do not automatically remove the contradictions of capitalism.
That distinction changes the scale of the question. A person does not necessarily have to abandon their current work to redirect their skills, Duncan writes, but individual purpose is only part of the picture. Workplace norms such as overwork, urgency and competition can persist even in organisations seeking social change. She also places livelihoods within wider movements and communities, rather than treating meaningful work as a private achievement.
Map who owns your workplace, who makes decisions and who benefits. Then identify one practical change—such as making a decision-making process more transparent—that could distribute voice more equitably.
Gaia Education · Read the source