Hestia: Community

Hestia

To keep things clear, Stichting SOLAR has grouped all its future projects into themes. Hestia covers the projects on community. Below you can read what the foundation plans to research.

Who is Hestia? Hestia is the Greek goddess of the hearth and home. Every Greek home had a hearth fire in her honour, and every city a public hearth whose fire was never allowed to go out. She received the first share of offerings and was known as peaceful: she stayed out of the quarrels of the other gods. As the warm centre of every household and community, Hestia fits our community projects.

Research into community development and participation

Stichting SOLAR researches community development and uses participatory methods to strengthen social cohesion and civic involvement. The research focuses on inclusive decision-making, local cooperation and encouraging active participation in neighbourhoods and regions.

Through practical research, dialogue sessions and joint projects, the foundation develops models and tools that help communities shape sustainable initiatives on their own. This way we work towards resilient, self-organising communities.

Governance and transparent decision-making

The foundation researches governance structures and uses policy analysis and organisational innovation to promote transparent, ethical and effective decision-making. This covers responsible governance, oversight, integrity and public accountability.

The aim is to develop guidelines, models and practical guidance that help organisations improve their governance. Through sharing knowledge and putting best practice into use, the foundation contributes to professional and socially responsible governance.

Developing supporting systems and platforms

Stichting SOLAR researches digital and organisational systems that support community building and good governance, and uses technology to promote collaboration and transparency. These can include digital participation platforms, monitoring tools or knowledge networks.

By developing, testing and implementing these systems, the foundation encourages efficient communication, joint decision-making and public involvement, combining research and practical application to strengthen sustainable governance structures.

Deciding in the open

We want to make our own decisions and the reasons behind them public on the transparency page. That shows how the foundation works, and others can follow the example.

A voice for students and volunteers

We want to research how students and volunteers can have a say in projects, for example through an advisory group. The board remains ultimately responsible.

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Stichting SOLAR

Sustainable Off-grid Living-labs for Autonomy and Research

Pijnacker, the Netherlands

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