The Journal

Stories of becoming

Training, nutrition, Colombia and the 1% philosophy — editorial notes from the Phoenix Initiative.

Top-down view of a wooden survey stake in damp red soil with a taut string line stretched across it, in warm late-afternoon light

How We Will Measure Impact: Indicators Chosen in Advance

The Phoenix Initiative has no results yet, and no beneficiaries. That is precisely why it is publishing its indicators now, before a single programme has begun.

July 17, 20265 min read

Close-up of weathered farmer hands sorting bright red coffee cherries in a woven basket, crates of lulo and green plantain in soft focus behind.

Foundation

Buying Local in Huila: The Supplier Commitments Being Written

Every project promises to buy local. Very few define it. Here is what Huila actually produces, and the specific supplier commitments being drafted before the Oasis opens.

July 15, 20265 min read

An empty circle of simple handmade wooden chairs on a covered open-air terrace with a guadua bamboo roof, warm late-day light across a polished concrete floor.

Foundation

How the Foundation Is Structured, and Why That Matters

Governance is the least romantic part of a mission and the part that decides whether it survives. Here is how the Phoenix Initiative is being structured, pillar by pillar.

July 13, 20265 min read

Backlit silhouette of a lone woman running away from the camera along a red dirt road at dawn, thick mist and tropical trees on both sides.

Foundation

Why Sport Is a Safety Question for Women, Worldwide

Where a woman can run, at what hour, and whether she looks over her shoulder — safety quietly decides who gets to train. A look at the global picture, and what follows from it.

July 11, 20265 min read

A scuffed leather football resting on the cracked concrete of an empty rural sports court at golden hour, chain-link fence and green Andean mountains behind.

Foundation

Sport in Rivera's Schools: The Programme Being Designed

The Phoenix Initiative is designing school sport programmes with Rivera. Here is the gap they are meant to close, why girls are the priority, and how the plan avoids the usual mistakes.

July 9, 20265 min read

Top-down view of rows of young native tree saplings in black nursery bags on deep red volcanic soil, with a watering can and trowel at the edge of frame.

Foundation

The Reforestation Plan for the Estate's Degraded Slopes

Planting trees is the easy part. Here is how the Phoenix Initiative intends to restore the worn slopes of a 30-hectare estate in Huila, and why the first step is not planting.

July 7, 20265 min read

A young woman's hands from above holding an open blank notebook and a pencil on her lap, sunlight through a rustic wooden window frame, face out of frame.

Foundation

Designing a Scholarship Programme for Women in Huila

The Phoenix Initiative is drafting a scholarship scheme for women in Huila. Here is the thinking behind it, the barriers it has to solve, and what it deliberately will not do.

July 4, 20265 min read

Foundation

Sport as Social Impact: What Movement Changes in Rural Communities

What actually shifts when a rural community starts moving together? How sport programs support confidence, connection and opportunity — and why the Phoenix Initiative bets on movement.

May 27, 20264 min read

Foundation

Regenerating 30 Hectares: Land Stewardship at Phoenix Oasis

Thirty hectares, six waterfalls, three freshwater springs and a thermal source: how the Phoenix project intends to steward its land in Huila — regeneration as a plan, not a slogan.

May 21, 20264 min read