The concept of Planetary Service was first coined in 2018 by Rembert Biemond, who explored the idea through conversations and collaborations. After receiving initial support from the board of the Swiss foundation Evidenz, the vision gained real momentum in early 2022.
The spark came from an inspiring editorial in the YIP Network Newsletter, which posed a bold question: What if, instead of mandatory military service, young people could choose a voluntary Planetary Service—a commitment to the Earth and humanity?
Today, we are a growing community united by a shared vision: reimagining service as a force for planetary regeneration and collective well-being.
Rembert Biemond – Co-founder and Chief Advisor
Teresa Ramos Serra - Initiator
My beginnings in life were placed in a small town in a rural area of Catalonia, Spain. From the surroundings I lived in, a strong bond with the natural world was created. When I was five, my family started a Waldorf School at our house to which I was never able to attend because at the beginning it was only a kindergarten, but with which I was always very involved and inspired. I myself went to a traditional school all my life, and having both methodologies very close I developed a very critical view on education and society. For these reasons, I have always had an impulse to make the world a better place. My call now is to create spaces where we, as humans, can explore what is our function and place in a balanced ecosystem putting nature in the center and as the measure of it all, and work towards a more nature-connected and sustainable society.
Demy Vermeij – Network and fundraising coordinator
Saci Reilly-Jasper – Communication coordinator
In my late teens I attended the International youth initiative program, an adult education designed to empower youth to take initiative to address contemporary challenges. During my time there I discovered my calling to reconnect people with nature through growing food and nature based education and experiences, challenging the misconception that humans are separate from nature, which I believe is at the root of many of our environmental problems. Upon returning to New Zealand, I delved into permaculture design studies and practice. I fostered my love for youth development through my involvement with Tides, a rights of passage program which supports young women to consciously transition into adulthood. It was during this period that I learned about Planetary Service, an initiative that combines my interests in youth development, fostering human-nature connections, and embracing multicultural experiences. I chose to do the prototype, and in September 2023 I went to Brazil and volunteered for 4 months. This was one of the richest experiences of my life, I learned so much about myself, the value of cultural immersion and of being in service to a greater cause.
Nakyta Grimm - Initiator
Livia Strub - Initiator
Pieter Ploeg - Initiator
