permaculture

["Marsha Hanzi" <hanzibra@svn.com.br>]

Hello friends!

Just a quick international update for those interested in knowing the new
developments in this region of Brazil...

                                        New PC groups

I went to translate a seminar for Dr. Bill Roley, of  Southern California,
in  Fortaleza one month ago,  and was delighted to discover that there is a
vigorous young PC movment in the School of Architechture of the local
University, thanks to Professor Marcondes, who lived some years in
Australia.  Thanks to this contact , six people from Fortaleza will come to
our course in January in the mountains, with the intention of forming a
local Permaculture Institute on their return.

Another delight was to discover that in Porto Alegre, Miguel Sattler,
professor of Engineering, has also brought Permaculture into the School of
Engineering, with excellent work being done by his students.

In Fortaleza, during the event we attended, there was an exhibition of the
winners of a contest for ecological low-cost housing. First and third prize
were Permacualture projects of Prfs. Marcondes and Sattlers students,
excellent work...  Miguel Sattler is conducting a Masters program in  a
local university here in Bahia, two hours from where I live, and thanks to
his contact, we are beginning a dialogue with  professors to see how we can
bring Permaculture into the campus, both physically and curricularly.  They
have a center for sustainability  which  today basically works with recycled
paper, but has a tremendous outreach potential...Interestingly enough, this
university is run by women, and has a strong impulse to create  solutions
and take them out into the communities, involving the students widely with
community outreach work.

             Course  in January:  Permaculture in Community

We will give the fourth PC course in Comunidade Campina, an alternative
community, in the Chapada Diamantina region in January.  This course has
become an important event( twice a year), attracting young professionals
 mostly agronomists, but also biologists, sociologists, and architechts) and
people who are  forming new communitites. As the community practices all
aspects of Permaculture, under severe climatic and financial restraints, it
is an excellent venue for the course. More than half of the course time is
spent in practical fieldwork, which has been a very successful strategy.
(There are still a few openings.  It is necessary to speak Portuguese or
Spanish.)  I am thinking of doing this course  in English, as  it is an
excellent introduction to tropical permaculture for development workers,
etc... Would appreciate feedback on this...

                                    Permaculture in the Drylands

I have just begun a new program of Permaculture in Rural  Schools of the
drylands town of  Tucano.  Thirty local teachers will do the basic course
 we have already had the first module),  after which we will accompany their
work.  The aim is to have gardens in all 200 rural schools and to transmit
the principles of sustainable farming to all the students.  The region is
rich in biodiversity and potential, but is today a focus of tremendous
hunger and exodus to the big cities, with danger of desertification,
basically due to worng forms of land  ( and especially water!) management.
I confess that I have a lot of hope for this project...

Fortunately the local secretary of agriculture, a young agronomist, has
"embarked" heart and soul in Permaculture and has declared that Permaculture
will be the model of agriculture practiced through his  department.He and
two colleagues will do our January course. Although the local politicas are
"old-style"  feudal family  type so typical here ( the same group has been
in power for 40 years..)  we have had relative support from them, and  no
resistance, so there are real hopes for being able to work at municipal
level...

                                A New Permaculture Center in the Cocoa
Region

Our mentor and inspiration in our agroforestry work has always been Ernst
Gotsch, a Swiss who has developed a form of dynamic forest management,
(together with his wife Renate) which is now becoming quite well-known.  One
of his best friends, Ulrike,  has bought a neighboring farm to make a
training center,  which  she intends to be a holistic center, englobing
permaculture and agroforestry and spiritual  aspects of working and
listening to the land.  We will do our first Permaculture course there in
June.  Fortunately the  farm has adequate infrastructure already in place
for this...(It is 35 hectares). I may be moving to live there in the near
future ( my three girls left home this year..)

                            New PC Publications

This year we published Carolyn Nutall's book : "A Food Forest for Children",
which is having tremendous impact, as we always knew it would - if you
haven't yet read this book , I highly recommend it!. It was set up by a
professional, and is beautifuly presented. If anyone knows the wherabouts of
Carolyn, I  am looking for contact with her to send her some copies... She
kindly donated the book to the children of Brazil..

I also published my course manual which is called "Permaculture:  the
abundant Homestead"( Permacultura: O Sïtio Abundante")   which is a first
introduction to landowners who would like to work within natural laws.
Although quite small, it presents the basic ideas on a new paradigm in
agriculture, based on cooperation  and co-creation with Nature, using
dynamic agroforestry methods, combined with Permaculture planning
strategies.
 I am thinking of translating it into English, as it can be a useful fiorst
manual for sustainable tropical agriculture , again for Peace Crops or
development workers.  Would appreciate feedback on this from you "out
there"..

                        Urban Permaculture Training Program for Youths

This year our Institute bagan a professional training program in Urban
Permaculture and  Landscaping, for poor youths who have difficulty finding a
job. They are 23 youths of 18 - 21 years  of age.  The program is five hours
a day for five months, ending end-January. The road was  a long uphill
one,due to the student's background, but the results are beginning to show,
and several have decided to make a cooperative to carry on , once the
program is over. It was a multi-disciplinary program, including
entrepreneruail skills, gardening, medicinal herbs, landscaping, and
woodcarving.  We are very pleased with the quality of this program... I was
involved with helping set it up, but it was run by other colleagues ( my
heart is in agriculture...)It was financed through a  national program,
aimed at getting kids off the street.

And that was our year... I wish you all  a SMASHING new  year.  Play well!

Best wishes

Marsha Hanzi
Instituto de Permacultura da Bahia

http.//www.geocities.com/oliarte