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  • From: "Marsha Hanzi" <hanzibra@svn.com.br>
  • To: "permaculture" <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: The effectiveness of Permaculture...
  • Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2000 03:05:52 -0300


> As Permaculture is practiced in more localities over a longer time period,
> its techniques will evolve to fit the land ever more harmoniously, as long
> as we keep the ability to observe, test, and evaluate. That would be a
good
> discussion for this group: How do we know what we are doing is effective,
> What are some ways of testing an idea on the ground and getting a result
> that can be evaluated?
>
> Roger Ellison
>
>
>
It is interesting that the central problems of continents can differ. If I
still lived in Europe, for example, my Permaculture certainly would
concentrate more on ecological housing and recycling , whereas here in
Brazil, I see the most important role of Permaculture to be helping
develop a viable agricultural model, as, with our climate and space,
housing is not such an urgent problem as the rural exodus is ( except of
course for the people living in the slums who have migrated in from the
land...)

If I still lived in the United States, I would probably dedicate myself to
ecovillages, and some of the social aspects of Permaculture ( alternative
banks, common work, etc.)

So the same techniques and strategies, with the same OVERALL aim ( to create
sustainable systems) my have a different focus according to geographical
and historical situations.

Permaculture in a land destroyed by War would be different than Permaculture
in a land destroyed by greed...Not that the Permaculture in itself is
different, but the basic , most urgent focus, would be different.

That is why it is such a delicate situation for teachers coming in from
abroad...Sometimes they bring their own pre-conceived ideas of "where the
problem lies" from their own national situation and don't manage, in the
short time normally offered them , to make a clear reading of the local
situation.

The effectiveness of the application of Permaculture is directly in
relationship to correct reading of the situation, and understanding what is
already being done in that region ( perhaps under other names) and how we
can effectively network with that , adding those elements which are still
lacking ( and not duplicating efforts which can best be done by the locals,
or in conjunction with them).

Marsha Hanzi
Instituto de Permacultura da Bahia

http://www.geocities.com/oliarte




  • The effectiveness of Permaculture..., Marsha Hanzi, 03/22/2000

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