permaculture

[Judith Hanna <jehanna@gn.apc.org>]

At 11:56 25/04/00 -0700, John S wrote:
>Aloha,
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Skye [mailto:skye@tortuga.com]
>
>>...Everyone interested
>>in sustainable development believes that it is important to involve the
>>local people in the decision making process, but how?
>
>Implicit in this "problem" is that "the local people" were not the
>instigators, were not "interested in sustainable development."  Something
>(starting with a "decision making process") is being pushed on them from
>"the outside" (wherever that may be in a given context).   I say pushed on
>them because it is also implicit in the above that some decision making
>process is to take place and "the local people" are also not the instigators
>of that process, or they would already be involved in it).
>
>So...how do we invite them to be interested, empowering them to be the ones
>who initiate their own actions towards sustainability?
>
>John Schinnerer



All too often, what wakes people up and motivates them to get involved is
having an 'enemy' or threat to battle against, in their own back yard!
Regrettable, but human nature. Eg, 'Them' want to send the bulldozers in.
Or How poisonous is the air? 

If, in the absence of a threat or motivated by one, you have enough
generally concerned activists, then sending them round (in pairs for
company) to knock on local peoples doors/talk to people in streets,
outsides schools and shops etc, asking a set of questions can give a lead
on what loom largest as local concerns and what action people want to see.
But this means a lot of slog. 

In this country, the Neighbourhood Initiatives Foundation developed a
'Planning for Real' kit. It started with making a large scale map or 3-D
model of the neighbourhood (or getting local schoolkids involved in making
it). This is then put on display in an area where people can gather around
and put down markers (cut out colour paper pieces, post-it notes) showing 
1) the problems that need action (eg, fly-tipping here, dangerous traffic,
empty buildings) then
2) suggested solutions (eg, community garden/tree planting, zebra crossing,
community centre)
Lots of ways this can be developed. Proper preparation and groundwork also
needed.

NIF has become sufficiently worried about the technique being misused by
Councils and others that it has now copyrighted 'Planning for Real' so that
only those who've worked with them and they are confident understand how to
run the process properlyare allowed to use the name. This is to prevent the
whole concept being discredited -- which was indeed happening.

All this is basic to Local Agenda 21 -- but not always done. Certainly, in
our borough, we are well short of the numbers needed for it. One of the
projects we are working on is recruiting 'outreach advisers' from local
green groups -- asking them to sign up to lead discussions at meetings of
other community groups and visit them to provide advice on ways of
'greening' what they are doing. We also see this as a way of educating many
green activists about 'people' concerns and the wider voluntary and
community sector.

Judith Hanna


Judith Hanna
jehanna@gn.apc.org
15 Jansons Rd, Tottenham, London N15 4JU