permaculture

[Pacific Edge Permaculture + Media <pacedge@magna.com.au>]

Title: Re: research on pc projects needed

Thank you for a thoughtful response Marsha and Sharon and for contributing your years of  first-hand experience to this important discussion.

From: "Marsha Hanzi" <hanzibra@svn.com.br>
> Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 12:25:46 -0300
> To: "permaculture" <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
> Subject: Re: research on pc projects needed

> From a "third-world" perspective I would like to confirm ALL that was written here.  Countries which lack cash and machines ( and are therefore " third-world") often have excellent human resources and creativity  , with local projects well under way which may not use the name "Permaculture"  but  do much of the same thing.
As you say, human resources and creativity are the assets of developing countries. Lack of access to resources - the cash and machines you mention - are often the stimuli to innovation and resourcefulness. The role of the development worker can be to further this process of innovation and resourcefulness by introducing techniques/ resources/ processes unavailable in the country and, where these prove viable, to train people in their production, adaptation and use. In this way the development worker becomes a catalyst, a stimulus, to the development of communities based on their own desire for change. It is the desire for change, for improving their circumstances, which comes first, not the arrival of a development worker on the scene with a development package under their arm - this simply leads to the disempowering idea of aid-as-charity.

As you say, there are many developments underway which are enacting permaculture without using the word and without being done by people with a knowledge of permaculture. One possible outcome of this could be the weakening of the reputation of the permaculture design system - people might hear from permaculture development workers about some technique of initiative and remember that someone unconnected with permaculture has already done this, so devaluing permaculture as a development methodology. On the other hand, the permeation of permaculture-compatible techniques and initiatives is generally a positive thing even when not labelled as permaculture.
>  
> Although agreeing that Permaculture promises a lot more than one sees on the ground, I would like to contribute to this discussion suggesting ( and this is our strategy here in Brazil, and I am repeating what I said in another thread) that one of the major functions of permaculture  is its multi-disciplinary vision, it has an organized overview which ofen lacks in specific local projects.  
Agreed - the holistic overview, the making of connections between components and systems seemingly unconnected, the view which sees the flow of energy, materials and information from component to component to produce higher and more diverse productivity and better outputs is the strength of permaculture. I think it's called systems thinking.
> Besides teaching people to have this overview, I think that one of our major functions in international aid is in networking, locating what already exists and linking that up, locally and internationally.  
Yes, networking - the transfer of information - is a way by which we learn from each other and is vitally important for the development and cohesiveness of something like permaculture. That's why websites, email discussion lists, newsletters, magazines and video is a useful area of permaculture application. I remember Bill Mollison, some years back, make the statement that permaculture is an 'information rich' activity. Although I could be accused of feathering my own permaculture nest, I think media work is a valid and positive aspect of permaculture.

As to your comment about linking up that which already exists - the British economist and author, EF Schumacher ('Small is Beautiful'), wrote that most solutions are already there but they are scattered, hidden and difficult to find. The role of permaculture media workers could be to locate those solutions, write them up, photograph then, analyse them, record user comments and put that information in various media so the solutions become available to others. 
> Reminds me of a PC teacher who came here and, in the year 2000, said that " Bill Mollison had appointed him to make a Permaculture network in Brazil(of course with him having the power to decide who would be part of that network..)"  when a  local network was already in place and vibrant since 1993 (  won´t name names here...)
Is this actually an example of the old style of development aid thinking where the overseas expert comes in with a package and imposes it on the locals irrespective of what they already have?

Clearly, it ignores such basic precepts as needs analysis - is there a demand for the goods or service? Is there is none, then perhaps the strategy is to go elsewhere on the basis of the permaculture dictum of 'working with those who want to learn'. In business terms, such an approach as you describe ignores market research.
>  
> I am particlarly interested in the ramifications of the New Paradigm ( also another thread being repeated here)and how that reflects in new structures. In its holistic, multi-disciplinary  systemic approach, Permaculture is one of the best tools I know of for helping people and institutions move into New Paradigm thinking   and acting .  In this I think we can help the aid agencies who are vaguely fumbling in this direction-- so the suggestion below of frequenting Australian aid agencies before going overseas is most interesting-- and the best transformation for the Third World could be from there, by transforming the vision within the agencies.
My proposal for permaculturists interested in working in aid to do some voluntary work (or paid work, if they can get it - we need more people to be paid for their permaculture work so that it becomes integrated into their lives and income stream) with aid agencies in their own country was to enlarge their skills and to provide insight into the aid industry, the limitations that aid agencies receiving government or other donor funding in developed countries work under and how the agencies respond to the needs of their partners in developing countries.
>  
> In a practical vein, tropical Permaculture is extremely well anchored here in Brazil, and we are dedicated to training these young idealistic people who would like to do this kind of work(and also others in other regions of Brazil).  They can have real-life experience in alternative communitites and in other  projects in places which will not be harmed by their lack of experience( and lack of the language).  
This is a great service you provide Marsha. I know a number of people - not all so young - who have worked in your country and have, by their own admission, benefited greatly.
>  
> As to documentation, I would ask what do we actually document in Permaculture?  The number of gardens built?  The number of ecovillas constructed?  What is there to measure, exactly?  How do you measure a design system? I think we can measure parts of what is included in Permaculture ( kilos of carrots etc.)but how can we measure that leap when people begin to have a holistic view and discover that they are powerful ( one of the biggest contributions)?  
This is the difficult part, isn't it? It's what we confronted in the work in the Solomon Islands and elsewhere. What do you evaluate? Is it the important thing? Why that? How do we then use the evaluation to improve our work?

We evaluate projects and the agriculture program on two general criteria:

1) the objectives set down during the project/ program planning process. For each objective, we identify indicators - things which we can use to monitor whether or not we are moving towards accomplishing the objective or whether we need to change the objective.

2) a set of broad, long-term indicators, adapted by those used by Oxfam, which have to do with the program to date. These include:

a) effectiveness - based on outputs/ outcomes to date, how effective has the project been in achieving its objectives and contributing to its aims?

b) efficiency - how has the project used its resources (funds/ materials/ equipment/ human skills etc)

c) relevance - is the project still appropriate to the needs it was set up to meet? 

d) impact - how has the project affected its partners and the issues it was set up to help them address? Has there been change for the better?

e) sustainability - what will happen when the aid agency completes its involvement? Has there been adequate training of local people to assume project management and source further funds? Can local people continue to use the new skills? This has to do with training approach, increasing the capacity and capabilities of local organisations and the appropriateness of new techniques in relation to local capacities of funding, maintenance and skills availability.
>   
> So I would suggest that the function of foreign teachers coming in as part of an aid program could be to help  already-exisitng local programs take the next step, adding new insights
Yes, I think it's about introducing skills and knowledge not locally available and of training local people to use and adapt those skills so they can continue to use them when the foreign teacher leaves. That way, the development worker leaves a useful legacy. Local people and their organisations can identify a needed skill and, through networking with aid organisations in developing countries, locate people willing to go and work with them. 
> In the end, why travel? After all, each of these countries has its own slums, its own collapsed farms, its own third world embedded in apparent affluence.  ( My sister was director of a program  which collected food for the hungry-- in the rich United Sates! I Was absolutely shocked when she sent me the statistics of the extent of this hunger...)The inspired young people could travel in instead of out... But-- needing adventure-- Brazil is at their disposition!
I agree completely with your question Marsha and ask it frequently. In Sydney, we have worked to assist communities and local government establish community food gardens for the dual purpose of access to fresh food and improvement of the urban environment. Yes, there is poverty in Australia too. 

We see people doing permaculture courses with the intention - usually fairly vague - of assisting people in developing countries. This is positive, of course, but ignores the valuable community work to be done here. We see permaculture design course graduates sent overseas but few engaging in work in their own country. It is, after all, still development work when done in their own country and has analogous aims to that done overseas. My observation is that people complete their permaculture design course, experience the 'permaculture eureka' effect, find no organisations dynamic enough to attract their participation, then merge back into the life they lived in their pre-permaculture design course days.

Thanks again for your conversation.


...Russ Grayson
...................
PACIFIC EDGE
Russ Grayson + Fiona Campbell
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