permaculture

[Scott Pittman <pci@permaculture-inst.org>]

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.

I would like to add to this that what I have found in my own
international teaching is that praise for what already is known and
practiced by the local people is invaluable.  Many times the local
culture is so disempowered by foreign technology, media, and aid workers
that they have all but abandoned any of the technologies that work
beautifully in their particular bio region.  I often feel like my
primary role is to be a one man cheering squad for the local ingenuity
and successes.  I is particularly important coming from a member of
the "so called " first" or "developed" world,
again because of the brainwashing that has gone on that the developed
world is more knowledgeable, and successful.

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). 

I understand your concern about lack of language but I also realize
that in most of the places where I have taught that there was no one
locally who was teaching permaculture.  Bill and I taught the first
permaculture course in Brazil in 1994, and although neither of us spoke
the language we planted so very prolific seed in that soil.  The
same story is true of Russia, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Bali, Mexico,
Cameroon, Ecuador, and Colombia, just to name a few of the countries that
I know about personally.  If I had waited until a native speaker had
been trained, I may well be still waiting.  

So while I agree with you that a native speaker is essential for the long
haul a good translator with an experienced teacher does a very good job
of getting the ball rolling.  Most of the countries that now have
very dynamic permaculture organizations and projects were germinated with
a foreign speaker through a translator.

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.

The skills that seem to be to be lacking in various degrees,
depending on the country, are translating existing skills into dollars,
or pesos, or sucres.  Business skills are nonexistent in most of the
areas I teach.  In the past the system of barter worked very well
but in the new world of "tv created wants" there is a need for
money, and no matter how much one wants to dismiss this need, it still is
very real and in many places prosperity is tied to the ability to
generate some income.  The whole area of "invisible
structures" is critical to converting vegetables into money to pay
the electric bill.  Unfortunately the invisible structure part of
the course has always been poorly presented and understood and therefore
a critical piece of the sustainability picture is missing.  

While teaching in the Former Soviet Union and Africa I found that
virtually everything in visible structures was in place but there was
little to no knowledge of marketing, legal, financial, and social
structures.  This missing knowledge could well be the difference
between success and failure.

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.

I agree too, but refer you to my previous paragraph on
native speakers.  In many cases it takes the travelling barefoot
permaculturalist to get the ball rolling.

> 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.

Out of all of this conversation what came to my mind was the incredible
waste and ineptitude of most of the government aid programs that I have
witnessed in the developing world.  For the most part they are
promoting models that have little to do with the small landholder and are
geared toward the monocultural practices of their country of
origin.  Their primary mission seems to be to convert local
practices to mainstream western practices that will create markets for
more products such as biocides, pesticides, and other destructive
products.

While in Cameroon I realized that the capitol, Yaounde, was wall to wall
ngo's all involved in studying the local people and new crop systems
which then produced academic research journals for consumption back home,
while locals were desperate for such knowledge presented in some
accessible form.  I also was shocked at the repetition of research
by the ngo's all of whom were very competitive and none of whom were
sharing their research with each other, let alone the local
populace.

It has been a dream of mine to access some of the billions of dollars
that travels under the guise of "aid", but looking at the
incredible bureaucracy that  seems to be required to handle
reporting, the dream turns into a nightmare.  Perhaps it would be
worthwhile to volunteer for a month or two just to see if it is possible
to play the government grant game without loosing ones soul.  

We all certainly need to be thinking seriously about this subject line if
we are to stand a real chance of turning this destructive ship around,
and I appreciate the opportunity to join in the discussion.

Scott Pittman