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  • From: <permed@nor.com.au>
  • To: <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Thanks to Permaworld
  • Date: Fri, 12 Jul 02 22:58:44 -0000

Gene Monaco's response to John Schinnerer summarises much of what i've
come to realise since looking deeper into what Permaworld was on about.
Having never participated in things like these (aversion to power
selling, not motivated by greed and sceptical of get-rich-quick scams) I
first had to get clear with the difference between pyramid schemes like
the aeroplane game and network marketting (MLM). This difference is also
recognised by law in Australia - the former is illegal the latter legal.

However when one steps back from the hype around these terms (and scams
that have given MLM a bad name) to look at the whole multilevel
networking process it has a remarkable similarity to how permaculture was
spread (my turn to play devil's advocate:-)) - teach a course and urge
others to become teachers to urge their students to teach etc. the main
difference being that Permaculture didn't have the upflowing financial
aspect of the scheme together.

From my communications with the permaworld founder this system is
legitimate and was genuinely set up to support permaculture & related
environmental work. With the experience of already operating a successful
MLM health business he's using those skills to raise funds to work for
the environment. How many foundations and charitable organisations employ
or contract professional fundraisers to raise funds on a commission basis
- they're a dime a dozen - the Permaworld Foundation is different in that
it uses the strategy of network marketting where the commission is spread
amongst the subscribers. By giving, they can also receive - it's quite an
interesting twist . Some participants will be motivated by greed, others
by a desire to help a good cause.

Back to fundraising - consider how much time and energy is spent by
(mainly) volunteers for environment & pc organisations & projects to
raise funds, solicit donations, seek out sponsors, burnout on big events,
write grant submissions (and redefine the project to fit the conditions),
and the subsequent toll on the volunteers finances, family life and
health.... here we have someone that's set up a system to raise the funds
and all we have to do is work out the best way to use them. The
permaworld subscribers choose which organisation they want to support, so
there's a lot of people out there who have chosen Permaculture
International. The only real conditions of Permaworld is that they
receive a legitimate receipt for the money, that it's used to further
permaculture and the earthcare ethics and that their subscribers get web
reports on what the money is being used for.

As a member of the board of directors of PIL I am very mindful of the
risks of funding dependency and concerned that these funds be used wisely
to assist PIL regain a secure financial footing so it can deliver its
vision in serving the needs of and supporting the wider pc community. To
do this it needs viable income generating activities, to develop these it
needs start-up capital. There is also the big wish list of PIL's
membership to set up a professional association, to accredit pc training,
to get some kind of publication going again etc that all require
financial input to get going and once operating be self-funding for their
ongoing survival. The new PIL board (AGM will be at the August pc
gathering) will need to establish parameters and guidelines for the use
of these funds - how much goes into core admin and resources, how much to
PIL special projects, member services and income generating activities
and how much will be dispersed to assist permaculture projects especially
in developing countries.

Having experienced first hand as a director the frustrations of PIL's
cash flow debilitation since the demise of the journal, the funds from
permaworld are injecting a new life and hope into the organisation.

You don't have to participate or promote the Permaworld system, but
there's no need to badmouth and misrepresent a legitimate initiative
aimed at supporting permaculture on its weakest aspect which is the
aquiring of funds to further its work.

everything works both ways


robyn





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