permaculture

["sixdegrees" <sixdegrees@baynet.net>]

Greetings, I have decided to join this thread as it touches on much of what
I am working with here in Thunder Bay. My comments are within Graham's text.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Graham Burnett" <grahamburnett@blueyonder.co.uk>
To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2003 7:55 PM
Subject: Re: [Re: [RE: [permaculture] Money from Gates]]
Just> raising the issue of how ethical is it to accept or ask for funding
from organisations that make their profits from raping the earth and the
communities that exist upon it.

Bob: This greenwashing creates a real dilemma. On the one hand some fine
projects may never get off the ground if we don't apply for the funds, on
the other some truly innovative and creative locally derived projects may
never get started if we do. Another problem is putting a smiley face on
corporate destruction by taking money for "good works" from companies that
do harm. In the past I have stood firmly against this practise but lately
have been giving some thought to softening that stand. Why? i am engaged in
a forest repair project and  am having trouble raising funds locally. I want
to replicate this work into a larger scale and include an educational
component to the work a learn and earn project . Kirby Fry and I have had a
few discussions on this earth repair idea.  I have eager students but they
got no cash. So what is the alternative? I am going to sit down and see what
creative ideas I and others can come up with but am not clsoing the door to
possible corporate donations.


On permaculture courses we teach about
> community economics and how we should spend locally (including LETS, time
> banks, barter, skills sharing, gift relationships, etc) to keep money
> (energy) cycling within our communties

I work with two committeess a Shop local Committee and a Grow Local
Committee which are just starting to merge into one community economy
committee. there is much to do and few people on board but we are making
progress. The multiplier effect (keeping money circualting in the system) is
a good argument to get people on board, especially when you incorporate a
community energy program into the picture as this can increase the multipler
effect in many ways.


and how the big
> corporations/transantionals etc are an 'energy sink', syphoning money
> (energy) out of our communities. The next thing we are begging for these
> same corporations for grants amd funding, complete with kudos for them and
> strings attached, to finance permaculture projects! wheres the Earthcare,
> Peoplecare, Fairshares in that?

damn good question, i'm still struggling with an answer, but for now what i
keep coming back to is that we do what we can with what we have and we are
not perfect in our actions. We begin where we are, build a solid founation
and then expand the perimeters.
>
> I realsise this may be simplistic and idealistic, and it's a complex
issue,
> but it doesn't do any harm to be reminded of some of these points,  like I
> say I'm just chucking into the pot of what intelegent people are able to
> make up their own minds about. I'm sure the final decision won't be based
on
> my simplistic and biased ranting.
>

Graham your comments are important and raise the core issue. how do we stick
to the permaculture ethical foundation if we take corporate money?

Bob Ewing
http://www.urbanpermaculture.net

All people, all living things, are part of the Earth life, and so are
sacred. No one of us stands higher or lower than
any other. Only justice can assure balance; only ecological balance can
sustain freedom. Only in freedom can that  fifth sacred thing we call spirit
flourish in its full diversity.

Starhawk, The Fifth Sacred Thing
> Second point, the whole 'funding' issue is a double edged sword, it may
> ostensibly enable the realisation of big dreams, but can also foster the
> false illusion that money is the answer to all our problems, whilst
causing
> us to neglect the very real value of human capital and creative thinking.
> Personally i think much more creatively when I'm skint and have to make do
> with not much at all than when I'm (comparitively) well off. I'm also far
> less inclined to waste resources & energy.
>
> Cheers Graham (more thoughts on money at
> http://www.gb0063551.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/money/index.htm)
>
>
>
>
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