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  • From: "Golden Love" <goldenlove@cruzio.com>
  • To: "'permaculture'" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [permaculture] the movement of angry men
  • Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 06:49:55 -0700

What we see in others could be our own stuff. I have seen many loving and
enthusiastic people, quite the opposite of your possible projection.

Golden Love
Love's Gardens
Creating and Maintaining Sustainable Urban Landscapes
California Licensed Contractor C27 363672
127 National St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone (831) 471-9100
Fax ( 831) 471-9200
goldenlove@cruzio.com

-----Original Message-----
From: permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Michael Kramer
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2004 9:58 PM
To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [permaculture] the movement of angry men

For as long as I've been a part of this permaculture movement, it has been
known as a movement of angry men. This listerv has upheld that observation
over the years, and these recent threads about permaculture, course fees,
and certification support this assertion. It seems people so desparately
need to be affirmed for what they believe and are so bothered by diversity
of thought that they alienate others even while ironically wanting to be
part of a community of permaculture brothers and sisters. But many women
have specifically suggested that they resist permaculture precisely because
of the angry masculinity of its participants, and they assert that much of
permaculture's curricula, teaching style, and applications are primarily
(some say exclusively) masculine. And when people try to modify course
content and/or teach more holistically there is resistance from male
permaculturists that this is not permaculture, that it's got to be this way
or that way, that people can't be trusted to change things until they've
taught the design course the "original" way at least 50 times or something.
Many fear their own succession, perhaps. What if Mollison's views of
permaculture are only a foundation, though. What if that system is
incomplete or in need of reform? Do we resist this evolution, or go with the
flow?

The masculine way (and I say it this way because some women in this movement
also embody these characteristics) is to need to be right, to control
situations and the views of others, and to be the center of attention or in
positions of power or authority. Since there is no clear power or authority
in this movement in the US, there has been a consistent jockeying for this
position, no matter what the consequences. Due to a survival-of-the-fittest
approach, some are threatened by innovative and divergent thinking (like
applying zonation to non-land systems); it stimulates an adrenalin reaction
of "eat or be eaten", which can result in putting others down as a way to
protect oneself or thinking critically as a way to tear down authority.
Since men in particular have authority issues, being questioned ruffles the
feathers of many of us, which might explain why some people enjoy doing the
ruffling.

It is this pattern of violent communication, combined with the
self-righteousness some develop from concluding that they (and only they)
have the appropriate grasp of permaculture (or believe it is the only valid
system for global change), which prevents us from building bridges within
our movement and with our society: with women, with men, with other social
movements, with schools, with scientists, policymakers, etc. Unfortunately
much harm has already been done by Bill Mollison, who alienated thousands of
people in his day with his insensitive comments, ranting and raving, and
harsh judgments that left people disturbed by a bizarre combination of
brilliance and immature adolescence. In his most recent trip to the United
States, he was undoubtedly unaware of how others perceived him, but let's
just say it's no longer positive. It's such a disservice, as is the
insensitivity and righteousness on this list, in many of the permaculture
courses, and within the community of permaculturists itself - so much ego,
so much rugged individualism, such an inability to work together as a group
of people dedicated to our work. We are so committed to Earth care that we
forget about the whole Care of People ethic, which is the glue for any
social movement. It's not the ideas that matter, it's getting people to
agree that's the primary obstacle in any organization, and that's probably
why we're not functioning like an organization; we seem to prefer chaos and
the angry anarchy that accompanies it. We've got to get our act together,
get mature, and get organized if we're going to be a real social movement in
the United States.

-----
Michael Kramer
Natural Investment Services
P.O. Box 390595
Keauhou, HI 96739

www.NaturalInvesting.com
808-331-0910
Toll-free: 888-779-1500

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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