permaculture

[KNat <knat@sprintmail.com>]

I am intensely involved in defining a "graduate" of our school, which 
uses permaculture as a goal concept. So I really appreciate as many of 
these conversations as I can follow. I see the problem is the same as 
thru the ages. One can study with a Master or a Student Group (school) 
for many years and, because of ties to other beliefs, not really grasp 
the heart. One can attend without personally integrating the 
"knowledge." Then one day there's an "Aha" that enlivens and everyone in 
that school and that Master see an integration and a growth. That school 
group can find a way to celebrate and "brand" the person as one of them. 
But each of our paths is, by definition, varied. Some can come in with 
"all ports open" and absorb everything we've got and spend most of their 
time with us sharing possibilities they see from other schools.
I can hothouse some knowledge streams into virtually any child but until 
they've made the necessary connections it is not useful. I can expose a 
child to the concept of connections in any way that child has an access 
point and they will have a life that can integrate any knowledge stream, 
for life. Both need to be measured to assure "completion." But the 
second, which is harder to measure, is the more critical for me to feel 
I've been of service to the student.
As I look at some of the forming "certification" programs they look as 
artificial as some existing schools. A person exposed to a set course of 
study will get as much, or as little, as they are able at the time they 
are exposed to it. Many certificates say a person has been exposed to x 
for a certain period of time. If I am needing an ally to build something 
(even something like a school) I know more about a person from a reading 
list and a note on what they've dabbled with in life. The book that 
found its way into their hands and what they did with it, let's me know 
connections. Someone having a paper that says they purchased and read, 
under direction, a prescribed set of books/papers doesn't tell me the 
same thing. Also, I acknowledge much of the thoughts I value are not in 
manuscripts so time spent at the side of someone I know or know of will 
tell me much, especially if I know that person is selective in personal 
recommendation.
Maybe if we think of ourselves as Greek Islands. Time spent with a group 
of us offers a kind of openness, but each "school" offers something a 
bit different, some rigorously philosophical, some very practical. It 
seems unlikely students would integrate at remotely similar levels in a 
proscribed term. I, personally, would find it a wonderful life to spend 
some time each place and each school could benefit from some people like 
me doing that. But each school would therefore change in offering. (I 
see that subculture developing and look to pollination patterns on where 
we should locate.) But, I think, the striving I'm hearing here is how 
can each of us offer a broad base to those who may only attend one 
school, then launch into their own endeavors. And, more importantly, for 
me, how can we nourish and harvest the knowledge they develop wherever 
they go next.
My input here, certificates that have a period of study time should 
include the content of that time- season- empty dream time, planning 
time, planting time, living dream time, tending time, harvest time, 
celebration time, elder dream time, replanning time, replanting time, 
etc. We need people excelling in each identified.
Certificates based on Aha factors need to honor a person sharing our 
heart who connect us, thru themself, to each other.

Peace,
Kathyann

ps Anyone have global perspective on pollination points for locating 
knowledge centers please contact me.