permaculture

[Robyn Francis <erda@nor.com.au>]

On 3/2/07 5:39 AM, "Marsha Hanzi" <mhanzi@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Being of the "original" 60´s crew, for some time I was sad and
> disappointed- we never imagined that the changes would take so long! It was
> all 
> so exciting and inspiring back then.
>    
>   But if you look at where they have gone to, you will see that many,
> myself included, decided that it was not enough to withdraw from
> society- you had to take concrete action.
>    
>   So if you look at NGO´s you will find that many of  their founders
> are from that epoch. I think that´s where many hippies have gone to.
> Still plugging away at it..

Spot-on Marsha. 
I too am a product of this era and most of my old 'hippy' friends are still
soldiering on working for world peace, social justice, indigenous rights,
and the environment. Many have dedicated their lives for these causes living
in virtual poverty, consciously choosing cause over career. Some have donned
suits (usually second-hand suits from St Vinnies or the Salvos) to represent
us in parliament or local government or do meaningful work in the public
service sector, others with an entrepreneurial flair have established
innovative sustainable businesses, some are professionals working on the
sustainability cutting edge of their profession, and many have simply chosen
to live a low-impact lifestyle on their homesteads or communities, nurturing
the land in a spirit of custodianship and investing energy in their local
community and bioregion.

There have been some who became disillusioned at the slowness of change and
abandoned their ideals, and naturally there have also been fair-weather
hippies for whom the 60's was simply a whimsy of youth and have chosen to
live out fairly ordinary consumer lives.

Very few old hippies actually look like hippies now-days (long hair, beads
and the fashion accoutrements of the '60's-early'70's) so it's easy enough
to miss us if you don't know.

We are getting old and some of us are tiring and burning out fighting the
same old battles that keep resurfacing, or struggling against hostile
systems to create sustainable solutions and keep the light of sanity, hope
and love alive in an insane world bent on self-destruction.

Permaculture itself is very much a product of this era - don't knock it out
of hand...

Ciao
Robyn
-- 
Pathways to sustainability through
Accredited Permaculture Training
Djanbung Gardens Permaculture Education Centre
PO Box 379 Nimbin NSW 2480
02-6689 1755  /  0429 147 138
www.permaculture.com.au