permaculture

["steveread" <steveread@free.fr>]

Hello, tom,

At the end of a 72 hr course we give a course completion certificate, this 
shows that someone has completed a 72 hr course no more nor less and as I 
mentioned 
before 1 or 2 limioted 
"rights". I undersrood that it was only those who had the Diploma who could 
call themselves 'Permaculture Designers', if this is not the case then I 
agree with Tom.

So would suggest

72 hour course - first step, you can then lead small intro talks, start doing 
designs (as a Designer in Training, or something), attend the in house part 
international and 
continental conferences, 
pass on to doing the 2 year minimum Diploma.

Diploma - you earn the right to "share" the copyrighted Permaculture term, 
can call yourself a Permaculture Designer, teach 72 hour courses, have 
apprentices 
(those studying for their Diploma).


It is basically around the above ideas that we set up the Université, 
believing that this was what everyone was thinking/doing, this is also what 
I've been telling people 
for the past 
15+ years so if I've been in error thats a bit embarrassing!

I often get people chatting on about how they have already, in previous work 
or study, already done the work/study needed for a Diploma, so why can't they 
just present 
themselves 
for accreditation straight away? I've always insisted on the 2 years and 
don't see why we should be any different in this respect than "normal" 
diplomas/degrees, at a 
"normal" college you wouldn't ask the same question. However if people the 
PmC Designers who are watching these posts feel that we could put in place a 
short cut system that considers apst work/experience/study, we'd be 
interested to hear your ideas.

We would also like to see a place on the internet where the masterpieces 
people present/have presented for accreditaion to Diplomat could be shown to 
see the standard 
and serve as 
a resource for others. I had started doing this a few years ago with a web 
portal but it got hacked and destroyed I lost all the files.



steveR

======= At 2008-05-06, 00:37:44 you wrote: =======

>Could this be a first order error of the PDC course concept and  
>design?  It seems to me that the problems, extant and potential, that  
>are being discussed and worried about are a result of the naming and  
>structure of the PDC course as it currently exists.  A 72-hour course  
>and one is handed a design "certification" with the somewhat vague  
>exhortation to please not call yourself a designer without spending  
>some time interning, volunteering, etc., etc?  Certainly I know of no  
>other field of endeavor in which one can get a 'certification' after  
>a scant 72-hours.  Years of study are spent in other design fields  
>which have nothing like the breath of information and sub-topics  
>permaculture encompasses (not to mention the significance and  
>imperative immediacy of permaculture).  Perhaps it was the pressing  
>demand to 'get permaculture out there' that led to the flawed  
>structure of the 'certification' aspect of the course, but I wonder  
>if building further structures on top of this flawed foundation is  
>the best solution.  Why not fix the foundation- admit that, well OK,  
>a 72-hour course does not a permaculture designer make, and therefore  
>the designer "certification" element is somewhat meaningless.   
>Assumptions were made at the time the model was created that have  
>proven to be less than accurate and the time is arriving when those  
>inaccurate assumptions are undermining the overall structure.  If we  
>take the stand that the PDC course as it is and has been named/ 
>structured is now institutionalized and permanent (calcified?) are we  
>not violating some of the basic permaculture principles and spirit?   
>Further institutional structure as a means to remedy flaws in the  
>foundation strikes me as problematic and unstable.  Renaming the PDC  
>course to reflect what it really is- an intensive foundational  
>introduction to permaculture concepts should be considered.  Then  
>additional requirements, etc. can be considered for true permaculture  
>'designer' certification.
>
>Just $.02 or .03
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= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Best regards.  
steveread
steveread@free.fr
2008-05-06