permaculture

["Scott Pittman" <scott@permaculture.org>]

I sent an email to Common Circle Education and asked them about their
instructors and who taught their instructors.  I received a very cautious
reply and hope to hear more.

I find myself doing this more and more and wish that more pc graduates took
it upon themselves to protect the integrity of our discipline by questioning
unknown teachers and organizations.  I certainly don't mine when people
contact me questioning my bonafides.

 

Scott Pittman
Director
Permaculture Institute
www.permaculture.org
____________________________________________________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: Vladislav - Common Circle [mailto:info@commoncircle.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 8:58 PM
To: scott@permaculture.org
Subject: Re: Site Contact Form {5SYQG}


Hello Scott,

I am quite curious about the nature of your request and the claim of
'legitimacy'.  Could you please give me a bit more information as to the
nature of these requests?  

As you are no doubt aware, anyone who does a PDC class is allowed to teach
permaculture under the guidelines set out by Bill Mollison;  so your
question about our 'legitimacy' is curious.

I hold several PDC certificates, one from Bill Mollison directly and we have
some really well-known instructors who teach for us (I do not teach
directly).   We do things very differently than any other permaculture
training center out there -- we're truly committed to taking this work
mainstream and really reach audiences that traditionally aren't reached by
this knowledge.

If you can provide me with more information as to the nature of the request
that would be helpful and would certainly make me far more willing to answer
your questions.

With gratitude,


Vladislav

--
Vladislav Davidzon
Common Circle Education
www.commoncircle.com


Just as you are curious I am also curious why a simple question of who are
your instructors and who were there instructors is such a daunting inquiry.

I am asking because it is sometimes the case that people and organizations
use permaculture and permaculture design course without having any training
or self education in permaculture.  As we are a permaculture institute
established by myself and Bill Mollison in 1997 to protect the integrity of
permaculture education and practice we are often contacted by people who are
interested in taking a permaculture course asking for our opinion of courses
offered or design competence.

Unfortunately as permaculture has become more well known and accepted by the
mainstream we find that there are more and more bottom feeders moving in
with dollar signs in their eyes.  This is far from the permaculture
developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren.  As a student of Bill
Mollison I am sure that you too are concerned.

Since I had never heard of you organization I have been unable to assure
people of your integrity based on educational background and certification.
In our own educational programs we are insisting on our teachers having a
diploma as well as a certificate or that at least a diplomat oversees the
program.

I hope this answers your questions and look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, 

Scott Pittman
Director
Permaculture Institute
www.permaculture.org