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  • From: Dick Pierce <dickpiercedesigns@gmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] County and global level permaculture design - got any?
  • Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:23:36 -0600

Thanks for the dialogue. Daniel Quinn is the spark of many thoughts for me -
in fact, I got the Circus idea from reading his "Beyond Civilization." I do
a talk entitled "Permaculture, the Other Side of Ishmael". To me, Ishmael in
the early '90s captured the environmental, social, and resource crises to
which the dominant cultures were speeding better than any other - and, made
it hit hard and stick with thousands of middle-class and relatively
privileged Americans. Ishmael got the attention of a wide audience and
Beyond Civilization is a marvelous net treatment of the problem.

My problem with both books, actually a major opportunity for all
Permaculture folks, is that Quinn has zero solutions or suggestions to
"Takers" who would like to behave more like "Leavers." Beyond Civilization
alludes to solutions but left me still high and dry on the subject. What a
great fit with Permaculture, which I feel focuses on solutions, positive
good news and progress. I have found Ishmael/Beyond Civilization to be an
effective backdrop for a presentation about looking for solutions or ideas
to "adjust" our individual "stories" (world-views) in other cultures, other
times, and other places. We don't cover Quinn's work or his exhaustive
portrayal of the problems, since most of the audience already knows them or
knows of them.

Back to the Circus - I was glad to hear of Steve Read's actual experience
with Circus neighbors. I have never heard of a book or person that does
research on the Circus as a community or work group organizing scheme - esp.
down to how it is organized, how it works, and its goods and not-so-goods.
I'd love to find an example of an intentional community that used the Circus
as their model - in planning or in actuality. Perhaps someone out there has
some examples and info.

Dick Pierce

On Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 2:30 AM, Nicollas <permactiviste@gmail.com> wrote:

> 2010/1/10 Dick Pierce <dickpiercedesigns@gmail.com>
>
> >
> > The other organizational model that fascinates me - for which I know of
> no
> > great book - is the Circus. All have their roles and
> specialties/expertise,
> > there is a defined/steep hierarchy, but there is also a community, and
> > times when all turn out as equals to do the work (set-up, tear-down). A
> > memorable item is that all agree that there has to be an owner/boss
> > (COO/CEO), but that his/hers is the worst job in the Circus.
> >
>
> You should take a look at the book "Beyond Civilization" by Daniel Quinn
> (and also Ishmael by the way). It talks about a new tribalism model,
> transposed from tribal societies, and it gives the Circus organization as a
> modern model. That is in Circus all have a task to accomplish (even if
> artists get the most focus, there are no more important in the Circus
> structure), even if there is a boss (to hire, fire, etc) he does not earn
> more and he's not 'superior' and has to do other jobs, and the Circus give
> not a salary but a mean to live (it recycles old artists into the Circus
> structure, and child of circus people join the Circus). But Daniel Quinns
> explains this better than me :)
>
> Nicollas
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