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  • From: Lee Flier <leeflier@comcast.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Movement thinking (was Designing a Movement)
  • Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:16:17 -0400

On 8/16/2010 6:28 PM, rafter sass wrote:
Permaculture is a design approach and a movement at the very same time - if
you use
a recognizable definition of movement. (I guess I'm camping in both of your
camps.)

I would agree with this, and I think Toby does too. I think what Toby may be getting at is that we don't need to take any kind of top-down approach to the social movement aspect of permaculture (not that permaculturists shouldn't get involved with more direct social action if they're inclined, but it shouldn't be part of any teaching agenda). I think that permaculture is more effective as a movement when we simply teach and apply it as a design system, wherever and whenever we can, and the very act of doing this changes the participants. I think this is a more effective route to the kinds of changes we would like to see as permaculturists, because healing the earth requires so many participants from every walk of life, some of whom are now are "enemies." I think that sometimes people don't trust the inherent wisdom of the design principles and their ability to transform people from within.

Let me ask you this: the military exists and is doing a lot of things that we don't like. White supremacist groups exist and are doing a lot of things that we don't like. They aren't going to change or go away just because we tell them to. What would you propose that a permaculturist do about these things? And exactly what good does refusing to teach them permaculture do?






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