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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: Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:04:43 -0400

Perfectly stated, Toby.

On 8/21/2010 1:21 AM, Toby Hemenway wrote:
I can't make the distinction between teaching for institutions or individuals
that you and others can. I cannot think of an individual or institution that
I would refuse to teach a PDC to, with the exception of straight out hate
groups, which the army is emphatically not. Overall, I don' t think a
corporation or military can be made any worse for learning permaculture, and
I think I personally am engaging in Earth and people care when I teach them,
even if their own mission isn't. Institutions like corporations are way ahead
of us in thinking up clever ways to screw up the world; we won't make them
better at that. But by being exposed to the ecological and ethical basis of
permaculture, individuals in the organization will be transformed, and
perhaps even the organization itself. I've seen it happen. One at a time;
that's how I do it. If that's outside your ethical framework; so be it.

...

Re my remark, "who else would be arguing about working with the army," I
think you underestimate the compassion and tolerance that many people have for those
who have harmed them. My friends who are vets speak of how well they are treated when
they return to the countries where they killed people. If you asked those relatives of
millions of dead if they would want the attacking army to be taught a system grounded
in ethics and ecological wisdom, I bet many would say yes.

We do agree on much. I am glad that you (Kevin) started this thread. It's
helped me clarify my dislike of the idea of permaculture as a movement,
something I hadn't articulated. And it's helped me grasp that I would teach
almost anyone, but wouldn't do design work for everyone.

Toby
http://patternliteracy.com






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