permaculture

[Graham Unangst-Rufenacht <graham.rufenacht@gmail.com>]

I appreciate aspects of this "positive" thinking on contributing to the
economic and agroecological and socioecological possibilities of what could
happen in Palestine - though i do not feel that an export agriculture
feeding privileged foreigners is really what permaculture looks to
accomplish.  In general, I also find it relatively frustrating to read, as
well as the response by Steve, in which he posits that this is a centuries
old conflict in which we, or anybody, can have little effect.  In the
current moment of heightened racial awareness in this country, I have heard
folks say that racism doesn't exist here in Vermont, or that the history of
racism is so embedded in our culture that we have little means of affecting
it without total system change, or that this is more of an issue of poverty
than racism, or the issue of a few bad police officers...

Where is the framing of the problem / opportunity / context of this
analysis which we purport to value so much in permaculture?  What do the
Palestinians say they need / want - what are their goals and aspirations?
Who are the "interested parties" in this part of the world?  What are the
constraints that exist?  Gaza, the West Bank, and all of the lands and
peoples of Palestine certainly face ecological / social / economic crises -
drinking water, poisoned and occupied land, destroyed infrastructure,
dislocated families and communities - but why do these crises exist and
what is the context for addressing them?  If we confine ourselves to
agroecological and economic thinking from a distance than we are doing a
disservice to the peoples and places we intend to help, and to ourselves.
I argue that it is not our task or imperative as permaculturalists or
humans to simply navigate systems of oppression with as much positivity and
integrity as possible - it is to dismantle those systems while cocreating
new and just ones.  This can only be done with a fearless and vulnerable
analysis of the outer and inner contexts of these systems of oppression and
violence, and a willingness to enter into the unknown of every conversation
and person and place we encounter.  It is not up to us to find the answers,
it is up to us to work towards empowering the people (and non-humans, and
lands) in those places to lead - they are the only ones who can determine
what their needs are, and how to be able to meet their needs.  How can we
support this work?  How are we being asked to help? Currently there are
systems in place which explicitly and implicitly prevent this from
happening - in Palestine, in Black America, for migrant workers and so many
others.  What is our role in this oppression?  in Racism, in
neo-colonialism, etc.?  My inner and outer life as a white westerner, my
freedoms and responsibilities are intimately linked to my willingness to
engage with these uncomfortable conversations and struggles.  These are
conversations which I feel are glaringly absent from many permaculture and
agroecological circles.

There is global and local systemic violence and racism which deeply affects
the people and the land in that region, and we in the Western world -
particularly in the United States - have been supporting it for decades
militarily, financially, culturally, etc.  Religion can be used anywhere as
a means to divide or to unify - when we label a conflict as being
religiously based, it is often used as an excuse not to express opinion, or
even deeply investigate the situation that is being labelled - in
particular if we do not identify as an adherent to one of the religions
purported to be involved.  This is not to say that those religious
identities and aspects are not entwined within this conflict, rather to say
that they are not primary, nor are they determinate or fundamentally in
opposition / conflict.  The conflict in Palestine / Israel in particular is
being perpetuated by nations and nation states in a post-colonial context
and neo-colonial context - and we have laws which govern how States are
allowed to behave.  It is being perpetuation by the neo-liberal capitalist
extractive economy and cosmology.  It is being perpetuated by our
unwillingness to talk about it with one another.  We see the actions of one
"Nation State" - Israel - consistently and disproportionately committing
and justifying acts of violence - condemned by international law as agreed
to by the U.S. and Israel - and aggression against a group of people whom
these countries refuse to even identify as a "nation".  We see the United
States - against international law - supporting financially and militarily
this project.  We see a wall erected around one of the most densely
populated places on earth and an economic blockade on the people who live
within. We see the bulldozing of olive groves, homes, and viable
agricultural lands that have been active for centuries.  We see an
inadequate access to basic necessities in Gaza in particular which is
unimaginable.  We see a desperate population of Palestinians seeking
justice through violent and non-violent means - albeit the violence they
are able to carry out is strikingly minimal in comparison to what they
face, and the technologies they have at hand to commit violence are
strikingly less reliable, powerful and accurate. We see the shooting of
unarmed Palestinian youth and adults, as we see the shooting of unarmed
people of color in the U.S., of immigrants on the Mexican border, etc. with
no justice or accountability for the people or systems which commit this
violence.  We see fear and vulnerability in the faces of Palestinians and
Israelies who live in this terrible conflict every day - nobody is free
whether on the side of victim or perpetrator, and that duality hardly
speaks the truth of these conflicts.  Demonizing any person or people in
general - whether people who are police, or heads of state, or members of a
group - will not be helpful and is not my intention; identifying injustice,
and seeking accountability, system change, justice and localized
participatory governance is in my opinion more helpful.

The suggestion of laying aside arms and militancy in a context of extreme
violence and oppression in exchange for international aid is also
frustrating to me.  Although I do not necessarily think that the tools of
violence and militancy used by some Palestinian groups are effective at
achieving Statehood or non-violence in that conflict, I can not find it in
me to condemn the choice by the oppressed to take up arms in order to
defend themselves.  I further find it impossible for me to put myself in
those shoes in order to fully comprehend that choice, or use my perspective
on that choice to invalidate it or the people who choose to do so, or to
justify the broad attack on a significant civilian population.
International aid is not what is required for these people to lay down arms
- what is required is justice, and right livelihood - and that is the
solidarity we can provide with our minds, words, bodies.

It is not my intention to be "negative" or to attack the people on this
thread who posited the feelings / words that I am responding to - it is my
intention to more adequately frame the problem / opportunity and to suggest
that we cannot have a just agroecological system in this area, with these
people, in the context of such systemic oppression and violence.  This goes
for the places we live as well.  There can be no food justice, no
ecological justice, when there is no racial justice, no migrant justice -
we must work on all of these things in concert.  We must build one while
actively dismantling the other - within and without ourselves.  This IS our
responsibility and it will not change until we all start to accept it as
part of our accountability and task towards achieving freedom and unity and
justice.

How can we incorporate these analyses and conversations into our work?  How
are permaculturalists and agroecologists, etc. engaging with this?  I'd
truly like to hear from folks out there - how are you organizing?

In relationship to racial justice and ending white supremacy, we've been
having a "white people let's talk" group here in predominantly white
Vermont recently.  We establish group norms around and within which we hold
a safe space, and we talk, role play, etc. in relationship to racism in
particular in the wake of what has been happening in this country.  It has
been helpful in terms of feeling out a very uncomfortable subject, but also
in determining how to respond locally, how to talk with others about this,
and how to be not only allies in a black liberation movement, but also to
recognize our own freedom and ability to be truly human tied up in the
systemic structures of white supremacy and privilege of which we are
irrevocably a part.

During the Israeli assault on Palestine this Summer, I was so angry and sad
and hurt and felt like I could not speak out or confront or engage with
compassionately some of the truly ignorant and unjust words which I heard
spoken by others.  It is not easy or comfortable, and it can quickly become
antagonistic if we lash out at people - and then there is the loss of a
potential ally.  How can we both speak from our hearts towards justice and
not condemn the people we are speaking to?  We can't always get it right -
but we can do our best to speak with one another when we feel compelled
to.  I recognize that there are going to be a variety of responses to what
I've written here - and I can never make my words perfect.  In the spirit
of sharing opinions and recognizing our challenges and anxieties around
speaking to these conflicts I want to share the words of a black organizer
on the ground in Ferguson who recently said this over a conference call in
which most of the participants were white, "your individual anxieties about
getting things wrong has nothing to do with my liberation." This is not
about any of us getting it right or our own feelings about how we may look
- its about willing to speak, to share, to know we may fail, and that our
own comfort is not the goal - engaging with the conflict and cocreating
justice is primary.

I see that more comments have appeared on this thread since I started
writing - I will still share this and thank you all for reading and
contributing.

On Tue, Dec 9, 2014 at 11:16 AM, Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>
wrote:

> On Tue, Dec 9, 2014 at 3:46 AM, Steve Hart <stevenlawrencehart@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > LL...geeez mate thats a flyer where did this brain wave come from. I
> > haven't been following the drama of that part of the world for so long
> but
> > it seems it is caught up in a game of many hundreds of years of history
> and
> > very little we or anyone else can do about it. Of course I'd be the first
> > in there to assist in designing all these systems and utilities...but to
> me
> > in my first impressions...maybe all very futile....convince me
> > otherwise...Steve Hart
> >
>
> My idea was intended to offer an alternative to "the futility", not mission
> impossible.
> Think only positively. I was driving home listening to the news, discussion
> was about shortage of olive oil from crop damage,
> insects and disease (something that might have been avoided if natural
> growing methods had been used from the start). They listed the main oil
> producing countries then I thought what about Palestinians producing
> artisanal extremely high quality olive oil for export, and citrus,
> vegetables, wines and more. I knew a Palestinian businessman here in Chapel
> Hill who described the oil his family produced each year,, olive oil that
> was like thick cream. That image has stuck in my mind for years. A product
> like that would be worth a fortune. Think spreadable ambrosia olive oil
> on your barley oat scone at tea time, orange slices, cured olives in a
> mediterranian salad. Great possibilities there. Got to start somewhere.
> Think food. Eat first then build quanats, cisterns, irrigate gardens of
> earthly delights.
>
>
> >
> > On 9 December 2014 at 15:40, Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > [attn: Steve, Scott, Koreen, anyone else]
> > >
> > > Here are a few tip-of-the-iceberg ideas that could lead to the
> > > revitalization of Palestine. This starts with  an economic plan to
> market
> > > artisanal food products in the global marketplace:
> > > olive oil, citrus, wines, goat and sheep cheeses, yoghurt, vegetables -
> > all
> > > grown organically. They trade any militancy and weapons for
> agricultural
> > > tools and materials and in return receive millions of dollars in
> > donations
> > > of organic soil amendments, tools and power equipment, seeds and
> plants,
> > > greenhouses, equipment to create water impoundments and pumps with
> > > irrigation systems. This would involve a massive influx of
> international
> > > support in the form of permaculture and agriculture professionals to be
> > > followed with professional, skilled expertise in civic infrastructure,
> > > sewer, waste treatment, roads and bridges, educational and medical and
> > > public health resources and social services, welfare and distribution
> of
> > > surplus: care for the people, care for the earth, return the surplus.
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Lawrence F. London
> > > lfljvenaura@gmail.com
> > > http://www.avantgeared.com
> > > https://plus.google.com/+Avantgeared
> > > Ello: https://ello.co/ecoponderosa <https://ello.co/ecoponderosa>
> > > Twitter: @ecoponderosa <https://twitter.com/ecoponderosa>
> > > Reddit: ecoponderosa
> > > Cellphone: lfljcell@gmail.com
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > site: lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/permaculture [searchstring]
> > > Permaculture Institute USA http://permaculture.org
> > > How to permaculture your urban lifestyle
> > > http://www.ipermie.net
> > > Avant Geared  http://www.avantgeared.com
> > > https://plus.google.com/+Avantgeared
> > > Permaculture: -- portal to an expanding global network of landtech
> > > pioneers practicing and teaching permaculture
> > > while designing ecological, biointensive land use systems with
> integrated
> > > elements for synergy, sustainability, regeneration and enhanced
> > > nature-compatible
> > > human habitat --
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Kia ora
> >
> > [image: Picture]
> > *Steve Hart*
> > Ecology Architect
> > Designer, Teacher, Builder of Ecologically Sustainable Resilient
> > Environments
> > Skype: stevenlawrencehart
> > Phone: +420 728 799 115
> > Permaculture Global Design:
> > www.permacultureglobaldesign.org
> > The Permaculture College of Europe.
> > www.permaculturecollege.eu
> > GAPPS The Global Alliance for Permaculture Partnerships and Solutions.
> > www.permaculturepartnerships.com
> > _______________________________________________
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> > https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!forum/permaculturelist
> > http://permacultureforum.blogspot.com
> > http://permaculturelist.wordpress.com
> > Google message archive search:
> > site: lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/permaculture [searchstring]
> > Permaculture Institute USA http://permaculture.org
> > How to permaculture your urban lifestyle
> > http://www.ipermie.net
> > Avant Geared  http://www.avantgeared.com
> > https://plus.google.com/+Avantgeared
> > Permaculture: -- portal to an expanding global network of landtech
> > pioneers practicing and teaching permaculture
> > while designing ecological, biointensive land use systems with integrated
> > elements for synergy, sustainability, regeneration and enhanced
> > nature-compatible
> > human habitat --
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Lawrence F. London
> lfljvenaura@gmail.com
> http://www.avantgeared.com
> https://plus.google.com/+Avantgeared
> Ello: https://ello.co/ecoponderosa <https://ello.co/ecoponderosa>
> Twitter: @ecoponderosa <https://twitter.com/ecoponderosa>
> Reddit: ecoponderosa
> Cellphone: lfljcell@gmail.com
> _______________________________________________
> permaculture mailing list
> permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> subscribe/unsubscribe|user config|list info|make a donation toward list
> maintenance:
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
> message archives: https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/permaculture
> message archive mirrors:
> https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!forum/permaculturelist
> http://permacultureforum.blogspot.com
> http://permaculturelist.wordpress.com
> Google message archive search:
> site: lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/permaculture [searchstring]
> Permaculture Institute USA http://permaculture.org
> How to permaculture your urban lifestyle
> http://www.ipermie.net
> Avant Geared  http://www.avantgeared.com
> https://plus.google.com/+Avantgeared
> Permaculture: -- portal to an expanding global network of landtech
> pioneers practicing and teaching permaculture
> while designing ecological, biointensive land use systems with integrated
> elements for synergy, sustainability, regeneration and enhanced
> nature-compatible
> human habitat --
>