permaculture

[christopher nesbitt <christopher.nesbitt@mmrfbz.org>]

One of the things the IPC makes possible is the broad dissemination of 
information and the meeting of people who might otherwise not meet. I am a 
long time permaculturist, having taken my PDC in 1991, and have been 
practicing for many years, but because of a combination of low income, 
remoteness, and being a full time farmer in a climate that has no winter, I 
had never been to an IPC, and have been very isolated from the larger 
permaculture movement because of where I live and my income level.

In 2013, the IPC was held in Cuba, which is both very close to Belize, and 
one of the 77 countries that Belizeans can travel to without visas. Belize 
and Cuba have excellent relations, and I have been treated by Cuban doctors 
for a stab wound, malaria and dengue, and find them to be excellent. My 
partner, Celini Logan, and I, wanted to attend, but we could not afford it. 
Some scholarships were available, and we applied. We got significant 
assistance to attend, covering our housing and food, and the IPC in Cuba was 
some of the best spent time I have had since my PDC in 1991. I cannot 
overstate how beneficial this was for the work we are doing.

Without the support made possible, we could not have attended. 

Part of the benefit of our going was to meet so many permaculturists, many we 
have written with, others we knew of, but had not met, and the ones we had 
not met, previously, but got to meet for the first time. We met permies from 
Australia, UK, US, and other people working in the developing world from 
Malawi, Trinidad, Curacao, Costa Rica, Peru, Brazil, and many other 
countries, many of whom received some form of support, as we did. We got to 
meet people from all over the world, and it has led to great networking in 
the region. We have had multiple students come from Mexico to visit with us, 
many students from the global north, John Stollmeyer of Trinidad, Starhawk, 
others, who we met at the IPC in Cuba. 

The best part that, while many languages were being spoken, everyone was 
speaking permaculture. It was truly a wonderful thing to behold, and, almost 
two years later, we still talk about how fortunate we were to be able to 
receive help to be there. 

We have received some support to be at the IPCUK, housing, and are very 
appreciative of that support, because without it, we would not be able to 
attend. So, we are one small part of this “around the world” network, and we 
are grateful for this opportunity. 




_____________________________
Christopher Nesbitt

Maya Mountain Research Farm
San Pedro Columbia, Toledo
PO 153 Punta Gorda Town, Toledo
BELIZE, 
Central America

Country code 501-630-4386

www.mmrfbz.org 
<applewebdata://C91AD629-968D-4201-80A5-FD3442A7C160/www.mmrfbz.org>
www.facebook.com/MayaMountainResearchFarm




> On Jun 14, 2015, at 10:14 AM, Steve Hart <stevenlawrencehart@gmail.com> 
> wrote:
> 
> There is an interesting discussion evolving which needs far wider debate
> and discussion to evolve more meaningful ends for greater value.
> 
> IPC, The International Permaculture Conference has a chequered history but
> also rich diverse and valuable for we know Permaculture has international
> solutions to offer, as well as local.
> 
> Aligned to this is the evolution of energies to move different sectors of
> Permaculture forward positively. Great work is coming out of the PAssocUK
> in these areas.
> 
> However we still need to assess all moves and motives with clarity and
> honesty.
> 
> I have been personally involved in the IPC activity from the beginning and
> remain keen to continue its value and service to the greater community both
> within the fraternity and outside.
> 
> 
> ​The IPC is our flagship international event. In my opinion it deserves to
> be respected as an international event and present international issues,
> global issues, ​inviting a global array of presenters, including most of
> all global key note speakers.
> 
> The upcoming IPC in London is our 12th international conference. All
> conferences have been traditionally titled with the number in this case it
> will be IPC12. Tradition has shifted or is it marketing/promotion and
> imaging or is it a diversion of focus to grandise it for personal motives ?
> IPCUK ? When it is not a UK conference, it is an international conference.
> It is in England. It is not the Permaculture conference of England or
> United Kingdom. It is our international conference, with the UK
> Permaculture association being the hosts.
> 
> The whole IPC12 is titled IPCUK it has become an England
> marketing/promotion campaign and totally overloaded with English speakers
> who have little or anything at all to offer the subject at any level let
> alone developing any international Permaculture solutions and debate.
> 
> The promoted  Theme of IPC12 is "*Designing* the network we want - for
> people from *around the world* using permaculture in their everyday lives
> and *communities*." So my argument is, where are the designers in the key
> note speakers ? and where is the around the world communities?. Is there
> something missing or have I missed it ? None of the key note speakers are
> designers, none have any successful design solutions. None are involved in
> developing honest design initiatives.
> 
> As mentioned we have a chequered history in these events. There has often
> been debate in whether we need an international structure with an entity to
> assist in the delivery of all things needed. Presently there is none. I do
> applaud PAssocUK for taking the initiative in a strategy to evolve such an
> entity. We need to come on board here and express our opinions but to
> ensure also they are heard and followed through.
> 
> We do not need agendas of self promotion. We need a greater collective
> entity for the whole, for the bigger picture. We know Permaculture has a
> huge amount to offer the worlds issues and problems. We know we have the
> solutions to many if the woes. But we need to act accordingly, as a
> cohesive international entity. We need to feel free to voice our concerns
> and offer solutions.
> 
> I am not sure if IPC12 in London is inviting such a forum for debate and
> workshoping. There is no evidence yet  that it is. But we need to develop
> it, stimulate it and maintain it to evolve the models and solutions we know
> we can offer this world.
> 
> I do look forward to the stimuli
> 
> -- 
> Kia ora
> 
> [image: Picture]
> *Steve Hart*
> *Ecology Architect*
> *Designer, Teacher, Builder of Ecologically Sustainable Resilient
> Environments, through Urban Design, Architecture, Landscape Architecture
> and Systems Ecology.​*
> Skype: tipenemanawa
> Phone: +64 220 75 62 11
> 
> Permaculture Global Design:
> www.permacultureglobaldesign.org
> 
> The Permaculture College of Europe.
> www.permaculturecollege.eu
> https://permaculturecollege.academia.edu/SteveHart
> 
> GAPPS The Global Alliance for Permaculture Partnerships and Solutions.
> www.permaculturepartnerships.com
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