Subject: [permaculture] Re: PC Curriculum Re: Succession
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 12:44:28 -0800
Toby, Scott, Michael, Robyn, Lawrence et al;
Dang it! -Every time I think of something that'll make me look good
and sound all smart -you guys say it first!
I too have said for years that the course needed serious revision (a
la Michael Kramer "looniness"), but Scott Pittman and Robyn Francis
made me realize the importance of keeping Permaculture -well...
Permaculture. That is -a strict adherence to the curriculum as
outlined in The Designer's Manual...
Although we disagree on different format issues, at least Scott is
willing to give that part a try... but as much as I too wanted to
change the curriculum -I have realized that The Permaculture Design
Course (unadulterated) IS the pioneer level of succession and where
Permaculture is applied is the next level of succession and so on...
Once people have taken the full course including theory, ethics,
soil, water, patterning, agricultural models etc. -then they are
ready to APPLY it to finance, social services, industry, business and
sure -the military -why not?. Those are the next courses, the ones
that come after the Design Course...
Through our org, we conduct Continuing Permaculture Education Courses
where we apply permaculture design to business and industry models
-but the basic Permaculture Design Course is the prerequisite. I tell
my students that -one doesn't do permaculture, one applies
permaculture to what they do. You don't DO permaculture -you USE
permaculture...
I think that Michael may think he is on to something new and
revolutionary -when this whole time -the skillful teachers, who have
spoken, were already on to it. Of course you can APPLY permaculture
to social and business models -That is what you are supposed to be
illustrating and teaching your students already!!!
If we are going to use natural succession as our metaphor, let's
consider putting it in a different perspective -when you start
natural succession with the design course as the pioneer. -what comes
after that basic course are the next levels succession... like
business, community and green building courses -and although we used
an application permaculture to get us there, without including a
strict adherence to the curriculum as outlined in The Designer's
Manual -those applications shouldn't be called and are not a
"permaculture design course".
I too used to insist that the pioneer needed to change... Now, I
understand that trying to morph the pioneer into more of a climax
species is problematic and unsound. Bill Mollison was clear when he
taught us to never "dumb it up or dumb it down" -Maybe I disagree
with some of you here (Toby?) but I think that engineers, government
officials, students, housewives, rich, poor, Black, White, Brown and
other peoples can all "get" Permaculture -that is the beauty of using
natural models as the basis of design and for our teaching metaphors
-My experience is that it IS understandable AND is relatable to
most...
About those "much later but more popular teachings" that we spoke
of... (Eco psychology, Ecological Design, Natural Capitalism, Natural
Steps etc.) I think that they are really just part of the "next level
of succession" stuff that I'm talking about here. Some of those
I'll bet are even rooted in Permaculture Principles... They are just
plain better "marketed" and sexier to the general public -like most
things closer to climax...