Once upon a time, European Permaculture Teachers (EPT) formed a
partnership and created the EPT newsletter. Just when the EPT funding
ended, there was a strong impulse at the European Permaculture
Convergence in Bulgaria to form a European Permaculture Network (EuPN).
Several EPT members are actively involved in setting up this network and
decided to transform the EPT-newsletter into a newsletter for the EuPN.
The changes you will find in the present newsletter reflect the shift
towards accommodating a general European Permaculture Network, including
networks, organisations, teachers, practitioners, researchers and
everyone else interested in permaculture. We will work with
news that cover the aims of the EuPN.
Please help us make it relevant and fun by contributing your story and
images. Over the next issues the newsletter will include different
topics and we hope you will like it even more.
*Please share this newsletter with your networks, organisations and
projects!*
In Norse mythology, the godess Idun is connected to apples. She is the
one who rejuvenates and creates fertility. Autumn has come to the
northern hemisphere and the Earth needs to rejuvenate. We harvest the
fruits that we have grown. So too with this newsletter, it is
rejuvenating and harvesting the fruits of exiting initiatives from all
over Europe.
The International Permaculture Convergence brought people together from
all over the world and Europe. Sandra Campe and Claudian Dobos, amongst
others, had worked hard towards the day when we had the opportunity to
move forward with the European Permaculture Network (EuPN).
”We actively support the transition to an ethical and resilient Europe
through nurturing an effective permaculture network with strong
connections to the wider society and the world.”
<http://permaculturecouncil.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8db6aac2025cc7a6010dce6c6&id=3ec06f6099&e=f5c8d1f953>The
vision and mission statements had been worked out amongst 15
permaculturists who participated at the European Convergence in Bulgaria
2014. Afterwards, aims have been formulated based on the work done at
the EuPC – the vision group of the European Permaculture Council has met
on skype for a year to work them out. Two workshops enabled the EuPN to
move forward at the IPC in London in September 2015.
The aims of the EuPN are ambitious in taking permaculture into a new and
more active mode of action. The 30-40 participants from about 18
European countries at the workshops discussed each of the aims, made
valuable additions and were basically happy to consent to them.
In a second workshop, the participants talked about principles of the
EuPN. It was agreed that organisations would take part if they could see
a benefit of being a member. The structure of the EuPN should be as
light, democratic and transparent as possible and support
self-government and sovereignty of individual organisations or regional
networks. The group also got the opportunity to connect on a national
level in small groups. The best "connectors" in our organisations were
named, so that they could help spread the word about the EuPN in our
country.
"The vision group took home a lot of feedback and network contacts from
the workshop participants. Currently, a timeline of next steps up to the
EuPC 2016 in Italy is being created," says Sandra Campe.
Workshop participants, connectors and others will be contacted in
December to start implementing the idea of country representatives,
working groups and more activists to help set up the EuPN. Their aim
will be to set up the EuPN as a structure all organisations and Europe
can benefit from. The inauguration and first official network meeting of
the EuPN will be at the EuPC 2016.
Join a working group and let’s cheer them on!
Aims of the EuPN
*I. Networking & Capacity Building*
EuPN reinforces and supports the establishment of, and collaboration
between, European permaculture organisations and builds bridges with
like-minded organisations and networks all across Europe and beyond.
*II. Communication & Image*
EuPN sets up structures and support both for internal and external
communication. It develops, implements and promotes a communication and
image strategy.
*III. Linking Research & Practice*
EuPN nurtures links between permaculture practitioners and researchers.
It fosters research skills within the permaculture network and ensures
that research findings strengthen permaculture education and practice
and influence policy.
*IV. Application & Outreach*
EuPN empowers citizens to design sustainable lifestyles based on the
permaculture ethics and principles as the basic foundation for peaceful
and inclusive societies. For this, it promotes permaculture tools and
solutions in order to tackle conflicts & natural / human-made disasters
and to provide sustainable relief response and independence of “help”.
*V. Connections to Policy levels*
EuPN contributes its local, national and macro regional expertise to
European policy levels. It supports decision makers and stakeholders to
move European society forward on a resilient path.
*VI. Scaling up*
The EuPN develops strategies for resource mobilisation to scale up
permaculture projects.
Be creative now and send it to vision@permaculturecouncil.eu
Thanking you!
What an amazing crowd gathered at the*IPC*! A big THANK YOU and lots of
gratitude for the organisers of the IPC for getting us together and
making us work for a better world. See you in India 2017.
Permacultura Iberia
/by Alessandro Ardovini/
At the EuPC the Spanish group started a process that brought us to the
First Spanish Convergence which took place between August 29th and
September 1st, following the annual meeting of the Iberian Ecovillage
Network, possibly the strongest like-minded movement in Spain.
*First Spanish Convergence*
During the first two days there were various workshops which coincided
with the last two days of the Iberian Ecovillage Network meeting.
We had a wonderful group facilitator which helped us during our meeting
and in 1½ days we achieved much more than we hoped!
*4 commisions*
The skeleton of a national group was formed, with its 4 Commissions:
Legalities, Academy/Diploma, Communication and Future Events, + a
Support Group which supports the work of the Academy and its diploma
holders. + a Pilot Group elected without candidates which facilitates
the whole process.
*Purpose of the National group*
We are a collective which gathers different people and associations of
the Spanish state which, from the Permaculture perspective, work to
favor social, cultural and ecological change through the care of the
Earth, care of people promoting a fair share.
*Agents of change*
>From a systemic perspective we assume our responsibility as agents of
change which provide traditional and innovative tools in order to give
answers to the challenges of humanity.
We want to reestablish the balance of natural systems in order lo live
in harmony and reconnect with all beings now and in the future.
*Permacultura Iberia Academy*
After the Convergence many more things happened and we're moving towards
the first important event, the creation of an Academy with a name:
Permacultura Íbera.
You can support the creation of *Permacultura Íbera* by sending a
picture of you and maybe other people holding a sign saying that your
organisation supports Permacultura Íbera, both in your language and
English - or maybe a little video to: alexardov@gmail.com
Mabel, the amazing facilitator that helped us during the convergence.
The Spanish Permaculture Group at the first Spanish Convergence.
At Quinta do Vale da Lama, south Portugal, we just ended our
Permaculture Design Course with an amazing learning community that
promises to go out into the world and support the emergence of an
abundant future.
Our mission is to provide farm based experiences which empower
individuals of all ages and backgrounds to create positive social and
ecological impact by living in a regenerative way.
Participants at the *Nordic Permaculture Meeting*, representing Sweden,
Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. The meeting agreed on a New Nordic
Diploma System for Norway, Sweden and Denmark, new expansion of the LAND
network to Norway and Sweden, and the diploma accreditation of Philipp
Weiss.
Erasmus+ mobilities and internship opportunities for Denmark
The *French Permaculture Convergence* had close to 600 participants in
September 2015 during 6 days with conferences, hands-on activities,
garden tours, eco-construction and roots' spirit. Next year meet the
French permies in the last weekend of August and come to France before
the EUPC Italy. If you want to read more about the convergence visit
Brin de Paille
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*Permaculture Network Flanders and the Netherlands*
The permaculture network of Dutch speaking Belgium and The Netherlands
is growing. The map on the website is filling out quite nicely.
With a long list of courses and events. Some working groups (Coop,
Diploma, Festival) have gone quiet a bit, no doubt in preparation of
great new developments.
The "0" issue was released this summer at publishing house Jan van
Arkel. Jan van Arkel is now publishing a wide range of permaculture
literature in Dutch.
The magazine is led by chief editors Linder van den Heerik and Esmeralda
Borgo and team of editors and contributors.
*Polydome*
Dutch company Except Integrated Sustainability is rolling out its
polydome concept this year. It's a greenhouse concept integrating
permaculture design, polyculture and integrated pest management to
provide reliable food production at community scale. First projects are
being realised in Malaysia and Estonia.
*Free Lunch*
A sort of culinary permablitz: a lunchtime mini workshop on growing
mushrooms on coffee grounds. Combining a bespoke food experience with
sound permaculture design philosophy in action.
That is what Leo Bakx of Aardwerk and Erling Rugsten, 2-star Michelin
chef are doing regularly at the Eindhoven High Tech Campus and Technical
University Eindhoven. Reaching out to the worlds of higher education,
research, technology corporations in transition.
Once upon a time there was an invasive plant in the Milkweed family. It
was an unwanted refugee from southern Africa that started taking over
Europe. And then, another invader came from South America, but this time
it was a giant butterfly, the Monarch, that crossed the ocean and wanted
to live in the old continent.
This ‘network of networks’ brings together initiatives within the
Ecovillage, Transition and Permaculture movements as well as ICLEI — the
global network of local governments for sustainability. Other bodies
engaged in European-level research, training, and communications
supporting local action on climate change and sustainability are
encouraged to join.
ECOLISE
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seeks
to establish a common Europe-wide platform for collective action. There
is a strong focus on research and policy, a common platform to allow for
EU wide mapping of local projects is being developed, a project to
harvest and share inspirational stories from across the different
networks is about to be launched, and funding is being sought for ‘Share
the Vision’, a 5-month bus tour across Europe that is scheduled for 2017.
After years of thinking about, discussing and working with permaculture,
the time has come for me to fly off into the world of permaculture
research. Starting January 2016, my husband Tim and I will be on the
road for 15 months. Half of the time is dedicated to Adventure, the
other half to Research.
My aim is to find which key functions and key components are the basis
for a resilient and regenerative managed ecosystem, which allows nature
to restore herself while at the same time providing living space and a
livelihood for those living on the land and beyond.
Isnäs village is located at the Southern coast of Finland, in the
municipality of Loviisa. It is about 1,5 hours from the Helsinki.
The main festival area is a rather historical place, since there use to
be a saw mill and buildings such as the mill owner's house and the
workers houses are still in use. In addition, there is a biodynamic
cattle farm, Labby gård near by. Our hosts also run their own catering
company, so we will be sure to get delicious locally produced food.
Isnäs town is a very active town, with youth projects and an own music
festival happening every summer. There are many opportunities for both
planning and practical workshops in the area, so get ready for some
hands-on permaculture!
We will be planning some common transport that you can catch in
Stockholm and take the ferry all together - more fun to ride together
right? Looking forward to see you all there!
15 businesses, a community-supported farm, Ireland's largest
community-owned, renewable-energy heating system, 55 high performance
buildings, an award winning bakery, research gardens, community
woodlands and a biodiversity trail, as well as a green enterprise centre
that features a co-working space and FabLab. This setting provides
participants with a unique opportunity to see many key sustainable
systems and social technologies in practice.
The nationally accredited QQI courses held over three weekends are being
hosted in the spring and autumn, and allow us to offer a Permaculture
learning experience to anyone on welfare for free.
Our full Permaculture Design Course is held in August and we are looking
for an internationally recognised teacher to join our team of local
trainers who deliver the course. If you have any suggestions let
Philippa know at philippa@cultivate.ie <mailto:philippa@cultivate.ie>
The next issue of the EuPN Newsletter will be published by 10. January 2016.
The deadline for contributions is 5. January 2016.
/Creative Commons 2015
European Permaculture Network,/
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