Please Get Behind Our Efforts to Demonstrate Sustainable Development and Relief for Chile Quake/Tsunami Victims
Aid Projects, Building, Community Projects, Conservation, Demonstration Sites, Developments, Eco-Villages, Education Centers, Energy Systems, Networking Sites, News, People Systems, Rehabilitation, Society, Village Development, Waste Systems & Recycling, Water Harvesting — by Grifen Hope
Editor’s Preamble: Permaculturists famously endeavour to ‘turn the problem into a solution’. At the moment we have a tremendous opportunity to apply this principle in wonderful, productive ways in disaster-hit Chile. The quake-tsunami combo that hit on February 27, 2010 has created a void just begging for sustainable relief and re-development. Grifen Hope, who writes below and who leads out at Ecoescuela El Manzano, a partner organisation to the Permaculture Research Institute, is well positioned to fill that void with all kinds of permaculture goodness – in the form of low-cost environmentally friendly buildings, improved sanitation and nutrient cycling through construction of composting toilets, water harvesting systems and in education in home garden design, etc. Grifen’s already established and successful project and his national contacts make this a particularly significant opportunity, to not only directly help people in great need at this time, but to also offer more holistic and community centred alternatives to local and national government – alternatives with far greater short and long term potential than those offered by the scores of contractors seeking to cash in on misery. PRI Australia feels so strongly about assisting Grifen with his noble ambitions, that we’re putting forward the first AU$1,000 donation. Both PRI Australia and PRI USA are taking donations for this cause (people in the U.S. will want to donate through PRI USA, to take advantage of their tax-exampt non-profit status). In the interests of transparency, PRI USA will take 5 percent of donations to cover administration and the work that had to be done to facilitate the legal aspects of sponsoring this project – but that 5% will help PRI USA develop its own projects). PRI Australia will pass 100% of donations to the project in Chile. Additionally, as we feel this work deserves significant exposure, and as we seek to ensure that valuable permaculture relief work gets noticed at the highest levels, to attract further governmental support for future disasters worldwide, PRI Australia and myself (Craig Mackintosh) will share the costs for myself to go to Chile to cover and report on Grifen’s work via photographs, writing and video. I would like to take this opportunity to ask people to get behind this in whatever way they can. Donations, large or small, will all assist in what is the very best form of aid work. Perhaps ask your employer to match your donation – many will. Additionally, people with contacts in government, aid agencies and other NGOs are invited to share this page with them. Thanks in advance to the worldwide permaculture community for getting behind this work. You never know – in the future you may be the recipient of such assistance.
| Donate via PRI USA (USA residents)* Other non-paypal methods of donating here |
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| Donate via PRI Australia (rest of world)* Other non-paypal methods of donating here |
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| *Please be sure to click on the ‘Add special instructions to seller’ link, and then type ‘CHILE’ in the field provided, to ensure these fund are correctly diverted. | |
El Manzano in Transition – Towards Community Resilience, by Design
by Grifen Hope of Ecoescuela El Manzano
Comments (0)Posted on: March 19, 2010
The Panya Permaculture Project & the Living Seeds Festival
Community Projects, Demonstration Sites, Developments, Education Centers, Social Gatherings — by Leah Galvin
Recently, The Panya Permaculture Project here in Thailand collaborated with Pun-Pun (an organic farm, seed-saving operation, and sustainable living and learning centre) to launch The Living Seeds Festival; an annual festival to celebrate biodiversity, sustainable living and community in northern Thailand.
The Festival included local organic food, organic seed exchange, massage and natural healing, and demonstrations such as natural building, earthen ovens, organic gardening techniques, appropriate technology and more…. The main aim of the Festival was to raise awareness on our present food crisis. The loss of food varieties (both in the markets and our diets), damage to land and soil (caused by conventional farming techniques), and the fragility of food security were just some of the many issues presented.
Comments (0)Posted on: December 29, 2009
The New Permaculture Research Institute 10-Week Internship Program
Courses/Workshops, Developments, News — by Geoff Lawton
At Zaytuna Farm here in NSW, Australia, we have been running a few variations of internships over the years, mostly on a very casual basis. The interest and enquiries continue to grow – especially focused on the need to gain experience as quickly as possible so that students, after taking the Permaculture Design Certificate course, can move into a professional permaculture career in design, consultancy and teaching in both international consultancy and project work. To this end, we’ve now created a higher quality curriculum-based internship program that covers a wide range of permaculture subjects, that are studied in depth over 10 weeks.
The new internship program is run three times per year, each beginning just after the first three PDCs end. The base requirement is that interns have taken a recognized PDC somewhere in the world. If a prospective intern has not completed a PDC, they can simply take one with us, then continue on with the ten week internship after that is complete.
Look for the internship indicator in our course listings to see more details.
Snippets of footage from the July 2009 Earthworks Course
Thanks to John Alexander Ericson and Misty Music AB for the music
Posted on: November 29, 2009
Exploring Dryland Strategies for Resilience – Atacama, Northern Chile
Community Projects, Developments, Education Centers, Land, News — by Grifen Hope
Desert Flowers
Recently we had a whirlwind tour of Atacama in the north of Chile, the driest place on earth. This was a learning experience rather than teaching – in this hostile and vulnerable landscape that has been occupied for thousands of years we find strategies for building resilience.
Comments (0)Posted on: November 27, 2009
Permaculture Seeds Sprouting on St. Croix
Courses/Workshops, Developments, News — by Ethan Roland
Birds eye view of the Virgin Island Sustainable Farm Institute
St. Croix, a 6 x 20 mile island in the Caribbean, is exploding with positive action. Led by the Virgin Island Sustainable Farm Institute, locally grown food and ecological agriculture are seeding in with island people and travelers across the island. Now, in collaboration with AppleSeed Permaculture and Gaia University, the US Virgin Islands are being innoculated with the empowering principles and processes of permaculture design.
Comments (1)Posted on: November 18, 2009
Letters from Jordan – a PDC at the Bottom of the World
Aid Projects, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Developments, Education Centers, News — by Craig Mackintosh
Profuse apologies for being remiss on the posting front of late. I have more than a dozen posts queued in my head, but finding a minute to breathe and get ‘em down onto the keyboard has proven difficult. A few people have been pressing me for Part III of the Sarvodaya series, but never fear, it’ll come as soon as I can. In the meantime I have a little video mission in Jordan to fulfil.
For now, here’s a teeny glimpse at the latest:
Geoff, Nadia and I are currently stationed a stone’s throw from the Dead Sea in the Jordan Valley. At 400 metres below sea level, this is the lowest place on earth. Geoff and Nadia are teaching a Permaculture Design Certificate course (PDC) to 35 students from many different countries. With this course, and other previous Permaculture Research Institute efforts in the region, we have a really good wedge of influence in what is effectively the hub of the middle east – the very open-bordered country of Jordan. Although we have a few ‘westerners’ here, the bulk of the students are from either Jordan or surrounding nations – like Palestine, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, Qatar, Afghanistan, Turkey and even a couple of slightly further afield train passengers from Bulgaria. Other students come from Australia, Italy, UK, USA, Singapore and China. It’s been great getting to know them. A story could be told about many of these people alone. (Aah, so many blog post ideas, so little time….)
Comments (2)Posted on: October 15, 2009
A Virtual Geoff Lawton Urges You to Cross the Line
Developments, News, Society — by Craig Mackintosh
We’ve just happened upon a rather unusual way of sharing the Permaculture ‘get out there and do it’ message. Someone has taken an interview Geoff did in California last year, and turned it into a rather impressive animation. Although it was a bit strange for Geoff to see himself portrayed in such a way, if it helps get the message across, then we figure so be it.
The end of the clip even appears to have cameo appearances from Bill Mollison and David Holmgren:
Or, put another way, courtesy of the 1970s UK sitcom favourites Tom and Barbara Good in ‘The Good Life’:
Comments (0)
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Calling All Musos! Care to Help a Good Cause?
Developments — by Craig Mackintosh
I thought I’d put a call out to the greater Permaculture community, and ask for a bit of support. As regular readers may have noticed, I’ve been writing and taking photos for the site for a little while now (a bit over a year actually – whew, time flies). Of late I’ve also been delving into video a little, as we’re such a multimedia driven world.
Anyway, where I’m running into headaches is in getting copyright-free music I can use with video clips. I’m sure some of you are dab hands at playing music of one kind or another, and some of you may be keen to put your hand up and help us out in this department.
As you’ll know, we’re training people in Permaculture, with a specific focus of getting people into Aid Projects worldwide. As such, we can’t offer financial compensation, but would of course credit you clearly in all videos made using your work.
I’m looking for different styles of music, to suit different clips. Ideally they’d be in MP3 format, and recorded somewhere where your little Johnny and the neighbour’s dog aren’t contributing as well! Also, we’d request at least an email stating the work is your own, and that we (PRI) have permission to use it without cost in promoting our endeavours.
If you think you can help out, please send me an email – editor (at) permaculture.org.au – with details.
We look forward to sharing a lot more of our work via video in the near future!
Comments (0)Posted on: October 2, 2009
Permaculture Design Course at Pine Ridge Reservation
Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Developments, Land, News, Rehabilitation — by Warren Brush
by Warren Brush, co-founder of Quail Springs Permaculture & True Nature Design
We are eight days into a 13-day Permaculture Design Course here at Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, the home of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. The Permaculture Guild has organized this exciting course in collaboration with the Oglala Lakota Cultural and Economic Revitalization Initiative (OLCERI) and will be offering other courses here in the coming year. Students from as far away as Florida and California have joined local tribal members in learning about how to integrate permaculture into their lives, livelihoods and cultural regeneration processes.
Comments (0)Posted on: September 24, 2009
Welcome to Permaculture Island?
Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, Developments — by Nichole Ross
No, it’s not the newest reality series or a throwback to the 70s. I’m talking about real life here. And, it’s even part of the United States, kind of. What I’m referring to is the Island of Molokai. It’s a small island (38 x 10 miles with 7500 residents) located between Oahu and Maui in Hawaii. Not only do they have a sustainability plan, but they just held their first sustainability conference this past July. And the best part of the whole thing is that they actually used the word Permaculture in advertising for the conference. Maybe this bold move will help set the stage for the rest of the U.S.
In May 2008, residents realized they didn’t like the unsustainable path towards destruction the island seemed to be on. So, like true Permaculturists, instead of dwelling on their problems, they decided to focus on solutions. (Remember, as Geoff Lawton says, “the problem is the solution”) What they came up with was a sustainable plan for the island’s future. They outlined it in a document called Molokai: Future of a Hawaiian Island (2mb PDF). In it, the people of Molokai call their vision, “Sust- ‘AINA -bility”, a model of abundant island living rooted in traditional knowledge and supported by modern technologies. Hmm, sounds a bit like Permaculture….
Comments (1)Posted on: August 27, 2009
Young Permaculturists, UNITE!!!
Community Projects, Developments, News, Social Gatherings — by Kelly Pagliaro
Evil is afoot! Conventional Agriculture has teamed up with Toxin-Spewing Factories to destroy the earth’s ecosystems! It looks like a job for…THE GREEN TEEN TEAM! (Try saying that three times fast.)
…No? Okay, but seriously, I took my PDC in Melbourne, Australia with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton in 2008 at the age of eleven. When my parents decided to take the course I didn’t quite know what to say. “You’re going to Australia? …and what, I’m staying at home in the U.S., alone with my {then nineteen-year-old} brother for two weeks? I can’t stay alone with him for two weeks, we’ll annoy each other to death!”
Comments (0)Posted on: August 7, 2009
Introduction to Permaculture Design – the DVD Trailer
Courses/Workshops, DVDs/Books, Developments — by Craig Mackintosh
We know a considerable amount of people have been in anticipation of this DVD – a highly watchable intro to Permaculture design principles and practise. It is the culmination of a great many hours of careful labour for award-winning video editor, animator and avid Permaculturist, Frank Gapinski. With it, we target two kinds of people: the Permaculture beginner wanting to get a grip on what Permaculture is all about from somebody who really knows his stuff, as well as the keen Permaculturist who wants to share his/her enthusiasm with friends, family and colleagues in an easy to digest form. The DVD encapsulates some of the most significant aspects of Permaculture – leaving the viewer feeling more confident about how to capably wield the design tools Permaculture utilises.
The narrator, Geoff Lawton, one of Bill Mollison’s earliest students, is one of the most respected and experienced Permaculturists today – having worked and taught in dozens of countries over the last twenty five years – and yet fully understands how to engage audiences and transmit information to people at all levels. This, combined with Frank’s expert visual wizardy, will leave viewers wanting to start their own Permaculture journey, pronto.
We had initially pre-announced this DVD several months ago, under the title ‘Permaculture for Beginners’, but after working it through the title ‘Introduction to Permaculture Design’ seemed more apt. We anticipate this will become a highly contagious tool to help spread the Permaculture message. Watch the trailer below, and keep an eye on this site for its not-too-distant release (due September).
Introduction to Permaculture Design – The Trailer
Comments (0)Posted on: July 17, 2009
Help Miraji from Tanzania Take Part in Global Education!
Aid Projects, Developments, News — by Martin Winiecki
 Miraji Muganda |
His name is Miraji Muganda. He is a 17 year old Tanzanian boy, who lives in Musoma on Lake Victoria. Tanzania suffers from poverty and environmental exploitation. At 14, Miraji followed an Australian Permaculture teacher when he went to pray in the Mosque of his city and introduced himself. He wanted to learn and wanted to help – to do what he could. Geoff, the Permaculture teacher, invited him to his courses and Miraji has been practicing and teaching Permaculture himself ever since. He started a project in his school, told teachers and fellow students about his new knowledge, trying to inject them with "his poison," as he likes to say. He is working seriously and with determination for a sustainable future – not only for himself, but wants to help the people in his country. He is one of those who has the potential to reach people’s hearts with his enthusiasm for change.
Comments (0)Posted on: July 6, 2009
Southern Baja – Unique and Universal Water Challenges
Conservation, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Developments, Education Centers, Irrigation, News, Water Harvesting — by Andrew Jones
The Baja Peninsula forms an unusual geographic feature – running about 800 miles as the crow flies from the Mexico/California border at Tijuana down to the holiday and fishing port of Cabo San Lucas on the southern tip.
Comments (2)Posted on: June 5, 2009
Following up on PRI USA’s First PDC on Molokai
Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Developments, Education Centers, News — by Jill Ross
by Jill Ross, Co-host/Lunch Lady
Yes, it’s official! April 11th, on the beautiful island of Molokai, the Permaculture Research Institute USA completed its first Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course. With the enthusiasm of a student himself, instructor Andrew Jones passed out certificates to 13 budding permaculturists.
PDC students, instructor and convenors
