Letters from Sri Lanka – Sarvodaya Builds Community and National Resilience, Part II
Aid Projects, Alternatives to Political Systems, Community Projects, People Systems, Social Gatherings, Society, Village Development — by Craig Mackintosh
Part V of a series – If you haven’t already, please read Part I, Part II, Part III and Part IV before continuing. This series is part of my work for the Sustainable (R)evolution book project.
Post-civil war security in Sri Lanka
All photographs © Craig Mackintosh
Standing, jostling in a small space with 15,000 people of mixed ethnicity and religion, just after a deadly civil war had been quashed by Sri Lanka’s government forces, could make a person feel a tad jittery – particularly when the event that attracted the aforesaid 15,000 people was in respect to Lord Kathirgaman, a six-headed Hindu god of war.
But here I was.
Comments (2)Posted on: December 30, 2009
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 Localization of Agriculture
Consumerism, Economics, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, News, Social Gatherings, Society, Village Development — by Earth Policy Institute
by Lester R. Brown, Earth Policy Institute
In the United States, there has been a surge of interest in eating fresh local foods, corresponding with mounting concerns about the climate effects of consuming food from distant places and about the obesity and other health problems associated with junk food diets. This is reflected in the rise in urban gardening, school gardening, and farmers’ markets.
With the fast-growing local foods movement, diets are becoming more locally shaped and more seasonal. In a typical supermarket in an industrial country today it is often difficult to tell what season it is because the store tries to make everything available on a year-round basis. As oil prices rise, this will become less common. In essence, a reduction in the use of oil to transport food over long distances—whether by plane, truck, or ship—will also localize the food economy.
Comments (0)Posted on: December 1, 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
Calling for Volunteers for IPC9 and the Permaculture Centre, Malawi, Africa
Conferences, Developments, News, Presentations/Demonstrations, Project Positions, Social Gatherings — by Craig Mackintosh
The ninth International Permaculture Conference (IPC) and Convergence is inching closer. Previous conferences have been held in Australia, USA, New Zealand, Scandinavia, Nepal, Croatia and Brazil. This time it will run from November 2-6 in Malawi, Africa (Kumbali Village, Lilongwe), and will include site tours of Permaculture projects in Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The theme for IPC9 is "Plan Africa – Food & Empowerment".
There are a few volunteer positions for this event that need filling. If you’ll be free during this period and would like to help make the IPC9 a success for the people of Africa and the wider international community by getting constructively involved in this exciting work, please click here (PDF) to read about these interesting posts and to find out how to apply.
Comments (0)Posted on: April 17, 2009
Permaculture Ireland
Courses/Workshops, News, Social Gatherings — by Alanna Moore
We are pleased to announce that our new website – permacultureireland.ie – is now up and running, as we prepare for our inaugral event in Ireland, an Eco-Living Festival at the Drumsna Community Resource Centre, Drumsna, Co. Leitrim on June 6 – 7th, a showcase for sustainable, low-impact living.
Expressions of interest to get involved can email us at sheltermaker (at) gmail.com
The festival will be followed by a series of weekend summer workshops in Leitrim on ‘Permaculture: Food and Shelter’ and ‘Low-Tech Living’, taught by Australian permaculturist Alanna Moore, Irish architect Peter Cowman and guests.
Comments (0)Posted on: February 11, 2009
Convergence of Issues Leads to Southern California Permaculture Convergence, August 29-31, 2008
Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, General, Insects, News, Peak Oil, Presentations/Demonstrations, Social Gatherings, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contamination — by Craig Mackintosh
Cooling off after the first day of the Southern California Permaculture Convergence,
hosted by the Quail Springs Learning Oasis and Permaculture Farm
Yesterday the Southern California Permaculture Convergence got underway. The word ‘convergence’ is the operative word here, and, ironically, to me at least, has a double meaning. Over the last couple of weeks, being here at Quail Springs just reminds me of the convergence of issues we face as a race, just as we ‘converge’ to network, share instruction and ideas, and find new ways to work together to face those same issues.
Let me explain, using an example very close to where we are today.
Comments (2)Posted on: August 31, 2008
Regenerative Learning at Quail Springs
Courses/Workshops, Social Gatherings — by Craig Mackintosh
If a Chumash Indian from a few centuries ago was to leap through time to our day, I’m sure he’d break down in tears to see what we’ve done to his world… and demand to be taken back. Actually, I’m confident he’d even make Iron Eyes Cody look apathetic.
Comments (3)
