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Re: research on pc projects needed



>Although agreeing that Permaculture promises a lot more than one sees on 
>the ground, I would like to contribute to this discussion suggesting ( and 
>this is our strategy here in Brazil, and I am repeating what I said in 
>another thread) that one of the major functions of permaculture  is its 
>multi-disciplinary vision, it has an organized overview which ofen lacks 
>in specific local projects.
>
>Agreed - the holistic overview, the making of connections between 
>components and systems seemingly unconnected, the view which sees the flow 
>of energy, materials and information from component to component to 
>produce higher and more diverse productivity and better outputs is the 
>strength of permaculture. I think it's called systems thinking.
>Besides teaching people to have this overview, I think that one of our 
>major functions in international aid is in networking, locating what 
>already exists and linking that up, locally and internationally.
>
>Yes, networking - the transfer of information - is a way by which we learn 
>from each other and is vitally important for the development and 
>cohesiveness of something like permaculture. That's why websites, email 
>discussion lists, newsletters, magazines and video is a useful area of 
>permaculture application. I remember Bill Mollison, some years back, make 
>the statement that permaculture is an 'information rich' activity. 
>Although I could be accused of feathering my own permaculture nest, I 
>think media work is a valid and positive aspect of permaculture.
>
>As to your comment about linking up that which already exists - the 
>British economist and author, EF Schumacher ('Small is Beautiful'), wrote 
>that most solutions are already there but they are scattered, hidden and 
>difficult to find. The role of permaculture media workers could be to 
>locate those solutions, write them up, photograph then, analyse them, 
>record user comments and put that information in various media so the 
>solutions become available to others.

I would like to add to this that what I have found in my own international 
teaching is that praise for what already is known and practiced by the 
local people is invaluable.  Many times the local culture is so 
disempowered by foreign technology, media, and aid workers that they have 
all but abandoned any of the technologies that work beautifully in their 
particular bio region.  I often feel like my primary role is to be a one 
man cheering squad for the local ingenuity and successes.  I is 
particularly important coming from a member of the "so called " first" or 
"developed" world, again because of the brainwashing that has gone on that 
the developed world is more knowledgeable, and successful.



>In a practical vein, tropical Permaculture is extremely well anchored here 
>in Brazil, and we are dedicated to training these young idealistic people 
>who would like to do this kind of work(and also others in other regions of 
>Brazil).  They can have real-life experience in alternative communitites 
>and in other  projects in places which will not be harmed by their lack of 
>experience( and lack of the language).
I understand your concern about lack of language but I also realize that in 
most of the places where I have taught that there was no one locally who 
was teaching permaculture.  Bill and I taught the first permaculture course 
in Brazil in 1994, and although neither of us spoke the language we planted 
so very prolific seed in that soil.  The same story is true of Russia, 
Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Bali, Mexico, Cameroon, Ecuador, and Colombia, just 
to name a few of the countries that I know about personally.  If I had 
waited until a native speaker had been trained, I may well be still waiting.

So while I agree with you that a native speaker is essential for the long 
haul a good translator with an experienced teacher does a very good job of 
getting the ball rolling.  Most of the countries that now have very dynamic 
permaculture organizations and projects were germinated with a foreign 
speaker through a translator.

>So I would suggest that the function of foreign teachers coming in as part 
>of an aid program could be to help  already-exisitng local programs take 
>the next step, adding new insights
>
>Yes, I think it's about introducing skills and knowledge not locally 
>available and of training local people to use and adapt those skills so 
>they can continue to use them when the foreign teacher leaves. That way, 
>the development worker leaves a useful legacy. Local people and their 
>organisations can identify a needed skill and, through networking with aid 
>organisations in developing countries, locate people willing to go and 
>work with them.
The skills that seem to be to be lacking in various degrees, depending on 
the country, are translating existing skills into dollars, or pesos, or 
sucres.  Business skills are nonexistent in most of the areas I teach.  In 
the past the system of barter worked very well but in the new world of "tv 
created wants" there is a need for money, and no matter how much one wants 
to dismiss this need, it still is very real and in many places prosperity 
is tied to the ability to generate some income.  The whole area of 
"invisible structures" is critical to converting vegetables into money to 
pay the electric bill.  Unfortunately the invisible structure part of the 
course has always been poorly presented and understood and therefore a 
critical piece of the sustainability picture is missing.

While teaching in the Former Soviet Union and Africa I found that virtually 
everything in visible structures was in place but there was little to no 
knowledge of marketing, legal, financial, and social structures.  This 
missing knowledge could well be the difference between success and failure.

>In the end, why travel? After all, each of these countries has its own 
>slums, its own collapsed farms, its own third world embedded in apparent 
>affluence.  ( My sister was director of a program  which collected food 
>for the hungry-- in the rich United Sates! I Was absolutely shocked when 
>she sent me the statistics of the extent of this hunger...)The inspired 
>young people could travel in instead of out... But-- needing adventure-- 
>Brazil is at their disposition!
>
>I agree completely with your question Marsha and ask it frequently. In 
>Sydney, we have worked to assist communities and local government 
>establish community food gardens for the dual purpose of access to fresh 
>food and improvement of the urban environment. Yes, there is poverty in 
>Australia too.
I agree too, but refer you to my previous paragraph on native speakers.  In 
many cases it takes the travelling barefoot permaculturalist to get the 
ball rolling.

>We see people doing permaculture courses with the intention - usually 
>fairly vague - of assisting people in developing countries. This is 
>positive, of course, but ignores the valuable community work to be done 
>here. We see permaculture design course graduates sent overseas but few 
>engaging in work in their own country. It is, after all, still development 
>work when done in their own country and has analogous aims to that done 
>overseas. My observation is that people complete their permaculture design 
>course, experience the 'permaculture eureka' effect, find no organisations 
>dynamic enough to attract their participation, then merge back into the 
>life they lived in their pre-permaculture design course days.

Out of all of this conversation what came to my mind was the incredible 
waste and ineptitude of most of the government aid programs that I have 
witnessed in the developing world.  For the most part they are promoting 
models that have little to do with the small landholder and are geared 
toward the monocultural practices of their country of origin.  Their 
primary mission seems to be to convert local practices to mainstream 
western practices that will create markets for more products such as 
biocides, pesticides, and other destructive products.

While in Cameroon I realized that the capitol, Yaounde, was wall to wall 
ngo's all involved in studying the local people and new crop systems which 
then produced academic research journals for consumption back home, while 
locals were desperate for such knowledge presented in some accessible 
form.  I also was shocked at the repetition of research by the ngo's all of 
whom were very competitive and none of whom were sharing their research 
with each other, let alone the local populace.

It has been a dream of mine to access some of the billions of dollars that 
travels under the guise of "aid", but looking at the incredible bureaucracy 
that  seems to be required to handle reporting, the dream turns into a 
nightmare.  Perhaps it would be worthwhile to volunteer for a month or two 
just to see if it is possible to play the government grant game without 
loosing ones soul.

We all certainly need to be thinking seriously about this subject line if 
we are to stand a real chance of turning this destructive ship around, and 
I appreciate the opportunity to join in the discussion.

Scott Pittman 
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