Permaculture Pygmies
Aid Projects, Biodiversity, Community Projects, Deforestation, Food Shortages, Village Development — by Xavier Fux November 10, 2011
by Xavier Fux
Deep in the jungle of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Pygmy communities had lived for generations as hunter-gatherers. When the Kahuzi Biega National Park was created in 1970 by the Congolese government, the Pygmies and other local communities were expulsed from the forest, their ancestral land, without receiving any compensation or any land to settle in. They were left without a home. Over time, they were allowed to live on private property at the edge of the park, near other local communities but without any right of ownership over the land. This situation created a huge life obstacle for Pygmy communities, because land is the basic means of subsistence in the area. Currently, they rarely have access to the forest that constituted a vital area for their culture and traditions, and where they could collect food, health, means and shelter.
The Pygmies had never farmed before. They were hunters and gatherers and depended on natural resources in the forest for subsistence. Birds and guinea pigs constituted their intake of protein, and they gathered fruits, nuts and collected honey from bee traps they set up in trees.
Comments (12)Letters from Jordan: ‘Greening the Desert – the Sequel’ Site Contrasts Against Jordan Insanities
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Conservation, Consumerism, Deforestation, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Plant Systems, Regional Water Cycle, Rehabilitation, Soil Conservation, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Urban Projects, Water Contaminaton & Loss, Water Harvesting — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor November 8, 2011
Staring into the eyes of the future of Jordan, one wonders how things could be….
All Photographs © Craig Mackintosh
Al Jazeera’s very recent feature of the new ‘Greening the Desert’ site
Introduction
Why did the photojournalist cross the road? It sounds like the beginning of a joke, and, in a way, it was. I was standing at a busy road in Amman, Jordan, contemplating crossing. I say ‘contemplating’ as there were three lanes in each direction, and the traffic was moving fast. Several hundred metres away I spied a pedestrian overpass, but, before reason could sway impulse, I saw an opening and took it. Then, with three lanes behind me, standing proudly on the 1-metre wide centre strip, it seemed that the deity in charge of roads decided to conspire against me…. In the 37°C+ heat, I watched, waited, and then watched and waited some more. The minutes dragged by. A few times I ventured one foot forward, only to snatch it back again. The sun blazed. I began to have visions of being stuck here until the traffic slowed in the evening….
Comments (16)Getaway Films Talks to David Spicer About Water Issues in Morocco (Video)
Aid Projects, Conservation, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Irrigation, Land, Plant Systems, Rehabilitation, Soil Conservation, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Trees, Water Contaminaton & Loss, Water Harvesting — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor November 5, 2011
Here’s a sneak peek at Morocco — looking at water issues and the need to relearn traditional catchment management whilst adding in modern permaculture techniques of water harvesting and food forest development. David’s point about market gluts due to farmers all growing the same crop and harvesting it all at the same time is an important one. Diversity is stability — ecologically and economically.
Duration: 5 minutes
Kenya: Permaculture – Agriculture With a Green Touch
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Demonstration Sites, Developments, Education Centres, News, Society, Urban Projects — by Rosemary Quipp November 2, 2011
Editor’s Note: This article appeared as the cover story for Kenya’s main newspaper — the Daily Nation — helping give top exposure to the just-established PRI Kenya. Warren Brush (see also) sent this through, and has been the main driver in helping get PRI Kenya off the ground, or onto the ground, as the case may be. The article also appeared on AllAfrica.com. Here’s hoping this new work in Kenya can help invigorate the real kind of ‘development’ that too many countries have detoured around in their search for happiness.
Click for full view
A green oasis nestles on the barren expanse that is Nairobi’s south-east end, somehow managing to blossom between kennels of barking dogs and the exhaust fumes of an auto garage.
Overflowing with colourful vegetables and flowers, the lush patch of garden breaks the grey monotony of concrete and barbed wire, and provides a home to a dozen rabbits, chickens and quail.
Owned and run by the security and courier company Wells Fargo, this garden is the brainchild of the company’s operations director, Ms Gai Cullen.
Comments (2)Are You Interested in Taking Up a Position on a Permaculture Aid Project?
Aid Projects, Courses/Workshops, Project Positions — by Bonnie Freibergs
Photo © Craig Mackintosh
Fast track your career by taking the Permaculture Project Aid Worker course starting the 28th of November at Zaytuna Farm. It is taught by Geoff and Nadia Lawton who have positioned people in Samoa, Tonga, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Tanzania, Jordan, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, Afghanistan, Kenya & Chile with more countries coming online all the time. Positions within these projects fall into the following three categories: Project Farm Managers, Project Teachers & Project Administrators. They are challenging, engaging and always rewarding experiences.
Geoff’s own Permaculture career was ignited from Project Aid work. Since then he has taught hundreds of PDCs in over 30 countries, established demonstration sites all over the world and established the Permaculture Research Institute, which is now being adapted for demonstration sites world wide (PRI USA, PRI Kenya, PRI Chile, PRI Turkey, PRI Canada, PRI Arabia, PRI Ethiopia, etc.).
This Project Aid Worker course lasts for five days and bookings can be made through the website here, and enquiries via email at education (at) permaculturenews.org or by phone on +61 (0)419 741 358.
Comments (5)The Ghana Permaculture Nwodua Tree Nursery Project – Saving Lives, Granting Livelihoods, and Restoring Eco-systems
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Deforestation, Education Centres, Food Plants - Perennial, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease, Nurseries & Propogation, Society, Trees, Village Development — by Paul Yeboah November 1, 2011
The Ghana Permaculture Nwodua Tree Nursery was created in 2007, as a means of community income and to fight desertification, erosion, and diversion of water flow by roads, through reforestation. A collaborative effort of youth, women, and men founded the community nursery, and all members of the community reap the success of the profit as well as the natural environment benefits of tree planting. The nursery started as a small production and soon blossomed into something larger, achieving the current production of over 96,000 seedlings per year.
Comments (1)Ethiopia’s Strawberry Fields Eco-Lodge – A Call for Participation
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, Project Positions — by Alex McCausland October 28, 2011
Permaculture in Ethiopia stands on the edge of a sea of possibilities. This is a virgin land. The mighty plains of Abyssinia rise out of the Eastern Sahara, to become rolling fertile uplands, worked by farmers in the primeval mode that the modern westerner can only dream about nowadays, caricatured by the Shire in Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. It is a land where people live in little circular grass-roofed huts and make hay stacks with wooden pitch forks to feed their cattle through the dry season. They plough the deep fertile soils with oxen and sow a variety of crops, of which their most beloved is their own indigenous endemic grain t’eff, used to make the national staple food, injera.
Comments (5)A Developing Permaculturist from Tanzania Shares
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Village Development — by Miraji Muganda October 20, 2011
Original artwork, by Miraji Muganda
Editor’s note: Many of the IPC attendees purchased artwork from Miraji — to
support his efforts in Tanzania, but also just because he makes excellent drawings!
My name is Miraji Muganda. I am a 19-year old Tanzanian boy doing permaculture in Tanzania, which suffers greatly from poverty and environmental exploitation. I need to learn more and I want to help people to do what I learn. I have been practicing and teaching permaculture myself ever since my first course in 2007. That course was taught by Geoff Lawton from Australia, who is my good friend. I am working seriously and with determination for a sustainable future — not only for myself, but I want to help the people in my country even more. I am among those who have the potential to reach people’s hearts with enthusiasm for change.
Comments (3)Warren Brush: “Permaculture and Peacemaking in a Thirsty World” (IPC10 Presentation Video), Plus Permaculture Outreach in Kenya
Aid Projects, Alternatives to Political Systems, Community Projects, Conferences, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, People Systems, Presentations/Demonstrations, Social Gatherings, Society, Village Development — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor October 14, 2011
Warren Brush presents at the Tenth International Permaculture Conference
(IPC10), Amman, Jordan, September 2011
Photograph © Craig Mackintosh
I consider it a privilege to be a friend of Warren Brush, and it’s been a pleasure to see his rapid development in all things Permaculture. In his presentation at the IPC10 (Amman, Jordan, September 2011) Warren took on the topic of peacemaking — in his trademark style of very interesting storytelling, using examples from nature to teach us lessons and including examples from his experiences with indigenous peoples, and from conflict zones in Africa.
All in all you should find this a very worthy watch. Please click play below (and stay tuned for the message below the video!):
Comments (7)Report on Permaculture Design at Alhassan Akuraa, Buipe, Ghana
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Village Development — by Paul Yeboah October 11, 2011
Editor’s Note: For background on this report, see Paul’s previous post.
On the 1st August 2011 the Permaculture Network Ghana undertook a project in collaboration with Harvesters Mission at Alhassan Akuraa, which includes a food forest establishment, nursery establishment, paddock systems, soil treatment and the likes.
Alhassan Akuraa is a village located in the Brong Ahafo region and it shares the boundary with the northern Black Volta region. It has a population of about five hundred. Of the five hundred, 50% are into fishing, 40% farming and the remaining 10% other trades.
Comments (0)Rhamis Kent: Permaculture in Somalia (IPC10 Presentation – Video)
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Conferences, Developments, Economics, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, People Systems, Society, Village Development — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor October 7, 2011
Rhamis Kent speaking at the Tenth International Permaculture Conference
(IPC10), Amman, Jordan, September 2011
Photograph © Craig Mackintosh
The PRI’s Rhamis Kent talks about the situation in Somalia — including the so-called ‘aid’ work presently underway, with its short-term business oriented methods and the social blackmailing it encourages, and constrasts it with the more holistic Permaculture aid methods we are now seeking to bring to the beleaguered nation. The latest good news I’ve had from Rhamis is that Somalia’s Environment Minister has given a big thumbs up to Permaculture and has offered assistance for us to start to wedge Permaculture concepts into the country.
I can’t help but get excited about the potential for Permaculture goodness bringing peace, health and happiness to Somalia. Imagine one day our being able to bring you reports of smiling faces and peaceful and purposeful collaborative success from Somalia as we did recently with Tanzania?
Watch the video below to see Rhamis’ excellent presentation. If you want to follow along with more visible slides from Rhamis’ Powerpoint presentation, you can download that here (14mb Powerpoint) or here (5mb PDF).
Comments (0)Permaculture in Pormpuraaw
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Society, Village Development — by Kym Kruse October 6, 2011
The journey to finding myself in Pormpuraaw teaching Permaculture started back in 2008, when we actively sought to sponsor an indigenous person to take our first PDC here at Rosella Waters, co-taught by Darren Doherty and the PRI’s Geoff Lawton. Through conversation with Noel Pearson’s Cape York Institute, I was lead to Nick Maxwell, an officer with Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP). Nick was based in Bamaga at the time and had a future market garden project in the wings. Two men connected with the project were identified as future stakeholders in the project and drove down to do the PDC. Unfortunately, despite everyone’s best efforts, things didn’t work out as planned and the men lasted just 3-days of the course.
Farming in the Hood
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Economics, Energy Systems, Land, Society, Urban Projects, Village Development — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor
This is inspirational!
See more of their work on their YouTube channel.
Comments (2)Geoff Lawton: The Importance of Establishing Self-Replicating Dryland Permaculture Demonstration Sites (IPC10 Presentation – Video)
Aid Projects, Commercial Farm Projects, Community Projects, Conferences, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, Networking Sites, People Systems, Urban Projects — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor October 4, 2011
Geoff Lawton speaking at the Tenth International Permaculture Conference
(IPC10), Amman, Jordan, September 2011
Photograph © Craig Mackintosh
After an unintentionally extended lunch break during the IPC10 conference day (dragging 130 hungry people away from their stimulating lunchtime conversations is not an easy task!), Geoff kindly cut his post-lunch talk short so as to put subsequent speakers back on schedule. In the short time left for him, Geoff talked about the great need for training an army of permaculture warriors who can help set up self-replicating permaculture demonstration and education sites worldwide, and shared some of our efforts to help facilitate this. Included in the talk was mention of www.permacultureglobal.com (the Worldwide Permaculture Network), which enables permaculturists to literally put themselves on the map, and network and support each other in many ways — including attracting students and consultancies, donations (for aid projects) and which facilitates and encourages knowledge (and even seed!) transfers between people and sites worldwide. It’s a system that effectively levels the playing field, empowering a new generation of permaculture teachers and consultants to come up through the older growth, break through the canopy, and help us drive permaculture concepts deep into the minds of mainstream citizenry.
Click play below to see Geoff’s talk:
Comments (2)Tony Rinaudo: “Against the odds: Reversing desertification in arid and semi arid lands” (IPC Presentation – Video)
Aid Projects, Animal Forage, Biodiversity, Community Projects, Conferences, Deforestation, Food Forests, Food Plants - Annual, Food Plants - Perennial, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease, Land, Medicinal Plants, Nurseries & Propogation, Plant Systems, Presentations/Demonstrations, Regional Water Cycle, Rehabilitation, Seeds, Trees — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor October 3, 2011
Tony Rinaudo’s IPC10 conference presentation was one of the highlights of the event for three good reasons — 1) because of the scale of impact his Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) work has achieved (more than 30,000 km² of re-greened, regenerated land to date); 2) the utter simplicity — and thus doability — of this work (it requires no financial investment or out-of-reach technologies, only a little educational guidance and community collaboration), and 3) the speed at which this regeneration can occur and lives can improve.
We’ve brought people’s attention to FMNR before…
… and now I have the great pleasure of being able to share Tony’s IPC10 conference talk in high definition video (at top). Note: If you want to see the slides in higher quality, you can download Tony’s presentation (9mb Powerpoint) and click through it in a different window as Tony talks if you like.
Readers can also download:
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