Permaculture News

Announcing David Holmgren, Patron of Permaculture Australia

From the Permaculture Australia website:

Now as the PA Patron, I see my role as more actively contributing my conceptual and historical perspectives within the movement to support Permaculture Australia’s various priorities and projects towards the vision of an Australia enlivened by permaculture ethics and design principles. As patron I will continue to highlight the lineage from and respect for Indigenous and traditional ways of being inherent in permaculture that can help all Australians come to terms with history and rekindle a shared connection to country.”

David Holmgren, Co-originator of permaculture & Patron, Permaculture Australia

We were thrilled to announce David Holmgren, as the first Patron of Permaculture Australia at the Australasian Permaculture Convergence earlier this year. Here are some words from David on why he agreed to become our Patron and how we hopes his role will support Permaculture Australia and the continual growth of permaculture.

Popularly seen as a ‘cool’ form of organic gardening, permaculture is better described as a design system for resilient living and land use based on universal ethics and ecological design principles. Although the primary focus of permaculture has been the redesign of gardening, farming, animal husbandry and forestry, the same ethics and principles apply to design of buildings, tools and technology. Applying permaculture ethics and principles in our gardens and homes inevitably leads us towards redesigning our ways of living so as to be more in tune with local surpluses and limits. Beyond the household scale diverse expressions of “social permaculture” are influencing decision making and organisational processes at the community and enterprise scale.

Permaculture is also a global movement of individuals, groups and networks working to create the world we want, by providing for our needs and organising our lives in harmony with nature. The movement is active across the globe in the most privileged and the most destitute communities and countries. Permaculture may be Australia’s most significant export for humanity facing a world of limits. The movement sprang up following the publication of Permaculture One in 1978 and has been a positive agent of influence on grass roots environmental and social innovation for nearly half a century, especially in its country of origin Australia. However the influence of permaculture is still not well understood by the media, policy makers or the general public.

Permaculture Australia is a national member based organisation that has illustrated the  permaculture design principle of “Small and Slow Solutions” as it evolved over the decades. It has a track record in media and communications, accredited training, overseas development assistance and self governance that makes it ready to take on the mantle of truly representing this broad, diverse and deeply influential social movement.

If a critical mass of Australian local permaculture groups, designers, teachers, activists and everyday practitioners join Permaculture Australia for the benefits of membership then that membership base could trigger much greater benefits here and abroad.  With that critical mass of members and resources Permaculture Australia could give voice to permaculture ethics, design principles and solutions as being relevant to how all Australians navigate the climate, pandemic and associated emergencies that are taking over our individual and collective lives.

It could highlight how permaculture draws on the wisdom of indigenous and traditional cultures everywhere, recognising the value of old timer and new comer flora and fauna diversity and using the best from our shared global culture of science and modernity to craft new ways of living in tune with nature’s rhythms.  Further it could speak truth to power about removing the constraints and impediment to the self organised flourishing of our nation’s households and communities.

As the co-originator of the permaculture concept, I have never been an “organisation person” but have always supported Permaculture Australia for the work it has done over the years and for the potential outlined above.  It is often said that trying to get permies to align around a collective process is like trying to herd cats. However I believe Permaculture Australia, can provide that rallying point while respecting the benefits of our anarchic diversity.”

 

 

 

You can join Permaculture Australia here and help strengthen the collective national permaculture voice and advocacy activities.

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