[Pil-pc-oceania] Pil-pc-oceania Digest, Vol 9, Issue 6

[Robyn Francis]

> Date: Tue, 03 Jul 2007 10:52:01 +1000
> From: kerry dawborn <kdawborn at bigpond.com>
> Subject: Re: [Pil-pc-oceania] Permaculture People's Party 2
...> For example, 
> knowing how much effort is involved in framing the ideological and
> physical framework of a political party, so that it has the necessary
> depth and integrity while at the same time avoiding becoming so bogged
> down in ideals that it has trouble taking action or being seen as
> realistic within the current social/cultural/economic framework, I do
> wonder whether our energy could be better spent on other initiatives. I
> am also concerned about trying to unify the permaculture community
> ideologically, too much. For me, while we permies are united by our
> common choice to allow the permaculture design framework and principles
> to guide many or all aspects of how we think, feel and act, we are
> nevertheless a diverse group, and I feel this is a key strength of the
> movement. Our diversity helps to maintain the 'edges' in our thinking
> and action. 
>...This is not 
> necessarily all bad in terms of carrying a political message, but in the
> case of something as broad and far-reaching as permaculture, I worry
> that a party that claims to speak on behalf of the movement might have
> the effect of silencing the diversity of voices, or of splitting the
> movement, or both.

Well put Kerry,
While I can empathise, Tamara, with the motivation behind the party concept,
the reality is fraud with pitfalls. A political party by it's very nature
defines an ideology, which is fine in broad concepts but the devils in the
detail. A PPP would certainly suffer the same inconsistencies of the Greens
at the detail level due to the diverse nature of permaculuturists.
I have had people from the full spectrum of political allegiances doing the
PDC - Country, Liberal, Labour, Democrats, Greens, Socialist Alliance,
extreme anarchists and untold minor parties, including councillors in local
governments. Party political permaculture could potentially lose or alienate
many of these voices. BTW Rod Haslam, the QLD state Education Minister is a
permie, doing what he can within the party and his portfolio framework.

However it really touches issues on a far more fundamental level, is
permaculture a political ideology or a design science (one of Bills
favourite descriptions of pc) for earth stewardship? We don't see
disciplines and trades forming political parties - there's no Horticulture
Party, Landcare Party, Engineers Party, Solar Electritions Party...

I've astutely avoided joining any specific political party and cringe at the
thought of a PPP. If Bill really wants a political party it should have
another name and not include the word permaculture - the Sustainable Future
Party, Save Gaia Party, Earth Care Party.
He used to jokingly suggest we form an  A (-) Political Party.

I honestly think our energies would be better invested if the politically
motivated set up a serious lobby group, lobbying ALL parties at all levels,
developing a strategic promotion campaign for people of all political
persuasions to ask pertinent policy questions, give voters a sustainability
analysis of voting options, and collaborate with the rest of the pc
community with a public promotion of permaculture as a viable solution
process to achieve sustainability including press releases making news and
responding to current issues, and with competent spokespeople to field media
interviews. 

There are so many important pc initiatives urgently needing support to
accelerate the vital work of getting permaculture into more schools,
especially High Schools; of more permaculturists providing APT vocational
training in permaculture practices, design and community development--
including in the TAFE system;  getting permaculture recognised by the
professional institutes like architecture, planning, engineering etc with
professional development credits for doing a PDC or Ecovillage course.

ACF is now at the national forefront of climate change action and suddenly
promoting the things permaculture has been doing quietly for decades. We
have no effective central organisation, we have the entity but not enough
people putting in time and energy (and too few burning out trying to do too
much) to realise a fraction of our potential at this critical time.

Yes we need to become more public, things need to change and fast, but I am
not convinced a PPP will achieve this in a truly effective way.

Ciao
Robyn

-- 
Pathways to sustainability through
Accredited Permaculture Training
Certificates III & IV and Diploma of Permaculture
Erda Institute Inc

Robyn Francis 
International permaculture design
and sustainability consultant, educator & facilitator

Djanbung Gardens 
Permaculture Education Centre & Demonstration Farm
PO Box 379 Nimbin NSW 2480
02-6689 1755  /  0429 147 138
www.permaculture.com.au