[Pil-pc-oceania] Pil-pc-oceania Digest, Vol 9, Issue 10

[Janet Millington]

I have to say I welcome the possibility of having a Permaculture People's
Party that could be a demonstration of a party that begins with ethics and
uses principles....pretty new in modern politics.

But "everything works both ways" as someone once said, and he went on to
show us how to modify the energies we want to reduce and how to enhance
those we do want.

The PPP would have to demonstrate how parties can listen to their grassroots
members and reflect that in policy.  The PPP would also have to form policy
on each of the issues that we decide needs new consideration in the public
arena. 

In the beginning we would best served by promoting policy on Nuclear Energy
and Water. These are 2 areas where we do have good policies and solutions.
If we could just agree on those, build the policy from grassroots input, and
hammer it home at the regional level, then we would have a model of
political action, and an agreed position that all in our network could
promote.  

Very often permies have strong opinion but are never sure if it is agreed,
so they feel they cannot promote that opinion/solution as a "permaculture
solution" publicly.  In that way our effect is diluted, we are each just one
voice while parties with ridiculous solutions gain credibility through sheer
numbers.

There are many single issue parties throughout the world and in the
beginning we would need to influence thinking on those issues where we do
know our stuff and have almost universal agreement within the network.

In that way we can influence the Greens and other parties, and not split the
vote.

The PPP must not be modelled on other political parties although we have to
jump through the same legal set up hoops.  There does not need to be a
hierarchy but a system of interdependent roles, some of which may be
spokespeople.

So I say we should give political influence a try.  Start with one or two
issues, establish a system that fits our ethics and principles and seek some
sort of leadership in this process  from an individual or a group in the
process as we have done in every process in permaculture to this
point....not hierarchical but guiding.
Regards
Janet Millington