[Pil-pc-oceania] A Pattern to mimic/Design Methodology required

[Terry Leahy]

Hi all,  I am not sure that you can really specify the kinds of systems that can work in any general way (as Bill attempts in chapter 14).  My own view is that what all these attempts (and more recent ideas such as transition towns) have in common is that they are some kind of hybrid between capitalism and the gift economy.  These are in a sense two ideal types of social system that have certain features.  In the present period (prior to a probable major change in social organisation) what we get is mixtures of these two systems which are the means by which social change is moved forwards.  The gift economy represents what society would be like if the vast majority were operating according to the ethical principles of permaculture.  The hybrids represent the kinds of accommodations and partially reformed structures that we have to set up now to advance these ideals in a context where the vast majority of social institutions work according to the principles of capitalism.   


I go into these issues in a fair bit of detail on my website.  http://gifteconomy.octapod.org/ .  Probably the most relevant article is "Anarchist strategies" and especially the second half of that, where I talk about hybrids.  Do not be put off by the title, it is not anarchism as you have probably heard about it!   

Cheers,

Terry

>>> ian lillington <ian at masg.org.au> Tuesday, 8 April 2008 11:10 am >>>
Hi Lawrence, Russ and everyone

The last chapter {#14} of the designers' manual is an interesting essay on this subject,
tho needs updating as it is 20 years old.  Over a number of conversations in the 1990s,
I discussed the idea of permaculture people needing to take chapter 14 and 'flesh it
out' - which some have done in their own ways, but it's not been a coherent [or at least
not very visible process] to me. The APC8 and 9 organisers, in using small groups of 2
or three [troikas] as the main building blocks were taking a leaf from that book

I believe that if permaculture is to have more impact, it does need more focus on the
structures and processes (people stuff) as well as the land-based stuff.  If
permaculture design has NOT reached its limits, I feel the new work [new edges] are in
this area, because [although we could wish for much more of it], permaculture has
proven, demonstrated solutions to [almost] every land-based challenge.  

The people stuff may well be driven, in richer countries, only by fossil fuel becoming
much less available - something that really concentrates the mind and the action....i
liked the review of Albert bates book - thanks Fern.   Seems I will finally have time to
learn to knit.

Ian


-----Original Message-----
From: pil-pc-oceania-bounces at lists.permacultureinternational.org 
[mailto:pil-pc-oceania-bounces at lists.permacultureinternational.org] On Behalf Of
RussGrayson
Sent: Monday, 7 April 2008 3:27 PM
To: pil
Subject: Re: [Pil-pc-oceania] PC Organisation:- A Pattern to mimic/Design Methodology
required

Hi Laurence...
I've seen little conscious design applied to the formation of community
associations. What seems to 


snip

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