The human side of Permaculture, community, is the glue that holds everything together. That's why it is something I see as fundamental and, in many cases, the most important piece in Permaculture designs that involve other humans. It is also the most complex and the weakest link of the chain. Here in this blog post I would like to share with you two useful tools that we can choose to use that can help us navigate through this complexed and often over looked side of Permaculture: Non Violent Communication and mediation.
A simple way to really understand what Permaculture is by looking at the clear diagrams created by David Holmgren, the co-creator of Permaculture, in his book Permaculture principles and pathways beyond sustainability published in 2002. In his book, Holmgren lays out his 12 principles and the 'Permaculture flower'. Permaculture is a holistic design science. By looking at everything on the table we are in a better position to create balanced systems.
I find the Permaculture flower is one of the best tools for this. Over the 10 years I have been working with Permaculture I have seen how our designs can be much more relevant and useful if we address each petal of the flower. You could almost look at it as a checkbox to tick when creating designs. It is the health and spiritual well-being petal of the flower that I would like to explore here, the effect that we have on our environment.
Back when I was studying for my diploma in applied Permaculture design, I was learning about communities around the world. At that same time I was living at the Panya Project, a education center, example Permaculture site and international community in Thailand. There I experienced the joy of being part of a collective that is more than the sum of it’s parts. I also lived through the difficulties of living in community, when things become out of balance or when life throws up challenges.
I find the Permaculture flower is one of the best tools for this. Over the 10 years I have been working with Permaculture I have seen how our designs can be much more relevant and useful if we address each petal of the flower. You could almost look at it as a checkbox to tick when creating designs. It is the health and spiritual well-being petal of the flower that I would like to explore here, the effect that we have on our environment.
Back when I was studying for my diploma in applied Permaculture design, I was learning about communities around the world. At that same time I was living at the Panya Project, a education center, example Permaculture site and international community in Thailand. There I experienced the joy of being part of a collective that is more than the sum of it’s parts. I also lived through the difficulties of living in community, when things become out of balance or when life throws up challenges.
There are a couple of things that I would like to share with you here. The first is that 90% of the intentional communities of the 70's 'return to the land' movement fell apart before they got to ten years old. There where many reasons that caused this, but the main two were communication and financial challenges.
And here is where Non Violent Communication (NVC) comes in. Also described as 'compassionate or collaborative' communication, NVC offers a set of guidelines that can be a very useful tool to address these problems that most communities face.
Hand in hand with healthy communication, there is another common thread that weaves through the 10% that got past ten years: spirituality, of some sort or another. A belief in something greater. This takes many forms, but the point is there was something that bonded them together on a higher level and acted as a filter, something that helped guide their actions.
And here is where Non Violent Communication (NVC) comes in. Also described as 'compassionate or collaborative' communication, NVC offers a set of guidelines that can be a very useful tool to address these problems that most communities face.
Hand in hand with healthy communication, there is another common thread that weaves through the 10% that got past ten years: spirituality, of some sort or another. A belief in something greater. This takes many forms, but the point is there was something that bonded them together on a higher level and acted as a filter, something that helped guide their actions.
These realisations led me to learn about NVC and to continue to explore meditation. At the same time, I have observed more of an interest in these areas from the folks who come and take courses with me. I now integrate NVC and meditation into my courses because I believe it can be useful for others to be aware of these common challenges, and be empowered with tools that can help avoid these pitfalls.
I have heard the word freedom a lot over the years. To be really free it requires ownership and taking responsibility. From my experience, working with both of these practices can help us to cultivate a deeper connection to ourselves and others. Which leads to a more joyful and productive experience of life. Isn't
that what many of us want that in our lives?
Matt Prosser 13.03.2018
I have heard the word freedom a lot over the years. To be really free it requires ownership and taking responsibility. From my experience, working with both of these practices can help us to cultivate a deeper connection to ourselves and others. Which leads to a more joyful and productive experience of life. Isn't
that what many of us want that in our lives?
Matt Prosser 13.03.2018
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