Permaculture Meets Mozambique
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, Land, Project Positions, Village Development — by Lily Bunker December 14, 2012
In an isolated corner of northern Mozambique great things are being done. A demonstration farm run by the Manda Wilderness Agricultural Project, an offshoot of a local trust organization and set in the picturesque region of Manda Wilderness, is held together by the efforts by five local staff and an occasional international volunteer. The farm acts as a platform for teaching villagers agricultural techniques and serves as an experimentation ground for testing new farming methods and yielding a new variety of crops.
I came to Manda Wilderness in early October as a volunteer, and was immediately impressed by the scale of the farm and the commitment of the staff. After working on other projects within the sixteen communities of the Manda Wilderness region, I have recently spent my time working directly at the farm, developing projects based on methods of permaculture with other volunteers as we strive to increase the farm yield in sustainable and efficient ways.
Comments (3)Employment Opportunities with the Caribbean Permaculture Research Institute (CPRI)
Project Positions — by Lorraine Ciarallo November 19, 2012
The Master Plan for the Caribbean Permaculture Research Institute (CPRI) has been endorsed by PRI Australia, and the Agricultural Ministry of Barbados, but now it needs to assemble a dynamic PRI team in order to make it materialize.
Comments (3)Nepal – An Opportunity for Regeneration
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, Project Positions, Society, Village Development — by Ben Humphrey August 2, 2012
The Annapurna Range from the beautiful Pokhara Valley,
the future site of MVEF
For two months in late 2010 I had the pleasure of volunteering with the Sustainable Agriculture Development Program of Nepal (SADP). Situated in an ‘off the beaten track’ valley of Central Nepal, the demonstration farm is surrounded by unreal beauty, including the very prominent Manaslu Massif (group of Himalayan mountains) of the main Himalayan Range, alongside another range visible from the Valley which marks the border of Nepal and Tibet. Many late afternoons were spent watching these Himalayan ranges turn from brilliant white, to orange to vibrant pink as the sun set – something that should be on everyone’s ‘bucket list’. The terraced fields found throughout Asia flank the floor and sides of the valley, and the tops of the valley are largely forested – a source of timber for the community and invaluable habitat for illusive animals that call it home — leopards and possibly the odd tiger included (but that’s a story for another time).
Comments (0)Robert Burns’ TEDx Talk and His WWOOFing Experience at Zaytuna Farm
Compost, Project Positions, Rehabilitation, Soil Biology, Working Animals — by Robert Burns February 25, 2012
Aloha. This is an introduction to my TEDx talk and my WWOOFing experience here at the PRI’s Zaytuna Farm at The Channon, NSW, Australia.
I came here the day after Christmas 2011. I knew about Geoff Lawton and Zaytuna Farm from my time in Hawaii on an organic, educational farm there where I had seen the DVDs on permaculture that Geoff had made. I wanted to see what permaculture was all about. I had had an introduction to it there and so I ventured out. In my TEDx talk I mention going on a journey and it led me here to this permaculture farm and it is a wonderful experience. This has mostly been due to the people I have met here, the students/interns and the food is incredible. I tell everybody I am here for the food and chef Ish and chef Tee do a fantastic job.
Comments (6)Why Would You Attend the PRI’s Teacher Training Course?
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, Project Positions — by Samuel Bonello February 15, 2012
In November of 2011 I was participating in a class as a student at the PRI’s Zaytuna Farm in NSW, Australia. It was the PDC Teacher Training Course taught by Geoff and Nadia Lawton. Five weeks later my wife and I were on a plane to Yemen to assist in teaching a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) Course.
Comments (2)Bustan Qaraaqa, West Bank, Seeks Two Permaculture Interns
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Project Positions — by Alice Gray February 2, 2012
Bustan Qaraaqa is a community permaculture project in the Palestinian West Bank. The project consists of an experimental permaculture farm in the town of Beit Sahour close to the historic city of Bethlehem, and several community projects where staff and volunteers work together with Palestinian community groups and individuals to implement permaculture initiatives that have been tried and tested at the farm.
The project has been in operation for almost 4 years now, and as well as building a functioning and attractive permaculture centre for staff and volunteers to live in, we have built up a great network of local partners and become a local landmark in our host town.
In fact, things are going so well that we are feeling the need to extend our team to cope with the workload that we now have. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a cutting edge permaculture project in a fascinating country – ideal for anyone who wants to build up their practical experience.
Comments (4)Call for Volunteers – Regional Permaculture Conference and Convergence in Turkey
Conferences, Courses/Workshops, Project Positions, Social Gatherings — by Dijan Albayrak January 25, 2012
The Permaculture Research Institute Turkey is planning to host three prominent events in summer 2012. First a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course will be organized in Istanbul on 30 June — 12 July, 2012; held by two legendary trainers, Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton. Following the PDC, a Regional Permaculture Conference will take place in Istanbul on the 14th of July. Last but not least the PIT would like to welcome you at its field practice venue; Marmariç village in Izmir, for the Regional Permaculture Convergence – the Mediterranean, Balkans Caucasus and Middle East.
This open call aims to inform you about these events and to form an international prep team for the preparations.
Below, further explanations are provided about the events. We wanted to reach out to a group of existing contacts of the institute, in order to ask for your support. We look for volunteers who would like to join our International Prep Team (IPT).
Comments (2)Vacancies at Stockholm Resilience Centre
Aid Projects, Project Positions — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor November 30, 2011
One of our readers sent this through — I thought I’d post it, as anything we can do to help capable permies get financed to continue their permaculture evangelisation is good for us all.
I don’t know more than what the website says, so will just leave you with the link. If neither of these two positions are suitable for you, perhaps you know someone who would fit the brief?
Comments (0)Post-doctoral on impacts of water harvesting adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa
The centre is seeking to recruit a post-doc for a project on in "Potential water resources and environmental impacts of smallholder water harvesting adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa". Application deadline 3 December 2011.
Post-doctoral on water harvesting in Sub-Saharan Africa
Stockholm Resilience Centre is seeking to recruit a post-doc in "System analysis of drivers for change of water harvesting adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa". Application deadline 3 December 2011.
Are You Interested in Taking Up a Position on a Permaculture Aid Project?
Aid Projects, Courses/Workshops, Project Positions — by Bonnie Freibergs November 2, 2011
Photo © Craig Mackintosh
Fast track your career by taking the Permaculture Project Aid Worker course starting the 28th of November at Zaytuna Farm. It is taught by Geoff and Nadia Lawton who have positioned people in Samoa, Tonga, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Tanzania, Jordan, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, Afghanistan, Kenya & Chile with more countries coming online all the time. Positions within these projects fall into the following three categories: Project Farm Managers, Project Teachers & Project Administrators. They are challenging, engaging and always rewarding experiences.
Geoff’s own Permaculture career was ignited from Project Aid work. Since then he has taught hundreds of PDCs in over 30 countries, established demonstration sites all over the world and established the Permaculture Research Institute, which is now being adapted for demonstration sites world wide (PRI USA, PRI Kenya, PRI Chile, PRI Turkey, PRI Canada, PRI Arabia, PRI Ethiopia, etc.).
This Project Aid Worker course lasts for five days and bookings can be made through the website here, and enquiries via email at education (at) permaculturenews.org or by phone on +61 (0)419 741 358.
Comments (5)Ethiopia’s Strawberry Fields Eco-Lodge – A Call for Participation
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, Project Positions — by Alex McCausland October 28, 2011
Permaculture in Ethiopia stands on the edge of a sea of possibilities. This is a virgin land. The mighty plains of Abyssinia rise out of the Eastern Sahara, to become rolling fertile uplands, worked by farmers in the primeval mode that the modern westerner can only dream about nowadays, caricatured by the Shire in Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. It is a land where people live in little circular grass-roofed huts and make hay stacks with wooden pitch forks to feed their cattle through the dry season. They plough the deep fertile soils with oxen and sow a variety of crops, of which their most beloved is their own indigenous endemic grain t’eff, used to make the national staple food, injera.
Comments (5)Looking at the Urban Permaculture Landscape Design Course at Zaytuna Farm
Aid Projects, Commercial Farm Projects, Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Project Positions, Urban Projects — by Nick Huggins September 6, 2011
In June, students underwent the PRI’s first Urban Landscape Design Course which aimed at formulating the skills required to successfully transfer the theoretical knowledge of Permaculture into a professional, efficient and effective small business operation. The course was an intensive 5-day, 12hr per day immersion into the world of professional consultancy and project management. The course offered students hands-on experience with a design project, building skills that can be translated into other areas such as aid work or paid work in either urban or rural environments, or even taking away the practical experience to better develop your own place.
Comments (30)The Business of Consultation – David Spicer & Nick Huggins Out on the Job
Commercial Farm Projects, Courses/Workshops, Energy Systems, Land, Project Positions, Retrofitting, Waste Systems & Recycling — by Nick Huggins July 22, 2011
by Nick Huggins
I just purchased a farm in the New South Wales Southern Tablelands, 30min south of Goulburn and 50min east of Canberra, the Australian Capital, and a good friend of mine and of permaculture, David Spicer, has set his sights on the development of his consultancy business in the town of Tumut at the base of the Snowy Mountains, NSW. In moving to a new bio-region there is also an element of adjustment and making yourself known to the good people within it. As such, David and I have set ourselves individual goals that overlap so that we can both compliment each other’s skill sets to take permaculture to our wider communities.
Comments (7)Observations on Permaculture Aid and the PRI’s Project Aid Worker Training Course
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Consumerism, Courses/Workshops, Ethical Investment, Food Shortages, People Systems, Project Positions, Society, Village Development — by Steve Grace May 27, 2011
Interns at PRI’s Zaytuna Farm
There are few things in this life as disturbing as the suffering of another human being. Perhaps one might be the fact that we the privileged have become so desensitised to it, so selfishly removed into our own little worlds of such great importance. Is it not the responsibility of the privileged to ensure the basic elements of survival are provided for those less fortunate than ourselves? How can we continue to spoil ourselves with riches, when the knowledge of another’s pain is so obviously clear?
Comments (6)IT Volunteer Wanted for Web Application Development at HEPA, Vietnam
Aid Projects, Project Positions — by Marty Miller-Crispe May 19, 2011
Photo © Craig Mackintosh
The Social Policy and Ecology Research Institute (SPERI) located in Vietnam is seeking a volunteer to live and work at the Human Ecology Practice Area (HEPA), located in a beautiful rainforest south west of Hanoi, close to the Laos border.
Comments (1)Why You Should Grow and Produce Your Own Food
Consumerism, Project Positions — by Elisabeth Fekonia April 14, 2011
There is a definite trend for people to question the quality of shop bought food — that is, food grown with chemical inputs. Younger mothers of small children, in particular, are getting very conscious of the chemical residues, low nutritional status and additives in our modern ‘food’. There certainly is a growing realization out there that only organic food should be put on the dinner table to ensure that children will grow up strong, healthy, smart so they can reach their full potential.
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