Conferences with links to Facebook threads:
B) The Fierce Feminine
C) The Importance of Male Allies
D) Action Learning
International PermaCulture Day
Why?
Because in addition to being International PC Day...
Because in addition to being International PC Day...
- Mothers' Day falls in May in most countries that celebrate it
- Earth Day has been allocated to the 22nd of April but we think the Mother of all of us deserves at least a month-long celebration
- Maia is one of the names of the Great Mother Goddess (In ancient Roman religion and myth, Maia embodied the concept of growth)
- May Day is a traditional spring/summer celebration in Europe, often featuring the May Queen which is one personification of the Life Force
- And because it's high time that we CELEBRATE the contribution of women in Permaculture, Great Mothers of Invention!
How?
We will show-case the work of some of our Permaculture Diploma students throughout May, and also launch some conferences on women & Permaculture - traditionally, International PC day is celebrated with strolls through Permaculture gardens everywhere, so we thought we'd invite you for strolls through the lives of some Permaculture designers, and also through some of the lesser known territories we explore in Integral PermaCulture.
To join us,
you can simply see each stroll or conference
in the the Integral PermaCulture Facebook group,
you can simply see each stroll or conference
in the the Integral PermaCulture Facebook group,
and join our Mailing List to receive times & dates of the live events
And the rest of this newsletter is about some of the work we're doing in developing the Social and Abstract components essential for good holistic design that are often not so well designed in 'conventional' permaculture, because of the 'traditional' absence of widely recognized women pioneers in Permaculture - as we argue in the article on "What is Integral Permaculture"
Designing Invisible Structures
One part of the Integral Model that is critical for the foundation of Integral Permaculture is represented by this diagram of the four quadrants, which emphasizes the importance of always remembering that the internal structures of a design (left-side quadrants) are as important as the external elements (right-side quadrans), and totally inter-connected with each other, in the same way that the individual (quadrants above) and collective (quadrants below) structures are, also.
And practice demonstrates it
- in our work we keep finding in supporting people in transition that it is nearly impossible for anyone to try to make real changes in our "outside world" projects
(external quadrants - whether restoring an ecosystem, creating a business or enriching our family or community)
if we don't also work on re-designing our internal lives and beliefs, or if we keep being surrounded by people who don't share our most basic values.
We have to re-design at all levels - and this often works better if we do everything at once (and, ironically, it's even easier that way) .
People in Transition
People in transition are the hope for the future: they are the many people who are thinking on how to change their life and actions so that they are more coherent with their values, but who also are often afraid to leave a job that doesn't fulfill them or unable to get out of unemployment and have the courage to take the first step to build something that fulfills them (because they don't have enough information or support in creating new habits), like launching their own micro-business, going to live closer to Nature, or taking leadership in a transition project. 
Many more are included in the action learning courses that we have been offering for a while, and also in the Integral PermaCulture Designer's Manual, which now has a growing number of pages with discussion threads in our Facebook Group, where anyone can add interesting materials about each topic, and also discuss the contents.
Living within the destructo-culture,
we are pushed to abandon our greatest dreams and let ourselves be dragged by the system's current. Many of the people who are attracted by Permaculture are youngsters who oppose that current, or who are waking up from going every day to a job that doesn't fulfill them, or frustrated and trapped in unemployment after years of studying.
And the most important design we can possibly develop is without a doubt our lives - but we rarely think of applying the Permaculture design tools to these invisible structures, even those that are very big and primary, although it's very effective when we do.
So we are delighted to present you with
"Integral Permaculture Life Design".
In one of the first courses of the Academy (in 2004), a bank manager (in transition) who participated told us that he was very surprised and excited about us including Covey's Habits in our curriculum, in the People Care module.
And in fact we included it in our courses because it's a classic manual for personal empowerment used for decades in small and big businesses and in professional coaching programs, and it has a very permacultural content - even though in alternative communities it hasn't been traditionally recognized, it is an extraordinary tool and very aligned with the design techniques, values and ethics of Integral Permaculture.
It was Carolina, one of our new students in the Diploma program,
who decided to take as a personal challenge (and action-learning exercise, in one of her course's practical designs) the task of facilitating a study circle on Covey's Habits.
¡Thank you so much Carolina for your initiative!
Juan, another diploma student, was the one who inspired the creation of the Men's Support Group that has been working within the Academy from January, as he had already facilitated men's groups in Spain.
For women it's impotant to know that we have great allies in the men who choose to be more conscious of the mechanics of oppression, so we have designed Women and Men Circles to work in parallel and get together to share our insights and challenges.
Designing your Life
Through many years of teaching Integral Permaculture, especially the most advanced parts of the complete curriculum
(Option C and above), we have seen the effectiveness and transformational capacity that having good design tools brings us, especially to help us find our personal life mission (because even when we identify as Permaculture designers, we sometimes have a hard time in finding our particular niche, especially because conventional permaculture is, in some aspects, limiting).
That's why, in the Academy's courses we have helped many students in their transition by facilitating them the different support structures & tools that we have available when they actually need them (most are in the e-book, but it's much quicker when a mentor can point you to the ones you actually need at the right time!)
So in order to also support the people in transition who are not doing the iPDC courses, as we can't walk besides them and offer them tools continuously in our private support groups, we are creating an on-line walkthrough (in the form of a minicourse) with these tools, so that each person can have them available to use when they need them).
So we are delighted to present you with "Integral Permaculture Life Design".
This course will provide you with a selection of design tools we teach in the full Integral Permaculture Design certificate course that are useful for the task of designing the most important 'invisible structure' you will ever create: your own life.
It is a course designed to un-block anything that might be getting in the way of you bringing the fullness of your gifts & talents to the world, and clarify your way.
"There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time. This expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it.
It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open."
If you want more information about the course and how to enroll, join us in the IPCLifeDesign Facebook group.
Covey's Habits
In one of the first courses of the Academy (in 2004), a bank manager (in transition) who participated told us that he was very surprised and excited about us including Covey's Habits in our curriculum, in the People Care module.
We started by encouraging her to create a presential circle in the city where she lived, in Italy, but through a few months, and with the help of various tools from the course, she started to clarify her values and vision while she reconsidered some aspects of her life. The result of this was a dramatic change of direction: she returned to her home country, Spain, & start doing many things more aligned with her vision. That's why she finally decided to facilitate the Covey's Habits support group online and offer it to the other students in the Academy.
This study circle on the 7 Habits started in February, studying a habit each month, and we have a discussion thread about this here in the spanish Integral PermaCulture FB group, which is also open to (spanish-speaking) people who are not in the Academy, so if you want you can join at any moment and explore with us how we can face daily challenges in a more pro-active and conscious way, and re-design our lives with the support of more people who are doing the same.
¡Thank you so much Carolina for your initiative!
Some of our english-speaking students are thinking of making this also available in english soon, so if you're interested in participating, let us know here in the english FB group.
Women and Men Groups
Juan, another diploma student, was the one who inspired the creation of the Men's Support Group that has been working within the Academy from January, as he had already facilitated men's groups in Spain.
And we celebrated Women's Day 2016 by launching this series of materials for study groups where we can encourage and support all people who want to truly fight for justice and equality, because doing this requires us to challenge a lot of limitations we hold without realizing - and it's much more effective (and fun) if we do it together. You can enroll for free in the FB Group "Integral WomanNet" - also open to interested men!
For women it's impotant to know that we have great allies in the men who choose to be more conscious of the mechanics of oppression, so we have designed Women and Men Circles to work in parallel and get together to share our insights and challenges.
See integralwoman.org, a resource we have been working on now for several years (under continuous construction)
And this is also part of a global movement
formed by various groups of people in many parts of the planet, united against oppresion, to which we have added our point in order to join the movement.
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