The proposal of David is well known, is an update of the original proposal offered by himself, from the hand of Bill Mollison, in the late '70s, that converged in the emergence of permaculture and strongly influenced the subsequent development of the various political movements, social, scientific, academic ... etc., which call for a conscious design of actions and processes that maintain our lives. It also influenced and continues also betting on a re-formulation of man's relationship with the environment, with its resources, the company with his peers, with the native people, to history, to future generations. This transcends and oozing from the proposal of permaculture and all this is very present today. In what poses to PermaCultura as an international movement, is strategic activity David in recent years, especially taking into account the effect of this movement in the least developed countries and the prospect of development that has since south. Basically David stresses the importance of energy reduction design of our developed society scenarios toward creativity and integrated management, much more aware of our scale on the planet. The basic concept is derived from the proposal is to increase and improve our resilience (1) and envisioning a future with adequate preparation in all dimensions of our so-called sustainability.

Hundreds of projects scattered throughout the Americas, received the message from David and arranged their resources and energies to adapt and develop its proposal to the territories where they did their work. Synchronously and as a parallel linkage, since 2005 the movement of Cities in Transition (Transition Towns) (2) made its way from the UK, spreading his proposal conscious social organization. A design social, ecological and economic, creative and aware, which adopts the self-organization of social groups to get that resilience and re-adjust the processes of everyday life, from community management to the organization of education, economics transport, all for the achievement of a sustainable vision of a society with less energy expenditure. A more "slim", more healthy, just and ethically responsible to our paper to the next generations. Another percent of initiatives and projects in multiple places on the planet, have echoed the proposed Transitional today undertake to develop measures to transform their reality and their workspace.

Especially remarkable was the visit of David Holmgren to Chile. There, in the heart of the Bío-Bío, could realize the best of his proposal. Javiera Carrion and Cocks Hope, two young permaculturists full of energy and vitality, re-designed their lives and adjusted their reality space of the family farm Carrión family, with a commitment to implement an effective network of work and Transition. Since the visit of David, the Eco-Escuela El Manzano, has been the benchmark for learning and lives of hundreds of people, young enthusiasts, couples, children, Campese and activists from all disciplines, with each having drunk from the fountains of Permaculture and are committed to the development of it and applying its principles in their places of work and life.

The work from El Manzano and resulted in the creation of the Chilean Permaculture Institute, was an example of commitment and effort of individuals and groups in developing a network of activists and projects over a territory of more than 4000 kilometers long. Small and medium-sized initiatives, schools, farms, family farms, orchards, and learning support centers, but also courses, workshops, shared work experiences, encounters, parties, celebrations ... all have been made in record time, with an exemplary effectiveness and with renewed energy and full of illusion. From the Atacama Desert to the cloud forests in the region of Los Lagos, there have been dozens of initiatives that look in the mirror of permaculture and articulate proposals for change as decided for the Transition.

El Manzano has launched projects and has conducted a series of activities that, along the lines of the proposal of Cities in Transition, has won recognition and support of the Chilean state and has drawn the attention of many activists PermaCultura movement. The Manzano is defined as the unique, for the moment, proposed Transition in Latin America and works to keep your pulse in contact with other initiatives in Europe, Asia and North America. Different Design Certificate courses in permaculture, have trained people and have encouraged the establishment of working groups at local and regional bio. A group of designers and designers decided to prepare for the Diploma and work to replicate the formula of El Manzano in their territories.

A proposed collaboration with Gaia University (3), led to El Manzano to run as host of this educational institution from South America to design and implement activities and infrastructure to adequately develop their educational and academic proposal. Recently, Javiera and tap, along with his team of collaborating people have managed to collect back support from the National Environment Commission of the Chilean state, which together with support from the city of Cabrero, have approved the project: "Villa El Manzano in transition toward a sustainable future, creating resilience to change."

Typically, the last day of celebration of a Certificate course in Permaculture Design, held a farewell party. We present the designs of the various people involved in it and share music, theater and recreational activities. One thinks of the group's views, the place where the course is conducted and the territory where they are expected to design a new model of living. It is a time of maximum energy, excitement and happiness, a moment for reflection and a time for hope.

At dawn on Friday, 26 February 2010, there was a terrible earthquake in Chile, its epicenter was held just a few tens of kilometers from the Eco-Escuela El Manzano. The next Sunday the 28th Design Course concluded that this year brought together more than 40 people.

The paradox is cruel and destructive, fate, nature, development, comfort, security, progress, happiness ... everything has been quarantined in just over a minute. All Resilience of a country has a terrible review in seconds and all the energy, hope and excitement displayed by so many people and groups, more than ever need our support and solidarity. It seems that only through this terrible ordeal, the only way we can change the present situation and move toward a less cruel and inhumane.

What to say about Haiti, where even a handful of dry land is denied food, where human beings for decades if not centuries, doomed to abject misery. Where resource exploitation, slavery and death, are present as if history had not granted a truce. The earthquake revealed in Haiti and continues today highlighting the absolute failure of the economic, political and social. Unfortunately now these days are moving and you start to forget, depending on how the media change of territory, according to the "present" is primed with other populations and overlapping events like a soap opera.

In the Chilean electronic press Sunday feber 28, a journalist who does not quote, was allowed to comment on the concept of Resilience. In his reflection could glimpse a certain pride about how in Chile was better prepared for responding to an earthquake of that magnitude, 50 or 100 times more destructive than that of Haiti. If we were to put a Chilean Resilience index compared to that of Haiti could dance numbers up not agree, perhaps thousands of lives depend on more or less, or as many or few infrastructure. Personally I think it does not matter, the answer is only the power of evil called development against forgetfulness and neglect of the poor. The misery is the same and the identity of the man is naked in front of death and desolation, depending on social status or the money you have or you can provide one. In this balance, it is clear that Chile "wins" and Haiti and began losing the match.

In Chile it open season again, disproportionate to the attack of transnational corporations, almost all Spanish, to the business of reconstruction. In Haiti, not to mention, although he probably hide this whole process and be subject to even more subjugate its people, to the domination of political and economic structures of the Empire.

On my recent trip to Chile I could see the reality of El Manzano live and felt his energy, warmth and vitality. I was able to share insights to assist in their work and have my own reality viewing live and on the ground there in the heart of that land. I dreamed of helping to improve the resilience of these communities and I thought that was possible, for once, to establish a conscious and orderly process to transition to a sustainable future. Perhaps the rescue of the cosmology of the native peoples of those lands could be a reference of balance, coherence and social equality.

But I have seen the reality of Chilean society, based on the actual copy of the model of neo-liberal economy based on credit and infinite development. A copy of our worst faults as a global society, adapted to a land still fertile, full of resources and a cheerful and hardworking ordinary people. A subjugated people for political power, established under the powerful and the multinationals. An area of nature and life, constantly attacked and subjected to forget his Indian past and only look to the West as having complex. These days, I could live and in person suffer uncertainty and concern for some loved ones after the earthquake. At the time of this writing that there is no news yet of the Manzano and probably the scenario that stated at the beginning of the text will no longer be beaten. Will be conditioned by a much harsher reality and a future full of uncertainties.

In my short experience in permaculture design in recent years, I have found again and again the need for strategic thinking, increasingly oriented to design emergency scenarios, conflicts and constant change. It seems that it is not possible to exercise a conscious design, planned and can be reasonably assessed. Increasingly, it becomes necessary a very flexible attitude and emotionally prepared for the worst in each case. Maybe it should not be so, but it seems that there is no time for things and according to this visit we hit emergencies and disasters.

I send my best wishes to the multitude who have experienced disruption in their lives is so strong that have experienced this terrible present, in Haiti and Chile. It also launched a voiceless scream to heaven to the darkness, evil and misery of mankind, be forever banished. I await with hope the Pachacuti, in the belief that the Light will prevail and that people who have left have their fair value and remember. I also express my renewed commitment and determined more than ever, to support these initiatives that promote change and I want to share with all of you so you can be open and conscious reflection.

Sending a heartfelt remembrance to all the people from so many places in Chile that are working for the development of permaculture and I invite you not to faint. The strength and energy is the fuel of the brave. Women and men in Chile and Haiti have quite a hard work, perhaps better resilience to some, perhaps more so to others, just like energy and strength to all.

With the cry of Peace of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence Peace Force and Joy. ! With the war cry of the Mapuche Nation Marrichiweu! A hundred times win.

Antonio Palma

Apprentice Permacultor

(1) Resilience:
The word resilience is derived from the Latin verb resilio the word out and that means to go back, highlight or bounce. This is the property of a material that allows him to return to its original shape after being bent, stretched or compressed. Physical Sciences: the amount of energy per unit volume that a material can absorb before it starts the irreversible deformation, ie plastic deformation. The term resilience refers to a particular quality of a physical object. Resilience is a characteristic of a material that allows resuming its original shape or position after being put under a force.

In Biology: defined as the ability to recover quickly from illness or natural disaster. The resilient creatures can live well in difficult situations according to their adaptation to the ecosystem and the changes that occur in it. In Ecology: A measure of the ability or capacity of an ecosystem to absorb environmental stress without changing its characteristic ecological patterns, this implies the system's ability to reorganize under environmental stress and to establish alternative energy flows remain stable without severe disturbances, with only minor modifications in its structure thus illustrates the resilience of natural systems ability to recover to the adverse effect caused by the action of man or nature itself. Community Resilience: Ability to have had populations of some communities to resist, survive and rebuild after suffering destructive aggressions.

(2) Cities in Transition: Transition Handbook www.transitiontowns.orgThe Rob Hopkins Green Books, 2008 http://transitiontowns.org/TransitionNetwork/TransitionCommunities, List of communities adhering to the Network of Transition Initiatives and http:/ / transitiontowns.org / TransitionNetwork / http://transitiontowns.org/TransitionNetwork/TransitionNetwork # first. Guide to the Network of People in Transition "to explain the formation of a Transition Initiative. http://totnes.transitionnetwork.org is the site of the first initiative of people in transition, the town of Totnes in the south of England.

(3) Universidad Gaia: http://www.gaiauniversity.org/english/