Getting Started in Permaculture (Español)

As we develop the Chilean branch of the Permaculture Research Institute, assiting people and communities to self organise for sustainability, we find ourselves working more and more in intensive design conversations. We are learning clearly that dreaming together is the first step, that by standing beside colleagues in conspiracy to design, we make sense together. Our consciousness is raised, and we can move on with a higher level of intention. What follows is a story from Enrique, participant in the a new community project Milenrama in the 5th region of Chile.

Rose's eyes that day seemed even bluer and more expectant than usual. And whats more none of the six of us, much less for her as manager of the Milenrama project, this was an ordinary day. Quite the contrary, it was perhaps for all of us the first day of the rest of our lives, and we were eager to start living it.

About noon we sat around the living room of the house hosting the center and were about to paying attention to Javi and Grifen, loving our two experts imported directly from the Transition village of El Manzano (Cabrero region del Biobio) and responsible for facilitating the first day of consulting and permaculture design course for Milenrama. True!. We all love that word "permaculture", and it sounded perfect with the idea of creating a sustainable eco-community, but - as we say - until that moment we understood little about the issue.

From flip charts, role plays, organic juice, oatmeal cookies and even a little energy renewing collective nap after lunch, we understood that permaculture, beyond conscious design involve a physical space, begins with the conscious design relations of the people who are involved, or of ourselves as a community.

Thus, for 7 hours, Javiera and Grfens gave us the opportunity to ask questions fundamental to know when more as individuals and as a group. What did we expect each of this project, what favored us as a group to undertake this project? Or what we're passionate about it? were some of them, and the responses that were surfacing made us look in each other deep into her eyes, speak with your heart and listen with respectful attention, but reminding us that as we gathered a mutual interest in the land, we should not forget always retain the feet in it.

We all Speak. And we changed opinions or, rather, supplement, because despite our age differences, stages of life, occupations and histories, discover with pleasure that we are also a group of people as diverse as related spontaneously. So what for the start of the day was shaping up as the challenge of transforming 82 hectares of native flora Mantagua in the closest thing to the ecological community and permaculture to live our dreams, for when the sun went down and had taken a turn much more than that. We understood also beginning to be family and from that evening we had to begin to relate as such.

It was a long day, good way, too exhausting. But it is positive because the 6 most happy to finish what we started, and the fruit of our community first agreement under the arm, the definition of our purpose: to live simply in harmony with the earth and the universe, ecologically self-sustaining and a place that enhances the development of loving people.
centromilenrama@gmail.com / www.milenrama.cl" onmouseover="this.style.backgroundColor='#ebeff9'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='#fff'">