buylotrogold

An important think piece  on the social and moral dimensions of Transition and  Permaculture Linda _http://www.energybulletin.net/49867_ (http://www.energybulletin.net/49867) Transition culture, social tolerance and moral  courage Why permaculture activists must work for human rights and  social justice By Lisa Rayner Permaculture began as a foresighted response to the needs  of energy descent. Initially, permaculturalists focused on food production. As  the movement has evolved, it has begun to merge with the Transition Culture  movement. There is an emerging awareness of the social side of descent culture  among permaculture activists. Transition Culture spurns individualist  survivalism and emphasizes the need for neighbors to work together to make our   communities more resilient. The Transition movement is rooted in community.   As high-energy societies like ours descend from the peak  and experience accelerating levels of economic and political instability, we are  at risk of losing centuries-worth of human rights gains. It’s a well-known fact  that resource scarcity leads to conflict and the mass migration of refugees,   which in turn have an unfortunate tendency to inflame xenophobic,   in-group/out-group tendencies in human nature, with a resultant scapegoating and   persecution of minorities. Permaculture is well-suited to take on the mantle of  human rights in the Transition Era. Permaculture ethics include “Care of People”  and “Share the Surplus,” which encompass the psychological, social, political  and economic dimensions of human life. Permaculturalists have an opportunity to  bring to the table new approaches to social justice issues. Permaculture   practitioners value diversity and the opportunity to work with the inherent   characteristics of all living beings. We understand that to impose conformity is   to work against nature. We also know that each function is supported by many   (diverse) elements, and that there is much creativity to be found in the   principle that the problem (of diversity) is the solution. Just as the time is now to implement core permaculture  strategies such as creating soil, planting trees and building water catchments,  it’s also the time to work on repairing human relationships at the community  level. Ideally, these elements ought to be in place before a local crisis  occurs. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 demonstrates the chaos and  suffering that can happen when a community lacks such social  resiliency. As we work to make our communities thriving places full  of food forests and restored wild landscapes, I want to ensure that all the  people who live in those places experience freedom and equality. My vision for  the future does not include feudalism, warlords, slavery, pogroms or  witch-burnings. I fear a return to a world in which women lack control over  their bodies and lives, and where religious, ethnic and sexual minorities are  socially shunned, economically marginalized or at risk of physical  violence. My fear is not an abstract concept _base_d on news reports  or the academic study of human history. It stems from multiple experiences of  exclusion, intolerance, and emotional, physical and sexual abuse. I’m a  bisexual, atheist woman who stutters. Throughout my school years, I was the  target of ostracization and bullying by my peers. I endured years of daily fear  and depression and survived two suicide attempts when I was 18. As an adult, I   survived sexual assault and domestic violence. I will live with post traumatic   stress disorder for the rest of my life. As a permaculture practitioner, my   vision for the future includes me, as well as others who know what it’s like to  be a target of victimization and exclusion. Because of the experiences I have  lived through, I know that my work to establish a working local food system and  a relocalized economy is not enough. I also volunteer my time working for  expanded human and civil rights.   Our debt to the  Enlightenment Despite the downsides of the European Enlightenment, such  as extreme individualism and global capitalism’s valuation of monetary gain for  a fortunate few at the expense of exploited peoples and ecosystems, the  Enlightenment also brought good developments for much of humanity, most notably  a belief in cosmopolitanism