Supporters
and opponents of Operation Enduring Freedom have one
thing in common. They want to stop the war, either
"as soon as we catch the terrorists" or
"NOW!"
The question is: And then what?
Will we return to life as usual and continue down the
same old path of "peace through military
strength?" Or will we consider nonviolent
alternatives, even change "our way of life"
if that's what it takes to find peace?
During this time of national reflection, we invite
people to learn about "Permaculture," an
ethics-based, ecological design process for living
cooperatively and sustainably on Earth. In San Diego,
California, we've been exploring the link between
peace and permaculture since 1999, when the San Diego
Economic Conversion Council adopted the San Diego
Permaculture Center as a new project. We began
promoting the concept of Permaculture as a holistic
strategy for converting San Diego's
military-dependent economy to a sustainable one.
As it turns out, peace and permaculture have always
been linked. The concept of Permaculture was
developed during the 1970s and 80s when the world was
engaged in the Cold War and a deadly nuclear arms
race. In Permaculture: A Designers' Manual,
Australian author Bill Mollison wrote about the
times: "Most thinking people would agree that we
have arrived at final and irrevocable decisions that
will abolish or sustain life on this earth. We can
either ignore the madness of uncontrolled industrial
growth and defence spending that is in small bites,
or large catastrophes, eroding life forms every day,
or take the path to life and survival."
What does permaculture offer to those seeking a more
just and peaceful world? Here's a short list:
- Permaculture
is a positive alternative to a destructive
way of life.
- It is a
proactive strategy that starts with taking
responsibility for the kind of world we leave
future generations.
- It is
guided by three simple, yet profound, ethics:
1) Care for the Earth, 2) Care for the
People, and 3) Share the Surplus.
- It is
grounded in cooperation and ecological
principles that have sustained abundant life
on Earth for thousands of years.
- It
focuses on promoting local self-reliance
instead of exploitative globalization.
- It is
already being practiced by thousands of
people around the world who are choosing to
learn how to live sustain ably.
Applying
permaculture ethics and principles to our global
relationships would go a long way toward creating a
more just and peaceful world. In the current
conflict, for example, all sides should recognize and
take responsibility for their role in creating the
conflict, including U.S. dependence on oil and the
military forces we maintain to secure access to oil.
This policy must be recognized as unethical, that is,
it does not genuinely care for the Earth or the
People, and the surplus generated by the exchange is
certainly not shared equitably. We can change this
way of life by learning how to live with the abundant
solar power provided daily on Planet Earth.
As people reflect on the root causes of terrorism,
many are recognizing that poverty and suffering are
at the root of instability in the world. Applying
permaculture ethics to this reality means that we as
a people take responsibility for our role in this
inequitable system. We recognize that deprivation is
unethical, and we act to replace policies of scarcity
with practices like permaculture that work with
natural systems to create abundance for all.
In the months ahead, the search for peace will
continue. The path of "peace through
permaculture" offers a more hopeful solution
than "peace through military strength." We
encourage people to learn more about permaculture and
join us on the path to a sustainable way of life.
Marcia Boruta
is Director of the San Diego Permaculture Center
which is currently offering classes throughout the
county and promoting school gardens and neighborhood
"sustainability circles." Contact sdecc@igc.org; www.igc.org/sdecc or
phone (619) 298-8879, fax (619) 298-2298.
