Project place: Vukomeric, Croatia
Project dates: 17th – 29th October 2017
Application deadline: URGENT!
ABOUT THE PROJECT
This training course is part of 3peas – Permaculture as a path to peace project supported by Erasmus+ program of the EU.
WHAT IS PERMACULTURE?
“Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system.” Bill Mollison
Permaculture was created in the 1970’s by Bill Mollison, an Australian ecologist and University of Tasmania professor. He had spent many years out in nature as a wildlife biologist observing how natural systems work and became very distressed at the destruction that he saw going on around him. He decided that instead of being angry about what was happening and reacting against the destruction he wanted to work on creating a positive solution And he thought the solution would be living based on the patterns he had observed in nature.
Permaculture integrates land, resources, people and the environment through mutually beneficial synergies – imitating the no waste, closed loop systems seen in diverse natural systems. Permaculture studies and applies holistic solutions that are applicable in rural and urban contexts at any scale. It is a multidisciplinary toolbox including agriculture, water harvesting and hydrology, energy, natural building, forestry, waste management, animal systems, aquaculture, appropriate technology, economics and community development.
WHAT IS PDC?
Permaculture Design Certificate course is a 72 hour training experience. Participants who complete the full curriculum earn the internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certificate. It provides an introduction to permaculture design as set forth by the movement’s co-founder Bill Mollison.
The course covers sustainable living systems for a wide variety of landscapes and climates. It includes the application of permaculture principles to food production, home design & construction, energy conservation and generation, and explores the social and economic structures that support a culture that cares for the planet and all its inhabitants.
The main topics of this PDC will be the following:
- the state of society and the environment, and what is permaculture
- permaculture ethics and principles
- soil analysis and soil quality improvement, composting, composting teas, malching
- reading landscapes, plant communities and succession
- growing of food in permaculture – gardening, farms, forest gardens, animals
- water – water in the landscape, water collection, purification and recycling of wastewater
- energy in Permaculture – efficiency and simple passive technology, and renewable solutions (sun, wind, biomass …)
- sustainable construction – efficient construction of natural materials
- urban permaculture – how to maximize the use of small farms for growing food in the city
- society and community – sustainable communities, participatory decisions, alternative and solidarity economies, Transition Movement
- permaculture design techniques
- practical design exercise – the last three days of the course, the participants create a permaculture design for the projects of their choice
PARTICIPANTS PROFILE:
- active members of partner organizations or their local groups,
- very interested in permaculture, but
- also very interested in building of just and fair society and non-formal education,
- motivated to organize follow up activities within SCI programs (workcamps, workshops, training, etc),
- ready to get out of the comfort zone, to share living space with 24 other people,
- ready and willing to share daily tasks for house maintaining, cleaning and so forth,
- ready to travel by environmentally friendly means of transport and to eat environmentally friendly food for 12 days without complaining 🙂 – vegan and vegetarian,
- not interested in just another training course, travel to Croatia, having just another point in CV and similar.
ACCOMMODATION and FINANCES:
All costs related to accommodation and food will be covered by the hosting organization.
Travel costs will be covered up to 275 EUR. The travel costs will be reimbursed according to E+ rules. It will happen upon collecting all tickets and invoices and calculating all costs. Travel should be done by environmentally friendly means, if possible.
Participation fee: 40 EUR
Sending fee: 500 MKD