Report From Australasia and Asia

Australian Permaculture Convergence (APC)

Permaculture International Limited (PIL) has passed through a quiet time and has a new positive energy after changes including a new board replacing Robin Francis.
Accredited Permaculture Training providing a training framework owned by PIL leading to a skills based diploma. No influence on existing PDC structure (currently 35 PDC's and 5APT's). Certificate at levels from 1-5, and has gone into some schools at level 1.
Comparison with the United Kingdom's 'Diploma Worknet' model which replaced the functions the Permaculture Institute failed to provide in that part of the world.
Contentious but has not been as difficult process as expected.
Since 1990 there has been a course unit in Permaculture at one of the Agricultural Universities as part of a course in sustainable agriculture at graduate and undergraduate level. This has recently been updated.
Websites and list-serves that some people aren't aware of in networking.
Australia is in the situation of the word 'Permaculture' being widely known and is now moving invisibly though other structures under other names.

Not very active as a network but has a dynamic website: http://www.permaculture.org.nz/
Strong bio-regional activity, including:
The Far North Environment Group
Eco-village and seed-saving activity in Joe and Trish's area.
Whaingaroa Harbour Care and Xtreme Waste in Raglan.
The Taranaki Environment Centre's trust providing the Enviro Schools program through Peter Karma.
Planet Organic's year-long permaculture course in Golden Bay quiet due to Robina Mc Curdy away.
Healthy activity in Christchurch.
NZ Soil Association very strong as an organisation that predates the UK Soil Association with Brendan Horae at Unitec who as a strong understanding of the organic community. The NZSA publishes an Organic New Zealand newsletter.
Eco Nation 2020 is a strong movement supported by Brendan Horae and the NZ Soil Association.
The second Eco Show was successful with Geoff Loreton providing fantastic workshops.

The Nepal Permaculture Group (NPG) is actively providing Intro, PDC's and Advanced permaculture courses.
NPG has run 44 PDC courses in 5 years resulting in 865 graduates, with 15 current teachers 6 of whom hold Australian diplomas. Accreditation is an issue to assure quality of trainers.
Issue over needing to increase delivery of PDC's directly to woman. Some material has been prepared for this.
National communication is good with about 600 of the graduates well connected, with 12 further organisations within the NPG. Communication internationally and with neighbours as poor.
NPG also does promotional activities and has designed 3 villages of 60-100 households. The NPG requires more technical support to help implement these.
NPG would like to provide more resources than it currently does, but has documented a lot of traditional local activities.
NPG organises an organic convergence once a year that works with farmers.
In the Policy and Advocacy area there is a history of Nepal importing ideas and resources from the western world including pesticides, fertilisers and ideas, etc.
An organic standards bill has been submitted to parliament and a person has been allocated to this.

Based on a 2 week tour by Andy Langford huge scope has been identified for China to lead a paradigm shift towards a global permaculture future. Travelled with Leora Adler and Frank New.
China is more aware of peak oil and climate change issues, and while it is also pressured by western style capitalist development there is a strong desire for an ecological solution.
They will be building 100 cities in the next 15 years.
China seeks standards and measures by which they can assess and build the most sustainable cities in the world. A town of 10,000 people being built outside of Beijing and want it to be built to the best standards in the world.
Memorandum of understanding sighed with Fui Chen area, want ecological tourism industry, world heritage sites and city.
Same story in rural areas of young people going to cities through education system, desire to build the Gaia University model into educating to help with rural areas.
40% of land used to grow tobacco, 15-20 dust storms a year.

The 'Be-Good Cafe' as promoting permaculture through large youth culture events. An entrepreneurial twist renegade who hasn't gone through the PDC process but is well networked with the rest of the Japanese permaculture community.
Young people strongly influenced by Australia and NY, particularly Crystal Waters and Rainbow Valley Farm. This has lead to importing ideas and rediscovering systems.
Strong links to architecture and agricultural planning industries, organic networks, and CSA's supplying 5.5 million households.
Two groups the Permi Institute near Tokyo and the Kayushu group.