Regional Report - Europe
Tuesday, 7 June 2005
Facilitator: Andy Goldring
Process: Individual reports in small group, followed by feedback into whole group; summarised by team of 4, who reported back to plenary
Summary
Europe is characterised by many national permaculture associations, with some cross-border networks. A number of large and small projects operate throughout the continent. There is a lot of co-operation across national boundaries, especially in teaching and the diploma process. Due to the fast growth of the network, the great number of delegates and the variety of issues, a specific request was made to arrange a separate discussion about the future of the European network.
Key Points
- The last European convergence was held in Brno, Czech Republic in 2004, with 15 people attending. The next one is planned for 2006, again in Brno.
Some countries, especially Britain, Denmark and Germany, have established & strong national network. Smaller networks exist in Austria, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Spain. There are a few cross-border networks, in Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Norway), the Western Balkans (Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia) and the Alpine Region (currently Western Austria, Southern Germany, Northern Italy). The Czech and Slovak Association was established before the countries separated, and has decided to continue as one network.
- Most countries have existing strong projects, and a number of new and/or planned projects. The larger projects can be of inspiration and support to smaller ones, but can also detract attention from developing new ones.
- A number of countries have national Associations and/or Permaculture Academies. In a few countries more than one network exist, usually in smaller networks and often due to personality clashes or differences in working styles. There are also a beginning regional networks.
- Permaculture Design courses have been running in most countries or regions mentioned above, in a variety of formats (from two weeks to two years). Introductory, teacher training and specialist courses have also been running in many countries. Often teachers from neighbouring or culturally connected countries have responded to requests for courses from countries without teachers.
- Many countries have diploma students, most of them using the Action Learning Process through their own or another country’s Academy.
- In many younger networks there is a need for building up resources in their own language, setting up and running more design courses. In all countries, support projects and teachers is required.
Further information
1991 Declan Kennedy passed on the co-ordination of permaculture development in Europe to the European Permaculture Institute in Denmark. The institute has since been organising European convergences and the International Convergence No5 in Denmark. Recently a focus has been to make links into Eastern European countries. The European convergence 2004 took place near Brno, Czech Republic. This is also where next year's convergence is planned to take place.
Europe is a continent of varied cultures and many different languages, with strong national and regional identities, historic affinities and antipathies. This naturally affects the work of permaculture networks and projects. Co-operation across boundaries has been happening through teachers from one country running courses in another, and national associations offering support to emerging networks in other countries. Recently, regional networks have emerged in the Balkans (see Croatia) & the Alpine region (see Austria).
Austria
The Austrian permaculture movement is strong with many small and larger projects, and a good foundation in a wide-spread culture of organic land management. There are currently 3 permaculture organisations operating within Austria – one covering Vienna & its surroundings, another in the Eastern part, with links to Slovenia. A third one, the Permaculture Akademie Alpenraum (Permaculture Academy Alpine Region - PAAR) has recently been set up in Western Austria. The PAAR intends to operate in the whole Alpine region across country boundaries. So far it has organised courses in South Tyrol (Italy) and Bavaria (Germany) as well as in Austria itself. The Eastern network has also established links with Slovenia.
The three networks have so far been working separately – there is scope for starting to work together. The Internet might help to create a stronger, decentralised network.
Croatia
The country has become the hub of the permaculture movement in the Western Balkans (covering the former Yugoslavia), following a permaculture design course in Sarajevo in year, with support from Torre Superiore ecovillage in Italy. There is now a network of projects and interested people including from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Macedonia. Croatia itself has got 13 contacts, 2 of them in Istrian peninsula.
[Scribe: Tomas Remiarz]