Introduction
The IPC is an International Permaculture Convergence that normally takes place biennially. The Permaculture Convergence is the gathering of the international Permaculturists to share their Permaculture expertise, skills, knowledge, experience and information. This encourages and motivates the individuals to learn new Permaculture techniques and concepts from experienced and emerging Permaculturists.
The Brazilians hosted the International Permaculture Convergence IPC8. The Permaculture Convergence was organised and co-ordinated by Ali Sharif of the Permaculture Institute of Latin America. The convergence, conference and a tour to Amazon was a great success and a memorable event in the World.
My attendance to the Convergence was unanimously agreed by FTFA Board of Directors, FTFA management, co-ordinated and facilitated by Jeunesse Park, and sponsored by Santa Barbara Permaculture Network based in United States of America (USA). The whole notion for FTFA to send me there was to contribute in bringing IPC9 in Africa.
The Conference
The 8th International Permaculture Conference (IPC8a) was held in a Park in the Brigadeiro area of central Sao Paolo, a city of over 18 million habitants, mainly Portuguese speaking people. The conference took place from the 16th to the 18th of May 2007. It was the conference of ‘people and by the people’. The conference positively attracted nearly 500 people from all over the World to witness the IPC8. The theme of the IPC8 was 'greening the economy'. There were 12 representatives from African countries attending the IPC8. The countries that represented Africa were Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The Permaculture conference was clouded by many excellent speakers including the vice president of a leading bank – Banco Real, Jose de Menezes Berenguer Neto Corporate Executive Vice President from ABN AMRO Bank etc.
The Convergence
The 8th International Permaculture Convergence {IPC8) was held from the 22nd to the 25th of May at the Institute of Permaculture of Cerrado (IPEC) just outside the central town of Pirenoplis, 155 km from the capital city of Brazil. The convergence started off slowly and became more exciting in the as it progressed, when the open space technology was introduced by GAIA University representatives. The open space technology generally gave the participants space to discuss other burning issues rather than exposed and fed with information.
The convergence venue had an excellent multiple examples of sustainable living and economic development concepts. The eco-village set-up, the living Permaculture demonstrations and the diversity of cultural exchanges made IPC8 even more successful and memorable event. The most impressing towards the end of the Permaculture convergence was the conclusion of a comprehensible confirmation for Africa continent to host a unique IPC9. At least 75% of the participants unanimously agreed with the idea of having the IPC9 in Africa.
The Tour of the Amazon
The representatives from Santa Barbara Permaculture Network were extremely impressed by FTFA activities and my inputs during the conference and Convergence. As the results, they sponsored my trip to Amazon Forest. I was one of the five (5) Africans who went on a 7-day tour of the Brazilian Amazon forest- an amazing forest full of living pharmacies, indigenous fruits, endless water loving and evergreen indigenous trees and the indigenous people of Brazil. The people living in the forest are far from government clinics and hospitals. These people are mainly depending on indigenous food, grown fresh vegetables, fish, meat and natural herbs found in the forest.
The tour created a great opportunity for the Africans to commence the process of planning for IPC9 to be held in South Africa and Malawi in April 2009.
New learning that can be applied in FTFA activities
The Convergence was a platform of networking, sharing Permaculture skills, knowledge and information. The projects visited in Amazon Forest, were worthwhile to be visited. The most inspiration in some of the projects visited were the water harvesting techniques, the integration of livestock, orchards, vegetables, bees, aquaculture, living pharmacies and environmentally friendly houses. These are some of the activities which can be in co-operated in our school and community Permaculture projects. The integration of above-mentioned will lead the projects to be sustainable and attract more funding.
Potential / opportunities for new programme
The IPC8 brought a wide range of people involved in Permaculture and fundraising. Some of the International Fundraising Support Group (IFSG) established showed interest in assisting some of FTFA programmes, especially in Permaculture activities and sponsoring potential African people keen to be trained in Permaculture.
After a powerful and motivational ReScope presentation by Walter Nyika. I had a strong feeling that FTFA should consider to establish Scope South Africa helping desk to assist schools in capacitate educators to become trainers in their provinces community, provide educational resources, educational tours and networking with international and national schools.
Conclusion
IPC 8 was truly inspirational and the tour of the Amazon was exceptional in bringing people from different countries together sharing diversified experience, skills, knowledge and information in Permaculture movement. I was extremely moved, inspired and motivated by the passion and love people have in promoting and spreading Permaculture throughout the World. The majority, call it Permaculture Movement for Sustainable living, Economic and Social Development (PMSLESD).
The only problem in the Amazon forest is the interference of the corporate companies contributing to the destruction of the natural forest due to industrial and agro-industrial 'development'. Watching the rate in which the Amazon ecosystem is being disturbed, it creates a serious concern about the future of our mother earth and the future generations. It's very sad to see multibillionaires and government contributing in the destruction of the earth, just because of the love of money and forgetting about the future of our children. What legacy / inheritance are we going to leave behind for our children, uninhabitable World? Let’s take Permaculture seriously as the only instrument, or missile to be used in order to restore our natural resources and create a sustainable living and economical development in the society. Let’s make the World a better place to be, by engaging ourselves in promoting Permaculture Movement for Sustainable living, Economic and Social Development (PMSLESD) in the World.
Joe Matimba compiled the report 6 June 2007
