A Stranger Here Myself

This site has received less attention than I would like over the last year and a half, due in large part to the lion’s share of my energy and focus being centered on my studies in England. As such, I am glad to make use of this page now to announce that I have completed my dissertation, and with it my masters degree in Development and Emergency Practice. The process which culminated in the completion of this last project  has been an incredible one. I shipped off to the UK to begin the course with little knowledge of what I was entering into, and found myself consistently amazed and inspired by the quality of the learning that was on offer, and most particularly by the exceptional individuals who provided it. I would be hard pressed to find words to recommend the program highly enough. Along those lines, I would like to express gratitude here for the guidance provided by Mohamed Hamza and David Sanderson, and for the invaluable support from Kevin Dunbar, Anita Cuddihy, Angelo Pancini, Elisa Pederson, Alec Stouras, the Schindlers, and Tom and Susie Johnson.

For any who are interested, a copy of my dissertation is available below, along with an abstract which gives an idea of its contents.

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Abstract

Permaculture is a practical design system that mimics the functions and patterns of ecosystems in planning for sustainable human settlements, incorporating integrated systems for food production, shelter, energy capture and use, and a range of other material and non-material needs. The purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate the permaculture system in terms of its potential for application in development and emergency contexts.

As a point of departure for this study, it is proposed that the interrelation between global poverty and severe environmental degradation produces an unprecedented need for holistic approaches to development, capable of integrating poverty alleviation measures with sustainable ecological management practices. Permaculture is positioned as the focal point of research because its principles and methods seem impeccably suited to meet this need, and yet are lacking a substantial body of literature to recommend them.

The research approach utilized included an extensive effort to locate and compile what documented evidence does exist of permaculture in development and humanitarian situations, and to combine it with correspondence and key informant interviews to form as complete a picture as possible of the system’s capacities in these fields. Four case studies were selected for closest inspection, based on criteria including quantity of available information and ability to demonstrate a range of activities and outcomes.

Analysis of case studies, background information on permaculture design, and a range of developmental challenges towards which permaculture can be applied yielded clear insight into considerable potential for permaculture initiatives to achieve positive impacts in a variety of development and emergency contexts. Areas of substantial applicability include deployment of low-cost and adaptable methods for managing waste and accessing safe water in post-disaster environments, innovative design methods for refugee camp design and management, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through sequestration of carbon, and most importantly, mobilization of integrated and adaptable systems for increasing livelihoods and community security while simultaneously rehabilitating ecosystems promoting sound environmental management practices.