Mediterranean Calling: sharing stories, experiences, and inspirations

Описание: We invited permaculturists from different corners of the planet to an open online conversation called, “Mediterranean Calling: sharing stories, experiences, and inspirations.”

The upheaval in the Middle East over the last year, the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the hundreds of thousands of refugees currently seeking asylum in the European Union has focused international attention on the issue of mass migration. Many opportunities have opened for supporting displaced people; however, at the same time, the far right is using migration as its main issue and scare tactic, with success. And globally, while the needs of refugees are increasingly, funding for organisations supporting refugees is declining.

Permaculture for Refugees (P4R) is an international network with the aim of supporting refugees in transforming the places where they live — be these refugee camps or communities in receiving countries — into productive permaculture-designed communities, and ultimately equipping them for integration into society for the collective benefit of all.P4R uses the term refugee interchangeably with asylum seekers, forced migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and stateless persons. We recognise that this population has valuable knowledge and experience to share with others. As Eduardo Galeano said, “I don't believe in charity. I believe in solidarity. Charity is so vertical. It goes from the top to the bottom. Solidarity is horizontal. It respects the other person. I have a lot to learn from other people.”

The conversation was hosted here in Spain at the Permaculture Teacher Training with Focus on Refugees in November, 2024. On the call will be some of the facilitation team and participants; Rosemary Morrow, co-founder of P4R, calling in from Australia; other people involved internationally in P4R. Anyone engaged in permaculture or who is interested in permaculture is welcome to join the call!

The participants and facilitators of the training are from different countries in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia and North America…it was a very engaging and inspiring exchange!