Permanent Culture
Description
Michael Thomas:
"We have now reached the point where we believe that there needs to be a move towards a Permanent Culture. When we talk of a Permanent Culture we do not mean a static culture. On the contrary, we believe that future culture will be dynamic and evolving, but in order to facilitate this there has to be a move away from an unsustainable culture based on endless consumption towards a culture that is permanent in the sense that it is sustainable, or as Holmgren puts it a culture that is “Beyond Sustainability”.
The website itself is based on the principles and ethics of permaculture.
- It seeks to preserve knowledge that is shown to work and is useful.
- It looks at ways to enhance this knowledge and build on existing ideas.
- It introduces new ideas and knowledge.
Our aim is to help foster a move towards a pragmatic, positive, social, economic and political transition to a permanent culture through sharing information, knowledge and also making crucial links between different areas of thought. Knowledge and education are the key to a fair and sustainable future. People require an holistic overview of society in order to achieve a transition and this is why Permanent Culture Now is providing information on a wide range of subjects. Ideas and concepts do not exist in a vacuum which is why we also look at theoretical, historical and cultural issues as a means of analysing the issues and solutions. For example, you cannot consider food production without considering politics, economics and labour issues. We believe that the topics covered on the site are interrelated and complement each other; in addition, these are also the areas that excite us and give us hope for the future.
Permaculture highlights a way to provide for our needs in a manner that moves beyond sustainability, as well as providing food for thought on a range of other issues. The Commons provides a framework for re-imagining a society based on need and not greed and has recently been at the forefront of many new social movements. DiY and Alternative Culture has had a massive impact on our lives in a really positive way and needs to be highlighted because it is the reality of organisation and action that drives change. Cooperatives show people that there are different ways of organising that are positive and beneficial for society. History is important as we can learn much from the past, for instance the history of the common people and their struggles. Transition deserves an area of its own as it the big issue that needs addressing: how do we move towards a permanent culture that benefits all without leaving people behind?
Theory covers economic, political, social theory and philosophy. Our aim is to highlight the theories and ideas that have shaped our thoughts and actions. It also shows us how society operates and most importantly highlights our role within it as worker and consumer, as well as providing tools to analyse our situations. That said, theory is a bad master and should not lead us to be dogmatic; it should be used as a tool and not a leader. Educational approaches are also key, as we believe that education should not be the preserve of the wealthy and privileged. We therefore hope to educate people to different forms of learning and educational practice." (http://www.permanentculturenow.com/why-now/)
We hope that with this approach we can help people to understand the difficulties we are facing and offer solutions to these problems."