Democracy?
During my visits to permaculture projects and courses, I have noticed a number of characteristic organizing principles that show a certain similarity. These principles are different from the so-called democratic, parliamentary models based on political parties that presently are promoted globally by the domineering western world. In western societies the political parties predominate, with methods that include committee meetings behind closed doors, fixed representation and decisions based on majority votes. These methods have led to an ever-increasing contempt for politicians, low voter turnout at elections, and a decline in the number of politically active voters. In Denmark, politicians have responded still more arrogantly and now artificially support the political parties with public money. The result has been a steady increase in the number of market analyses, advertizing campaigns and public relations strategies, and politics is being sold just like laundry detergents and pampers.
From courses I have taught in India and Croatia among other places, I have also gained practical experience. Both these places have suffered from socalled ethnic conflicts and purges, and still do. But in both places studies show that conflicts there and in the neighbouring states (such as Bosnia) were not provoked by hatred between neighbours, but by foreign, superimposed, centralistic and autocratic interests. In Croatia and Bosnia between Tujdmann and Milosovic, in India between the two national parties especially, the Congress Party and the Hinduist Party. The scheme is to create conflict by sending in gangs that systematically terrorize different ethnic groups in turn. This is done to secure imperalistic interests because you can then send in your own troops by claiming that the locals are unable to coexist peacefully. This practice has recently been pointed out by the World Institute for Development Economics Research (a UN organization) in the report »Social and Economic Policies to Prevent Complex Humanitarian Emergencies.« Thus the parliamentary democracy that we often speak up for as the truly best, in fact may prove exclusive and impose conflict because it opens up for decisions based on the vote of a majority of just 51 per cent. Any group who can mobilize the majority has the right to make all political decisions on behalf of the minority as well.
But to ensure a sustainable future with permaculture these principle barriers will have to be radically changed.