Basic democracy!
The answers we work with in permacultural strategies as well, lies in a higher degree of local autonomi and the development of basis-democratical governing. These strategies are also a necessary requirement in order to develop governing and decision structures in the implementation of green accounts, ecological recirculation systems and bioregional planning strategies. So of the five classical elements: fire, water, earth and air, the fifth element of spirit/organization and culture may be the most basic – in order to organizeœthe other four we have to reorganize ourselves.
As opposed to parliamentary methods permaculture projects are characterized by open meetings in workshops in stead of closed committees, principles of sending messengers in stead of elected officials, and decisions are made on basis of consensus rather than vote. All the-se processes are known from the grass root movements and other groups working with basic democracy, and they can be traced back in time as long as human societies have existed. Naturally, these work processes can be found all over the world.
In India the original buddhistic SANGAM way of meeting is accepted in the villages of the permaculture project Pastaphur, north of Hyderabad. The principle is that all inhabitants, no matter what their religion is, have the right to speak in assemblies, and decisions are made by consensus. It can be a problem then that the hierarchies (castes, mullahs, economy) regain their force after the meetings when the plans are to be carried out.
Among American indians the Talking Stick tradition has had a strong hold, and together with the Nordic principles of thing-court desicions has spread to the anglican grassroot groups.
In Arabia the Palaver principle is well-developed. According to that principle people sit down in small groups, for instance in a caf. Their are presented with a certain problem and then discuss it in these groups.
In Scandiavia we have the thing, guild and coop where everyone is equal and has equal rights to talk and decide (though originally only if they were maleœand of means).