Ecology for Peace Research Villages

Transcription

1 Ecology for Peace Research Villages Part I: The Peace Research Center in Portugal is developing a large-scale model for landscape renaturation and food supply in cooperation with Sepp Holzer and his Permaculture

2 If our Earth were cultivated peacefully, it would provide food for 12 billion people. The reality, however, is that 100,000 people die every day as a result of hunger and malnutrition. Jean Ziegler, UN Special Envoy for the Right to Food 2

3 Contents: Preamble: Before the Earth Becomes a Desert. Why We Must Act Now 1. The Tamera Location - Case Study of the Situation of Nature on the Iberian Peninsula a) The History of the Cultivation of the Property b) The Water Situation c) Deforestation d) Agricultural Policy, Migration into Cities and Structural Change 2. How We Can Act. Holzer's Permaculture. a) An Example of the Use of Holzer's Permaculture in Spain b) Sepp Holzer's Philosophy and Its Use c) Who is Sepp Holzer? A Portrait of an Inspired Human Being 3. The Tamera Peace Research Center a) The Basic Idea of Tamera: If You Do Not Want War, You Need a Vision for Peace b) The Development of Tamera c) Community - the Living Arrangement of the Future d) Peace Education Monte Cerro: Training Global Peace Workers e) The Planned Solar Village: A Model Survival Village for Areas of Conflict f) Regional Self-Sufficiency Network Creation in Alentejo 4. Realization a) Why Introduce Holzer's Permaculture in Tamera? b) Sepp and Veronika Holzer's Visit in March Analyses and Visions c) Concretely Planned Projects d) Holzer's Permaculture in Tamera A Possible Step by Step Plan and Time Plan for Realization e) Financing Impressum: Text: Dörthe Goschin and Leila Dregger Layout: Leila Dregger Photos: Various sources Publisher: Solar Village Team Tamera, Barbara Kovats Monte do Cerro P-7630 Colos Portugal Tel: Fax: office@tamera.org 3

4 Preamble: Before the Earth becomes a Desert. Why We Must Act Now. The ecological situtation on earth is dramatic. The destruction of the rain forests, oceans and ecosystems, the spread of deserts, the daily disappearance of animal species, the hunger and the beginning of wars because of water: all these are symptoms and direct effects of a human way of life and methods of cultivation that have lost their embeddedness in the cycles of nature. The modern human being treats the soil, the plants, the water and the animals with such a lack of contact, as if he/she had forgotten what life is and how it should be treated. Nature answers - storms and floods are only the beginning of a comprehensive climate catastrophe that has already become a painful reality in many places on earth. The predictions for the Iberian Peninsula are unambiguous: if we do not act, Spain and Portugal will become a desert. Both climate predictions and the approaching peak oil forebodes a time when people will have to leave the large cities, the coastal areas and their current way of living and have to learn to live on and off the land again. So far, they are in no way prepared for this. The coming changes will be drastic, and all they will affect all aspects of life. But does this necessarily mean that they will be accompanied by panic, war and violence? Or will places exist by that time, where one can learn globally how to resolve conflicts in a peaceful way, how to generate energy decentrally, and how to treat nature in such as way that it provides an abundance of food and water? This knowledge already exists today, scattered in many places, and in many instances it is too unusual to be used today. What is missing is the networking of and the connection between this knowledge, its concrete implementation, at least as a model, in some places on earth, as well as handing it over to the coming generation. Tamera is an experimentation and training location for the worldwide establishment of model settlements. Here, a way of living is being researched and studied in an exemplary way, in which people can again be embedded into the whole of Creation, and in which the separation can be overcome at all levels: the separation between people, between generations, between fields of knowledge, the separation from nature and from our spiritual source. The creation of these so-called Peace Research Villages and Healing Biotopes develops, connects and implements knowledge and solution approaches in the areas of technology and energy generation, conflict resolution and the creation of community, a spiritual way of life and ecological architecture. Currently, 160 people from different parts of the world are living and studying in Tamera. Among other things a concrete, self-sufficient model village, the "Solar Village", is being established. This is an ecologically and socially sustainable model settlement that can be emulated in all sunny regions on earth. We see the work and research by the Austrian Permaculture mountain farmer Sepp Holzer, his knowledge about cooperating with nature, his intuition and experience in producing natural foods and in the renaturation of the land, as a very central area of future-oriented research for the establishment of worldwide Peace Villages. His work at a finca in Extremadura in Spain gives us confidence that something similar is possible here, too. 4

5 Two years ago, the owner commissioned Sepp Holzer to renature her property. The results have amazed both the media and professional circles. A whole different world awaits the amazed visitor here. On a property of 270 hectares [675 acres], where two years ago there was a drought in the summer, the pastures were sparse and the holm oak died, a large water landscape now spreads out, covering 50 hectares [125 acres]. The embankments are abundantly covered with vegetables, the diseased holm oaks serve as protection for the younger, healthy trees, and the olive trees no longer require any irrigation. A cool breeze carries a note of paradisiacal freshness and abundance. There are dragonflies and swarms of birds and fish already after one growing season! And that in an area where it rains much less than in Alentejo. In terms of both its beauty and the extent of its ecological destruction, Tamera - the Monte do Cerro property - exemplifies all of Portugal and even all of Southern Europe. An ecological renaturation project on this property can and will create impulses for the entire region. Exemplary problem solutions that work well in this Center for Peace Research are taken by students to their home countries and are used there for the establishment of further Peace Research Villages. What would a world look like in which, in all countries, all areas and zones of vegetation, initially at least one place could be established, in which the knowledge, the seeds and the diversity of nature are nursed and cared for, thus providing impulses and serving as an example for the entire region? We invite people who are interested and committed to gain an overview of the project through this brochure and to contact us. Please help to make this vision a reality. Barbara Kovats Head of the Solar Village Team, Tamera 5

6 Impressions from Tamera, from top left: In the 'Source Garden', overview from the mountain village, 'Shepherd Garden', green oasis, in the auditorium, celebration at the inauguration of the auditorium, Sepp Holzer in Tamera, visitors from Colombia inform themselves about solar energy. Photos: Tamera Archive 6

7 1. The Initial Situation at the Tamera Location Tamera is located in Southern Portugal, in the province of Alentejo, one of the least populated regions of Europe, approx. 30 km as the bird flies from the west coast. The property, which has a size of 134 hectares [335 acres], consists of hilly land with cork oak cultures, eucalyptus forests, grassland and pastures as well as horticultural land. The soil consists mainly of heavy loam; in the valleys there are alluvial deposits that are 1-2 meters thick and that are rich in humus. What has occurred during the course of decades at Monte do Cerro (as the property of Tamera was called initially) is evidence of modern man's lack of understanding, even of exploitation and indifference toward nature. Let us imagine that the property were a living being. It would have experienced an enormous amount of pain and would have had to witness a great deal of folly. And Monte do Cerro is not an unusual case: human beings have treated the land this way everywhere; in Portugal in Spain, in all of Europe - and everywhere, where modern man has tried to conquer nature. In the case of Monte do Cerro it is a miracle of regeneration that the land again exudes so much beauty and charm, so many different ecological niches, shady places and fertile valleys and that it has several sources and ponds. Rare types of daffodils grow in the marsh areas in spring; turtles, crabs and fish live in and around the ponds, and sometimes an otter can be seen, or else a pair of eagles circles high over the place. The founders of Tamera acquired the property in a) The History of the Cultivation of the Property Up until 1974, during Salazar's dictatorship in Portugal, the property was a large scale agricultural land holding. The owners lived in Lisbon and the property was cultivated by a caretaker. Many of the older neighbors of today worked here as laborers and remember "Monte do Cerro" as a land where fruit was ripe almost the whole year around and the flowers blossomed. Mainly flax and wine were cultivated here and livestock was kept on the property. During the course of the centrally controlled industrialization of agriculture under Salazar, when the entire Alentejo region was to be made into the granary of Portugal, Monte do Cerro, and especially the steep slopes, were deep plowed with caterpillars. This only led to short term growth successes. The topsoil sustained lasting damage and the layer of humus was washed away from the slopes into the valleys. Even today, several decades later, there are many slopes where only a few plants have managed to hold on. After the revolution in 1974, the property was transferred to a war veteran. Subsidized by the European Union, he uprooted all the vines, bulldozed entire hills and built an industrial hall with the goal of building a meat factory. But before he could realize his plan, he went bankrupt and sold the land. Subsequently, there was intense grazing on the property, which led to a compaction of the soil and to a further depletion of the vegetation. This process of overgrazing is symptomatic for the entire region of the Iberian Peninsula and beyond. If solutions can be found here, they will apply to many regions on earth. b) The Water Situation Today, Tamera has four water sources, many ponds and a water catchment area of approx. 500 hectares [approx. 1,235 acres]. The average annual amount of precipitation is about 600 mm [24 inches], whereby almost all of the rain falls in 7

8 winter. As compared to its surroundings, Tamera is blessed with water. And yet water is lacking during the hot summer, for a large part of the winter rains immediately washes away unused from the property and also carries away fertile soil. The land has lost a large part of its capacity to hold water. This is due to soil compaction, deforestation (cork oaks dying and clearing of the land) and the entire depletion of the vegetation. The water situation in the entire country, as well as in the entire Iberian Peninsula is getting worse by the year. The climate predictions are unequivocal: Spain and Portugal will become a desert. The annual winter rainfall is becoming increasingly unreliable. The large rivers in Portugal have their sources in Spain, where their water is increasingly needed for industrial vegetable and fruit cultivation. In Portugal itself, the Alqueva dam was built although it had long since been proven how uneconomical and damaging a dam of this size is. It is a vicious circle: The less capacity to hold water a tract of land has, the less plants grow there. As the vegetation cover becomes thinner, the soil's capacity to hold water diminishes. Devastating forest fires in the eucalyptus and other forest monocultures in the entire region are one of the results and at the same time aggravate the situation. So far, Tamera has so far been spared forest forests. c) Deforestation The traditional extensive hogs - cork oak - grain culture in the region was also practiced in Monte do Cerro. But when the demand and price for cork rose during the 1970s, the bark was no longer peeled with the same expertise and care. The cambium (the thin, living growth layer under the bark) was often damaged by the use of the "modern" way of peeling with metal knives. In addition, peeling was carried out at the wrong time of year. When cultivating the land, large machines were used that damaged the flat root systems of the trees. All damage to trees diminshes the supply of water and nutrition to them and promotes infestations by fungi and beetles. In addition, weakened by the compaction of the soil and the lack of water, they then slowly die. Today, the entire region is afflicted by a massive dying of the cork oaks. Scientists assume that the cause is a virus, but simply the profit-oriented intensive peeling method and the overall worsened conditions of the water and the soil are sufficient to explain the dying of the cork oaks. The remaining stock of cork oaks in Tamera has become visibly sparse. It is to be feared that more of them will die during the coming years. With the support of the EU, the ecologists of Tamera replanted 20,000 trees to create a mixed forest. The customary monoculture reforestation probably does not suffice to stem the process of deforestation and desertification. d) Agricultural Policy, Migration into Cities and Structural Change 90% of the EU financial aid to Portugal goes to 10% of the agricultural enterprises. 600,000 agricultural enterprises have disappeared since Portugal joined the EU 20 years ago; in other words, one farmer had to quit work every 20 minutes. And this in a country with optimum climatic and soil conditions! Today there only 200,000 farms remain in Portugal, and the country imports 80% of the food it requires. An example: wheat production in Portugal was discontinued because the production costs were twice as expensive as the reference price of wheat that is offered on the world market. In the rest of Europe, the results of the agricultural policies are no different: in the 27 countries of the European Union, one agricultural enterprise is shut down every 8

9 minute. The result is an increasing depletion of the landscape, dwindling food quality, a concentration on animal production and thereby on factory farming with all its ethical and ecological horrors. Especially in Portugal there has been a massive migration into the cities during the last 30 years; by now 80% of all Portugues live in large cities and on the coast. But nowhere was the structural change as dramatic as in Alentejo. Today, this is a largely depopulated region and in the villages the ratio of the elder generation has constantly risen. This trend, however, does not regenerate the region, it brings neglect to it. Forest fires rage here every summer. The traditional garden culture in Portugal is disappearing. For decades, it maintained itself next to the industrialized agriculture. People lived in close connection with nature, took care of the land in a sustainable way, for they were dependent for their survival on the crops from their little gardens. Today, more and more people prefer to buy cheap vegetables in the supermarkets rather than making the effort of planting their own gardens. It is only very slowly that people are realizing what they they are thereby losing. Many regional types of tomatoes, cabbages and other kinds of vegetables will disappear forever unless we do something now. During the last hundred years, there has been a worldwide reduction of 80-95% in the diversity of the types of vegetables that are available. The old generation is still alive and in some cases they are protecting their seeds like a treasure. There is still time to enter into exchange with them. The alternative to the globally organized industrial agricultural industry consists of local production for local consumption; it is the right of every person and every country to grow its own food. The fact that young people leave the country and move to the cities is understandable to anyone who knows what traditional life is like in the villages. But in the cities they also do not find what they are looking for. Youths need perspectives for their future. They also need life models in the countryside that give them hope and inspiration for their future and offers them a meaningful and interesting life. They need the opportunity to work in a free atmosphere for a world that is worth living in. A global training project with committed experts for the professions of the future, a living and open meeting point for international encounters and exchange: the Tamera peace project is increasingly becoming such a place. With Holzer's Permaculture, it will integrate a further area of research, which increases the attraction of the place for youths and its global relevance even more. 9

10 Impressions from a finca in Spain. 2nd from top, left: owner. Photos: Tamera archive 10

11 2. Holzer s Permaculture. How We Can Act. a) A finca in Extremadura: An Example of the Use of Holzer's Permaculture in Spain. (In January of 2007 a delegation from Tamera visited the finca. Dörthe Goschin, who participated in the trip, reports.) The successful reshaping of a semi-arid landscape into a water paradise with a lush plant biotope: South of Madrid, in the middle of the Spanish Extremadura region, one can find a successful example of the revitalization of a biotope that is acutely threatened by desertification. Based on Holzer's Permaculture concept, the 270 ha [675 acre] finca is a pioneer model for a green future in the Iberian Peninsula. Long periods of drought and massive soil erosion caused by strong winter rainfall led to the desertification of the landscape. This was the initial situation when the analysis was made and a concept was developed for a sustainable renaturation of the property. A further focus of the analysis of causes was on the fact that during the last few years the holy oak trees are dying at a rapid pace everywhere in Spain. The scientific explanation that there is a virus infection was subject to examination. As a whole, the situation for the holy oaks in Extremadura is very similar to that of the cork oaks in Alentejo. When looking at the question of why the holy oak was dying, Sepp Holzer arrived at a surprisingly simple and logical answer. In his opinion, the agrarian economical development during the last 50 years has led to an extremely high overall strain on the oak population, of which a large part is hundreds of years old. He pointed to the coarse way of cutting the trees, creating a large "wound". This then gives rise to the familiar damage to the trees: a break in the supply of water and nutrition due to the entry of air into the tree's capillary system, fungi infestations on the weakened tree, colonization of wood beetles whose larvae make burrow, and decay inside the tree. Finally, the tree dies. This process is enhanced by the extreme weather conditions. Originally a Mediterranean hard-leaved tree, the oak tree is used to long periods of dryness. However, through the past decades of overgrazing, the soil is so compacted that, in spite of the strong rainfall in winter, the water can hardly penetrate into the soil, but runs off on the surface. In addition, the browsing by the grazing animals decimates the plant diversity and prevents the growth of a young forest. The humus layer lacks the stability that comes from roots, leading to strong soil erosion through rainfall and winds. This cycle creates a general stress situation for the oak veterans and weakens their powers of regeneration. To Sepp Holzer, this chain of influences shows that the theory of a virus infection is an old wives' tale. He shakes his head at the suggested inoculation of the trees and at the blindness to what is so clearly written in "nature's book". For the regeneration of the entire area of the "tree graveyard", he thus suggested a radical change in the concept of use. An important step was taken through the suspension of pasture grazing, which initiated the land reclamation and the creation of a young forest. Supporting measures were added, such as the targeted turning over of the compacted soil in order to provide good soil for the tree seeds to 11

12 germinate in. A reforestation followed with a mixed cultivation of fruit trees, and supporting plants, such as salads, legumes and root vegetables, were sowed. This supported the improvement of the soil climate, and the creation of a natural layer of humus was accelerated. When visiting the place only a year after planting had been carried out according to Holzer's ideas, we could take a walk through large parts of a fertile edible landscape in the middle of the sparse Extremadura region. Radishes and salads grew under the trees in the middle of the meadows, they thrived splendidly and were delicious during our long walks across the property. But one is much more impressed by the changes on the property through the lakes that have been created during the last two years. These lakes filled up only by the rainfall during the winter months and now nestle gently like a row of pearls in the landscape. An abundance of water fowl and the glitter of the lakes and ponds that are up to 10 acres [25 acres] each, enchant the visitors. For quite some time, one forgets that one is in an area of Europe that is threatened by rapid desertification. "Water is life" - This core statement by Sepp Holzer can be experienced in this young permaculture project in a breathlessly impressive way. After only one rainy season, eight lakes were brimful with precious water. Now the body of the earth has time to absorb the water over a long period of time. The microclimate is thereby permanently vitalized and a rich diversity of species of plants and animals has a life space that is alive in surroundings that until now were inhospitable. Already today, the feeling of paradise can be sensed, and it does not require much imagination, even by an ecological layman, to see the positive opportunities for future developments. The visible reality speaks clear words. Altogether, Sepp Holzer introduced 50 hectares [125 acres] of lakes and ponds into the overall design of the property. These constitute the foundation for the ecological renaturation of the biotope during the coming years. The project can expand the mental horizon of every visitor in the knowledge that there are solutions also for problems which up to now semed unsolvable. The finca is an impressive signal for the Iberial Peninsula and an important answer to the question of what is possible in the future in this region: catching water as the most precious substance, instead of leading it off. A rich biotope of mixed cultivation will change the characteristic landscape of the Iberian Peninsula and transform this area, which has almost been declared a desert, into a garden of Eden. In the name of all life and of future generations, we are deeply thankful for Sepp Holzer's far-sighted visionary power and steadfast drive. b) The Philosophy of Sepp Holzer and its Use Reading nature's book: every situation holds its own solution According to Sepp Holzer, on every tract of land, be it a fertile river valley at temperate latitudes, in the tundra or in the desert, it is possible to cooperate with nature, to regulate it and to plant something that corresponds to the land and its inhabitants. Holzer's Permaculture is not a method that offers the same procedures for every situation. On the contrary, its core consists of observing nature, putting oneself in the position of its creatures, and from this understanding recognizing from within which measures now have a healing and meaningful impact. Sepp Holzer: "Nature's book always contains the truth; we must only learn to read it." 12

13 An Eskimo will arrive at different solutions than those of an inhabitant of the desert or someone in the rain forest of Central America. And yet there are principles that keep appearing and experiences from which one can learn. Here, a small selection is compiled. To those who wish to inform themselves more in depth, we recommend the books by Sepp Holzer. (*) Water is more valuable than land: increase the soil fertility by establishing ponds and lakes. In Holzer's Permaculture water receives the highest degree of attention. Water is more valuable than land, and the value of a tract of land is directly dependent on its water supply and its ability to store water. This is especially true for regions that are threatened by desertification, such as for example Southern Europe. Says Sepp Holzer: "Letting rain water rush through the land is like the behavior of a person who saves every penny but doesn't care about the fact that his piggy bank does not have a bottom." Sepp Holzer's method of using rain water and keeping it on the land consists, among other things, of the creation of pond and lake systems. For water is life. Everywhere, where wetlands, lakes, rivers and ponds exist, a natural diversity of animals and plants thrive, and they are an ideal foundation for usable biotopes and edible landscapes - both in the water, on the shores and on the surrounding land. The water in ponds and lakes soaks the soil through its capillary force and increases dew formation in the surroundings. This water, which enters the roots directly from below, promotes and supports the growth of the roots, and thus the plants, better than aboveground irrigation. If needed, the water from the lakes is still available for irrigation - and it is close to where it is needed and does not require long ditches and pipes. Lakes and ponds not only serve to provide a water supply for the land - they are also direct areas of production for growing specialized crops that are suitable for selling, especially in areas where there is normally a lack of water: for example for sweet water fish of all kinds or water lilies and other water plants. Creating lakes and ponds is a one-time measure and is so to speak the foundation for the subsequent establishment of biotopes. For this, Sepp Holzer does not hesitate to work with heavy equipment. The transformation of an area always begins with the careful and perceptive observation of the water supply, the water catchment area, measuring the contour lines and carefully developing an overall plan. Sepp Holzer works with special excavators and with excavator drivers that he instructs and works with himself. Some experiences and principles from "working with water": - As much intervention as necessary, as little as possible. Sealing the ground with foil or concrete is here not only superfluous, it is also damaging. - The creation of lakes and ponds should always make use of the natural conditions. It should never feel artificial or be designed as a rectangle. Holzer: "If a lake looks as if it arose naturally, then we have done it right." - Ponds and lakes should always have a feed basin, in which the suspended particles can settle as fertile silt. The ponds will then be clear and the feed basins become valuable reservoirs of humus that can be dredged once in a while. - The protection afforded by planting and by providing different depth zones makes it possible to keep predatory and prey fish together in a lake: natural selfregulation is possible. - For pond and water plants, too, the rule is: diversity is better than uniformity. 13

14 - The border areas of the lakes are zones of great productivity and are excellent areas for growing vegetables. - Different water depths and shadings provide different temperature and vegetation zones, which brings many ecological advantages. Economy and ecology: "Use nature, but do not exploit it." "If one has land, then one should also use it fully and not let it lie fallow. It is our responsibility to do something with it; that is why it was given to us." That is Sepp Holzer's conviction. For him, economy, ecology, agriculture and environmental protection are not contradictions. For no matter if we are dealing with extensive or intensive cultivation, those who understand how to use nature and partake of its abundance, also economically, will work effectively for its protection. Their interest in nature's health will then never collide with safeguarding their own survival. Sepp Holzer has learned this from the bottom up as a mountain farmer and he is convinced that the human being only can survive if he pays attention to and uses nature's knowledge. He thus always takes three things into account when redesigning a tract of land: the dream of the landscape and its creatures, the provision of its inhabitants with healthy and fresh food and the possibility of planting something special, with which one can trade - in an area where there is preferably a market niche. The combination of self-sufficiency and the specialization on a product with which one can trade is one element of networked regional self-sufficiency. Regional selfsufficiency is necessary for survival - for example in areas of conflict, in which a centralized or globalized supply is no longer guaranteed. Together is better than alone: The symbiosis of interdependencies In nature, monocultures only appear rarely and under extreme, often already disrupted, conditions. Boundary zones with a great variety of species are the highly productive zones in nature. There are a number of symbioses between the different types of plants and animals in a biotope, and they have hardly yet been scientifically discovered. Different plants use different light, soil, nutrition and water conditions in such a way that all resources and small ecological niches are used optimally. One plant secretes a substance that keeps the pests of another away. The waste product from one is nutrition for another. Birdsongs promote plant growth. "A forest is more than the sum of its trees." Or: "Together is better than alone." Biotopes are supporting communities. In interaction with the whole of nature, optimum support communities develop on their own. Sepp Holzer therefore does not primarily plant a certain kind of field crop, but he designs the optimum conditions for biotopes to form. He thus never sows or plants only one type of plant, but always includes seeds of supporting plants. These can be nitrogen attracting plants such as peas or root vegetables, which loosen up the earth or else poisonous plants, whose root excretions gives the vegetables flavor and additional healing powers. The human being is the guiding, perceiving part of a biotope. He/she takes part in its symbiotic interplay and learns to intervene in the community of creatures in an observant and healing way. 14

15 Guide nature, do not fight it: Animals as collaborators An ecosystem unfolds its full biotope force when every being is in its right place. The human being's task is to guide nature, not to fight it. Every being that appears in a biotope has significance. If so-called pests appear, Sepp Holzer does not ask: How can I get rid of them? but: What are they good for? How can I use them? The human being has the ability to give all the components of a biotope the place and the task that best serves the whole. What does this mean, for example for pest infestations or for an excess of certain wild herbs? First of all, they are valuable indicators of the condition of the land. Based on them, Sepp Holzer draws conclusions; they are signs that he has to change something. Maybe the vegetables are in a place that is too moist? Maybe this soil was too fatty for the soft fruit, or maybe the clearing has too much shade for the apples? The next question is always: How can I make use of a negative condition? How do I guide the forces of nature so that they work for me? Animals play an important role in Sepp Holzer's Permaculture. For him, they never only serve the purpose of being eaten. Whether dealing with wild or domestic animals, for Sepp Holzer they have to "work". For a hog, this may mean that it has to wallow in the thicket of blackberry bushes to find its fodder - for example legumes that have been rolled in lard. It thereby uproots the blackberries, opens up the soil, fertilizes it and thus creates the conditions for sowing or planting for example fruit trees. When it comes to the hog, this "work" provides a more natural way of keeping animals than any detention in a pigsty. Successful cooperation with animals saves work that the human being otherwise would have to carry out with tools, machines or fertilizers. Sepp Holzer on the Krameterhof ( 15

16 c) Who is Sepp Holzer? A Portrait of an Inspired Human Being On his mountain farm home, Sepp Holzer developed a form of alpine permaculture long before he had heard of this concept. This is a type of cultivation that uses and guides the symbioses and interactions in nature, that works together with the forces of nature and does not break its forces. His spectacular successes made him famous. Today, he and his wife Veronika Holzer travel the world to plan and support ecological projects. Anyone who has met Sepp Holzer will remember this man. This lively, at first sight gruff and square built mountain farmer, has a touching subtlety in his observation of natural processes, a loving empathy and knowledge that cannot be learned from books. In addition, he is one of those gifted persons who know how to share this experience with others and let others see through his eyes. In his company, even people who have grown up with hardly any contact with nature have the delightful experience of sensing that every tree, every bug, every fistful of soil is alive and full of soul. First research experiments as a child Even as a child, Sepp Holzer, who was born in 1942 in the Krameterhof in Lungau in Austria at an elevation of 1500 m, was interested in all processes in nature. He was fascinated as he watched the germination and growth processes on the windowsill, and when it became too much for his parents, he used the pocket money that he got from his father to lease a small piece of land. Undisturbed, he followed his joy of discovery as a boy, raised ants and studied the diversity of life that congregated around his wetland pond. He swapped his lunch snacks for a trout and let his schoolfellows experience the wealth of his little pond for a few pennies. He thus began to get to know the cycles of nature on a small scale and became aware early on of the abundance that nature can yield, even on a sparse mountain farm in Lungau, the so-called "cold spot" of Austria. These experiences that he made as a child have had an impact on him up until today and became the source of his deeply rooted knowledge. He always remains true to them, even if it meant having to defy his parents, the authorities or the experts. "I never stop learning" he says. "If we watch with a wakeful eye and put ourselves in the position of the creatures, then every moment offers us the possibility of discovering something new. It's a shame to spend even a moment without being involved with nature." Remodeling the Krameterhof Even before the age of consent in Austria, when he was 19 years old, he took over his father's farm and began to restructure it according to his own ideas. He exchanged tracts of land with his neighbors, slowly realigning the boundaries around his farm. He was especially interested in the seemingly inferior wetland properties, especially if they contained a wellspring. Ultimately, he owned a contiguous water catchment area with many steep drops and a difference in elevation of altogether 600 m. He began to dig ponds and lakes and started to raise fish. This was only one of his activities. Since it became increasingly difficult to survive as a farmer, he was always on the lookout for further sources of income. Together with his wife Veronika Holzer, he built, one after the other, a game park, a guest station, various animal and plant breedings and other projects. He could introduce his knowledge of nature and his drive everywhere, but at some point he also ran up 16

17 against boundaries everywhere. It was either the opening of Eastern Europe, which destroyed the economic viability of his animal husbandry or a competitor to his trout farm, who could better survive on the market due to his traditional brand name or the tax authorities who "penalized" the increased value of his property through higher taxes. But Sepp Holzer did not let himself be intimidated by failures, and his greatest secret of success may be that he seemed to come out stronger and more knowledgeable after every mistake. His connection to nature helps him thereby. "I often lie awake at night and think about my life's path so far. In these moments nothing can keep me in bed. I then go out into the fresh air and go for a little night walk. These walks often help me clear my thoughts and I usually come back with new plans or with answers that I have been trying to find for a long time. When I am alone at night, I find my peace and calm and I feel my connection with nature." The agrarian rebel It took a while until he found the activity in which his knowledge about the cycles of nature and cooperation with nature could fully come to fruition. The key experience for this came when he participated in a special seminar about fish farming. Up until then he had used the insights of agricultural science as a matter of course; he had used fertilizers and sprayed pesticides. Now, during the seminar, he saw with his own eyes the effects of chemicals on the microbes in the soil and in the water. The realization that if he followed the instructions of advisers and the legal requirements, he would himself contribute to the destruction of life and the diversity that he loved so deeply, struck him like a bolt of lightning. The veil that covered the high gloss world of the experts and industry lifted and revealed the fatal impasse of our time, which consists of a lack of understanding of natural processes and the hunger for profit. Sepp Holzer became an "agrarian rebel". Everywhere, he began to see the effects of the false way of thinking that is disconnected from nature and that is prevalent in industry and science: in the monocultures of the forests and the agricultural system, in how farmers are kept ignorant, and in regulations and methods that always prescribe the same solution for different climatic zones and biotopes. He decided to only accept laws that are in tune with nature. This earned him quite a few denunciations. As profitable as they were, the creation of mixed-tree forests, where before there was only a desert of scrawny spruces, was described as "biotope destruction". But he won all lawsuits, for the accusers could never deny that the soil fertility and the diversity had grown through his work. He introduced a diversity of fish into his ponds, and if they are protected by different depths and vegetation, predator and prey fish thrive together. He planted "edible" biotopes on the embankments, along the roads and in the spruce monocultures. With little intervention he used the slopes that so far had been unusable as sun traps and planted sub-tropical and frost-susceptible plants. "Kiwis in the Alpine Pastures" was one headline that made him famous beyond the borders of Austria. Raised beds that were built up with an excavator and to which he added biomass became highly productive agricultural areas. Special plants, such as gentian, wild mushrooms, primeval grains and wild potatoes thrive as a part of naturally designed biotopes. Salads, peas and radishes grow wherever you go on the entire farm, and he sowed them as he was walking around, as soon as he found an open space. Much of it is never harvested, but then "vegetables that remain in the ground are the best kind of fertilizer". 17

18 Sepp Holzer becomes internationally famous Finally, professional circles began to take note of him. Parallel to this, official agrarian science had begun to realize its mistakes. The impasse to which the path of industrial agriculture had led had finally become obvious and one was looking for new avenues. During the seventies, Bill Mollison in Australia had developed a type of farming that he called permaculture. In his Permaculture Institute, he carried out research on the principles of cooperation with nature, according to which not individual cultures were planted but instead entire biotopes that sustain themselves, because the individual elements support each other mutually. For Mollison, permaculture was not only an agricultural method, but a holistic approach and a way of dealing with nature, which he also used to cooperate with nature when it came to construction, nutrition and other areas. People are experimenting with permaculture at many places around the world. Although he had never heard the word permaculture, Sepp Holzer had probably created the largest, most encompassing and convincing permaculture project in Europe, a kind of alpine permaculture. Today he calls his method "Holzer's Permaculture". By now, diploma theses have been written, television programs have been made and newspaper articles have been published about his method. Groups of a hundred and more interested people have visited the Krameterhof, and almost on a daily basis Sepp Holzer guided people through his biotopes and they were in awe of the place. The connection between Sepp and Veronika Holzer seems to confirm the old wisdom that "behind every great man there is a great woman". Without her he would probably often not have had the stamina to walk his path, which was often difficult and full of conflicts. Even if she at first is much quieter than her husband, her knowledge is as great as his. Whenever she expresses it, those who are interested can learn as much as they can from him. In the meantime Sepp and Veronika Holzer have also begun to work with international projects, making their knowledge available to others. They travel all over the world to Scotland, Russia, Chile, the Middle East, Columbia, Spain, the Canary Islands to provide advice and to help with the renaturation of biotopes. For them, it is especially important to support projects that have a humane purpose or that constitute models for a whole region. After years and decades of learning on the Krameterhof, his wife and he have now begun to introduce their insights for a global change in thinking. 18

19 Photos: On the Krameterhof. (Photos from 19

20 Impressions from Tamera, from above left: Entrance gate, inauguration of Monte Cerro, the founders Sabine Lichtenfels and Dieter Duhm, Jürgen Kleinwächter, visitors to the Solar Village, in the garden, celebration of the inauguration of the assembly hall, students at Monte Cerro. Photos: B.B. 20

21 3.The Tamera Peace Research Center The Tamera Peace Research Village in the Alentejo region in Southern Portugal is to become a test property for a new large project of Holzer's Permaculture. It is intended as a model, a research and training project, within the framework of the "Global Campus", for the renaturation of a property, for the self-sufficiency of a larger community and for the development of an ecology for future-oriented villages on earth. In Tamera, knowledge and research about cooperation with nature represents an area that so far was not sufficiently represented when it comes to developing a model for the future. a) The Basic Idea of Tamera: If You do not Want War, You Need a Vision for Peace Humanity will only survive if it abandons the destructive systems of violence. But the majority will only get out when there are convincing models for entering into a peace culture - functioning, non-violent models for all areas of human life. This requires a new orientation in economy, ecology and technology, for communication and conflict resolution as well as for the establishment of communities, love and sexuality. Tamera is a place of experimentation and research for the establishment of peace research villages worldwide. In Tamera the foundations and conditions for human beings to live non-violently with each other and with nature is being researched. If this succeeds in one place, then the results of this research are to be used and developed further in other places on earth. The goal is to create a worldwide network of peace research villages, as ecologically and socially sustainable model settlements. Together, these peace research villages are to develop the knowledge that is necessary for peace and survival in the future, for a world where peak oil and climatic changes will have forced us to live and operate differently. Dieter Duhm, the founder of Tamera, says: "The patterns of order in human society must conform to the patterns of life and of Creation. Unless the biosphere and the sociosphere, or human life and universal life come into harmony with each other, it will no longer be possible to heal the earth." In the meantime, a worldwide network of supporters and cooperation partners is being created for this plan. b) The Establishment of Tamera After may years of preparation, Tamera was founded in 1995 by the sociologist and psychoanalyst Dieter Duhm, the theologian and peace messenger Sabine Lichtenfels and the physicist and musician Rainer Ehrenpreis. On the 134 hectare [331 acre] property, an initially fairly improvised infrastructure was built for the theoretical and practical study and research in the areas of establishing community, ecology and technology. 20,000 trees were planted, temporary accommodations and workshops were built and self-supply gardens and initial experimental biotopes were created. But especially a training program for youths and young adults was started in order to create a community of people with different professions and from different age groups. By now, about 160 people from different parts of the world are working and studying in Tamera. 21

22 c) Community - The Life Form of the Future The main focus of the research and experience in Tamera lies in the area of establishing community and social competency. Community knowledge and conflict resolution constitute the focal points of the training program in Tamera. What Sepp Holzer says about the creation of community in nature, also applies to community among humans. Their ethical orientation is based on truth among each other, mutual support and responsibility toward the whole. It is not separation and delineation toward others that promotes individuality, but cooperation and authentic communication. In Tamera it is so to speak the human interior of a healthy ecology that is researched and studied. Community is also the form of life in which we will be best prepared for the coming challenges. Take Cuba in the beginning of the 1990's as an example. Very suddenly and unexpectedly, an entire nation had to come to terms with the end of its oil richness. Since it was a society with a relatively high degree of social cohesion - ironically enough protected by the existing dictatorial conditions - the Cubans could relatively easily jointly develop effective solutions at the local level. Things would proably have gone differently in most other countries. Although knowledge of community - without dominance and dictatorship - has existed on earth before, it was lost during the course of the millenia. One culture after the other were robbed of their social connections: tribes, extended families and village cultures disappeared and what remained was societies of singles and lone warriors. In order to establish modern communities today, research and experience are needed in order to translate the knowledge of community into a modern context, in which there is also a place for individual freedom, adventure and love. In Tamera, there is a sustainable and generalizable knowledge about community which has been developed over decades. This is knowledge about a spiritual way of life, truthful communication, raising children in a free and safe environment, active and vital partnership relationships between the sexes and a complementary cooperation between younger and more experienced persons. d) Peace Education Monte Cerro: Training Global Peace Workers Since May of 2006, peace workers, including those from areas of conflict, can undergo training in the "Monte Cerro" experiment. Here, they study the theoretical and practical knowledge that is needed in order to survive the current era of transformation and establish alternatives for the post-industrial era. One goal of the studies is to empower them to help build peace villages in the form of functioning, self-sufficient settlements. The training includes the technological, ecological, social and spiritual fields of knowledge. At its core lie the topics of community building, conflict resolution and social competency. A central idea behind the Monte Cerro training could be formulated as follows, paraphrasing Gandhi: "We must carry out the changes in ourselves that we would like to see in the world." The training is led by the first generation of young teachers who have gone through the Tamera Peace School. Qualified persons and specialists from various fields such as solar energy, architecture, a spiritual life practice, peace journalism and more indepth in the area of ecology, supplement the knowledge of the Tamera community. Sepp Holzer's Permaculture is now an important new field of study. It is planned that a Monte Cerro University be established. The first building has already been built: it is an auditorium, built of straw bale adobe, 30 meters long and 8 meters high, with a green roof. It can hold up to 300 persons. 22