Design for Humanitiy: action to end poverty.

 

The organisation hereby constituted will be called 'Design for Humanity'

Main objectives

a. mother earth's life support systems

•     Restoring the health of all ecosystems

•     Restoring the health of water, soil systems

•     Protecting global climate and promoting regenerative resources

•     Ridding the earth of the exploitation of other species for profit gain

•     Empowering Indigenous knowledge to help eliminate poverty

 

b. Empowering women and children

 

•     Training women to be community leaders and permaculture educators

•     Address malnutrition and malnourishment in children and wider community

•     Taking a stand against domestic violence and discrimination against women

•     Nurture maternal instinct of women for earth care and people care

c. Using Permaculture design principles in development

 

·      Using appropriate technology and earth building techniques to build sustainable housing

·      Growing food to develop community and nutrition outcomes

·      Establishing food and water security in slums and disaster zones

·      Building and construction training in appropriate and sustainable housing

 

d. Making poverty history

 

·      Access to clean water for every child, woman and man

·      Legal tenure of housing for all 'illegal' citizens of slums of the world

·      Access to quality housing for every citizen of the world: Focusing first on street children, homeless, illegal neighbourhoods (i.e. slums), then later, recognised slums with inadequate housing and services.

d. Aid worker training and professional development

·      Leadership development

·      How to address government and NGO corruption

·      How to use appropriate technology and earth building techniques

·      Growing food to develop community and nutrition outcomes

·      Implanting food and water security in slums and disaster zones

·      Construction training in appropriate and sustainable housing

·      Addressing social, economic and environmental poverty constructively and practically.

e.  Helping to expose corruption in humanitarian aid

•     Corruption in aid organisations and NGO's costs the lives of the world's most vulnerable people.

•     Latin America is rife with NPO's set up to steal money from people of good will (M. Davies 2006.).

•     Therefore it is a core principle of Design for Humanity to directly expose these atrocities through documentaries, articles, journals, newspapers and the world media

 

Mission Statment

 

The mission of Design for Humanity is two-fold. The first branch stems from the belief that when women are given equal rights and empowered in the community to make economic and leadership decisions, they are a key driving force against poverty. By enhancing women's standing in the household and community, gender equality translates into greater wellbeing for children and reducing poverty for future generations. The second branch is a belief in the liberating force of education. Design for Humanity seeks to educate in the knowledge of ecosystems and how to work within nature to provide access to clean and secure water, nutritional food as well as sustainable and secure housing. In this way, communities can grow into places of self-actualisation rather than areas of daily survival. This is the paradigm shift that is required in order for humanity to evolve as a whole together. It is the moral responsibility and duty of every thinking person.

Assessment Standards

Holding the U.N.H.C.R and U.N.D.P to account for the millennium development goals with the support of World Bank critics and writers. The practice of supporting corrupt NPO's in Latin America (and the wider world) must end. Accountability to a code of financial and practical principles is severely lacking in global humanitarian aid (Davies, 2009).

The current (2014) UN Millennium Development Goals are:

1)    Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger through access to nutritious food and clean water

2)    Achieve universal primary education

3)    Promote gender equality and empower women as community leaders.

4)    Reduce child Mortality through access to sanitary and safe childbirth.

5)    Improve maternal health

6)    Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases through sexual health education.

7)    Ensure environmental sustainability through food security, ecological preservation and restoration.

Poverty and inequality are looked at as economic issues by the United Nations. Not as crimes against humanity and the value of human life. The additional criteria that Design for Humanity would add to the above goals of the UN are:

1)    Professional accountability for all associated NGO's and aid workers of the UN

2)    Jail sentences of government and NGO officials found guilty of financial corruption to be determined by the International Court of Human Rights (Geneva)

3)    The immediate and practical implantation of food gardens and rainwater tanks

4)    Permaculture design as a minimum standard for aid development

5)    Legal land tenure to all citizen of the world

6)    Freedom of speech and the right to protest

7)    Addressing cultural systemic problems with education

8)    Climatic, cultural, social and financial appropriate responses for site contextual issues

9)    Humanitarian aid models implemented by exemplary best practice (S. Muir Wilson, 2012)

10) Implementation of Bioregional map and chapter 14 of Permaculture: A Designer's Manual (Mollison, 1990)

The 8th International Permaculture Conference and Convergence in Cuba

IPC8 (The 8th International Permaculture Conference and Convergence) in Cuba will be a mile stone for the global permaculture and sustainability movement. It will be held on the 25-27th November 2013 in Havana.  The conference will address directly poverty, developing the United Nations Development Program, climate change, food security and education all under the theme of permaculture. The conferance will showcase how permaculture design has solved all of these problems in every inhabited continent on the globe.

This is the opportunity for leaders and practitioners in the permaculture field to network and develop and publish their imperative work. Cuba was chosen as the host country because of three main factors:

1. One of only three countries in the world that lives under its ecological footprint.
2. The only country to have dealt with peak oil and climate change effectively on a national scale.
3. The capital city of Havana grows 80% of the food required to feed the citizens of the city in organic community free hold gardens. 

Learning from such a leading nation is the educational and governmental imperative of nations for the years to come. Showing how nation wide mobilisation changes the environmental and quality of life outcomes. 

I will present my 5th year Master of Architecture thesis at the conference. The question of which was:

" How can permatecture evolve the U.N Development Program criteria for Latin America, within the political hierarchy/agenda for the favela of Monterrey, Mexico"

Stuart Muir Wilson

More infromation about the conference can be found by going to: http://ipc11cuba.com/en/international-permaculture-congress-cuba/ipc-11-international-permaculture-conference.html

A POTENTUALLY PRODUCTIVE STREET/ART TREE

Tree of 40 Fruit, 2008-Present

Grafted fruit tree including peach, plum, apricot, nectarine, cherry, and almond
Courtesy of the artist and Ronald Feldman Fine Arts

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Is There A Permatecture Way Forward?

There has to be another way ... An election is on the horizon: the electorate is marginal and it is imagined that something can be winkled out of the political candidates in the way of 'Development Dollars'. The trouble is that the cost carried after the election is over and the winning candidate has, say in this case, secured the $6.8 million, then the trouble begins.

The first thing is the depreciation allowance that needs to be provided to maintain and eventually 'upgrade' the community facilities. If a fee is charged to use the space then the complaints roll in by the dozens,hundred or thousands so the depreciation allowance is shuffled to the rates bill and amortised by 30 thousand or so rateable properties. By itself its not a lot of money but the trouble is its not 'all by itself' as its all been done before and again and again and each time something is added to the total rate bill.

 Can the ratepayers always afford to pay for THIS kind of development?

But it doesn't stop there as the 'facility' by itself doesn't generate much of an income of any kind. Nobody is paying levies or rates for it being there and adjoining developments will argue that it doesn't add to their income generating imperative, or add real value to their enterprise,  and thus they cannot afford to pay a premium on their rates. So again, more gets added to the amount amortised over the total rate base.

In fact if the money is won it might just cost another $1 million a year to maintain etc. and it seems this is rarely if ever accounted for in the 'planning process'. There has to be a better way to use these places and in ways that add value  and contribute more than 'something' to the wider community who will pay for it being there. Put another way, the wider community picks up the sustainability cost. 

So what can be done to deliver a sustainability dividend to offset the investment in developing spaces like these to make them into valued places and ensure their sustainability.              

The Newspaper Story

$6.8m sought for river edge project By MATT MALONE The Examiner May 8, 2013

THE Launceston City Council will seek a $6.8 million promise from federal Bass candidates ahead of the September election to redevelop North Bank.

Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said the money would fund the construction of a sound shell and seating for staging concerts and festivals, and a new large playground, picnic and barbecue facilities.

He said the development would see new parklands created and new walking and cycling trails to link to the Kings Wharf area.

Alderman van Zetten said the degraded river edge would be regenerated, a new boardwalk would be built, and invasive weeds removed.

``The proposal would allow us to have a whole sequence of related tourism experiences starting at Cataract Gorge, to Kings Bridge, to Royal Park, the Seaport and to the North Bank area and Kings Wharf,'' Alderman van Zetten said.

``Importantly, it would also link the Inveresk precinct to a redeveloped Willis Street precinct in the future.''

Alderman van Zetten said the council was still working on a master plan for the North Bank precinct to determine how it could be developed as ``a high profile community facility''.

The council has contributed $50,000 so far towards the plan.

The $6.8 million request for North Bank follows a $2 million request to federal candidates to fund scoping works for an Eastern Bypass to remove heavy vehicles from main city roads .... CLICK HERE TO GO TO SOURCE

permatecture, architecture, guerilla gardening, stuart muir wilson, permaculture 

Guerllila Gardening

Re-thinking public land in the city center is the duty of every citizen. The need to have foot paths, car parks and city malls growing food has never been needed more. 

Launceston, and cities like it, must grow its own food for the following reasons:

-Reduce the cost of living for all.

-Enact democracy in public space.

-Make public space functional.

-Equalise public space.

-reduce the carbon footprint of food.

-Create a stronger connection to nature that transcends generations.

It is the duty of every citizen to take ownership of public space in democracy. Authorities that say otherwise are leaning towards totalitarianism. 

The Illegal gardener :) (aka Stuart Muir Wilson)

permatecture, architecture, guerilla gardening, stuart muir wilson, permaculture 

A GREEN ROOF

Child care centre’s green roof haven for bird and insects

17 April 2013 — A redeveloped child care centre, featuring a cutting edge, 450 square metre, lightweight green roof, is now open in a North Balwyn Park in Melbourne’s inner east.

It is the first time a green roof of its size has been created on top of a single storey building, outside Melbourne’s CBD and in a suburban park setting.

Minifie Childcare Centre’s green roof also helps the building blend with its surroundings.

City of Boroondara Mayor Jack Wegman said the city wanted to wanted to work with the parents and committee at Minifie Park Childcare Centre to build something that suited the setting and created a safe haven for birds and insects indigenous to the area.

The roof is lightweight and supports smaller indigenous plants that grow no higher than one metre.

The roof can only be accessed by city maintenance staff via a ladder so cats, dogs and foxes cannot reach the roof top microenvironment, providing a haven for native ground-nesting birds and insects.

The roof’s plants and soil insulate the childcare centre, reducing energy needs. The plants’ respiration creates a kind of natural evaporative cooling in the warmer months, cutting the roof surface temperature by up to 30 degrees in summer.

Mr Wegman said the it was hoped the “cheaper, simpler, lightweight green roof” would create more interest in the concept and inspire smaller organisations, developers and private citizens to consider building a green roof of their own”.

“The Minifie Park Childcare Centre roof shows you don’t need millions of dollars to do it.”

The structural, mechanical and electrical engineer was Irwin Consulting, the architect was Fooks Martin Sandow Anson, hydraulics engineer was Protype, quantity surveyor was Prowse Quantity Surveyors and landscape consultant was Jeavons Landscape Architects.

The project was managed by Boroondara City Council which was also the building surveyor.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO SOURCE

West Tamar Council: Here is a problem worth solving

Click Here ... To put this advertisement in context. the challenge is now out for an environmentally sustainable and aesthetically appropriate solution with community support

We trust that it will be possible for the Council 

make this an exemplar that sets the pace

TYREpots: An oldy but a goody

This pot was ‘inherited’ with a house purchase. Its a little amazing that someone with something like this – the owner or a tenant – didn’t value it enough to take with them. Nonetheless the new owners treasure it and its destined to be a talking point for some time yet. Well it’s made it to the internet as has the access to the DIY information.

• HOW2 #1:  Click Here 
• HOW2 #2: Click Here 
• HOW2 on YOUtube: Click Here 
• Tyres to Gold: Click Here 
• Pakistani Examples: Click Here 
• Columbian Pot Examples: Click Here 

Urban farming in Detroit

“Every year I’d tell myself it’s going to get better… and, sure enough, it didn’t get better.” – John Hantz – http://www.hantzfarmsdetroit.com/ ... John Hantz, a local resident and successful businessman, has been working since 2009 to develop the world’s largest urban farm in Detroit as a for-profit enterprise. Hantz wants to buy about 140 acres of city-owned land approximately six kilometres from the CBD, in order to plant thousands of hardwood trees. Hantz Farms claims they will improve the area by clearing overgrowth and rubbish and by demolishing abandoned houses which have fallen into disrepair – tasks which the city, facing possible bankruptcy, can little afford to do itself. Yet despite these contributions, persistent questions have been raised about whether the project is really about helping the community, beautifying the city, or simply generating personal wealth...  It remains to be seen if this is a vision that can help Detroit to address its challenges, and it certainly runs counter to some of the more collective, collaborative approaches proposed in recent years. Hantz himself is fine with this mix of methods; in his view, Detroiters “have so many opportunities with the issues we face that we could try every idea.” having recently approved his proposal, it seems Hantz will now get to test the idea he hopes will be a “game changer” for Detroit"... click here to read the entire article

AUTHORS: 

• Laura Crommelin PhD candidate, Faculty of Built Environment at University of New South Wales
• Christine Steinmetz Lecturer in Built Environment at University of New South Wales

Permaculture Research

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FLIES: There is good news and better news

Click Here:  for HOUSEfly BAD NEWS

Some dot points:

• The housefly is without doubt the most common, domestic flies around. They are the most distributed insect as they can be found world wide. Out of all flies that inhabit human habitats, the housefly makes up 91% of them.
• A female fly can lay a batch of between 75 to 151 eggs at any one time, while laying a maximum of around 500 eggs in her lifetime. 
• Within a day of the eggs having been laid, the eggs will Hatch into larvae or otherwise known as maggots. The now pale White maggots measure between 3 to 9 mm in length, have no legs and are thinner at the end where the mouth is. 
• The maggots will then thrive and feed on the likes of dead, decaying organic material, garbage and feces. 
• The maggots will grow through three instars' over the period of at least one week. 
• Once they have reached their third instar the maggots will find a dry and cool place to transform into a pupa. 
• As a pupa, they are a reddish or Brown colour measuring around 8 mm in length. Once the pupae have matured, and adult fly will emerge from the pupae. 
• As adult flies in the wild they will live between two weeks and month while in captivity such as in a laboratory they can live longer.
• A female fly will become receptive to mating in only 36 hours after emerging from its pupa stage. 
• Copulation will take very little time, a few seconds to possibly a couple of minutes. The female fly will normally store the sperm and mate only once using the sperm several times for several sets of eggs.

Click Here:  for HOUSEfly GOOD NEWS

• Jason Drew, author of The Story of the Fly and how it could save the World, believes that the insect, widely regarded as a pest, should be used to provide a protein-rich diet for chickens and fish.
• Mao Zedong's Great sparrow campaign also known as the Kill a sparrow campaign, and officially, the Four Pests campaign was one of the first actions taken in the Great Leap Forward from 1958 to 1962. The four pests to be eliminated were rats, flies, mosquitoes, and sparrows. The extermination of the last upset the ecological balance, and enabled crop-eating insects to proliferate. It turns out everything has an ECOLOGICALplace in the world –  even flies.
• China’s Worst Self-Inflicted Environmental Disaster an exemplar of ONEdimensional thinking.
• Black Soldier Fly Farming, arguably the next generation of composting, has a website dedicated to learning and teaching about what it takes to breed the black soldier fly. Researching the benefits of using black soldier fly's in waste avoidance, resource recovery, and waste management by developing, maintaining, and studying BSF farms and designs. All the research findings will be published on this website to be used as a free information source for anyone interested in learning more about these amazing insects. A key objective of this site is to use the findings to minimize the amount of damage we do to the environment in the future. AND here is the BLOG http://www.blacksoldierflyfarming.com/blog

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