Permaculture Certification Course in Monrovia, Liberia by warren brush
T
he last time I was in Liberia, president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf shared on UNMIL radio, which is listened to nationally, that, "for Liberia to never again go to war; for Liberia to be truly resilient in the face of economic unrest; for Liberians to be healthy and stable in their communities…there is one thing we can do: That is for each family to grow a garden!" It was the first time I had ever heard a president of a country tell her people they need to grow a garden in order for their country to have a healthy future. Although gardening may not raise Liberia’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product), in her grand-
and instruction. It does not cover travel or transportation. For further information for both international and local Liberian students, please contact Ana Brush at ana@everydaygandhis.org or at 001-805-9669300 for tuition and scholarship information. If you cannot attend the course, but wish to donate to this inaugural event in support of a peaceful Liberia and a sustainable world, please visit www.everydaygandhis.org and go to the “Donate Now” page, contact us by email at info@everydaygandhis.org, or at 805-966-9300.
ricks institute: photo by andre lambertson
motherly wisdom, Johnson Sirleaf understands that most, if not all the problems of the world (and certainly Liberia's) can be solved in a garden. This next summer everyday gandhis is hosting a Permaculture Design Certification course in Liberia at the prestigious Ricks Institute, just outside of the nation’s capital of Monrovia. This 72-hour intensive course delves into all aspects of sustainable human settlement and leaves participants with an important design tool-kit for their communities and for communities worldwide. Local and international students will work side by side as they learn how to design and apply ethics and principles that lead to stability and sustainability. I will be teaching the course along with Loren Lyundyk of Surfing Without Borders. Quail Springs Permaculture and True Nature Design will also be partnering with everyday gandhis in this course. Ricks Institute is an ideal place to host the course not only because many of the country’s top government officials send their children there, but because it is located on 1100 acres just 20 minutes from Government offices. By having the course there, we will have an opportunity to share a different way of looking at national rebuilding, one that considers a triple bottom line, in which health is measured not just in economic terms, but also in environmental and social terms. We hope that those of you who are reading this newsletter and are interested in taking a Permaculture Design Course will consider taking the course in Liberia with us. Your tuition will help subsidize a local student to take the course for free. The course will be held from August 8th to the 21st, 2011. The cost for an international student is $950, which includes meals, simple lodging
about the instructors Warren Brush is a certified Permaculture designer and educator as well as a mentor and storyteller. He has worked for over 20 years in inspiring people of all ages to discover, nurture and express their inherent gifts while living in a sustainable manner. He is co-founder of Quail Springs Learning Oasis & Permaculture Farm (a few of their offerings include: Permaculture Design Certification courses for Youth called Sustainable Vocations, PDC for Adults and Sustainable Aid Courses among many other offerings), Wilderness Youth Project, Mentoring for Peace, and Trees for Children. He works extensively in Permaculture education and sustainable systems design in North America and in Africa through his design firm, True Nature Design. He can be reached through email at w@quailsprings.org or by calling his office at 805-886-7239. Loren Luyendyk was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. He has spent a lot of time traveling the world in search of new waves and new adventures. A lifetime surfer, he was inspired to create Surfers Without Borders (www.surferswithoutborders.org) to address the issue of ocean pollution through Permaculture and sustainable design. Loren has a degree in Biology from UCSB, and has studied sustainability and horticulture extensively. He now lives on the Gaviota Coast at the Orella Ranch (www.orellaranch.com), where he participates in and hosts sustainable design workshops. He also runs a local sustainable landscape design business called Santa Barbara Organics (www.sborganics.com). www.permaculturedesign.us www.quailsprings.org www.mentoring4peace.com www.truenaturedesign.net
everyday gandhis • winter 2010/2011 • 5