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research_report_sanjeev-shankar [2008-05-06 10:58] – sanjeevresearch_report_sanjeev-shankar [2008-05-13 12:29] – sanjeev
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 ===Directions=== ===Directions===
  
-The insights and lessons through this journey go beyond farming. The project started out with specific focus on urban farming and permaculture. Since, the nature of farming and land is highly interconnected, it affects every aspect of our society. The author would like to conclude with the following directives: +The insights and lessons through this journey go beyond farming. Since, the nature of farming and land is highly interconnected, it affects every aspect of our society. The author would like to conclude with the following directives: 
  
   * The first step is to bring out the connection which exists between a fertile soil and healthy crops, healthy animals and healthy human beings. Land must be safeguarded from the operations of finance and our needs have to be more clearly streamlined. A gradual approach for recovering the land is needed and the benefits of this shared with everyone.   * The first step is to bring out the connection which exists between a fertile soil and healthy crops, healthy animals and healthy human beings. Land must be safeguarded from the operations of finance and our needs have to be more clearly streamlined. A gradual approach for recovering the land is needed and the benefits of this shared with everyone.
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   * Urban communities should join hands with rural areas to create a prosperous and contented countryside, which inturn would become a great support for our future.    * Urban communities should join hands with rural areas to create a prosperous and contented countryside, which inturn would become a great support for our future. 
  
-  * Critical focus on agricultural research backed up by scientific education, traditional wisdom and practical farming experience. +  * Critical focus on agricultural research backed up by scientific education, traditional wisdom, aggressive trial and error and practical farming experience. 
  
   * From an urban farming perspective, personal kitchen gardens seem most effective. They are small, dispersed, diverse, flexible, simple to maintain, easily transformed and directly impact the food situation at a family and community level. They personify the idea of self reliance and feeding ourselves and can be catalysts for larger green initiatives at community, regional level.   * From an urban farming perspective, personal kitchen gardens seem most effective. They are small, dispersed, diverse, flexible, simple to maintain, easily transformed and directly impact the food situation at a family and community level. They personify the idea of self reliance and feeding ourselves and can be catalysts for larger green initiatives at community, regional level.
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   * Concious need for information 'exchange' and collaborations between different cultures and contexts to develop greater self reliance and interdependence. Assimilation as a design strategy has valid relevance. There needs to be a balance between clear streamlined structures and flexible organic systems, between small self organised clusters and larger fabrics, between independent points of view and a general concensus.    * Concious need for information 'exchange' and collaborations between different cultures and contexts to develop greater self reliance and interdependence. Assimilation as a design strategy has valid relevance. There needs to be a balance between clear streamlined structures and flexible organic systems, between small self organised clusters and larger fabrics, between independent points of view and a general concensus. 
  
-  * In cultural contexts, links with tradition should involve the use of past processes of change rather than the maintenance of past structures and patterns. We have to constantly reevaluate and revalidate our responses and ideas of 'growth' and 'progress' in such turbulent times. Such metaphors of progress and growth must move towards leaving things inside us rather than behind us. Having said that, if a thing needs to disintegrate and be left behind, we must let it go and let new systems be born. The aspect of ethics is important in such a situation and should be openly discussed.+  * In cultural contexts, links with tradition should involve the use of past processes of change rather than the maintenance of past structures and patterns. We have to constantly reevaluate and revalidate our responses and ideas of 'growth' and 'progress' in such turbulent and recursive times. Such metaphors of progress and growth must move towards leaving things inside us rather than behind us. Having said that, if a thing needs to disintegrate and be left behind, we must let it go and let new systems be born. The aspect of ethics is important in such a situation and should be openly discussed.
  
-  * Constantly striving to create fertile diverse systems which bring culture and nature together. This could be through technology, media or traditional mediums. An important example is the use of science and technology through 'e-choupals'(choupal is a hindi term for village gathering place) in rural Indian villages to increase crop productivity. +  * Constantly striving to create fertile diverse systems which bring culture and nature together. This could be through technology, media or traditional mediums. An important example is the use of science and technology through 'e-choupals'(choupal is a hindi term for village gathering place) in rural Indian villages to increase crop productivity.  
-{{:perma108.jpg|}}+{{:perma109.jpg|}}
  
 ===Suggestions=== ===Suggestions===
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   * Analysing the attributes of community based approaches in countries like India and how can we create such initiatives in western societies.   * Analysing the attributes of community based approaches in countries like India and how can we create such initiatives in western societies.
- 
-  * Creating tangible manifestations of human plant interaction to nudge it out of the speculative zone. How would a new relevant design practice emerge through observation of and cooperation with natural systems?  
  
   * Rethinking our relationship with other life forms in an infinitely interconnected atmosphere.   * Rethinking our relationship with other life forms in an infinitely interconnected atmosphere.
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   * Finding appropriate ways and methods to bring 'ethical' thinking as a core topic in design education and education in general.   * Finding appropriate ways and methods to bring 'ethical' thinking as a core topic in design education and education in general.
  
-  * Creating an **International Platform for Growth and Resilience**, which works towards a more inclusive, collaborative methodology through a system of integration, informed by scientific research, practical experience and travel. One of the intiatives could be to bring apparently polar groups together to find a common ground. These groups could include men with women; young with old; scientists with traditional farmers; environmentalists with corporate executives; capitalists with social entrepreneurs; secular groups with military regime heads; real estate developers with conservationists; politicians with middle class people; middle class western families with parallel families from the east and so on. At a regional level, the model could work in a bottom up manner with conflicting interest groups being brought together to openly discuss issues. +  * Creating an **International Platform for Growth and Resilience**, which tinkers towards a more inclusive, collaborative methodology through a system of integration, informed by scientific research, practical experience, randomness, risk and travel. One of the intiatives could be to bring apparently polar groups together to find a common ground. These groups could include men with women; young with old; scientists with traditional farmers; environmentalists with corporate executives; capitalists with social entrepreneurs; secular groups with military regime heads; real estate developers with conservationists; politicians with middle class people; middle class western families with parallel families from the east and so on. At a regional level, the model could work in a bottom up manner with conflicting interest groups being brought together to openly discuss issues.  
 + 
 +  * Creating tangible manifestations of human plant interaction to nudge it out of the speculative zone. How would a new relevant design practice emerge through observation of and cooperation with natural systems? The researcher envisions the emergence of a new field of research which merges aspects of urban ecology, design ethnography, cultural anthropology and life sciences. 
 + 
 +  * Ultimately thinking of ways in which we can create conditions that make independent ingeniuos ideas inevitable.
  
 ====References==== ====References====
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   * Farming with Nature-A case study of successful temperate Permaculture   * Farming with Nature-A case study of successful temperate Permaculture
   * Permaculture- Sepp Holzer - Aquaculture-Synergy of Land and Water   * Permaculture- Sepp Holzer - Aquaculture-Synergy of Land and Water
-  * Permaculture- Emilia Hazelip-Synergistic Garden+
  • research_report_sanjeev-shankar.txt
  • Last modified: 2008-06-13 21:58
  • by sanjeev