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2008, Living Mandala
creative services by: 360 Degrees

Permaculture for International Sustainable Development

& Social Entrepreneurship

Weekend Workshop with Warren Brush

Feb 28 - March 2, 2014

MA Center /GreenFriends Farm  - Castro Valley, California




REGISTER HERE.


Cost: $195- $225

The cost for this workshop is $195 Early Bird, $225 standard.

Light beverages, snacks, and a nutritious vegetarian lunch will be provided.


  1. *There will be a small registration fee in addition to the above prices.


To Register Click Here.


Dates & Times

The workshop will begin on Friday evening Feb 28, from 7pm - 9pm, and on Saturday and Sunday (March 1 - 2) from 9:00 am - 5:30 pm.


Seven Stages to Sustainability (7SS) Permaculture Design Course: March - May 2014

This weekend workshop is part of a longer 13 day Permaculture Design Course that will continue with 4 additional weekends from March - May, 2014. We are very excited to be partnering with Empowerment Works and some exceptional teachers from the Bay Area Permaculture Teachers Guild for this unique course: 7 Stages to Sustainability Permaculture Design Course: Permaculture for International Sustainable Development & Social Entrepreneurship


Learn the art and science of Permaculture based as we make our way through the curriculum over 5 modules from, March - May 2014, taught and facilitated by a diversity of exceptional instructors from the Bay Area Permaculture Teachers Guild.


During this unique, 13 Day, 4 part module training, we will also learn the process of the Seven Stages to Sustainability along with Permaculture Design as powerful frameworks to transform communities into resilient human settlements in greater harmony with nature. With a focus on international sustainable development and social entrepreneurship, we will look at successful case studies, move through design processes, and learn potent and practical tools for localized food, energy, water systems, community,and invisible structures for re-designing every scale of human habitat. As part of the course, students will apply the 7SS & Permaculture framework and process towards live design projects to be developed during the full course from March - May 2014, and delivered to stakeholders in the community on the final session on May 18.


7SS + Permaculture

Whether addressing poverty, promoting health, education, or a sustainable environment, “Seven Stages to Sustainability (7SS)” serves as an interactive guide on how to turn local problems into solutions. Created by to empower community-led solutions; 7SS approach to community development honors the unique values within all cultures, economic sectors, and disciplines that lie at the core of creating a sustainable world. Together and integrated with Permaculture Design - this creates a powerful framework for cross-sector collaboration and implementation of locally led solutions towards community sustainability and resiliency.


This training is an ideal capacity building opportunity for NGO leaders and others interested in international sustainable development to increase their skill sets in the field, while also completing an internationally recognized certificate in Permaculture Design within the context of integrated sustainable development. With a special focus on social permaculture and cross-sector collaboration, this unique course is also perfect for permaculture enthusiasts seeking to expand and apply their skills for greater impact. Students will learn the skills to apply 7SS and Permaculture in their own organization's, communities, and project initiatives.


Through learning simple program development and sustainability approaches (including program evaluation, microfinance, fair trade, local asset building), along with the a potent tool bag of permaculture strategies and on-the-ground and solutionary technologies.... students will as emerge as more confident leaders, designers, and community facilitators able to engage, and inspire diverse stakeholders in local solutions.


This is a rare opportunity to learn both of these powerful frameworks and regenerative design processes, how they can work together, and how they can be be applied some of the most pressing problems facing the world and communities today on a local and international level through cross-sector collaboration and grass roots implementation.


For More Information Click Here.


Entire PDC + 7SS or Individual Modules

Sign up for the entire course to receive the complete Permaculture Design + 7SS Certification, or attend specific modules. Details on the Specific modules below.


4 PDC Modules:

  1. Module 1: (March 27 - 30, 2014):  $295 / $325             Seven Stages to Sustainability + Permaculture Design

  2. Module 2: (April 10 - 13):  $195 / $225: Permaculture Fundamentals

  3. Module 3: (May 1 - 4):  $295 / $325: Invisible Structures & Community Design

  4. Module 3: (May 18):  Free Open to Public - RSVP                                        Design Presentations, Graduation, Celebration!


Bay Area Accessibility & Global Connection

This course is accessible to those who are unable a to take two-weeks off or more from their lives, jobs, and family responsibilities to attend a residential intensive course, we are excited to offer this 5 part Permaculture Design Certification Course + 7SS Training at Green Friends at the centrally located beautiful east bay beautiful site of the M.A. Center / GreenFriends Farm in the East San Francisco Bay Area - U.S. headquarters of international humanitarian & India Saint - Amma. The beautiful 180 acre grounds of the M.A. Center are becoming a demonstration & educational hub of leading permaculture, holistic management, and regenerative design practices in the San Francisco Bay Area. The MA Center and GreenFriends International have a strong global focus as well, and leading and supporting many humanitarian and ecological projects around the world.




Lodging & Transportation

Participants are responsible for their lodging and travel arrangements. Lodging is not available at the M.A Center except to members of the ashram community with limited space availability. Room costs in San Ramon or Castro Valley range form $40/night to $120/night. We will send you a list of local hotels and online hotel booking options upon request. We will also assist in coordinating carpools with participants coming from different parts of the S.F. Bay Area.


Site Details - M.A. Center / GreenFriends Farm

M.A. Center is the U.S. headquarters of international humanitarian & India Saint - Amma. www.embracingtheworld.org. The beautiful 180 acre grounds of the M.A. Center are becoming a demonstration & educational hub of leading permaculture, holistic management, and regenerative design practices.




Site Projects Include

  1. 1,000 tree holistic food forest

  2. Dynamic watershed restoration

  3. Broadacre land contouring & water infiltration

  4. Keyline patterning & ploughing

  5. Native reforestation & agroforestry

  6. Holistically managed grazing

  7. Soil food web management

  8. Solar energy

  9. Community garden & orchards

  10. Sustainability & spirituality programs


GreenFriends Projects

Since its inception, GreenFriends has made a tremendous impact on the environment by planting more than 1 million trees globally since 2001. Other GreenFriends projects found around the world include permaculture, building eco-friendly dwellings, promoting the use of Efficient Micro-organisms (EM), preserving land and water ecosystems, and recycling/reducing waste. To reconnect people with nature, GreenFriends also conducts workshops, nature retreats and group meditation in forests and other natural settings.


About GreenFriends

GreenFriends is a global grassroots environmental movement that promotes environmental awareness and participation at the individual and community levels in activities aimed at preserving our precious environment. GreenFriends’ baseline philosophy is that we should strive to preserve and protect our environment because not only does nature provide us with resources we need to sustain ourselves, but she also sustains all life forms on earth. GreenFriends advocates that each one of us strives to reawaken our awareness of unity with all of creation, and cultivate an attitude of love and reverence towards nature. Developing love for nature will lead to a change in our attitudes, helping us work together towards restoring the harmony between humanity and nature that has existed throughout the ages. For More information visit: http://greenfriends.org


GreenFriends: A Global Environmental Movement

In the United States, GreenFriends’ main activities include tree planting, organic food production using organic farming techniques, a plastics project, solar energy and beekeeping. GreenFriends is a satellite project of the humanitarian organization Embracing the World (ETW). ETW is a member organization of the United Nations Billion Tree Campaign. Since its inception in 2001, GreenFriends has become a global environmental movement with thousands of members of all ages in the United States, Europe, Australia and Japan working together to preserve the environment through local participation in GreenFriends projects.


Check Out Our Recent Project in India!

Transforming Plastic Pollution Into an Eco-Training Center in Bodhgaya



TO WATCH VIDEO CLICK HERE


 

Instructors & Facilitators


Warren Brush

Warren Brush is a certified Permaculture designer and teacher as well as a mentor and storyteller. He has worked for over 25 years in inspiring people of all ages to discover, nurture and express their inherent gifts while living in a sustainable manner. He is cofounder of Quail Springs Permaculture, Sustainable Vocations, Wilderness Youth Project, Trees for Children and his Permaculture design company, True Nature Design. He works extensively in Permaculture education and sustainable systems design in North America, Africa, Middle East, Europe, and Australia. He has devoted many years to mentoring youth and adults to inspire and equip them to live in a sustainable manner with integrity and a hopeful outlook. His mentoring includes working with those who are former child soldiers, orphans, indigenous peoples, youth from troubled families and situations as well as those youth from other varied and privileged backgrounds. He teaches courses including: Permaculture Design Certification, Rainwater Harvesting Systems, Ferro- Cement Tank Building, Compost Toilet Systems, Greywater Solutions, Water for Every Farm, Drought Proofing, Cultural Mentoring, Introduction to Permaculture Systems, Corporation Sole Formation, Food Forestry, and origins skills among other offerings.


Lead Instructor


Melanie St.James, MPA

Executive Director & Global Programs Director (USA) - Empowerment Works

Executive Producer & Co-Chair - The Global Summit

Melanie's passion to change the world began at 20 in 1994 with a semester in mainland China, an experience that awakened her to the pressing social and environmental challenges of humanity. Through field studies in Senegal and Zimbabwe (1999) Melanie met many local social entrepreneurs ready to turn local resources into solutions, and in 2001 formed Empowerment Works to bring them the access to markets, tools and partners they needed to thrive. In 2007 after participating in the World Social Forum in Kenya, Melanie led the co-creation of The Global Summit (2008- 2020)  to advance participatory, multi-sector and community-led solutions.

Returning to China in Fall 2009 to co-create the service learning program for the World Academy for the Future of Women, Melanie delivered EW's flagship approach "7 Stages to Sustainability (7SS)" as a curriculum, which continues to evolve as an open source Asset-Based Community Development knowledge base.


Through the vehicle of Empowerment WORKS, Melanie is a creative social entrepreneur, building a team of fellow visionaries dedicated to building a thriving world from the ground up and the inside out.  Highlights on the journey include the 2006 International AIDS Conference in Toronto, the 2004 Sustainable Resources Conference in Boulder; Chairing/ Moderating the 5th International Symposium on Digital Earth, 2008 Global Sound Conference; and Co-founding the Coalition for a Sustainable Africa (CSA).


Melanie holds a Masters of Public Administration in International Management from the Monterey Institute of International Studies’ Graduate School of International Policy Studies, and a BA in International Relations and Diplomacy from Schiller International University in Madrid, Spain. In 2007 she published a medicinal plant based AIDS treatment which she seeks partners to help make available in the developing world at cost.  Her training in Transformative Mediation and International Negotiations supports EW's multi-sector collaboration model. Fluent in French and Spanish, Melanie has lived and traveled across Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas.


Support Facilitator


Jay Markert (“Jay Ma”)

Director of Programs - LIving Mandala

Jay Ma is a holistic educator, regenerative design consultant, permaculture teacher, and social entrepreneur committed to creating ecological and cultural resiliency through living systems design principles. As the founder and director of programs at Living Mandala, Jay works with holistic educators, businesses, communities and institutions designing, organizing, and promoting educational trainings, events, and initiatives for personal, ecological and social transformation in the pacific northwest, nationally, and internationally. Jay is a community organizer and seasoned event producer who has produced educational programs, retreats, workshops, conferences and community development projects for 12 years now with organizations including the Regenerative Design Institute, the Institute of Noetic Sciences, Gaia University, Omega Institute, Harmony Festival, and many others.

Jay received his first Permaculture Design Certificate in 2001, started his degree program in performing Arts Production Management at Naropa University, received a B.S. through New College of California in Culture, Ecology, and Sustainable Community with a concentration in Eco-Dwelling & Natural Building in 2005, and is currently a Master's Candidate at Gaia University in Integrative Ecosocial Design. He is a two-time graduate of the pioneering two-year training intensive in Regenerative Design & Nature Awareness through the Regenerative Design Institute. Jay is permaculture design course instructor, a nature connection educator, a community facilitator, and a fire walk instructor through Sundoor International.


Jay is also co-founder of Shire Springs - a developing Ecovillage based on Permaculture Ethics & Peacemaking Principles offering affordable residential Ecovillage living and community co-stewardship opportunities on a beautiful oasis in the greater Mt. Shasta Bioregion in California - U.S.A.. Jay is skilled community organizer as well as an engaging educator passionate about sustainability, nature connection, social entrepreneurship, team building, and creating a culture of human beings living harmoniously with each other and our environment. More information on Jay Ma can be found on his Linkedin Profile.


Support Facilitator


Affiliate Organizations & Sponsors

           
   


  
             


                


Become a sponsor of this course!

For details email: affiliates@livingmandala.com


For Upcoming Courses, Workshops, & Events Click this Spring & Summer in Permaculture, Ecovillage Design, Sustainable Living Skills, & More Click Here.

 

Including

PEOPLE AND PATTERNS

STRATEGIES IN INTERNATIONAL SETTINGS

HOUSEHOLD AND VILLAGE DYNAMICS

CLIMATE PROFILES & APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY

DESIGN FOR DISASTER

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

PERSONAL PATHWAYS FOR INTERNATIONAL WORK

SEVEN STAGES TO SUSTAINABILITY


In Association With

Empowerment Works

GreenFriends Farm

M.A. Center

Common Vision

Quail Springs


Facilitators & Instructors

Warren Brush

Melanie St. James

Jay Ma


Course Description

During this weekend workshop we will look deeply at Permaculture applied in varies environments and situations around the world, from a diversity of climates and ecologies to a diversity of cultures, with a particular focus on strategies for the developing world. We will also look at strategies for social entrepreneurship.


Topics Include:

  1. People and Patterns - Shifting worldviews and worldview formation, dispelling myths that we and others may carry, honoring the myths of place

  2. Understanding and designing household and village dynamics based on natural patterns and cycles

  3. Invitation, Approach, Consensus, Demonstration, Nurture and Ongoing Relationship Tending in community work domestically and internationally

  4. Techniques, Strategies, and Pattern application in international settings

  5. Discovering personal experience pathways and creating demonstration in your own life as a jumping off point to international work

  6. Climate Profiles & Appropriate Technology

  7. Design for Disaster

  8. Social Entrepreneurship


Practical and Group Work May Include:

  1. Envisioning exercise

  2. Building a cob rocket stove

  3. Designing a fuel forest for a small village




What is Permaculture?

Permaculture is a holistic design philosophy described as the art and science of creating community ecosystems in which plants, animals, human beings, and all forms of ecological diversity interact to produce a prolific, ecologically-sound, and regenerative system that can support itself and life indefinitely. The focus of permaculture is to design and establish societal systems that provide for humanity’s material and non-material needs including food, water, shelter, energy, and health in a way that is symbiotic and synergistic with the Earth’s natural ecosystems. More recently permaculture is incorporating an ever-growing landscape of diverse fields and skill sets and is being applied towards areas such as business, government, economics, group process, social systems, and inner work.


Permaculture in Developing Countries

From its inception Permaculture has quickly spread to over 120 countries where farms and other sites are successfully applying its' ideas, techniques and strategies. As further testament to its applicability, Permaculture is now being applied in many urban and suburban areas. In many developed countries these applications hold much promise for dealing with the many issues associated with mass populations.


Seven Stages to Sustainability

“7 Stages to Sustainability (7SS)" is a collaboration road map, Asset Based Community-driven Development (ABCD) framework, philosophy of self determination and a curriculum empowering people, businesses and organizations to turn local assets into holistic solutions from the ground up. In short, 7 Stages to Sustainability is a tool to transform poverty into prosperity in the world's most economically challenged communities. 


Modeling the way nature creates, the 7SS pattern is universal and used world-wide to catalyze innovation in business, technology, music and even movies. Although those using it have little or no awareness of one another, the widely distributed 7SS pattern, termed 'monomyth' by author Joseph Campbell (a.k.a. Hero's Journey), is inherent in most (if not all) other functional systems.  


Developed by Empowerment Works’ several years of 7SS global grassroots community action, and the success of a first 7SS service learning curriculum in China, 7SS is being taken to new heights in northern India and other places. While the 7 Stages to Sustainability is a philosophy and process of self-determination as well as a curriculum, it is also a proven catalyst for business, technological and social innovation.




7SS Case Studies & Action Research

For over a decade, working with local communities affected by humanity's critical issues of AIDS, poverty and climate change across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the USA, Empowerment WORKS has continuously assessed the relevance and need for the 7 Stages to Sustainability (7SS) framework to expand in a way that enables global collaboration across Public, Private and Voluntary sectors. Representing experiences of what works, what's broken and opportunities for change, the Case Studies here inspire and inform the development of 7 Stages to Sustainability tools.


ONGOING 7SS CASE STUDIES / EW ACTION RESEARCH:

2013 - 7SS + PDC Training in Bodghaya, India

2011 - Nepal - Hamro Forum "7SS Catalyst Action Training" and "Local Summits" 

2011 - Botswana - Peace Corps Volunteer, Kyle Turk "Onsite 7SS tool development" 

2010 - Ghana - Kabissa (NGO) "Capacity Building Symposium/Local Summit 2012" 


PAST  7SS CASE STUDIES / EW PROGRAMS SINCE 2001:

2009 - China, East Asia launched 7 Stages to Sustainability (7SS) Curriculum

2007 - Kenya, East Africa - Amani Children's Center - Youth Entrepreneur Micro-grant

2006 - Suriname, South America - Micro-grants for Social Entrepreneurs

2002-2008 - Zimbabwe, Southern Africa - Orphan Care & Sustainable Development

2001-2007 - Senegal, West Africa - Casamance Institute of Arts & Sciences, EW Music




About Empowerment Works

Inspired in Senegal and Zimbabwe in 1999 & 2000, and registered in the USA as 501c3 tax-exempt organization in 2001, Empowerment WORKS (EW) is a global sustainability think-tank in action dedicated to the advancement of whole-system, locally-led solutions for a thriving world. In the world's most culturally rich, yet economically challenged communities, access to markets, appropriate technologies and education can empower people to transform critical problems into opportunities for lasting social change. Empowerment WORKS brings these vital tools within the grasp of citizens on the front lines of poverty and climate change.


Working globally from the ground up, Empowerment WORKS fosters a global network of Partners in Empowerment (PIE) united in action by a universal collaboration framework called 7 Stages to Sustainability (7SS).  Through The Global Summit, the African Local Summit, its ongoing Artists in Action event series and other educational forums, these Partners are empowered to contribute their diverse skills, appropriate technologies and markets to catalyze local impact.


Through this holistic mission, Empowerment WORKS inspires people across the globe to realize the value of their existing knowledge, unique talents and collective potential to change the world.


7SS PDC in Bodhgaya, India - Nov 2013

The first Seven Stages to Sustainability Permaculture Course was held in November, 2013: 7SS+ Permaculture Design in the sacred Buddhist pilgrimage city of Bodhgaya, India - the place of the Buddha’s Enlightenment & UNESCO world heritage site.


  1. Integrated Social, Economic & Environmental Development

  2. Vital tools & practices in locally-led community development

  3. Hands-on International Permaculture Design Course Certificate

  4. Culturally rich immersion working with locals in Bodhgaya, India - sacred Buddhist Pilgrimidge City


WHO’S COMING?

  1. Aspiring & Experienced Sustainability Leaders

  2. Grass-roots Organizers

  3. Permaculturists (of all experience levels)

  4. Social Entrepreneurs, System thinkers, Economists

  5. All ready to co-create a healthy, culturally rich, thriving world!


WHAT YOU’LL GAIN

  1. Hands on experience in culturally rich context

  2. Internationally recognized certificate in Permaculture Design

  3. Leading-edge approach collaboration for cross-sector impact

  4. Core skills to apply Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) via 7 Stages to Sustainability (7SS) framework and Permaculture in your own organizations, communities, and projects.


WHAT TO EXPECT?

During this unique two-week training, we will learn the process of the 7 Stages to Sustainability (7SS) along with Permaculture Design as powerful frameworks to transform communities into resilient human settlements in greater harmony with nature. With a focus on international sustainable development, we will look at successful case studies, move through design processes, and learn potent and practical tools for localized food, energy, water systems, community,and invisible structures for re-designing every scale of human habitat.


This is a very special opportunity to learn two of the world most scalable systems for community-led solutions, how they can work together, and how their regenerative design processes can be applied to address the world's most pressing local & global challenges today.


OUR IMPACT

Through this unique course collaboration, we are committed to delivering the highest quality, most informative, and life changing experience for participants. Moreover, this course will be a vital support to the on-going efforts of sustainable development in Bodh Gaya by the people, activists, and Buddhists monks & nuns in the local community.


For More Info on the 7SS PDC in Bodghaya Click Here.




Contact

For questions and more information regarding the course

e-mail: education@livingmandala.com or

call: (707) 634-1461


To Register Click Here.