HLPF Side Event 2022 Permaculture: A Universal, Hopeful Practice for Building Back Better
Written by: Amber Lefevre and Mako Mori
On July 7, 2022, The WFWPI Office for UN Relations in New York in collaboration with the World Council for Psychotherapy and the International Association of Applied Psychology, hosted a virtual Side Event during the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2022, under the theme: "Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."
The working theme of the Side Event was "Permaculture: A Universal, Hopeful Practice for Building Back Better." The program featured perspectives from expert permaculture practitioners, community leaders, educators and government leaders. These special speakers engaged in a roundtable discussion, where they identified practical solutions and successful practices and encouraged the creation and implementation of policies that support resilience and partnerships toward the well-being of people and the healing of the planet.
The global COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fragility of our food production systems and exposed many communities to food scarcity issues. As the world has begins to recover, our focus now returns to our shared responsibility of reaching the 2030 agenda, with more enthusiasm than before.
To ensure sustainable, inclusive, and resilient recovery from the pandemic, WFWPI highlighted permaculture as a universal holistic practice to build back better, secure food security, heal our planet and our bodies, build bridges between local government and civil society as well as meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals: 2-zero hunger, 4-quality education, 13-climate action, 14-life on land and 17-partnerships for the goals.
Mrs. Merly Barlaan, Director of the WFWPI Office for UN Relations in New York, opened the Side Event by introducing WFWPI and its environmental work through the 12 Giving for Good projects around the world. Permaculture education was shown in the lively video, showacasing WFWP Philippines’ project managed by the young WFWP leaders in Bohol. This project focuses on improving destructive farming practices, starting from the soil up. Mrs. Barlaan stressed the importance of the Permaculture Literacy Project saying “Since we launched this project, one of the most important learning for me was understanding that our planet is at breaking point, soil building is fundamentally as critical as peacebuilding.”
Next, Mr. Mezang Akamba, First Counselor, from the Cameroon Permanent Mission to the United Nations shared his Opening Remarks, praising WFWPI’s work in the area of peacebuilding and environmental sustainability. Mr. Akamba, representing the UN Mission countries, hoped for collaboration and strong action-oriented commitment stating that “It is time to act. It is time to act for the greatest benefit of the most needy.”
Dr. Sun Jin Moon, WFWPI Senior Vice President, reaffirmed the history and mission of the UN and the importance how we must come together to contribute to the 2030 agenda. Dr. Moon spoke on the evident climate disasters but also offered hope for the future, explaining that although the existential threat is upon us, by managing sustainable changes in human activity we can save our planet and our people. She ended her speech reminding us of our collective mission, to “protect and preserve the balance and health of our planet and its people, for future generations to come.”
Ms. Yani Dutta, Founder of the Regenesis Project, spoke on the large-scale restoration of degraded ecosystems in the Philippines. Ms. Dutta spoke on her permaculture journey, sharing honestly how at first, she had to grapple with her sense of hopelessness, feeling that “there is nothing I can do” towards the “global problems which are much too big and much too complex.” What gave her hope was actually seeing bamboo trees that were hit hard by a category 5 typhoon, grow even bigger and more vigorous only six months later. In this way, she felt the principles of nature were universal and resilient, reminding her that “life will always find a way.” Ms. Dutta described permaculture as a hopeful practice which helps one learn how to design as nature, think and feel like nature, to realign with natural principles of nature “to ensure our practices cause more good than harm.” She gave prominent examples of healing taking palce all over the world already, in locations such as Jordan, India and China.
Director Michaela Glatzl, Advisor for the Austrian Women Farmers' Working Group (AWFWG), Austrian Chamber of Agriculture, spoke on the work being done in the Austrian government, which incorporates planetary healing to our mental health and wellbeing. DI. Glatzl asked the audience to close their eyes and introduced imagery and sensory description of what she calls the Green Care Farm. This project is a social innovation with the “aim to build bridges between agricultural and social challenges” and addresses the country’s issues of crippling physical health and mental health, special education needs, care for the elderly and lack of rural development. The Green Care Farm offers an experience for people to get educated, take care of their well-being and help them integrate better into society, while also promoting rural development in Austria.
Dr. Judy Kuriansky, Clinical Psychologist and Professor at Columbia University Teachers College, brought enthusiastic passion and energy while making the critical link between building back better, food security and mental health. Dr. Kuriansky highlighted the “silver lining” to this COVID-19 pandemic which is the “rare opportunity for transforming food systems.” Dr. Kuriansky described the interconnectedness of all the 17 SDGs visually, to help the audience understand the inextricable link between the health of the planet and its people. She also spoke on the importance of transforming “Eco-stress” to actionable change in people’s behavior and relationship with the environment. Dr. Kuriansky ended with the powerful reminder of “love, togetherness, belief that things will get better and hope.”
Throughout the whole program, these specialized areas were linked into permacultures message of hope, resilience, regenerative systems, and behavioral change to be able to restore nature and ourselves in the process. Permaculture can pave the way for communities, civil society and governments to offer small or large applications that provide a better, healthier and safer future that both humans and our planet need.
Mrs. Carolyn Handschin, President of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women at the United Nations in Geneva, ended the program with Closing Remarks, stating that “with every panel like this, we become not more convinced that it's necessary, but more convinced there is something that I can do to contribute.” Mrs. Handschin shared how hopeful it is to have a trending attitude of togetherness rather than separation and expressed her excitement that this Side Event showcases “what women are doing for the world.”
You can watch the recording of the event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OdY8k78c38
