Santa Barbara Permaculture Network
Permaculture Around the World Series
with Juan Rojas of the
Institute for Mesoamerican Permaculture

Thursday, June 11, 7pm 2009, Donation $5
Santa Barbara Central Library, Faulkner Gallery

Santa Barbara Permaculture Network continues to learn about the world and it's people with its special series “Permaculture Around the World”, this time focusing on Central America with a talk by Juan Rojas of the Institute of Mesoamerican Permaculture (IMAP).

Mesoamerica is a term that recognizes the cultural, ecological, traditional, and sociological similarities, rather than political boundaries of what currently makes up the countries of Central America. Juan Rojas is a certified permaculture instructor and one of the founders of both the Institute of Mesoamerican Permaculture and the Permaculture Institute of El Salvador who has worked with others to acknowledge these similarities along with the comparable dilemmas and obstacles that countries in the regions share.

Juan Rojas was born in El Salvador, who after qualifying as an industrial electrician became involved in the trade union struggles of the 1980's. Forced into exile by a brutal military regime, he spent four years in Mexico, and later eight years in Australia where he studied Permaculture as a useful tool for rebuilding his home country following the peace accords of 1992.

Rojas has been instrumental in establishing grassroots organizations aimed at appropriate methods of farming and land restoration, always seeking the skills and expertise of local farmers. Since 1994 Rojas has been a part of the thirty year old Campesino a Campesino (Farmer to Farmer) movement that has helped farming families in the rural villages of Latin America improve their livelihoods and conserve their natural resources by individual farmers sharing their wealth of wisdom directly with each other.

Rojas will speak about his experience convening with Permacultura America Latina and the Institute for Mesoamerican Permaculture, an eight day Mesoamerican Convergence on Sustainable Development and Permaculture on the shores of Lake Atitlan in the highlands of Guatemala. With the pressures of globalization, free trade agreements, privatization, and open market approaches to poverty reduction, the Convergence hoped to address the urgent environmental and social threats facing the region, and create a Mesoamerican alliance. Forty grassroots organizations from the region attended including representatives from Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala. Since devastating hurricane Stan had recently impacted the area, participants discussed how vulnerable Mesoamerican countries could better prepare and mitigate the effects of disasters such as earthquakes, mud slides, and hurricanes.

The event takes place at the Santa Barbara Public Library, Faulkner Gallery, 40 East Anapamu St, in downtown Santa Barbara, on Thursday, June 11,2009 7pm. No reservations are required, donation $5. For more information please call (805) 962-2571, or email margie@sbpermaculture.org; www.sbpermaculture.org. Sponsored by the Santa Barbara Permaculture Network Non-Profit.

More Info/Radio/Speaking Dates:

Friday, June 12, 9-10am, Sustainable World Radio,
Interview with Juan Rojas on Sustainable World Radio, KCSB 91.9 FM PST
streaming live on www.kcsb.org, interviews also posted on www.sustainableworldradio.com.

Sunday, June 7, 6:00 PM at the Oxnard Unitarian Methodist Church
Mesopermacultura-Permaculture America Latina & Quail Springs Permaculture Farm
Invites you to Have a Conversation with
Juan Nelson Rojas & Warren Brush
Regarding:

* Agricultural Transitions
* Consequences of Global Warming
* Differences of Conventional Agriculture and Permaculture
* Survival Strategies of Agricultural Communities in our Continent
* The Maya/Nahuatl Calendar: As Applied by Ancestral Pueblos
* Validity & Relevance of the Calendar in Today's Agriculture & Economy

Sunday, June 7, 6:00 PM
Oxnard Unitarian Methodist Church
2300 West Gonzales Rd. Oxnard, CA 93030

Speaker Bio:
Juan was born in Sonsonate, El Salvador in 1958. After qualifying as an industrial electrician,he became involved in the trade union struggles of the 1980's. Forced into exile by the brutal military regime; he spent 4 years in Mexico and then 8 years in Australia. It was there that he studied Permaculture as a useful tool for the rebuilding of his native country following the peace accords of 1992. He is currently working as a coordinator for the Mesoamerican Convergence on Sustainable Development and Permaculture. Also, he continues to teach Permaculture courses throughout Mesoamerica now and for the length of the year.

Warren is a certified Permaculture designer, educator, and storyteller. He is co-founder of Quail Springs Learning Oasis & Permaculture Farm, Wilderness Youth Project, Mentoring for Peace, True Nature Design and Trees for Children. He works extensively in Permaculture education and sustainable habitat design in North America and in Africa.

Information
Phone: (805) 390-1831
Email: lifeethic@gmail.com

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