ETHICS

The sky was cool, crisp and blue today, similar to my tile floor, which bit my feet this morning. The first tastes of fall made me find my slippers quicker than usual. This strikingly blue hue was the perfect opportunity to test my students who have been learning about air pressure. “High or low?” I prompted. A universal “high” resounded and my little heart soared along with the invisible air pressure. Baby steps and small successes have been nudging me along recently.
I have been teaching my second year Agro-ecology students about the ethics of Permaculture this week. A rather splendid Aussie chap by the name of Bill Mollison coined this term in the mid 1970’s. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, he’s brilliant as well as a hoot to read. Regardless, shamelessly summarized Permaculture’s ethics go something like this: Care of the Earth, Care of the People, Sharing our Resources (some may say “Reinvesting Surplus”) and Promoting Life (aka Biodiversity). These rather broad and inspirational ethics accompany a system of farming that realizes the need to work with nature rather than against it. Design is everything. This brings me to the financial situation of our school. It is tight and student and staff fuses are short. I am constantly encouraged (neigh, demanded) to bring capital into the school. As I was teaching these simple beautiful ethics that resound with innovation, dirty hands and warm hearts I realized the irony of my situation. Capital and sharing resources freely to promote other healthy individuals seem like a sharp contrast. In a valley of maize and sorghum monocrops I am floundering to bring scientific concepts and humanitarian principles to a school starved for funds. This is not a cry for finance, but perhaps a request for solidarity. As you move into spring and we move into fall, plant something, watch it grow, and share it with those around you. Promote life, not capital, this is what I wish development would’ve done in the first place.