April 5, 2010 – 3:07 pm I’m mining the archive! Jarlanbah Permaculture Hamlet from Shirley’s house, 1993 The original dream for Jarlanbah Permaculture Hamlet was very different from the back-biting and suffering we experincce every day on this community. It was a dream with substance and charm. A real dream. Here’s… Continue reading The original dream for Jarlanbah Permaculture Hamlet
Tag: Dr Wendy Sarkissian
(re)visioning Jarlanbah Permaculture Hamlet
April 3, 2010 – 9:44 am It’s Easter weekend: a time for reflection on renewal, blessings and hope. I am awash with fresh insights following a fascinating community mediation about the dual occupancy (accessory dwelling unit) issue on this community. Sometimes people leave intentional communities. See “Leaving Utopia”, click here: Leaving Utopia… Continue reading (re)visioning Jarlanbah Permaculture Hamlet
Trouble in Paradise: Dual Occupancy at Jarlanbah
March 15, 2010 – 9:59 pm Trouble in Paradise Tomorrow evening my neighbours are meeting to decide whether or not to try to ban dual occupancy (commonly called accessory dwelling units: https://www.mass.gov/envir/smart_growth_toolkit/pages/mod-adu.html ) in this eco-village of 43 dwellings on 22 hectares. The whole process has me mightily confused. Imagine the… Continue reading Trouble in Paradise: Dual Occupancy at Jarlanbah
The blessings of a composting toilet
March 11, 2010 – 6:51 pm After four years living on our half-acre block and over eight years in total including time visiting on weekends, we have a toilet. We christened it a few weeks ago with great delight and considerable relief (pun not intended). Neighbours and friends wonder why this basic… Continue reading The blessings of a composting toilet
Evaluation Research: Must the Messenger Always Be Shot?
22 July 2009 at 2:39 am A few months ago, I was lucky enough to have to write a short piece on evaluation for a consulting report. I reviewed what I had in my library, did a quick Internet search and… Continue reading Evaluation Research: Must the Messenger Always Be Shot?
Community Engagement with Older People
24 June 2009 I have something to tell you I guess everyone who’s been a speaker has had an experience like mine. But when it happened I was initially devastated. I’d been asked to speak to an aged care organisation’s conference. I’d written a story about a feisty older woman who was moving… Continue reading Community Engagement with Older People
Community Engagement: 18 Considerations
23 June 2009 Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Community engagement is a tricky matter. We need to be flexible and still keep our eyes on the ball. It’s a changing landscape. A bit like navigating white water rapids in a small canoe. When we add the issues of “sustainability” to… Continue reading Community Engagement: 18 Considerations
Community engagement with children and young people
Secret Kids’ Business, Eagleby, Gold Coast, 1999 Photograph by Kelvin Walsh, 1999 A few weeks ago the communications officer of a local council responded to my plea to include children and young people in their community engagement strategy. Chidren and young people are not our customers “Children and young people are… Continue reading Community engagement with children and young people
Peggy’s Salon
18 June 2009 4:38 pm Living in the bush has its limitations, to be certain. We have most things in my village of 350, largely due to our hectic tourist trade: a pharmacy, a hospital, doctors, a post office, a hardware store, a garage, great organic food, fine coffee and an excellent hairdresser. … Continue reading Peggy’s Salon
Kitchen Table Sustainability launched at Bond University
9 December 2008 Successful book launch at Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 3 December 2008 I love the new building of the Mirvac School of Sustainable Development at Bond University. It reminds me of the concept of “eco-revelatory design” made popular by a great new book by Randy Hester, Design for Ecological Democracy (2006).… Continue reading Kitchen Table Sustainability launched at Bond University