re: research on pc needed

[Scott Pittman <pci@permaculture-inst.org>]

>         Ali Sharif      04:56 PM 4/26/01 -0700  16
>Re: Fwd: Re: research on pc projects needed

>Of course everyone agrees that data is important and if anyone is 
>interested in staying with a project for four years or so to get this 
>information you will get the whole system information eventually . Then 
>you will probably find that it is only site specific, with any luck 
>regionally or culturally significant. It does not mean that you do not 
>learn enormous amounts of information, gain the capacity of walking into 
>just about any situation and coming up with solutions that make a big 
>difference.
I have been working in overseas aid continuously since 1988 and 
permaculture since 84 and one relentless thing I have learned about data is 
that aid agencies hold it over your head like a big stick just waiting to 
clobber you. These same agencies have for years been spending mind boggling 
outrageous sums on projects that lead nowhere and are always run by people 
who have all the data.
So if you feel insecure about not having the data and not knowing who does, 
stick with a project for four or five years and get it yourself or chill 
out. Meantime concern yourself with showing people how to garden properly, 
collect clean drinking water, build decent shelter and eat all the protein 
they need.
Oh, looking through my Designers Manual I see lots of data.
Ali Sharif---
>You are currently subscribed to permaculture as: pci@permaculture-inst.org
>To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu
>Get the list FAQ at: 
>http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/documents/permaculture.faq