In Episode 5 of the Social Permaculture Online Bootcamp, Ben Habib explores how we are nested in webs of relationships with each other and with all of life on Earth, through different intersecting ecological, social and economic systems. Ben also introduces social permaculture “sectors” as a pattern language to help us locate ourselves in relation to the different inter-connected systems that influence our lives.

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Taking it further

I strongly recommend the work of Robin Clayfield and Robina McCurdy, who created the social sector activity developed in this video. This video from one of their workshops at Crystal Water Ecovillage in 2016 gives some insights into their approach.

I also recommend checking out these permaculture dynamos who’ve had a big influence on my social permaculture thinking: Pandora Thomas, Starhawk, Erin Young, and Dave Jacke, along with Looby Macnamara, whose social zones concept was featured in Episode 4.

For a couple of good online explainers of traditional permaculture sector analysis, see Andrew Millison from Oregon State University, and Pippa Buchanan from the Permaculture Women online PDC.

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Social Permaculture Online Bootcamp

With an emphasis on transmutation, Social Permaculture Online Bootcamp will explore issues, problems and anxieties associated with the COVID-19 crisis, and draw from insights from social permaculture and beyond to think about how we might respond.