Re-Alliance Radio

With an accredited stamp of approval from the UN's Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, Rosemary Morrow has re-released a fully updated version of her acclaimed book, now titled 'Earth Restorer's Guide to Permaculture'. What's changed? What does Permaculture have to offer people experiencing displacement, conflict, war, and ecological breakdown?

In this episode, host James Atherton inquires what inspired Rosemary Morrow to rewrite her book, and why humanitarian workers and community responders need to build their ecological literacy. With decades of experience teaching in situations of conflict and displacement, Rosemary offers guidance for Permaculture teachers, and how grassroots practitioners might use her book to create change in their communities.

Earth User's Guide to Permaculture is out now, published by Melliodora: https://melliodora.com/catalogue/earth-restorers-guide-to-permaculture/

The Humanitarian sector can seem immovable, static and rigid in the way it works, while at the same time is ever moving and ever adapting in its priorities. How can a sector such as this rapidly adapt to the worsening climate crisis?
In this episode, podcast host Juliet Millican welcomes Gareth Owen, the humanitarian director of Save the Children, and the initiator of the Humanitarian Leadership Academy. Juliet and Gareth explore and discuss Gareth's new book, 'When The Music's Over', and explore his experience working as a young aid worker in Somalia in 1993.
Later in the episode, Juliet interviews a long time friend and associate of Gareth's, George Francis Iwa. George Francis is the director of CAFOMI - a leading local humanitarian organisation in Uganda.

“We need to think radically differently if we’re going to sustain our existence together, in harmony with our planet - our only home.” - Gareth Owen

A regenerative approach to camp and settlement design goes beyond the sustainable lens recommended in the Sphere guidelines. It aims to create an abundance of health and well-being of all inhabitants, while ensuring any interventions have a positive impact on the land they are settled in, and biodiversity. This includes managing water and water disposal effectively, replenishing soil and vegetation, and providing people with access to green spaces and fresh food they can grow themselves.

In areas of limited rainfall and high temperatures, nearly all food crops will need additional irrigation water to supplement rainfall. Water is heavy to transport so growing areas should be sited close to identified water sources.

In this podcast, we explore guidelines that Re-Alliance developed alongside partners, showcasing tools and techniques for catching, storing and using Grey water and Rainwater in camps and settlements. We welcome three people who have worked together to create a set of guidelines focussed on harvesting rainwater and grey water:

Juliet Millican, the coordinator of the Re-Alliance team, and an educator and researcher exploring participatory and community-based learning in situations of conflict and displacement,

Shaher Abdulateef, the Director of Syrian Academic Expertise and an agronomist with a research focus on Food Security and Livelihoods in Syria. Shaher and SAE recently worked with Re-Alliance to train communities in Northwest Syria in effective water use in agriculture, and,

Richard Luff, a humanitarian practitioner who has worked with a number of large NGOs and agencies, with a speciality in water harvesting.

What can Permaculture teach us about the way we organise ourselves, politically? How can nature-inspired principles guide us in the way we govern?

Join Terry Leahy, author of the book 'The Politics of Permaculture' (Pluto Press, 2021), to discuss the transformative power of Permaculture applied to social spaces.

Terry Leahy is an author, Permaculture practitioner and sociologist, who has lectured at the School of Social Sciences in the University of Newcastle, Australia.  

Introducing Re-Alliance Radio.

Re-Alliance is a coalition of members bringing together field practitioners, educators, community leaders and humanitarian and development workers. We share skills and experiences to grow the influence and impact of Regeneration in humanitarian and development contexts. Alongside our members and partners, we highlight and pilot regenerative solutions, often in contexts of disaster or displacement.

What's Regeneration got to do with it anyway? In Episode One of Re-Alliance Radio, some of our members help us answer this question. We hear from Gisele Henriques, Sarah Queblatin, Ruth Andrade, Pru Waldorf, and Maurice Obuya.

Hosted by James Atherton.