PDC (Permaculture Design Certificate) Antica Masseria dell’Alta Murgia Altamura
Join us on June 28th 2015, for the opportunity to learn about permaculture principles and techniques from permaculture specialist Rhamis Kent, whilst experiencing the culture, food and traditions of beautiful Altamura just few Km away from Matera which has been recently designated European Capital of Culture in 2019!
The Permaculture Design Certificate course is an internationally recognized, seventy-two hour course resulting in a Permaculture Design Certificate. It provides an introduction to permaculture design as set forth by movement founder Bill Mollison. The course is taught by Rhamis Kent in English and translated into Italian by Ignazio Schettini.
This is an amazing opportunity which thousands of permaculture designers worldwide have taken and now comprises a global network of educators, ecological activists who influence major corporations, individuals creating new business alternatives and groups of committed people working together to change the way we view and design our landscapes.
The course covers sustainable living systems for a wide variety of landscapes and climates. It includes the application of permaculture principles to food production, home design, construction, energy conservation and generation, and explores alternative economic structures and legal strategies supporting permaculture solutions.
The foundation for this course is “A Permaculture Designers’ Manual” by Bill Mollison. Please advise us within 2nd June 2015 if you would like to receive The Manual on the first day of the course (please see the registration form).
Students are invited to bring details of their own sites or potential sites to consider during the course.
This is a residential course, therefore food (i.e. breakfast, morning and afternoon tea break, lunch and dinner) and accommodation (sharing rooms and bathrooms) are included in the course fee, which varies according to the option you choose (please see the registration form).
The course will be held in the beautiful Antica Masseria Dell´Alta Murgia (https://www.anticamasseriadellaltamurgia.it/), a property confiscated from the mafia and currently being run under the aegis of the Italian Ministry of Education. The Masseria has a surface of 8000 m2 as well as approximately 20000 m2 of garden space. All rooms are fully refurbished and welcoming. Free Wi-Fi connection is available throughout the building.
For bookings or more information please write to [email protected]
For the registration form, please click here.
Rhamis Kent
Rhamis Kent is a consultant with formal training in mechanical engineering (University of Delaware, B.S.M.E. ’95) and permaculture-based regenerative whole systems design (serving as a registered certified Permaculture Design instructor with PRI Australia). He also serves as a co-director of the USA branch of the Permaculture Research Institute. Rhamis has previously worked for the renowned American inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen at DEKA Research & Development, with subsequent engineering work ranging from medical device research and development to aerospace oriented mechanical design. After taking an interest in the design science of Permaculture, he sought extended training with permaculture expert and educator Geoff Lawton at the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia. This led to his involvement with design work connected to the development of Masdar City in UAE after Mr. Lawton and his consulting company (Permaculture Sustainable Consultancy Pty. Ltd.) were contracted by AECOM/EDAW to identify solutions which fit the challenging zero emissions/carbon neutral design constraint of the project. Most recently, Rhamis collaborated with environmental filmmaker John D. Liu (www.eemp.org, https://www.whatifwechange.org/) after meeting at the Caux Forum for Human Security in the making of a documentary for Dutch production company VPRO called “Green Gold” highlighting the topic of global ecosystem restoration work. In July 2010, Rhamis lectured at Schumacher College (named after the influential economic thinker E.F. Schumacher) in Totnes, Devon UK about the application of permaculture in post-industrial Detroit:
https://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/community/kent
He is presently consulting with a delegation of Somali expatriates initiating ecological restoration and education work throughout Somalia: Rhamis Kent: Permaculture in Somalia (IPC10 Presentation – Video)
Since 2011, Rhamis has taught Permaculture Design (formal Certification and short Intensive courses) in Palestine/Occupied West Bank, Greece, Ethiopia, Yemen, Turkey, Thailand, Italy and The United States (California & Vermont). He has also performed additional consultancy work on projects in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Western Sahara.
Given the rapidly growing interest in sustainable development, Mr. Kent hopes to bring to the attention of the investment community an aspect of the emerging sustainable economy that has yet to be seriously considered for significant financial support – Earth Repair/Ecosystem Restoration Work (ERW) and regenerative design, as he presented before the investment community during the 2010 TBLI Conference held in London:
https://www.slideshare.net/tbliconference/rhamis-kent Working extensively within the MENA Region & Muslim World, Rhamis has discussed the importance of establishing the link between the Islamic tradition and environmental stewardship:
https://soundcloud.com/beyond-halal/rhamis-kent-interview
Mr. Kent’s published writings can be found at the PRI Australia website.
Ignazio Schettini
Ignazio Schettini (here on the left with Geoff Lawton and his dog Bluey), took his degree in agriculture in 2005 and he is into permaculture since October 2013 when he organised, promoted and attended a PDC (Permaculture Design Certificate) course.
This was run in Bari, South of Italy, at his own farm, and it can be also watched on Youtube by searching for the keywords “Laboratorio di Permacultura Mediterranea“.
With the same keywords you can also access to the Facebook group created and coordinated by Ignazio together with Giuseppe Lorusso, which aims to promote permaculture design on social media. After the course, Ignazio flew to Australia where he spent 8 months from February til October 2014 working side by side with Geoff Lawton and Bill Mollison (the latter the founder of the permaculture movement) respectively at PRI (Permaculture Research Institute) in New South Wales and at Tagari Garden Farm, which is the PI (Permaculture Institute) headquarter in Tasmania.
The knowledge of the agriculture industry and the English language (obtained through a long work experience in London between 2006 and 2013) with the experience made through the permaculture work done in Australia, make of Ignazio a great translator for this theoretical 72 hour course.
Altamura and Matera
Altamura is located on one of the hill of Murge plateau in the province of Bari, very close to the border with Basilicata.
The city is known for its particular quality of bread called Pane di Altamura, which is sold all over Italy and around the world. According to the Latin poet Horace: “…for water is sold here, though the worst in the world; but their bread is exceeding fine, inasmuch that the weary traveler is used to carry it willingly on his shoulders.“
The 400,000 year old calcified Altamura Man was discovered in the nearby limestone cave, called grotta di Lamalunga.
The Sassi of Matera and their parks are an outstanding example of a rock-cut settlement, adapted perfectly to its geomorphological setting and its ecosystem and exhibiting continuity over more than two millennia. They represent an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement and land use showing the evolution of a culture that has maintained over time a harmonious relationship with its natural environment. (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/670).
From the ‘50s onwards Matera has been an important place for experimentation and innovation. It has attracted great filmmakers and artists, and it has been a fertile ground for successful collaboration between locals and those from outside the community.
Matera has made great efforts in becoming the first city in the South of Italy to be included as a World Heritage site; once an unacknowledged city, it is now one of the most outstanding cities of art to visit; although Matera is a city which has implemented a number of important regeneration schemes, as yet it has not exploited its enormous cultural potential to the full. Having been designated European Capital of Culture for 2019 has endowed Matera with a new, powerful and ideological drive to undertake the next phase in its transformation.
https://www.matera-basilicata2019.it/en/mt2019/matera-basilicata/why-matera.html
For bookings or more information please write to [email protected]
For the registration form, please click here.
