Solidarity Statement Sign On

A Statement of Response from the USA Permaculture Community to the Emerging Political Crisis

In this time of deep uncertainty, democratic institutions and processes—though flawed and in need of reform—are under assault. Racism, sexism, ableism, heterosexism, xenophobia and other forms of discrimination fuel authoritarianism, environmental destruction, and economic instability in the U.S. and around the world. Yet we know, at our core, that another way is possible, and we are profoundly committed to building an alternative. 

Permaculture is rooted in ethics: care for the earth, care for people, and fair share of surpluses for all, including future generations, and concerns itself with the stewardship of land, people, relationships, and systems of care. As an ethical design system, Permaculture is informed and inspired by Indigenous knowledge, nature-based patterns, best scientific practices, and holistic care. We are trained to solve problems of every sort, and are committed to meeting real human needs. Permaculture flourishes by cooperation, works through education and the sharing of knowledge, celebrates diversity, and seeks to build health, justice, and harmony.

As practitioners, teachers, and leaders we affirm that the permaculture community stands for social and environmental justice, resilience, and regeneration.

This moment demands that we counter fear, chaos, and despair with bold, regenerative actions to support life, equity, and healing across differences that have divided our societies. Diversity is a source of strength. Equity is a requirement for peace, justice, and a tolerable society. Inclusion is the only way forward on a small planet. Develop Everyone’s Intelligence: We join in solidarity with others who share these values, and we will not comply with illegal, immoral, or harmful actions that divide us from one another.

We acknowledge diverse opinions and different political identifications exist within the permaculture movement about how to apply these ethics. Divergent views may lead some to very different political affiliations. For the signers of this statement, permaculture ethics embody a commitment to social justice. We call on everyone under the permaculture umbrella to hold solidarity with one another and with vulnerable communities, and to lift up the ethical solutions for the world’s problems that permaculture has demonstrated.

Our work has shown that education and solidarity to solve common problems are more powerful than division and blame​. Join us in protecting the health and safety of all beings.  

We invite you to sign onto this statement as individuals or groups. 

We offer the following suggestions for building civic responses to the political and environmental crises: grow resilience, strengthen alliances, and choose regenerative vision:

Grow Resilience

We call on you who share these values to take action in your communities. Grow resilience in every form:

• Build and support resilient local food systems: Grow food everywhere, share surpluses, and teach others how to do so.
• Form or join local groups to create resources for food, shelter, energy, transport, communication, and trade tailored to your community’s needs​.
• Develop and share practical “toolkits” that combine permaculture design methods, food security strategies, and emergency preparedness with social action.
• Support especially vulnerable groups, among whom are immigrants, displaced people, and historically marginalized communities​.
• Consider offering farms, homes, and other spaces as places of refuge and nurturance—a practice modeled in crisis zones worldwide.
• Develop systems of mutual aid, and share skills, ensuring that knowledge and resources are not hoarded but collectively stewarded.​
• Strengthen yourself and others by systems of peer counseling, stress management, and community healing for physical, emotional, and psychological injury. Acknowledge grief.

Survival is not a solitary act, nor is life a zero-sum game. Everyone is equally deserving of clean air and water, fresh food, and opportunities to flourish. There is enough for all.

Strengthen Alliances

We must strengthen local, regional, and global alliances to provide safety, sustainability, and resilience in the face of systemic collapse. Remember that we are not struggling alone, and that tens and hundreds of millions are allies.

• Participate in, or organize, direct actions to highlight and disrupt harmful policies and actions by the emerging regime.
• Form regional collaboration networks to help people find safe places, access resources, and rebuild community structures as crises escalate​.
• Do not preemptively give in, or obey illegal orders. Know your rights. Resistance to oppression and malfeasance is growing hourly. If your job may be impacted by federal layoffs or funding freezes do not preemptively give in or quit. Push back and organize with your colleagues. Be a witness. Preserve vital knowledge for public use.
• In the U.S., call on your senators and representatives to block confirmations and harmful bills (https://5calls.org/).
• Work directly with those most affected by climate and political crises, ensuring they have the tools and training to lead the next generation of ecological stewards​.
• Honor historical and ongoing struggles for justice—understanding that many communities have never experienced a “better past” in this country, and our work must build a radically different future​.

Choose Regenerative Vision

It is not enough to reject harmful systems—we must build compelling alternatives and tell different stories. Please join us to:

• Organize for collective resilience: permaculture offers tools for social transformation, not just for personal security​.
• Replace scarcity narratives with the knowledge that there is enough for everyone through fair-share of resources. Though industrial excess has damaged the natural world, it remains capable of regeneration. Moreover, our society is extraordinarily wealthy, though its wealth is mal-distributed. By our practice, we can create bountiful harvests to nourish everyone. 
• Uphold meaningful diversity. In nature, diversity generates resilience. Limiting diversity undermines our ability to design resilient systems and to adapt them to change. We support diversity within the permaculture movement as well as projects and initiatives led by people of color, especially those from whom land and labor have been stolen or oppressively undervalued (as with most US farmworkers today). 
• Sponsor refugees and asylum seekers to bring their talents and energy to your community, welcoming especially climate refugees, whose numbers are growing. 
• Support direct and clear pathways to citizenship that dignify immigrants, keep families together, and provide people with the support they need to be successful.
• Create a permanent culture that reaches all people, recognizing that land access is the foundation of racial, economic, and environmental justice, and of community sovereignty​. Even those without access to land have a right to the resources of society.
• Spread this message widely to ensure that all people can take up and benefit from these ideas​.

This is a moment of both crisis and opportunity. What we do now will shape the future, not only of permaculture but of our collective survival and liberation.

We invite you to:

1. Join local or regional permaculture action groups engaging in resilience-building projects.
2. Teach and share knowledge—through workshops, skill-shares, and mentoring.
3. Challenge exclusionary ideologies wherever you meet them—and actively create spaces in which diverse voices are heard and can lead.
4. Reach out to build solidarity with other movements—we would all benefit from greater food sovereignty, clean land, air, and water, and more inclusive economic systems.
5. Amplify this statement and the work behind it—ensuring it reaches those who need it most​.

The U.S. stands at a crossroads. We choose the path of solidarity, resilience, and regeneration, and we invite you to be with us in community, growing a world where all people, all beings, and all ecosystems can thrive together.

Support human freedom and dignity. Let’s create the future we know is possible.