
Coinciding with the total solar eclipse on November 14th 2012, the Rare Earth Foundation and Para Pachamama ~ Spirit of Earth are answering the call of the Gungganji Council of Elders in facilitating a 5-day Global Elders Gathering in Far North Queensland, Australia; for elders, wisdom keepers, future leaders, visionary NGO’s and community workers to come together and share their vision for the future.
A dedicated crew of permaculture designers from the local region are engaged in this Global Elders Gathering; responding to the requests of the Yarrabah Council of Elders to host this gathering in a way that is culturally appropriate, and socially, economically and ecologically regenerative.
photo: bamboo solutions past project.
The project includes developing functional infrastructure and accommodation, which will require sourcing and transporting large quantities of bamboo for construction (which is abundant in our region, although not near the beach or community). Basic amenities of communal kitchen, showers and a composting toilet system will be established in time for the Gathering, but will be useful for the community over the long-term as well.
The biologically processed compost from the toilet systems and food-kitchen can be used to enrich the soil in gardens and food forests that have already been started in the community through a market garden program run by Rob and Jules of Bamboo Solutions, and will also assist with future bush-food forests, gardens and orchards.
Sponsoring three Yarrabah residents to participate in a bamboo building workshop will also facilitate the sharing of useful skills, alongside the multi-media documentation of building two traditional Lumi huts; made from lawyer cane and paper bark by the local elder and story-keeper Binyarabi.
Develop a general site analysis to properly map the site in consultation with the community. We aim to re-vegetate with locally propagated native bush and beach plant species the beach front of the site. We have got access to the plants, but want to make sure that this energy support is truly regenerative and sustainable. This coastal restoration objective will be done in proper consultation with the Yarrabah community.

Permaculture Hearts and Minds are Helping:
The core team includes members from Permaculture Cairns, Permaculture Kuranda, Permaculture Townsville, Bamboo Solutions, Seedsavers Network, Transition Network FNQ and the JCU Permaculture Society; and there are many joining us in our passion to work together with the community.
All forms of support would be warmly welcomed: in-kind donations, financial donations, logistical support, including your ability to share this invitation with your family and friends, posting a link on facebook or anything to spread the crowd-funding potential.
HELP US REACH OUR TARGET
WeTheTrees is a powerful tool for reaching out to the international networks of people willing to donate even $10 to a project they see as important. But if the target of $4390 is not reached by the deadline, then the money that each person pledged is not withdrawn from their accounts….which means we will get no financial benefit until the target is reached, SO PLEASE SHARE THE LINK TO OUR INITIATIVE WIDELY:http://www.wethetrees.com/projects/43-global-elder-gathering-project-permaculture-in-yarrabah
Help build this Vision for the Future.
As a network of thoughtful and committed citizens we now call upon the world to help us help each other! This Global Elders Gathering is an opportunity to bring together wisdom-keepers from all around Australia and the world, where stories and visions can be shared; and the power of the combined knowledge of these cultures who have sustained their people and their lands for millennia can be expressed and learned from.This is where a digital message stick will be born - it will travel the globe through the world-wide-web, and give indigenous peoples a louder voice to create ripples of change that, collectively, can infiltrate the awareness of people and policy-makers in the homogenized “western world.”
Permaculture has it’s roots based on the ethics common to virtually every traditional culture, that is: Earth care, People care, and Fair share. This project will help catalyse the awareness of global networks of indigenous voices, and will amplify their wisdom stories for people in the “west” to consider.
On this planet, we are all one humanity. The western world has spread quickly and violently, destroying and degrading many thousands of indigenous cultures. Now is the time to stand together and share our many voices with the world at large. To inform each other and work together, makes our collective contributions so much more powerful.
The Gunggandji Elders are calling us to respond and work together. Permaculture systems are already being developed and deployed; will you step up and help us achieve our modest practical project, in order to assist the Gungganji Council of Elders achieve their powerful vision?