The Permaculture Design Course (PDC) is internationally-recognized, has 72 class hours and a very comprehensive curricula and on completion students will receive a Permaculture Design Certificate. It provides an introduction to Permaculture design according to Bill Mollison, the founder of the movement. The PDC is the base for further Permaculture work and study, including Advanced Courses and Diplomas. Several universities of the world give credits for this course.
As is tradition, one special Permaculture Design Course is offered before the begining of the main IPC event. This time, in Cuba, an international group of teachers will run a bilingual course (Spanish and English) and highlight the following elements: Islands, cities, food systems, and energy towards building hurricane proof Permaculture Urban Systems. The course also includes the application of Permaculture principles to food production, home design, construction, energy conservation and generation, and explores alternative economic structures and legal strategies that support sustainability.
With the added benefit for the students to live and work together for 15 days before the main IPC11 events start, this course is also aimed to develop practical skills and reinforce collective vision about the challenges that Climate Change pose for our communities, especially the small tropical islands of the planet. The Cuban Permaculture movement has also made improvements to the sustainable chemical free intensive urban food systems that have been in operation in the country since the early 90´s and made Havana famous. Visiting some of our model sites is also part of the course.
Many people that pass a PDC say it is a life changing experience!
NO previous Permaculture Training is required.
About the teachers:
Ron Berezan, The Urban Farmer, Canada
Ever since his first "accidental garden" as a university student over 25 years ago, Ron has been exploring strategies for growing food in urban areas.
Brock Dolman, USA
Brock is a co-founder of the Sowing Circle, LLC Intentional Community & Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (www.oaec.org), where he directs the Permaculture Program and the WATER Institute (www.oaecwater.org) in Sonoma County, California.
Roberto Pérez Rivero, Cuba
Environmentalist, sustainability activist and educator. Roberto has been part of the Cuban Permaculture Movement since its introduction in the country in 1993.
Paulo Mellet, UK
After 10 years as an environmental activist, Paulo decided to focus solely on the positive solutions to our problems: Permaculture.
Eric Toensmeier, USA
Eric Toensmeier has spent twenty years exploring edible and useful plants of the world and their use in perennial agroecosystems. He is the author of Perennial Vegetables and co-author of Edible Forest Gardens with Dave Jacke.
https://web.archive.org/web/20130330182339/http://www.ipc11cuba.com/en/pre-ipc11-design-course.html