4 WEEK EXPLORATION OF PERMACULTURE, NATURAL BUILDING &
SUSTAINABLE WAYS OF LIVING
January 25th- February 22nd 2005 (Starting date may change a few days earlier)
Sangklaburi, Kanchanaburi Province, Western Thailand
(Space is limited for foreign participants. Early inquiries are encouraged.)

Join us for this 4 week exploration of sustainable living skills and cultural immersion into the Land of Smiles. This will be the first Permaculture and earthen building event in Western Thailand. What we create together will serve as an ongoing model and educational hub for years to come. During the 4 weeks we will design and build the beginnings of Whispering Seed's sustainable learning center for orphaned and abused children. We will be working with the children and elders from the local region. We will live and learn together in community, while immersing ourselves in six areas of focus through hands-on experiences, including:

-Permaculture, Deep Ecology & Earthcare Education
-Natural Building
-Fibers: traditional cotton weaving, spinning & natural dyeing
-Natural Healing
-Holistic Learning & Education
-Community Building

THE WHISPERING SEED PROJECT
The Whispering Seed is a village-based community learning center and home for orphaned and abused children. We are located in western Thailand, situated on 12 acres in lush river valley along the Burmese border. This course will be the first course on our newly acquired land and the 2nd Permaculture and Natural Building workshop that we have offered in Thailand.
The Whispering Seed focuses on finding the joy in serving others through natural childrearing, cross-cultural immersions and sustainable living practices. We are active in the international alternative education movement, including organizing and hosting international conferences and youth empowerment trainings.

THE TRAINING
In this hands-on training we will create an overall design, develop the land, and build the first earthen dwellings at the new home of The Whispering Seed. A flexible schedule will allow the group to design and create the course together, meeting the needs of all the participants, as we focus on community building and alternative, holistic models of learning. Facilitators from Australia, USA and all over Thailand will assist us in creating a living and learning community. Throughout the training we will be joined by local villagers, school students, and children & staff from nearby children’s projects.

The training will include a focus on Permaculture, Deep Ecology and Earthcare Design, along with in-depth hands-on application of your newly learned skills. Thailand's foremost earthen builders, along with instructors from the USA will be leading the group in the construction the first adobe and wattle and daub structure on the land.

Local weavers and hill tribe elders will share their knowledge of traditional weaving and spinning skills. We will have the opportunity to learn the entire process of preparing cotton from the harvest all the way through finished cloth and the use of natural dyes. We will have the opportunity to learn floor loom weaving and more traditional backstrap weaving. We will also learn about the local plants and their use in dyeing fabrics. We will travel to a local children’s home to see their process of natural dyeing and clothing making.

Local villagers will also share their knowledge of plants and herbs- their use in meals and as medicines.

Creating the daily schedules and working together to maintain the site will allow us the opportunity to explore community living and alternative models of learning.

The subjects that will be covered during the training include the following:

PERMACULTURE, DEEP ECOLOGY & EARTHCARE EDUCATION
We will cover much more than the standard 72 hour Permaculture Principles and Design Course, including:

NATURAL BUILDING
We will design and construct buildings for Whispering Seed’s Home for Children:

WEAVING, SPINNING & NATURAL DYES
-learn floor loom weaving and traditional Hilltribe backstrap weaving techniques
-how to hand process cotton for spinning and hand spinning on traditional wheel
-explore natural dyeing techniques

OTHER ACTIVITIES

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN LOCAL AREA

CO-SPONSORS
Kleiwerks Natural Building (USA) www.kleiwerks.com
Earthcare Education (Australia) www.earthcare.com.au/edu/
Kwam Mueng Institute (Thailand)
Pun Pun Community (Thailand) www.punpunthailand.org
Whispering Seed (Thailand) www.whisperingseed.org

INSTRUCTORS/FACILITATORS
Robin Clayfield (Australia), Jon Jandai (Thailand), Nuttarot Wangwinyoo (Thailand), Janell Kapoor (USA), Sarah Brooks (Canada), Meka Bunch (USA), Nao Sangkara (Thailand), Jim Connor (USA) and special guest presenters from Thailand.

ROBIN CLAYFIELD, co-founder and director of Earthcare Education and author of 'You Can Have Your Permaculture And Eat It Too' will join us for this training. Robin currently facilitates a variety of Earth Healing and Empowerment experiences as well as Permaculture Courses and 'Dynamic Groups' Creative Facilitation Trainings. She is well know for her 'Needs Based' Courses which use Creative, Interactive and Empowering Learning Methods. She has taught Permaculture courses in Kenya, New Zealand and several Australian States as well as to Japanese people through translation in Australia. She has also trained Permaculture Teachers and other groups in Creative Facilitation in Mexico, Cuba, England, Germany, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Email robin@earthcare.com.au for more info.about her style of training or the content of this section of the course.
JON JANDAI grew up in a village in Northeast Thailand. He is one of the country's leading earthen builders, having shared his knowledge with thousands of fellow villagers, architects, activists, students, and foreigners. Jon has an in-depth experience of indigenous building and permaculture in action. He has worked with widespread people's movements throughout Thailand, encouraging and modeling ways for farmers to be more self-reliant: for them to grow their own food, build their own houses, stay out of debt, and once again work together to provide for themselves and their communities...and have fun. Jon is an outstanding model and inspiration to all who have the pleasure of working with him. He will join us for part of the training.
JANELL KAPOOR, founder and director of Kleiwerks Natural Building, is an avid mud mama, international activist and community organizer. Since 1997, she has shared the joy and art of earthen building with people from 24 countries, including the first earthen building trainings in Thailand, which have since spread to thousands. Janell will join us for part of the training to share about natural building techniques.
NUTTAROT WANGWINYOO, is the co-founder and Deputy Director of Kwan Muang Institute in Chiengrai, Thailand. In search of spiritual practice, a deeper understanding of life and ways to serve society and the earth, Nutt decided to become a Buddhist monk for one year. He then became socially engaged with rural development for indigenous people of highland communities and in 1995 joined the Spirit in Education Movement (led by the Livelihood Alternative Nobel Prize Laureate Sulak Sivaraksa). Nutt will lead the opening three days of the training in community development, dialogue process and issues of deep ecology.
MEKA BUNCH has been building with cob in the United States since 1997. His first project was the creation of a gorgeous cob home in Wolf Creek, Oregon. Ever since, Meka has been muddin' it up, including creating public community projects, benches, kiosks, sweat lodeges, and wood-fired bread ovens. Meka is in the process of making a book about his experience. He is an avid gardener, transitioning into full-time mud work. Meka is delighted to begin working with Kleiwerks, internationally.
SARAH BROOKS loves trees. In her time off from playing in rainforests, she likes to build things. She also likes to play in mud. This led to her interest in building mud houses. Since 1998, she has been slinging mud, straw, water and stone for a living, and having a heck of a good time working in Canada, the United States, and the southeastern Carribean. She was part of the team that created the first permitted load-bearing cob structure in the United States, and has worked as a site supervisor on cob and strawbale building sites in western Canada and the Pacific Northwest of the United States. She has lectured on and taught natural building technologies in Canada and the United States at various universities and communities, and has also worked with local non-profit NGOs in Canada in a consultative capacity. Sarah has a strong interest in natural building as a tool for self and community dignity. When Sarah is not galivanting about in mud in various parts of the world, she lives in Canada.

GUEST SPEAKERS
Throughout the 4 weeks, guest speakers will join us presenting on a variety of topics:
-Deep Ecology, Community Development & Dialogue process
-Hill-tribe Wisdom & Deep Ecology
-Traditional Thai Farming & Applied Permaculture
-Buddhism & Monk’s Life
-International & Intercultural Activism

THE LAND
The 12 acre piece of land is situated in a river valley not far from the Burmese the border. We have a beautiful river for swimming, bathing and playing. Currently there a simple bamboo structures on the land. The local population is mostly Karen and Mon Hilltribe groups and Burmese migrants (refugees). The main languages spoken are Karen, Mon and Burmese. We currently have two Karen Hilltribe families living on the land with us. We will have many opportunities to interact with the local villagers, as the school and temple are very close to the land.

PARTICIPANTS
There will be around 30 participants in the course. 15 will be a mix of representatives from Thai and Burmese NGO’s, activist networks, children’s homes and villages. The other half will be foreigners. Throughout the course villagers from the local area and children from the local schools will join in our activities. We encourage participants (but this is definitely not required) to have experience with some of the following: sustainable living, intentional community, activism, deep ecology, holistic education, organic farming, non-profit work, intercultural exchange, documenting, landscape architecture, construction, wilderness training, leadership skills, local involvement, and so on.

FEE
Foreigners:
There is no outside funding for this program. Participants from cash-rich countries will provide the funding to make this course possible. The fee will cover your tuition, food, lodging, travel costs for instructors, money for materials and the orphanage, and scholarships for Southeast Asian community leaders, grassroots organizers and youth and staff from several children’s projects in Thailand to attend the training.

The fee is comparable to what it would cost at home, knowing that it can go so much further in Thailand. If the fee is still beyond your reach we encourage you to ask for sponsorship from friends, family, and organizations you are affiliated with who would be interested in supporting this work. We have sample letters from past participants who successfully raised their contribution. We can send you these via email upon request. Any extra income from this training will go directly to support the projects of the Whispering Seed.

$1,700-$1,400 USD sliding scale for people from cash-rich countries (United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand). Includes tuition, permaculture design and practicum certification, delicious Thai meals, camping, materials, ground transportation, scholarships for the majority of the Thai activists, and support for Whispering Seed. Airfare is not included in the cost.

Thai and other Southeast Asians:
$0-$16,000 Baht sliding scale depending on what you can contribute. Scholarships are available for activists, villagers, farmers, refugees, students, etc. Please email Nao at nao@whisperingseed.org

REGISTRATION
Foreigners: To register email permaculture@whisperingseed.org Please include the following information in no more than 2 pages:
1) Why do you want to join this training?
2) What do you intend to do with what you learn? How will you apply and share it?
3) What previous experience do you have in the fields listed above in the 'participant section?' Please include past and current endeavors, organizations, networks, and projects that you are involved with.
4) How do you plan to pay for the training? How much will you contribute?
5) Include your name, address, age, ancestry, and anything else you would like to add.
6) Where did you hear about this training?

Once your registration has been accepted, a $250 NON-REFUNDABLE deposit is required to confirm and hold your space. Please send a personal check, money order, or international money order signed to:

"The Whispering Seed"
(note “4 week training” in the memo line)
511 Broad Acres Road
Penn Valley, PA 19072
USA

Thai and other Southeast Asians: Contact Nao at nao@whisperingseed.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.whisperingseed.org
permaculture@whisperingseed.org
whisperingseed@wildmail.com