Despite the proliferation of laws and treaties, scientists say we have extinguished 50% of all species in the past 40 years alone, climate change is upon us and overfishing and deforestation thrive. This is because our laws, which see nature as an object of the law and regulate its "use", legitimise it. Applying a reductionist approach to a living system has led us to the environmental crisis we are in.

The permaculture movement of El Salvador has been growing and changing for just over fifteen years, against a backdrop of post-war economic instability, gang violence, and gender inequalities. In some ways, Salvadorian permaculture shows us an image of an ‘alter-globalisation’ – a vision of a world connected by forms of sharing and exchange that strengthen traditional practices and value local resources, as opposed to markets and calculable profits.

With over 30 years combined experience in international development and permaculture, Gisele and Lachlan share some of their experiences. They will look at how permaculture can and should be used more widely by the aid/ humanitarian/ development sector to provide long term sustainable and practical solutions that work for people and build on their resilience rather than creating dependency.