The term "Permaculture" stems from a combination of "permanent" and "culture".  Permanent Culture - Permaculture - is a concept which began by looking at sustainable food production systems.

It has grown to incorporate design principles which look not only at the sustainable food systems, but into every other area of our lives - from the design of cities, households, parliments to the global economy.

A primary concept of this philosophy is to design with nature, not against.

It is a design system which seeks to look at all elements and explore in a practical and sustainable manner what works and benefits for all.  

That by doing this, we may be able to meet our needs, with less struggle and pain for ourselves, and the rest of creation, in ways that are practical and sustainable into the indefinate future.

To see ourselves as a strand in the richness and web of life, and seek to design systems along sustainable, ecological principles.

Simply looking around at our world as it stands now, we see indicators that the systems in place are not working in a sustainable, practical manner.

Some of these indications are:

In the material world - climate change, species extinctions, polluted waterways, lost topsoil and so on.

In the emotional and spiritual well-being of people, as evidenced by high rates of suicide, alienation and lonliness.

In the widespread failure of governmental and other institions in meeting the needs of people and of the other species with which they share the planet.

Permaculture seeks to re-design and offer solutions - for the long term future - to much of what we percieve around ourselves now.  It is not a static or stagnating system, but one which allows for, and encourages change as we continue to explore to find what works for sustainable futures, and in doing this, seeks to re-design where necessary.

A Permaculture network or solution is not a closed system.  It is constantly growing and changing to meet the needs of the whole - even as those needs change within themselves and are influenced by outside elements.  What works today, may need to change to allow for tomorrow's needs - but in a way which continues to be ecologically sound.

It is a fascinating, dynamic concept which can be explored and developed by any one of us.  - Wether in our backyards, or in window boxes in city apartments, and in our lifestyles and ways of relating to the world around us.

Two of the individuals recognised as founders of this concept are Bill Mollison and David Holmgren whose books Permaculture One and Permaculture Two were both published in the 1970's.  These books describe how natural systems can be applied to the sustainablity - and are well worth taking a look at.