NEWS

What is happening with permaculture and refugees? There are so many stories of regeneration and resilience, that inspires and connects us to a better future. Its an important time to cross-pollinate and keep spreading these seeds of hope.

  • Teaching refugees & how it differs from a formal classroom
    By Rosemary (Rowe) Morrow Refugees arrive in our classes with enormous educational and cultural differences.  Whereas formal classes tend to have all students at the same standard and entry for study, refugees come in at all levels, and with diverse life experience. In 2025, I taught with a P4R-PTT team in Lesvos … Read more
  • People’s peace initiatives from China
    By Rosemary Morrow I was recently in China for a month; in Shanghai and then Hong Kong, teaching permaculture teachers to teach. It was enriching, but also an opportunity to be in close contact with Chinese people and to build friendships. And these I hope are cemented for us. I was taken … Read more
  • Teaching & learning with the Congolese community in Maine
    by John Bliss In an open field in Maine, rows of crops are growing, which look only vaguely familiar to most Maine gardeners. They would recognise the eggplant, the pumpkins, and certainly the pigweed towering over the field edges. But other crops would require closer inspection to recognise: hibiscus, cowpeas, and okra. … Read more
  • Lemon Tree Trust expands greening refugee and IDP camps in Iraq
    Lemon Tree Trust is entering an exciting new phase at one of its community gardens, Hêvî (meaning ‘hope’ in Kurdish), in Gawilan refugee camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, as work concludes on a new polytunnel. This space will enable the team to raise thousands of seedlings for households in Gawilan, … Read more
  • Four creative ways to fundraise for refugee projects
    By Jessica Perini Jessica Perini shares four innovative fundraising strategies for refugee projects, including salvaging and selling discarded goods, connecting paying learners with refugee learners through online workshops, dedicating a portion of personal income to support initiatives, and running ongoing crowdfunding campaigns, emphasising the power of community, fair share, and practical creativity … Read more
  • Permayouth in Uganda
    By Morag Gamble The permayouth champions in Uganda continue to inspire with a wide range of projects.  In Nakivale refugee settlement, Ansima Casinga Rolande has just received a grant from a US-based foundation to create a living learning centre for women and children, and a tree-planning ecological regeneration project. Rolande is also … Read more
  • Reflection: Between exile and belonging
    The stories of Afghan women rebuilding their lives in Portugal show the resilience, creativity, and hope refugees bring to new communities. For Permaculture for Refugees (P4R), this highlights the importance of empowering agency, fostering skills, and creating spaces where people can contribute and thrive. Like permaculture systems, integration grows strongest when it’s … Read more
  • The Blue Ribbon (TBR) cultivating community in Malaysia
    For many refugees in Malaysia, the journey of survival is intertwined with the search for belonging, education, and purpose. For Mohammed Ayas, a 22-year-old Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, that journey led him to The Blue Ribbon (TBR), a grassroots initiative blending permaculture, peacebuilding, and community empowerment. Ayas arrived in Malaysia as a … Read more
  • Nutrition and food security for pregnant refugees
    In the below two articles about nutrition and food security for pregnant women in refugee settlements, we learn that nearly a fifth face severe food insecurity, showing that true maternal nutrition requires not just calories but access to varied, nutrient-rich foods and sustainable support. The Interplay Between Food Security, Dietary Diversity, and … Read more
  • Panya Forest: A refuge for seeds, stories & hope
    by Ramphai Noikaew and Greg Pettys Nestled on the outskirts of Shri Lanna National Park in Northern Thailand, Panya Forest is more than a permaculture project, it is a sanctuary. Here, a community of seed savers works not only to preserve plant diversity but also the stories, songs, and ancestral knowledge carried … Read more
  • All One People, PTT4R
    Permaculture teacher training course for refugees In June 2025, the All One People Permaculture Teacher Training Course for Refugees was held in Lesvos, Greece, organised by the Sporos Institute, Permaculture for Refugees (P4R), and 12P Permaculture Design. Despite lower enrolments due to visa barriers and “compassion fatigue,” the diverse group of participants … Read more
  • The Permaculture & Palestine Network
    By Alfred Decker & Tomas Remiarz As a permaculture community, we cannot be silent in the face of the genocide in Palestine. It is our moral duty to stand up and confront the destruction: In July and August, a group of permaculturalists organised two online talks in English and one in French … Read more
  • Uncertainty and displacement: Syria & Iraq
    Kayla Hatcher shares with P4R. What I’ve heard from friends is that Kurdish refugees in Iraq are generally hesitant to return due to the ongoing instability and the ever-changing political landscape. Some Syrians have made the decision to return, often driven by the hope of finding out if relatives imprisoned under Assad’s … Read more
  • A Story of Survival and Hope from Afghanistan
    Kasim, who has been working with Permaculture for Refugees (P4R), has co-authored a moving and inspiring new book with his partner, Zar, titled Our Journey from Afghanistan: A Story of Survival and Hope. This deeply personal narrative begins with their childhoods in Afghanistan, revealing the harsh realities they endured—especially Zar’s experiences growing … Read more
  • A new era for Ecohub
    Ecohub has been a centre for permaculture education and ecotherapy for refugees on Lesvos since 2017. Originally based in a community centre just across from the refugee camp, it has provided education and green shelter to tens of thousands of refugees over the years. Launched by Better Days NGO in 2017, Ecohub … Read more
  • Permaculture as a living practice of solidarity and resilience
    In 2023, as political pressure in Pakistan intensified, the government declared its intent to expel Afghan nationals, placing thousands of lives in danger—many of whom had already fled conflict once before. Amid this crisis, a quiet but powerful effort emerged from within the global permaculture network. A group of dedicated permaculturalists, recognising … Read more
  • Nutrition for Pregnant Women in Refugee Camps
    Françoise Pierre, an Australian permaculturist and midwife, has worked with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Tajikistan, Sudan, and Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Through her frontline experience, she witnessed an alarming number of preventable maternal and infant deaths in refugee settings. One of her most urgent observations is that many of these deaths are … Read more
  • When aid stops
    Since the writing of this article in February 2025, the status of the U.S freeze on aid has changed. However, it still raises many questions US international aid represents 42% of global aid and just 1% of the US budget. When this aid is suddenly halted—along with nearly 5,000 USAID grants—critical networks … Read more
  • Learning from Sparrows: Social Permaculture in Action
    By Marguerite Kahrl We are excited to announce the world premiere of the documentary *Learning from Sparrows* – a compelling exploration of community, resilience, and hope through the lens of social permaculture.  Set against the backdrop of COP28 and unfolding at the ecovillage of Torri Superiore, the film follows a transformative meeting … Read more
  • How permaculture ethics and principles guides designing solutions for Afghans to find a safe haven in Portugal
    written by Eunice Neves End of July 2021, Rowe and I were conducting online interviews to permaculture practitioners who were applying permaculture in very challenging circumstances. The first people we interviewed were two peace activists, students of Rowe Morrow’s, who were using permaculture to redesign a primary school in Kabul. During the … Read more
  • Permaculture Teacher Training with Focus on Refugees @ Sporos Regeneration Institute, Lesvos, Greece
    June 7 – 15, 2025 Where the content and teaching of permaculture coincide harmoniously with the ethics Register for the course HERE If you have questions about the course, contact us HERE If you have questions about the venue or registration, contact us HERE Featuring a rare and special visit to Europe from Rosemary Morrow, … Read more