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. More confusion arises … 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 hosting a youth … 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 child, separated from … 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 alongside each seed. … 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 regime are still … Read more