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5th World The 5th World: The 5th World of Peace or the 5th World of Unity is part of the creation myths of indigenous peoples throughout the Americas. In these creation myths, life passes through a series of worlds or cycles. Each cycle starts with an interval of balance and harmony followed by an interval of imbalance and discord. During the times of imbalance we learn the important lessons that allow us to create balance again and begin the next cycle. For the Hopi and others, the 5th World is symbolized by the whirling rainbow. Each tribe on earth represents a color in the rainbow, unique yet together, living harmoniously with each other and the earth. To find about the Seneca creation myth and their 5th World mythology consider reading Other Council Fires Were Here Before Ours Agroforestry: Agroforestry is the intentional growing of trees and shrubs in combination with crops or forage. Agroforestry also includes tree and shrub plantings on the farm or ranch that improve habitat value or access by humans and wildlife, or that provide woody plant products in addition to agricultural crops or forage. Agroforestry is distinguished from traditional forestry by having the additional aspect of a closely associated agricultural or forage crop. (Source: Agroforestry for Farms and Ranches) For a more in-depth definition of agroforestry click here. Also see the Bugwood Agroforestry Glossary. Agroforestry frequently involves "fertility plantings" of Nitrogen Fixing Trees (NFTs). Bioregions: Bioregions are geographic areas having common characteristics of soil, watershed, climate, native plants and animals that exist within the whole planetary biosphere as unique and intrinsic contributive parts. A bioregion refers both to geographical terrain and a terrain of consciousness -- to a place and the ideas that have developed about how to live in that place. A bioregion can be determined initially by use of climatology, physiography, animal and plant geography, natural history and other descriptive natural sciences. The final boundaries of a bioregion, however, are best described by the people who have lived within it, through human recognition of the realities of living-in-place...there is a distinctive resonance among living things and the factors that influence which occurs specifically within each separate place on the planet. Discovering and describing that resonance is a way to describe a bioregion. (Source: Peter Berg and Raymond Dasmann) Cohousing: Cohousing is the name of a type of collaborative housing that attempts to overcome the alienation of modern subdivisions in which no-one knows their neighbors, and there is no sense of community. It is characterized by private dwellings with their own kitchen, living-dining room etc, but also extensive common facilities. The common building may include a large dining room, kitchen, lounges, meeting rooms, recreation facilities, library, workshops, childcare. Usually, cohousing communities are designed and managed by the residents, and are intentional neighborhoods: the people are consciously committed to living as a community; the physical design itself encourages that and facilitates social contact. The typical cohousing community has 20 to 30 single family homes along a pedestrian street or clustered around a courtyard. Residents of cohousing communities often have several optional group meals in the common building each week. This type of housing began in Denmark in the late 1960s, and spread to North America in the late 1980s. There are now more than a hundred cohousing communities completed or in development across the United States. (Source: The Cohousing Network) Eco-village: An eco-village is a human scale, full-featured settlement which integrates human activities harmlessly into the natural environment, supports healthy human development, and can be continued into the indefinite future (Source: The Global Eco-village Network) Intentional Community: Intentional Community is an inclusive term for ecovillages, cohousing, residential land trusts, communes, student co-ops, urban housing cooperatives and other related projects and dreams... An "intentional community" is a group of people who have chosen to live together with a common purpose, working cooperatively to create a lifestyle that reflects their shared core values. The people may live together on a piece of rural land, a suburban home, or in an urban neighborhood, and they may share a single residence or live in a cluster of dwellings. (Source: Intentional Communities) Iroquois Confederacy: The people of the Six Nations, also known by the French term, Iroquois Confederacy, call themselves the Hau de no sau nee (ho dee noe sho nee) or People of the Longhouse. Together these peoples comprise the oldest living participatory democracy on earth. The Iroquoian system, expressed through its constitution, "The Great Law of Peace," rested on assumptions foreign to the monarchies of Europe: it regarded leaders as servants of the people, rather than their masters, and made provisions for the leaders' impeachment for errant behavior. The Iroquois' law and custom upheld freedom of expression in political and religious matters, and it forbade the unauthorized entry of homes. It provided for political participation by women and the relatively equitable distribution of wealth. The original United States representative democracy, fashioned by such central authors as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, drew much inspiration from this confederacy of nations. In our present day, we can benefit immensely, in our quest to establish a new a government truly dedicated to all life's liberty and happiness much as has been practiced by the Six Nations for over 800 hundred years. (Source: The Six Nations: Oldest Living Participatory Democracy on Earth and The Forgotten Founders). Nitrogen Fixing Trees (NFTs): Nitrogen fixing plants are key constituents in many natural ecosystems in the world. They are the major source of all nitrogen that enters the nitrogen cycle in these ecosystems. Many nitrogen fixing plants are woody perennials, or nitrogen fixing trees (NFTs), most of these being found in the tropics. In temperate areas, the nitrogen fixers tend to be herbaceous. NFTs have been removed or reduced in most man-made ecosystems, such as agricultural and forest lands and urban environments. These lands require expensive chemical fertilizer inputs in order to maintain their productivity. Manmade systems can be improved by learning and adopting from natural ecosystems. For example, the reintroduction of NFTs, with appropriate management, can increase and sustain productivity. Agroforestry land-use practices do this. (Source: Forest, Farm, and Community Tree Network) The Light Path: For the Navajo (Dinéh) the Light Path, pronounced "Shundeen," is a central part of their mythology and medicine. Dinéh medicine people work with the Light Path through crystals, embers and the sun, planets and stars. Just before his death, Dan Chee, a Dinéh elder of the Edgewater and Bitter Water clans, said that all of us are the Light Path. 5th World: The concept of a divine light or a divine sun is prevalent among many religions - from Christianity and Hinduism to the Druids and Egyptians. Indeed the sun created and sustains all life through its gift of light, heat and other energies. In a very real and scientific sense, we are made from stardust and the sun's energy - we are "tendrils of the sun." Also see Cultural Myths About The Sun Permaculture: Permaculture is a practical concept which can be applied in the city, on the farm, and in the wilderness. Its principles empower people to establish highly productive environments providing for food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs, including economic. Carefully observing natural patterns characteristic of a particular site, the permaculture designer gradually discerns optimal methods for integrating water catchment, human shelter, and energy systems with tree crops, edible and useful perennial plants, domestic and wild animals and aquaculture. Permaculture adopts techniques and principles from ecology, appropriate technology, sustainable agriculture, and the wisdom of indigenous peoples. The ethical basis of permaculture rests upon care of the earth-maintaining a system in which all life can thrive. This includes human access to resources and provisions, but not the accumulation of wealth, power, or land beyond their needs. (Source: Bay Area Permaculture Group brochure, published in West Coast Permaculture News & Gossip and Sustainable Living Newsletter (Fall 1995) extracted from "Introduction to Permaculture" www.attra.org. For more definitions see permaculture.net. Permaculture Design Course: A Permaculture Design Course usually lasts from one to three weeks with a minimum of 72 hours of accredited instruction. Topics in the course and length of discussion for each topic are specified in the Permaculture Design Course Handbook published by the Permaculture Institute in Tyalgum, Australia. At the end of the course the student receives a Permaculture Design Certificate and is considered a design trainee. After two years of field practice, the individual can apply to the International Permaculture Institute for a Designer’s Diploma, whereupon one has the authority to teach, consult and represent Permaculture. Permaculture is a rapidly expanding profession and ecological movement, with more active practitioners around the globe than the entire US Peace Corps. Regenerative Farming Systems: This is a system that will regenerate itself after each harvest. Techniques such as composting, green manuring and recycling may be used to return nutrients to the soil after each crop. Permaculture is currently perhaps the best regenerative system. A permaculture system is a carefully designed landscape which contains a wide range of different plants and animals. This landscape can be small (eg. a home garden), or large (eg. a farm), and it can be harvested to provide such things as wood (for fuel), eggs, fruit, herbs and vegetables, without seriously affecting the environmental balance. In essence, it requires little input once established, and continues to produce, remain sustainable and hopefully regenerate. Sustainability: The term "sustainability" is often referred to as "sustainable development" or "sustainable living." The most widely cited source of the word "sustainability" is from the Brundtland Commission, sponsored by the United Nations. The 1987 Brundtland Report defined sustainable development as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." 5th World Network: Earth-based cultures have practiced sustainable living for eons. In many Native American cultures, plans were evaluated based on how they would affect the tribe seven generations into the future. For the 5th World Network, sustainability is about providing collaborative and easily accessible solutions that allow us to live in balance with ourselves and the earth. At its heart, sustainability exists as a culture or worldview that simultaneously promotes personal, communal and environmental well-being. To find out more about the broad field of sustainable development check out Yahoo | Sustainable Development For a more extensive reference see The World Wide Web Virtual Library (Sustainable Development) |
