In the Finnish Permaculture Association (FPA), we implemented aspects of Sociocracy from the beginning, primarily consent decision-making. Later, we added the Sociocratic Circle Method (SCM) as our operational foundation. The primary assumption was that the board could only change once a year, while within circles, members could come and go during the year. Although the chair of the board and the board members are the legal representatives of the association, the board trusts people who want to get things done. This means that power lies with those doing the work. Essentially, circles decide their missions and objectives, as well as how they will achieve them. If they do not interfere with other circles' missions, there should not be any problems — unless a circle becomes non-operational, for example, because it consists of only one person or because they do not write logs or hold meetings, essentially not fulfilling the minimum requirements.
When I pointed out that the LAND circle was not functioning properly and was not fulfilling the minimum requirements, and suggested that after six years, we should replace the LAND coordinator, all hell broke loose. Her husband concluded his argument by saying, "Now I can easily understand why no one in the previous board wanted to continue. I will also retreat for the time being," a subtle yet effective insult.
Sociocracy in the FPA was never implemented as a dogma, but rather as a tool to bring us closer to a Teal organization. I prefer writing our policies and using our terms instead of blindly and dogmatically following one of many teachings. It is shortsighted to look just one way when crossing the street, isn't it?
The Finnish Permaculture Association Fails to Support Those in Need
The planning for the 2022 Permaculture Design Course at Beyond Buckthorns in Finland began early. By March, we had made significant progress. One of our potential participants asked if it would be possible to pay in installments, as she was a horticulture student and could not afford the full fee of 790 €. Around the same time, a friend asked if I could support a refugee.
Upon reviewing the budget for the PDC, I realized it would be impossible to lower the course fee to accommodate the student, as the calculations were already on the edge. Lowering the fee further would have resulted in minimum wage earnings.
In an effort to find a solution to support both the low-income student and the refugee, I asked the following question on the Finnish Permaculture Association's Slack channel for education (fucntioning circle) on April 4th:
“I have a possible student who can't fully afford the PDC at Beyond Buckthorns. She is a student and already asked for the possibility to pay in instalments. I wonder if the association can support people with low income to get a PDC? Another topic: Is there a possibility that the association sponsors the PDC for a refugee from Ukraine / Syria? “
The response I received from the leader of the education circle was:
“In our courses (mainly the beekeeping) for every 10 participants there can be 1 heavily discounted participant (f.ex. 45€ / 10€). I've seen that used elsewhere in permaculture. Something like this could be a recommendation for all permaculture courses.
From the associations point of view we should develop some kind of funding for this and then people would need to apply. F.ex. maybe members could choose to support education (so additional voluntary payment) when they pay the membership fee so we can collect a fund for this purpose. Now the circle has no funds. Just an idea that could be developed further.”
At the time, the association had approximately 10,000 € in its bank account. Instead of allocating 200 € to support a student in need, the association spent 100 € to have its name listed in a book — a book that even misspelled the association's name.
Inexperienced Facilitation in Difficult Matters
The FPA board held a live meeting in June, where we discussed what was referred to as the "hot porridge." I'm not sure if that was the appropriate term since the situation had already escalated. I was certain that I would not receive an apology for the insults, understatements, and provocations I had experienced. During a walk, I was informed that the revolt had been planned long ago, and that there was no chance of resolution. I was also told that my German communication style was not appreciated by the board. Essentially, this boiled down to discrimination based on my nationality. It was surprising to experience discrimination within the permaculture community.
It was disappointing to be continuously accused of wrongdoing, with the rest of the board following the person who complained the loudest. I had always thought that permaculture was about imagination and knowledge, but here I was with individuals who lacked expertise in both sociocracy and permaculture.
Since I didn't receive any support for my work, I offered to resign from my position as chair. However, the issues did not end with that decision.
Feelings Over Facts: Welcome to the Post-Factual World
In the association's Slack workspace, people would write sentences like, "I feel anxious because of what you are saying; please stop saying that." Consequently, Lumia was told to stop sharing facts and remain silent. In this situation, feelings took precedence over facts.
Selma asked me to sit with her so that I could express my feelings, explain what had happened, and describe my reality. This would mean reliving the painful experiences once more.
It is indeed a strange world where individuals who bully and discriminate against others can become the chair of the board for the Suomen Permakulttuuri yhdistys (Finnish Permaculture Association).
Conclusion
Lumia and I withdrew from the association's active circles. We closed the communications circle, as it was apparent that none of the board members wanted to work with us. By closing the comms circle, we also terminated the contract concerning the website.
Now, all the association's documents have been rewritten in Finnish. The association has become an exclusively Finnish organization for Finns. From what I have observed so far, I doubt that it operates as a non-profit for the common good.
The new website appears to be a poorly executed replica of the one I created, with numerous errors and instances of inequality. Our project, Beyond Buckthorns, was listed last in the members' projects list after I complained about the inappropriate use of "nofollow" links. The link to our project, https://www.beyondbuckthorns.com, was marked as a "nofollow" link, while Erkki's own links to Iso-Orvokkiniitty were standard links. Additionally, the alt tags for all our images were missing, but of course, all Iso-Orvokkiniitty photos had alt tags. Consequently, we decided not to list our courses on the FPA's website, as it is unclear whether we would be treated fairly and equally.
I have witnessed similar hostile takeovers in other permaculture associations in the Nordic countries. That is why our new association, "Vihreä Pourusmäki," has adopted a different structure. It incorporates Teal principles over Sociocracy and takes measures to ensure the association is protected from hostile takeovers.
Let's see what time brings.