I arrived in Timor-Leste with a mix of excitement and exhaustion. At the airport, we were greeted by the most relaxed border officials I’ve ever met, smiling broadly, waving us through, and apologising for the 1990s computers that couldn’t quite load the digital arrival forms. The internet was patchy, everyone confused, but their warmth made up for it. As the afternoon “home time” for the border officers approached, one simply shrugged and said, “No worries, just go.” Outside, the friendly young Edison from the Permatil team welcomed us to his country. We gathered in the shade, melting in the tropical heat, and began to meet some of our fellow IYPC participants, each one from a different corner of the permaculture world. There was Michael and Curtis from Jagun alliances on the Northern Rivers, Aboriginal fire practitioners. Finn from Adelaide, a fresh PDC graduate and friend of Lachlan McKenzie, who carried his excitement like a seed ready to germinate. Sandhān from Bangalore, linked with Aranya Permaculture, handed out delicate seed-paper business cards. We were soon ushered into a minivan, unsure of where we were headed, the sense of mystery part of the charm. After nearly meeting our fate at a chaotic roundabout, we all laughed, realising: yes, we’d truly arrived in Southeast Asia. A quick supermarket stop revealed an amusing discovery, beer cheaper than water. Naturally, we toasted to being here, representing our communities and hard work back home.
The Warm Welcome at Centro Tibar
Our accommodation turned out to be at Centro Tibar, a secondary education college with a vibrant atmosphere and smiling volunteers who greeted us like long-lost friends. We were shown to our dormitories and met Thomas, another German working with Permatil. Dinner brought us together in the student built canteen, a mix of laughter, fatigue, and storytelling. The school’s owner, Simon, joined us and shared tales about the land and why goats were casually roaming the school grounds. Dinner was a simple and delicious buffalo curry with rice followed by sweet milk bananas, fresh mangoes, and maize for dessert. That night, I fell asleep to the whir of the fan motor and the soft crowing of distant roosters, a foreign sound that somehow felt familiar.
First Morning in Timor
Morning light brought life in motion, brooms sweeping verandas, hoses washing concrete, and students greeting me with eager smiles.
Centro Tibar impressed me. Students came from across Timor to study here, supported by government funding and international partnerships with Germany and Korea among them..
Breakfast was served at the hospitality bar and café, where I had my first taste of Timor coffee, smooth, earthy, and absolutely divine. The café was decked out in festive decorations, each corner hiding another curious trinket.
Into Dili – Meeting the Permatil Team
Later that day, we travelled into Dili to visit the Permatil office. There we met Lachlan McKenzie who gave us an introduction to the organisation’s incredible community projects, and Ego’s wife, who kindly welcomed us into their home. The conversations flowed about soil, water, youth, and the quiet revolution of permaculture taking root across Timor.
Short History of Permatil and Permatil Global in Timor-Leste
Permatil (Permaculture Timor-Leste) was founded in 2001 by a group of passionate local educators, farmers, and youth leaders including Ego Lemos who saw the urgent need to restore degraded land and rebuild food security after the country’s independence. Emerging from the devastation of war, Permatil became one of the first grassroots organisations to apply permaculture principles to healing both the land and the people.
Through school gardens, community training, and local resource mapping, Permatil pioneered a “whole village” approach, integrating water management, soil restoration, agroforestry, and traditional knowledge. It worked closely with schools and youth to develop the Permaculture in Schools program, which is now part of the national education curriculum across Timor-Leste.
Over the years, Permatil’s work spread through all 13 districts, training thousands of teachers and farmers, establishing demonstration sites, and promoting the permaculture ethics of Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share.
In 2018, Permatil helped launch Permatil Global, an international network connecting Timorese permaculture experience with global partners. Its aim is to share tropical permaculture knowledge, support youth leadership, and link climate-resilient projects across Asia-Pacific, Africa, and beyond.
Today, Permatil and Permatil Global stand as leading examples of how local wisdom and global collaboration can regenerate landscapes, empower youth, and strengthen community resilience.
In that moment, it struck me: this wasn’t just a conference. It was a living network of people growing hope: one seed, one smile, one story at a time. Tadeius, Ego’s son, made me a necklace, a gesture that melted my already warm heart.
Timor-Leste: Struggle, Resistance, and Prospects
Timor-Leste (East Timor) was colonised by Portugal for over 400 years, remaining largely neglected until the 20th century. After Portugal’s withdrawal in 1975, Timor-Leste declared independence, but within days, Indonesia invaded and occupied the country. The 24-year occupation was marked by widespread violence, famine, and human rights abuses.
ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL INDONESIAN STATISTICS, TIMOR-LESTE HAD 653,211 INHABITANTS IN 1974.
IN 1978, THE FIGURE HAD DROPPED TO 498,433 INHABITANTS.
THIS MEANS THAT TIMOR-LESTE HAD LOST MORE THAN 23% OF ITS POPULATION IN THE FIRST FOUR YEARS OF INDONESIAN OCCUPATION!
Despite the odds, the Timorese people waged a remarkable campaign of armed, underground, and diplomatic resistance. Figures like Xanana Gusmão, José Ramos-Horta, and Bishop Carlos Belo became international symbols of their struggle, earning the Nobel Peace Prize (1996) for bringing attention to their cause. In 1999, under UN supervision, the Timorese voted overwhelmingly for independence, a decision met with violent retaliation by pro-Indonesian militias before UN peacekeepers restored order.
Timor-Leste regained full independence in 2002, becoming one of the world’s newest nations. Today it faces challenges of poverty, unemployment, and oil dependence, but remains a resilient democracy with strong community spirit and rich cultural identity. The nation invests in education, agriculture, and youth empowerment, and is building new partnerships across the Asia-Pacific. Its people’s enduring values of resistance, solidarity, and self-reliance continue to shape a hopeful path toward sustainable development and peace.
IYPC 2025 – Planting water, growing communities
BRINGING YOUTH, ENVIRONMENT, ARTS, CULTURE AND MUSIC TOGETHER IN ONE EVENT
As we were greeted by the village elders and Permatil volunteers, we connected with more people arriving from all over the world while chewing on a beetle nut seed. Slowly getting used to the much slower pace of Timor time, we waited in the shade of the handcrafted bamboo structures. The camp was separated into three sections one for men, for women and one for couples. Compost toilets and bucket showers were provided for the participants, the camp kitchen and servery was all crafted from bamboo and palm leaves.
The site was prepared with swales, terraces, retention ponds and a new research facility that captures data from the local spring to measure the flow and impact, permaculture water restoration at work. The research is undertaken by the university of New South Wales lead by Martin Andersen.
Permaculture Conference Experiences in Timor-Leste
Since the early 2000s, Permatil and its partners have hosted several Youth Permaculture Conferences (YIPC) and training camps in Timor-Leste, designed to empower young people to become leaders in regenerative agriculture, community resilience, and climate action.
The first youth gatherings emerged soon after independence, as part of Permatil’s education outreach in schools and communities. These early programs focused on practical skills, seed saving, composting, and water management, while helping youth reconnect with traditional land wisdom.
By the mid-2010s, these evolved into more structured Youth Permaculture Conferences, drawing participants from across Timor-Leste and neighbouring countries. The conferences became platforms for cross-cultural learning, where local and international youth shared solutions for reforestation, food security, and sustainable livelihoods.
Workshops were held in schools, farms, and community training centres, combining hands-on permaculture design with music, art, and cultural exchange. Many alumni went on to start community gardens, school projects, and youth-led NGOs, extending the conference’s impact across rural and urban Timor.
Supported by Permatil Global, these youth conferences now form part of a wider international network connecting young people from Asia-Pacific, Africa, and beyond, continuing Timor’s legacy as a living classroom for permaculture education, peace-building, and resilience.
Presidential Support for Youth and Water Conservation
During his visit to the International PermaYouth Convergence in Gleno, Ermera organised by Permatil under the leadership of Ego Lemos, President José Ramos-Horta expressed strong admiration for youth-led efforts in water conservation and sustainable management.
Addressing the more than 800 participants from 17 countries, the President emphasised that “water is the most essential resource for our community, for agriculture, for the environment, and for our daily lives.” He praised the spring restoration projects that have already revived over 600 water sources nationwide, calling them a model of community collaboration and ecological citizenship.
Ramos-Horta urged for the expansion of water restoration programs across all regions and encouraged the world to see Timor-Leste not through the lens of hardship, but as a beacon of innovation, sustainability, and youth leadership.
His presence at the Convergence reaffirmed the State’s commitment to environmental sustainability and the empowerment of young people as key drivers of a resilient and green future for Timor-Leste.
Issues Around Seasonal Work, Exploitation, and Skills Gaps in Timor-Leste
In my time during the camp I spoke to many young Timorese about seasonal work. It was a highly contentious topic among the communities. In recent years, thousands of young Timorese have left their communities to work in Australia and other Pacific countries under labour mobility programs. These opportunities promise higher income and financial support for families back home, yet they have also revealed serious social and economic challenges for Timor-Leste.
Economic Opportunity and Social Cost
Seasonal work offers wages far beyond what is available domestically, providing much-needed remittances for rural families. However, the loss of young labourers has left gaps in local agriculture, education, and trades, particularly in the countryside. Many villages struggle to maintain food gardens or local enterprises as their most capable youth seek work abroad.
Exploitation and Limited Protection
Reports from Australia and other host countries highlight cases of exploitation, underpayment, poor housing conditions, and excessive working hours. Workers often face cultural and language barriers and have limited access to legal or union support. For many, the dream of earning a better life comes with emotional strain, isolation, and risk.
Lack of Training and Skills Development
A deeper issue lies in the lack of vocational and agricultural training within Timor-Leste. Many workers depart without strong technical, financial, or language preparation, making them more vulnerable to exploitation and less able to translate their experience into local enterprise upon return. The result is a cycle of dependency, where youth continue leaving instead of building sustainable livelihoods at home.
The Need for Regenerative Solutions
Addressing this issue requires investment in local education, permaculture, and vocational training that empowers youth to create meaningful work in Timor-Leste. Programs like those led by Permatil and Permatil Global show how training in food production, eco-enterprise, and land restoration can strengthen communities and reduce the need for migration.
Ultimately, the goal is not to stop mobility but to transform it into empowerment, where returning workers bring home new skills, fair experiences, and the confidence to grow Timor-Leste’s future from within.
As the days unfolded, the dry season heat pressed down like a second skin, yet the energy of the PermaYouth Convergence only grew stronger. The air pulsed with loud music, laughter, and the scent of and charcoal grills, where volunteers served plate after plate of spicy Timorese dishes: rice, beef stew, cassava, pork and mangoes and pineapple so sweet they silenced conversation.
Amid the dust and rhythm, hundreds of conversations bloomed; between farmers and students, elders and youth, activists and dreamers. Friendships crossed languages and continents; ideas sprouted like seeds carried by wind. In every handshake,coffee and meal, late-night jam sessions, the shared vision of a greener, fairer world took root a little deeper.
By the time we parted, it was clear: these were not just conference connections. They were the beginnings of a global family, united by planting water, song, and the unshakable belief that regeneration starts with us.
Our role as Youth Ambassadors feels clear now: to weave connections between people and communities, to tell our stories with courage, and to amplify the spirit of permaculture wherever we go. Let’s keep inspiring others and stay open to being inspired ourselves.
Sincerely,
Felix Leibelt
Youth Ambassador and Board Director Permaculture Australia My location: Dharawal, Jerrinja tribal land, South Coast NSW M: 0412 361 165 E: felix.leibelt@permacultureaustralia.org.au
About the Author:
Felix Leibelt is a South Coast-based permaculture designer and the founder of Geco Gardens. He loves building living systems that care for people and the planet. As a Youth Ambassador for Permaculture Australia, he’s focused on connecting communities, sharing real stories, and inspiring others to grow change from the ground up.
Eight organisations in the Asia Pacific region were awarded Permafund grants in the 2025 grant round. Recipients came from countries around the region including Timor Leste, Bangladesh, Myanmar, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands. The wide range of projects shows that permaculture is being implemented in ways that improve the natural environment as well as food security, as summarised below:
Asharprodip Somaj Unnyan Songstha (ASUS) community circle Bangladesh
Expanding ASUS’s permaculture activities in Sundarban coastal region of Bangladesh.
Friends of Wildlife, Myanmar
Ensuring the sustainability of a Community Conservation Committee in Southern Bago Yoma, Myanmar, through Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) mitigation and livelihood support.
ALEY-NM, Philippines
Promotion of permaculture among Higaonon youth leaders in 5 villages in Mindanao.
Sustainable Energy and Enterprise Development for Communities, Inc (SEED4Com), Philippines
Equipping women, youth, and smallholder farmers of Sibugay, Cebu City, with practical skills in producing organic fertilisers aligned with permaculture principles.
Metsa Foundation, Philippines
Metsa Foundation for women in the Philippines
Creating closed-loop permaculture systems for food security and waste management using black soldier fly & chickens.
Baetona Farmers Association, Solomon Islands
Taro patch & trellises Baetona Farmers’ Association Solomon Islands
Promoting increased consumption of local and nutritious foods, and improved incomes of rural women.
Aileu Resource and Training Centre (ARTC), Timor Leste
International PermaYouth Convergence delegates
Assisting with Kadalak Dame garden project workers’ participation in the first International PermaYouth Convergence and follow-up activities in their district.
Permatil Global Inc.
Earthworks workshop at IPYC
Providing support to the organisation of the inaugural International PermaYouth Convergence, Timor Leste
Thanks to the generous donations we received this year, we are able to assist these grassroots initiatives to grow a better future for their communities. Watch this space for reports from the projects over the coming months.
The Vocational Education Training Circle of Permaculture Australia has designed a Certificate II Permaculture course for delivery to high school students.
They are in the final stages of gaining approval for a pilot delivery of it, and they would really like some volunteers to read the course and give feedback.
Volunteers will need a PDC or equivalent. There are four clusters and each one focuses on a different aspect of permaculture practice, so you could choose your own area of expertise and interest.
There is a lot of jargon in the system, so it helps if you have some experience within the VET or school systems, but is not essential if you are willing to read past it all.
Cluster One – Working in Ecological Services – we are looking for permies with expertise in bush or degraded site regeneration work.
Cluster Two – Know your Bioregion – has a unit in it called “Report on Country”. We are particularly looking for people with expertise in working within indigenous knowledge frameworks.
Cluster Three – Basics of Food Production – this cluster focuses on food production in school or community gardens
Cluster Four – Obtain a Yield – has a unit in it called “Work Effectively in Permaculture”, which explores the range and variety of vocations available, including arts, food, environment, construction, and energy.
For more information, and to express your interest in being a part of this exciting development, please contact the VET circle at: vet@permacultureaustralia.org.au
The Youth Circle is growing! We’ve selected three young ambassadors to attend the Permaculture Youth International Convergence in Timor Leste, are connecting with permaculture elders to nurture intergenerational continuity, and launching online gatherings from 8 September to learn, connect, and co-create the future together.
Permaculture Australia Youth Circle Update
Permaculture Australia is excited to share some wonderful developments from our Youth Circle initiative – a space dedicated to intergenerational connection, collaboration, and supporting young people to thrive within the permaculture movement.
Supporting Young Ambassadors at the International Youth Convergence
In October, the Permaculture Youth International Convergence (PYIC) will be held in Timor Leste, hosted by our friends at Permatil. This important gathering will bring together young leaders from around the world to share ideas, strengthen networks, and co-create strategies for a regenerative future.
After a careful selection process, we are proud to announce that three inspiring young Australians – Felix Liebert, Toad Dell, and Meka Rakhmat – have been chosen as our Youth Ambassadors to attend the convergence. With the generous support of Permaculture Australia scholarships and Permatil’s accommodation assistance, they will represent our community and bring back valuable insights, stories, and connections.
Building Bridges Between Generations
The Youth Circle is also reaching out to Permaculture Elders, inviting them to share wisdom, stories, and mentorship with the younger generation. These intergenerational connections are at the heart of our vision: ensuring that the knowledge and spirit of permaculture continue to evolve and adapt with the times.
Youth Circle Online Gatherings – Starting Soon!
We’re delighted to announce the launch of the Youth Circle Online Gatherings, beginning on 8th September. These sessions will be a space for young people and elders to meet, learn together, dream up projects, and grow stronger as a community.
Stay tuned for updates, and please help spread the word whether you are a young person interested in joining, or an elder keen to offer support, there’s a place for you in this circle.
Together, we’re weaving the threads of intergenerational continuity, honouring the past, empowering the present, and shaping the future.
If you want to be part of our gatherings, let us know at youth@permacultureaustralia.org.au
The inaugural International Permaculture Youth Convergence (IPYC) is to be held in Timor Leste from October 20 –25 this year.
Drone photo of Fatequero village where IPYC is to be held
Permatil of Timor-Leste & Permatil Global of Australia are co-hosting the event with The PermaYouth Association of Timor Leste. 500 permie youth leaders from Timor Leste are planning to host another 500 from around the world with the intention of building an active global PermaYouth network of future leaders & change makers and global environmental stewards.
The day program includes permaculture practice and development of leadership skills in:
Water resilience
Sustainable Agroforestry
Agro ecology
Permaculture in action
Art, music and indigenous culture
3D model for learning water catchment techniques
Artists creating new illustrations for Permatil guidebooks
The night program can only be described as a festival, with participants coming together to share a celebration and exchange of indigenous knowledge, culture, music, art and friendship.
This event rides on the shoulders of 8 years of Timor Leste National Youth Convergences and promises to be an unbelievable learning, and sharing cultural event. The IPYC fits Permaculture Australia’s Permafund charter of promoting and supporting educational and environmental projects around the world that have a strong permaculture basis.
Permafund is providing funds to sponsor and part sponsor international participants who financially may not be able to attend otherwise. In addition, letters of recommendation and promotional material to support this awesome initiative have been provided.
Our most challenging contribution however is to activate youth from Australia to participate in the International Permaculture Youth Convergence. Members of the Permafund committee put the message out to their communities about IYPC being an opportunity to see permaculture in action in a youth orientated international setting. Currently 16 young adults will be participating, all paying their own way. One group is from the NSW south coast and another from South Australia. All are excited, learning a few Tetun words and getting organised to attend.
When asked why they were attending, responses from some of the South Australian contingent included:
I feel really connected to nature and the idea of living in harmony with the earth.
After doing my PDC, I want to keep learning and growing, not just in land design but also in how permaculture can bring people together, heal communities, and create a better way of living.
I’d love to meet other young people who share the same passion, exchange ideas, and bring back inspiration to my own community.
I dream of starting a little community around rehabilitating a heavily disturbed section of the low rainfall Mallee in eastern SA. I would like to turn parts of it into a food forest. I have the dream and the property, I’m just lacking the knowledge, people, and the extra bit of passion to see it through; I’m hoping the IPYC can help me with these things.
I’m very keen on building more sustainable ways of living into everything.
I dream of creating an eco-friendly little village with sustainable and affordable housing.
I’m excited to have the opportunity to learn about permaculture and PermaYouth initiatives at this convergence
I want to return to my beloved tropics and learn a lot about Timorese life and culture.
For these reasons, or any others, if you are between 17 and 35 and would like to attend the IPYC or would like to talk about it but don’t have a group to support you, no matter where you come from, don’t hesitate to contact us at permafund@permacultureaustralia.org.au
Planting out a water catching small reservoir
The proceeds of fundraisers and donations to Permafund are gratefully received. Donations over $2.00 are tax deductible in Australia and can be made here.
So far, Permafund has provided seed funding grants for 93 community projects in Australia and 16 other countries around the world.
Thanks to generous donations and fund raising, Permaculture Australia’s 2025 Permafund grant round has been launched..
Considering the time and effort needed to write and submit an application, the closing date for applications has been extended to midnight AEST on 31 August 2025.
In the spirit of fair share, this year community organisations in Australia and the regions of Australasia, South-East Asia and the Pacific Islands are invited to apply for seed funding grants of AU$2,000 to support their environmental and permaculture education projects.
Applications for funding over AUD $2,000 will be considered and assessed on merit.
The 2025 Grant Application form and Grant Guidelines are available for download here.
Successful applicants will be notified at the end of October 2025. Applications received by 15 August and needing urgent response will be considered promptly.
Permaculture Australia is excited to share that we have initiated a Youth Circle, with the intention of connecting youth across Australia and around the world to the permaculture movement.
We are fortunate to have Karla Quintana step up to lead this circle and harness her youth network from the many youth communities that she works across.
The first activity is establishing Youth Ambassadors from each State and Territory. These inaugural ambassadors will be sponsored to attend the International Youth Permaculture Convergence in Timor Leste in October this year.
If you can’t wait to get involved and support this program, as either a nominator of a Youth Ambassador, a candidate or a Youth Circle member reach out to eo@permacultureaustralia.org.au. An information pack will be released to members within the week.
About Karla Quintana
Karla is a regenerative bioregional educator, biologist, community weaver, and founder of transformative learning spaces rooted in permaculture, collective transformation, and the sacred balance of nature. With a background in biology and scientific research, she brings an ecological and systems-thinking lens to her work—bridging science, education, and community resilience.
For over two decades, Karla has empowered young people to become stewards of the Earth through mentorship and life-shaping experiences grounded in ecological literacy, outdoor environmental education, and intentional community living. She completed her Permaculture Design Course at Crystal Waters Ecovillage, deepening her commitment to regenerative practices.
Karla currently leads the Bioethical Student Residence, an intentional urban community where youth engage in environmental sensitization, behavioral change, collective responsibility, and social transformation in action. She is also the founder of Acampalli, a cooperative of young environmental educators—an embodied school of thought and action committed to forging new paths toward ecological justice, cultural renewal, and cooperativism.
Her vision of education and community was profoundly shaped during her youth by the Zapatista revolution of the Mayan people in Chiapas, Mexico. The Zapatistas’ call for dignity, autonomy, and collective liberation continues to influence her deeply. Central to their philosophy is the phrase: “In the world we want, everyone fits. We want a world where many worlds fit.” For Karla, this is more than an ideal—it is a lived commitment. Her work centers on building social structures and relationships that care for nature, honor diversity, resist domination, and make space for multiple ways of being, knowing, and organizing life.
She fosters intergenerational learning, creating spaces where the wisdom of elders and the creativity of youth come together to restore the continuity of knowledge and regenerate both social and ecological systems. Karla’s pedagogy is rooted in Deep Ecology, Outdoor Education, and Indigenous knowledge systems. Through her programs, her mission is to cultivate a generation of empowered changemakers.
With a warm presence and radical clarity, Karla continues to guide youth in living in alignment with the Earth and with each other—through practices that heal, reconnect, and reimagine the world we share.
Certificate III and IV Permaculture qualifications are on the way to becoming recognised as important vocational qualifications, and eligible for the same kind of subsidies and recognition as other trades.
The Certificate III is now on the federal government’s Australian Apprenticeships Priority List. Importantly, it is also on the Clean Energy Sector list within it. This means that if you are a permaculture business, and you employ a young person as a trainee, they can get a qualification for doing practical work-based training, while being paid a traineeship wage, and you as the employer are eligible for a host of subsidies that together nearly cover the cost of employing them. It works just like employing an apprentice. They can be full or part time and even shared between several businesses.
In NSW, the Certificate III is also on the state training traineeships and apprenticeships list which makes an employer eligible for a set of state government subsidies too. Other states may be catching up, but it is worth making enquiries and registering your interest so that next time your state updates its list, permaculture qualifications are included.
In NSW, Certificate III and Certificate IV are also on the Smart and Skilled Priority List, which means the NSW government will pay the fees for class-based training. If a Training Organisation knows there are enough enrolments to make up a class, they can offer the course free to students.
For more information, get in touch at: vet@permacultureaustralia.org.au
The International PermaYouth Convergence (IPYC–2025) is a celebration of permaculture, youth leadership, arts, culture, and music across six days in the mountains of Timor-Leste.
Taking place in the village of Fatuquero, Ermera, this inaugural event is inspired by the highly successful PermaYouth movement already thriving across Timor-Leste. At its heart, the IPYC–2025 is a call to action for young people across the globe. By sharing permaculture knowledge and practice, we’re building an active global PermaYouth network, future leadership and global environmental stewardship.
Planting Water, Growing Communities Co-hosted by Permatil (Timor-Leste), Permatil Global (Australia) and the PermaYouth Association (Timor-Leste), the IPYC–2025 brings together delegations of youth (17 to 35 years) and their community leaders from six continents to camp onsite in Fatuquero, Ermera. The theme for IPYC–2025, “Planting Water, Growing Communities,” reflects the powerful work already underway in Timor-Leste—work that’s having a nation-changing impact. With the backing of the President of Timor-Leste, The Hon. José Ramos Horta, we want to expand this movement across Timor-Leste and internationally to communities that urgently need these solutions.
What to expect at IPYC–2025 Over the six days, participants will be immersed in all things permaculture to share and engage in practical activities about food, water and climate resilience, leadership training and cultural exchanges. The program will highlight innovative and effective watershed management practices including in water and ecosystem restoration and catchment management, working with your community, and the benefits that come from learning and sharing together. By night, participants will come together to share and enjoy a celebration and exchange of knowledge of indigenous culture, music, art and friendship. After the convergence ends, participants are invited to explore more of Timor-Leste—whether by visiting cultural landmarks in Dili or venturing into the country’s diverse landscapes and communities. And the journey doesn’t stop there: the PermaYouth Association (Timor-Leste) will continue to support attendees post-event, helping to establish and strengthen the global PermaYouth network.
Why it matters—and how you can get involved At the core of IPYC–2025 is an urgency to share tools of resilience and skills for our youth to utilise at the forefront of climate action, land care, and community leadership.
That’s where you come in. We’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign to help fund the event and support youth from across the globe—especially from under-resourced communities—to attend. Your contributions will help us identify and engage emerging youth leaders, cover their travel, and offer free tickets that include all transport, meals, camping, and participation in the entire program. If we exceed our fundraising goals, we’ll be able to further subsidise costs for selected attendees, helping us ensure that the IPYC–2025 truly reflects the diversity and strength of a global youth movement. Or join us in Timor-Leste—you can get directly involved by registering to attend as a participant, a volunteer, or a presenter.
Building a regenerative future together We invite you to support this global Convergence, share it with your networks, and help us bring together the next generation of earth stewards, community builders and changemakers. ** Join us in Timor-Leste, for IPYC–2025. ** Donate to the crowdfunder. ** Support global youth leadership in permaculture.
Thanks to the generous donors to Permaculture Australia’s Permafund, our small grants program is ready to launch another round of grants. This time we are calling for applications from groups in Australasia, South-East Asia and the Pacific Islands.
A Sumatran Farmer teaching a PDC
We need your help to spread the word to any groups within the region, or any Permaculture teachers who may know of eligible groups amongst their past students. Please share this notice and our contact details with them.
We hope that by funding small projects we will help to build the capacity of Permaculture groups in our region while they do important work to improve the natural environment. By publicising the successful projects in our newsletter and social media, Permaculture Australia members and supporters will learn more about groups active in our region.
This work can include the provision of information or education, or the carrying on of research about the natural environment or a significant aspect of the natural environment as well as running on the ground projects which will improve the natural environment.
The Permafund grant program is only for projects that benefit or protect the natural environment, which includes regenerative agriculture and permaculture education.
Please read the 2025 Grant Guidelines carefully before deciding if your organisation is eligible to submit an application. To see the types of projects that have been funded in the past please look at articles on our website.
The 2025 Grant Application form and Grant Guidelines are available for download from the Permaculture Australia website as Word or Pdf documents here.
You must be logged in to post a comment.