eco-villages, permaculture, transition towns, change agents, PermaKulturRaum

Abstract: Main topic of this paper is to analyse the potential for members of communities which are coined by permaculture principles regarding their role as change agents towards the Great Transformation (WBGU, 2011). As basis framework provides the change agents theory by KRISTOF (2010). Permaculture is a holistic way to support nature’s flows and cycles with the aim to gain a yield from the abundance. The methodology consists of qualitative interviews with members of different German based initiatives such as eco-villages, transition town initiatives and the PermaKulturRaum which is a student project at the University of Göttingen. The applied survey is exploratory and semi-structured with the aid of a questionnaire. All three focus groups are hot spots for innovative ideas regarding sustainable lifestyles. First hints are very promising and leading to the impression that people involved with these groups meet the factors of being change agents to a high rate. Keywords: eco-villages, permaculture, transition towns, change agents, PermaKulturRaum