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Governance Principles

Last updated: 21.08.2026

The governance of the Permaculture Network is based on a simple principle:

Authority follows responsibility.

Decision-making authority should belong to the people who are actively doing and carrying responsibility for the work concerned.

In practical terms:

Decision authority belongs to the area carrying primary responsibility.

Being affected by a decision does not automatically mean owning the decision.

Affected people, projects, or Stewardship Areas should be consulted where appropriate, but this does not automatically create shared authority or veto power.

This means the Permaculture Network does not follow a classical governance model in which members elect a board that then governs the network.

Instead, governance grows from active contribution:

Participation -> Responsibility -> Authority

Influence comes through active contribution and responsibility, not through elections, status, seniority, or simple membership.

Participation should remain open and lightweight, while responsibility should be explicit.

Participation is open. Responsibility is explicit. Authority depends on active responsibility.

Authority exists only while the responsibility on which it is based exists.

Authority ends when responsibility ends.

Responsibility can always be returned.

Roles should not outlive the work that created them.

Open by default, private when necessary​

Governance should be understandable and traceable.

Open by default, private when necessary.

Transparency means making decisions and their reasoning visible, not publishing every conversation that led to them.

Documentation should be proportional to the significance of the decision.

Confidentiality is part of responsible governance where privacy, safety, legal obligations, or security require it.

The Permaculture Network currently has no independent funds.

EuPN funds and external organisational funds are separate.

Sponsored contributions do not create governance authority.

Community governance may determine how shared network resources should be used, while legal and financial commitments remain the responsibility of the legal entity holding the funds.

Community governance operates within the legal responsibilities of Vihreä Pourusmäki ry.

Legal responsibility does not create general authority over community governance.

Vihreä Pourusmäki ry is not an additional governance layer above the Network Circle.

No community decision can require the legal operator to violate applicable law, its statutory duties, or binding legal obligations.

Emergency action​

In an emergency, the person carrying responsibility may act immediately to prevent significant harm.

Emergency authority follows existing responsibility.

Emergency authority is temporary and limited to what is necessary to address the immediate risk.

Emergency action should be documented and reviewed once the immediate situation has passed.

Power stays close to the work​

Whenever possible, decisions should be made at the smallest level affected by them.

This keeps authority close to the actual work and helps prevent unnecessary centralization.

In practice, this means projects and working groups should have substantial autonomy in the areas for which they are responsible.

A decision should only move to a wider governance level when it cannot reasonably be made at the level where the work happens.

Governance evolves with the work​

Governance should evolve with the work, not ahead of it.

Governance should be changed in response to demonstrated needs, not hypothetical problems.

Observe patterns before changing structure.

Governance should remain as simple as the work allows.

Governance follows active participation​

Network-wide governance should be carried by the active parts of the network that are contributing ongoing work and responsibility.

Governance is therefore linked to active participation, not to formal membership alone.

People who are not currently carrying operational responsibility may still contribute perspective, experience, and support, but that is different from holding decision-making authority.

Advice is open. Authority comes with responsibility.​

Anyone may offer advice, feedback, knowledge, or perspective.

Advice should be welcomed broadly, especially from:

  • people affected by a decision
  • people with relevant expertise
  • people responsible for connected work

However, advice and authority are not the same thing.

Advice is open. Authority comes with responsibility.

Decision-making authority belongs to the people, projects, or groups that are carrying responsibility for the work concerned.

No elected governors​

The Permaculture Network should not be governed through the classical model:

Members -> elect Board -> Board governs network

Instead:

People contribute -> take responsibility -> gain authority

There are no elected governors simply representing the membership.

Network-wide governance emerges from the people who are actively carrying responsibility for the work of the network.