Chen Xiwen(Ashley)

I am a permaculture educator, community practitioner, and humanitarian trainer working at the intersection of ecological regeneration, education, and peacebuilding.

My journey toward permaculture began after more than a decade in youth development and humanitarian education with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies across East Asia. Through this work, I witnessed how environmental degradation, social instability, and conflict are deeply interconnected. I began searching for an approach that addresses root causes rather than isolated symptoms. Permaculture offered me a systems framework grounded in Care of Earth, Care of People, and Fair Share.

I completed my Permaculture Design Certificate in 2021 and am now a core member of an eco-community called "Huixiang Community" in Shanghai. There, I engage in regenerative farming, community-supported agriculture, and permaculture-centered education programs. Our work explores soil restoration, rural–urban reconnection, sociocracy and cooperative community models.

Alongside this, I trained as an AMI Montessori 6–12 educator and recently completed Permaculture Teacher Training. In October 2026 I will co-teach the seven-day Permaculture Teacher Training in Thailand at Daruma Eco Farm with Rosemary Morrow and Sneha Koppula. I am particularly interested in integrating the facilitation and conflict transformation principles of the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) into permaculture education. I believe climate resilience depends not only on technical ecological solutions, but also on our ability to cultivate trust, communication, and collaborative leadership.

Currently, I am developing a Training of Trainers model that combines regenerative design, learner-centered pedagogy, and peace building tools for diverse but also indigenous cultural contexts in China.

I am attending IPC Bangkok to connect with practitioners across the region, exchange experiences, and contribute to building resilient communities rooted in both ecological health and social cohesion. Hoping to bring back the spirit and best practices of global permaculture movement back to China.