Future Planning

Saturday 11 June 2005

Summary

Six working groups were formed to discuss the different issues that arose from the Strategic Planning Discussions. Here are the reports from the working groups together with comments from the floor.

*** GROUP 1 - International Communication

  1. Get a system in place to carry on these discussions
  2. Make sure IPC7 contact list is distributed to participants
  3. Participants could also add a photo and biography

  4. Refer to forums that already exist e.g. http://www.permacultureactivist.net/

  5. Need to consider people who have no internet access and/or don’t speak English
  6. Propose the creation of two working groups:
    • International communications working group
    • Work group linking group

Group contact: Fraser How

*** GROUP 2 - International Conferences

  1. Recommendations for running convergences exist and will be updated after discussion of lessons from IPC7 (discussion on internet)
  2. Future IPC events
    1. Convergence and conference should be separated. They have different target audiences and can be at different venues.
    2. Convergence should be at least five days.
    3. Convergences should be managed by Permaculture projects and aim at low cost for organisers and participants. Food should be grown locally where possible
    4. Participants of convergences should register with the organisers, to ensure equal representation from around the world.
    5. Money for bursaries could be raised as follows:
      • Europe for Africa
      • NZ, Australia and Japan for Asia
      • Americas for Americas
  1. The international network should buy permanent webspace for further convergences.
  2. IPC8 to be organised by Ali Sharif and group in Brazil
    1. Proposed date – May 2007 or after. Concerns were raised that this was too soon to ensure that all of the suggestions regarding the organisation of the convergence were taken into account.
    2. Lessons learnt from the evaluation of this convergence should be noted.
    3. Conference will be near a big city in Brazil. Convergence will be near Brasilia. Tour to be on a boat up the Amazon.
    4. There was concern expressed about the impact of the plane travel of the participants. Other methods of transport were suggested (including ships). Technology (such as video conferencing) could be used to reduce the need to travel.
    5. Practical task to be found to leave something behind.
    6. Language issues were raised but felt not to be a big problem.
    7. Use feedback from this convergence plus input from permaculturalists across the globe to help with design of convergence.

Group contact: Pat Dare

*** GROUP 3 - Permaculture for displaced peoples

  1. Map current situation
  2. What role can permaculture play to support refugees
  3. Learn from refugees
  4. Training is needed
  5. Proceed with caution

*** GROUP 4 - Systems Descent

  1. Internet Connections
  2. Lifeboats – fortify and reach out with people care skills
  3. Explore conflict resolution strategies
  4. Regionally appropriate strategies
  5. Use political systems and enter these systems
  6. Implement food production strategies
  7. Financial systems collapse strategies need to be flexible and regional
  8. Move to more local and regional strategies - identify regional skills and work with other groups

*** GROUP 5 - Open Organisations and Transparency

This group produced a list of qualities organisations should have: OrganisationQualities.

Some strategies to achieve these qualities in our own sphere of influence:

  1. Local group to connect with national organisations in two way communication.
  2. Tolerant of strategic phases to achieve this – don’t seek instant perfection.
  3. Adapt or adopt existing theories and tools.
  4. Identify practical problems and find solutions.
  5. Start small.
  6. Planning, promotion and implementation of public relations.
  7. Training and education (in Permaculture Design Courses and networks) on appropriate theories e.g. ‘chaordic’ organisations and spiral dynamics
  8. Build on each others’ work.
  9. Create safe spaces that allow qualities to shine.
  10. Design, design, design.

Suggestions:

  1. Use PermaWiki for communication

Group contact: Stefania Strega Email: stella@finca-luna.com

*** GROUP 6 - Other Issues

  1. Education
    1. Training for permaculture teachers
    2. Evaluation and analysis of existing Permaculture Design Course (with reference to existing external teaching/training resources)
    3. More cheap short introductory courses – to spread the word
    4. Courses designed for business people and politicians
  2. Research
    1. Identify and collate case studies
    2. Share results
  3. Localisation
    1. A permaculture strategy
    2. Reduction of plane travel
  4. Outreach to other networks
  5. Bioregional livelihood development
    1. Identify jobs needed in a sustainable bioregion
    2. Promote to design course graduates
    3. Co-operation between businesses
    4. Tithe a percentage of profits to local/national permaculture association.
  6. Permaculture ‘Lifeboats’
    1. Simple but effective packages that can be used to get a resource centre up and running quickly – e.g. books, training, laptop.
    2. Need thought about design and distribution.

[Scribes: Anita Aggarwal, William Mortada]

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