g. PC Convergences

The Chaordic Institute design (started in 2005, taken to international convergence in 2007 & again in 2008, with little effect however) was part of this attempt, here below a letter that summarizes what I have observed of these convergences.

I haven't dedicated time to this issue so as to do it in a 'well designed' way so I can't really say I have a design am planning. I hope with this effort to put it in my design portfolio, that I start to give more focus to this ... I also hope that the PDC+++ could result in a little group of people interested in moving this as a group design! See also the page in spanish, Convergencias de PermaCultura

An email I wrote to the Latin-American Convergence list after this 'livened up' only in order to discuss and decide where to hold the next convergence...

from stella

Subject: Re: [permaculture LatinoAmerica] CLP 4

To: CLP3@yahoogroups.com

Date: Saturday, February 5, 2011, 2:51

hello esteemed colleagues,

I keep thinking that the live convergences are too exclusive to have any real, desirable or sustainable effect.

It is a conversation between the privileged for the privileged ...in my opinion. and really do not understand why we continue giving so much importance or energy and resources in organizing them.

I have been to several international permaculture conference, spent a lot of cash that I could have invested in our farm and project, and ALL that we talked about there (and very enthusiastically) did not fulfill its promise of CONTINUING to develop, afterwards. All in all it was a great waste of resources. many questions are resuscitated at each conference as if for the first time, there are always new people and (as no continuity is effectively kept from one convergence to the next) we keep re-inventing the wheel (or worse - infact we just keeps talking about reinventing the wheel, because of course we can only talk at a conference).

I do not wish to put down the convergences, and I expect & hope that for the hosting institutions at least all our contributions did make a difference, and for that I am glad.

However, for something to work well, ultimately it has to work for all involved, and so I wish to simply closely observe, & together, if you premit, really WHAT we achieve with the use of such enormous resource.

What would happen if all the money, time and energy invested in moving tons of bodies from one side of a continent (or world) to another, were invested in permaculture projects, at home?

I have been a permaculture designer, active and activist, for 20 years now, with a strong commitment to my international permaculture community, and I have to honestly OBSERVE & say what results I see of the great resources that I have invested in the many permaculture convergences which I have attended:

indeed, I had a lot of fun, met a lot of lovely people, learned things ... but that I can also do locally, with the people in my neighborhood, and MORE IMPORTANTLY, the connections I made with people on the other side of the world (which I truly I value a great deal), today CAN be done through internet, if we change our minds just a little, about this remarkable tool.

The greatest journey is towards a mentality-change. It is hard, but it is free in terms of oil and money. Why don't we do it?

the great mystery that for me remains is this: how is it possible that so many designers can be so incompetent at designing a modern, INCLUSIVE, democratic, sustainable and effective way to communicate, discuss in depth and make collective decisions at an international level? (Or national, even). And with all the communication tools we have.

Only with email technology it is possible to make a tremendous conference. Am not I talking of using sophisticated tools (which are already much more available to more people, if only in libraries), but to only to use our resources that increase with use - our imagination and will.

We need 'only' design!

For me the key questions are:

What do we talk about and decide on these convergences?

and

WHY do not value this dialogue space we have *** here and now ***, to discuss important issues, IN A PARTICIPATORY WAY, rather than just use it to talk about where and when (the few who can afford the luxury of time and money) will go to the next convergence?

If it is a good tool for making those decisions, why not others?

And my personal key question, what really matters to me a great deal is

How much do we value inclusion? Does it not matter to you that many more people are excluded from the dialogue if it is done in physical convergences than if it is done online?

Do human rights (to participate, share ideas in this case) matter to permaculture designers?

and please don't start talking nonsense (like some of my European colleagues do) saying things like "how lovely it is, so look us in the eyes and hug".

Well of course it is, but to design and work for a more equitable and effective participation can not be compared to providing those looks and hugs to VERY few people! It is even an absurdity to talk about & very much reveals how thoroughly consumerist we have become (consumerism being all about what we 'like' and 'want', rather than what makes actual sense).

Any method of communication involves sacrifices and I find it quite incredible that we immediately think of the disadvantages of online communication, but never talk about the disadvantages of those long trips: to make, drag around and loose luggage, the queues at Customs, or the leaving behind of children, plants, animals, in other hands (or no hands at all for a while), the sleeping in strange places, calling home all the time, worrying, nor all the money we give to international airlines and hotels instead of permaculture projects, when we travel to these convergences.

Do we care about DESIGNING for more effective international communication? Because without it, any amount of lovely ideas we chat about at international conferences will not be able to develop all that much anyway, so why not focus on what's truly critical: designing the fertile connections (relationships + communications) needed for the ongoing, slow but real work to be done.

with much love and respect,

for a much more inclusive international permaculture network that is well-designed and effective

Stella

(In the Canary Islands, with the Atlantic Ocean between me and the convergence you are organizing, which this email will cross in just a few seconds ...)