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  • From: Mikal Jakubal <mjakubal@asis.com>
  • To: "permaculture" <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Ecovillage workshop in Australia
  • Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 06:02:46 -0700


The workshops sound really interesting, especially the Introduction to
Ecovillage Design and Development, but the location is a bit far away for
me right now. Has the curriculum been put into any books or Web-accessible
form? I'm particularly curious about the "13 key issues of social design."
Eleven years ago I co-founded a community land trust/intentional community
that had serious problems from the start. I left it about six years ago I
came here, and I'm now thinking of making my place here into a sort of
Pc-based mini village (say, 5-8 people with houses, gardens and craft shops
for site-based cottage industries). But, the bad experiences at the first
place, and very negative impressions of and experiences with other
"communities" and collective projects have left me rather skeptical. I
still have too many unanswered questions to open the door to all the
potential problems of a group project. Doing this alone is difficult, but
still easier than always having to fight five other people just to get
anything done.

Mikal
"When I hear the word 'consensus' I want to run screaming."



At 07:25 PM 10/16/00 +1100, you wrote:
>Hi friends & colleagues
>you might be interested in promoting the following workshops at Crystal
>Waters Ecovillage, Australia:
>Warm regards
>Robina
>---------------
>3 Days of Workshops with Earthcare Education Aotearoa
>
>at The Kiosk, Crystal Waters Ecovillage, near Maleny, Queensland
>
>Day 1: Mon 27 November (9am - 5pm)
> 'Taking Down the Fences'
>- creating community from just where you are!
>
>
>Days 2 & 3:
>Tues 28 & Wed 29 Nov (9am - 5pm)

>plus public slideshow Tues eve 8pm - 10pm.
>
>Introduction to Ecovillage Design & Development
>
>Cost
>Day 1: $60 - $95
>
>Day 2 & 3:: $95 - $160
>
>All 3 Days:: $160 - $230
>(on a sliding scale according to income).
>Lunch is being provided for an additional $7
>
>Registration: By Fri 17 Nov, send a non-refundable deposit cheque (made
>to Earthcare Education) for $35 total, with your name, contact details,
>name of specific workshop/s, lunch - yes/no?
>
>to: Earthcare Education Aotearoa,

>C/o Robin Clayfield, Lot 58,
>Crystal Waters, Maleny 4552, Queensland, Australia.
>
>Receipts issued at workshop.
>Note: No number limits, once you register, just come!
>'Taking Down the Fences' - creating community from just where you are!
>
>This workshop is for urban dwellers who want to stay where they are, and
>still experience the richness and benefits of community life, or for
>permaculturalists and community development workers who want to facilitate
>this happening. It is divided into two parts:
>
>Community Development through 'Small Space' Permaculture
>
>An introduction to Earthcare Education Aotearoa's multi-tier community
>development strategy underlying the methodology they have developed for
>accelerating the 'permaculturising' of suburban properties. 'Taking down
>the fences', the neighbourhood amalgamation of arable urban land and joint
>sharing of labour and food production related resources is a natural (and
>encouraged) outcome of the approach that Robina McCurdy and Margaret Kwok
>facilitate throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand, under various titles:
>'Permaculture for the Suburbs'/'Small Space' or 'Backyard' Permaculture.
>These workshops are for urban dwellers with small sized properties, who want
>to work in harmony with nature to produce an abundance of food, in an
>environment of beauty.
>
>The methodology works with low cost overheads and happens on the property to
>be designed and developed. The outcome of the weekend is a permaculture
>design of the host's property, based on their wholistic goals. Part of the
>workshop strategy is an efficient and effective approach for collective
>implementation of the design and further workshops tailored to people's
>interests, with an emphasis on organic methods of production. The 'Small
>Space Permaculture' workshop provides the potential of part time employment
>to local permaculturalists who have the flair for both education and design.
>A 'package' of resource materials, including teaching aids, visuals and
>participants handouts is available for people who attend a full training
>course.

>
>Resource Centre's for Community Outreach
>
>An introduction to the range of neighbourhood resource & recycling centres
>and community gardens that Margaret and Robina have worked in or visited.
>Such centres play a valuable demonstration role, providing education and
>offering resources (eg plant materials and composting systems) for purchase.
>They work as a catalyst for, or an outcome of, the 'Urban Permaculture'
>workshops. We will look at how to go about setting up a community resource
>centre. This will include forming the group, local networking, the legal
>structures and funding support mechanisms which make them work effectively,
>and ownership, labour and sustainability.
>
>Introduction to Ecovillage
>Design & Development
>
>This workshop is for anyone who is interested in ecovillages/intentional
>communities, from those who want to apply the concept to a new or existing
>settlement to those who want to better understand the broad implications of
>the ecovillage movement. It will especially benefit people living in
>land-based communities, permaculture designers and community development
>workers. The workshop is designed to work as a consecutive one, but people
>can attend just one day if they choose.
>
>
>1st Day: Participatory Approach to Ecovillage Design
>
>• An overview of Earthcare Education Aotearoa's entire design process, using
>slides of Robina's work with ecovillage design in New Zealand, Ireland and
>South Africa.
>
>• Ecovillage & Intentional Community
> Range: Communal - Private
> - examples of 7 Community-Villages which illustrate a wide range of
>options, from kibbutzim to freehold 'ecological sub-division', and how to
>find where a (your) group is placed within this range.
>
>
>• Social design, for clarity and workability on consequent rights,
>responsibilities, ownership and power (these social issues will be addressed
>from the angle of 'being in it' on Day 2).
>
>• Wholistic goal setting using Earthcare Education Aotearoa's three
>templates: Community Culture, Social Structure and Physical Environment.
>
>• Site Analysis, involving all generations (children, adults, elderly) in
>the process.
>
>• The Use of Models in participatory design.
>
>• Approaching Ecovillage Zoning from several perspectives, to arrive at a
>marriage of tthe needs of the people and the needs of the land.
>
>• The Web of Ecovillage Infrastructure - integrating natural, social,
>cultural, physical and economic elements.
>
> Day 2: Skills for Living in an Ecovillage
>
>• The Ingredients of a Successful Ecovillage, including methods to develop
>the following: social & physical action planning, capital investment and
>internal financial systems, skills, labour and time management.
>
>• 13 key Issues of Social Design
> Robina, together with Robert Gilman has researched and unearthed thirteen
>major issues which block the success of intentional communities and
>ecovillages worldover. Robina will share these, then we will address the
>issues most pertinent to the participants, using interactive processes they
>can adapt to working with their own groups.

>
>• The Group as an Organism - phases and cycles of a group; forming new
>groups; defining group identity; shaping a healthy code of behaviour;
>clarifying and activating common purpose; creating alignment; building
>group power for effective action.
>
>• Group Process Skills - some keys to good communication; designing out
>conflict and designing in trust and safety; conflict resolution strategies;
>leadership and power; meeting facilitation; formats for successful meetings;
>decisionmaking methods; working with the consensus process.
>
>
>TUTORS
>
>Robina McCurdy, has been working in permaculture design and community
>development for the past fifteen years with households, schools, farms and
>communities in NZ, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, Brazil and USA.
>Through this experience she has developed a powerful and effective
>facilitation methodology for creating sustainable community, anywhere.
>Robina lives at Tui Community in Nelson Province of Aotearoa/New Zealand,
>where she manages the orchard and is part of the community garden team. She
>is currently organising and will tutor in two international training courses
>within her bio-region: 'Design for Sustainable Community' and 'P.L.A.N.E.T.
>Organic'. Robina's bio:
>http//www.context.org/PEOPLE/RMBio.htm
>
>Margaret Kwok (Day 1 only) is an experienced and highly creative
>permaculture designer and organic gardener. She has worked developing the
>St Benedicts Community Gardens and the Beachlands Resource Depot in
>Auckland. Margaret has co-facilitated hands-on workshops in urban
>permaculture strategies, and taught in permaculture design courses.
>
>
>
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