Dynamic Groups, Dynamic Learning Dynamic Courses, Books, Resources and Tours for Healthy Groups, People and Culture with Robin Clayfield
By Erin Young, 3 June 2018
The Australasian Permaculture Convergence is a bi-annual 4-day event, creating a hive of connection and sharing for permaculture practitioners, gardeners, thinkers and doers from Australia, New Zealand and surrounding countries like East Timor.
The 2018 Convergence was held in April in Canberra, along the banks of the Murrumbidgee River. Around 200 people converged to share and attend sessions covering various aspects of the field of Permaculture, including school gardens, Social Permaculture and international aid.
Amongst the rich pot of offerings were the contributions of Robin Clayfield and myself, Erin Young, focussing strongly on Social Permaculture elements. We both presented several sessions, all employing ‘Dynamic Groups’ tools to engage and ignite.
Robin’s first workshop included all participants in a session called “Fast Tracking Change with Social Permaculture” and focussed strongly on the conference theme of ‘Connectivity’. Robin craftily drew out collective wisdom on Social Permaculture from the elders of the movement. We then gathered in smaller groups around the sub themes of the Convergence and chose one which we felt most engaged by. Especially exciting was the challenge to bring something from the small group to contribute to the rest of the Convergence during the time we were together – which most groups took to with gusto. 
This was a wonderful example of bringing the wildcard into a multi-day heavily scheduled event. The contributions went well, with various gatherings through the week for conversations on the different topics. A really fun contribution was a newly-created song to support permaculture for children.
Robin’s other sessions included ‘Creative Permaculture Education is Positive Chance in Action’, plus a guided session supporting Permaculture Australia’s Directors and Members with future[planning , and our classic final session of ‘Jumping Into Action’, pioneered by Robin and loved by the group. This last session occurs at the end of each Convergence: a powerful opportunity for individuals and small groups to be witnessed in announcing their intentions for the coming two years, jumping off the stage with a big YES to bring it into being. This time also provides a beautiful opportunity to recap on what was brought into action since the previous APC, and space to hear the creative and inspiring projects to which people are dedicating themselves.
I presented a session each day; providing me a great opportunity to more deeply cut-my-teeth in sharing Social Permaculture through the ‘Dynamic Groups’ medium. I was particularly excited to present the daily Folk Forum session – during the free-time break before dinner. For 1.5 hours, people would come to sit in sharing circle. I shared guiding principles for being in the circle, and folks had the opportunity to speak their experiences of the Convergence, while also hearing from others. The Folk Forum provided a vital connection point and feedback loop through the event and I look forward to it continuing at the next APC event.
My three sessions through the scheduled program included ‘Cultivating Your Group Ecology’ – sharing insights to understand the ‘ecology’ of characters that tend to turn up in groups and how to dynamically work with them to have balance, effectiveness and fun. Another was ‘Effective Collectives with Sociocracy’ – sharing the collaborative governance framework of Sociocracy in it’s deep embodiment of Permaculture principles for supporting groups achieve their visions. And my third session was ‘Sharing Circles for Connected Folk’ – exploring the social technology of sharing circles as a valuable feedback loop and vehicle for connection amongst a group of people.
It was also a joy to experience Robin holding her stall, pollinating her valuable ‘Dynamic Groups’ resources to help facilitators, teachers and trainers be further tooled-up for engaging dynamically with their groups.
A highlight was both of us being invited to be on a panel led by Robyn Rosenfeldt from PIP Magazine, entitled ‘Women Working for Change’. Another was having Costa as our MC for the 4 days of the gathering and also the launch of David Holmgren’s new book, Retrosuburbia.
The Convergence was quite akin to being in a bee-hive for 4 days: with enriching connections had between old friends and new. Especially, the event allows people like Robin and I to share our creativity and passion in applying ‘Dynamic Groups’ processes and Social Permaculture; playing an important function in real-life real-time cross-pollination of passionate people. 
