Social Permaculture

Crystal Waters Eco Village has established its reputation as an important centre for Permaculture here in South East Queensland with its history going back over 32 years. Robin Clayfield and Crystal Waters Community Cooperative will host a Permaculture Design Course (PDC) from 8th to 22nd August, 2021 with many Crystal Waters and other local Permaculture teachers, facilitators and guest presenters. Bruce Gibson is the Organiser of the overall logistics, website, bookings and admin for this annual course which is a fund raiser for the Community Cooperative and its village enhancing facilities. The 2021 Course will be the first one where Robin has organized the program, presenters and kitchen goodness, having been a Special Guest in past Co Op Courses led by Max Lindegger and Bruce. Max wanted to start his own courses again and Robin, having presented over 30 PDC some years ago, put her hand up to carry on …

Australasian Permaculture Convergence 2021Celebrating Nature’s AbundanceMonday 12 April to Thursday 15 April 2021at Camp Kindilan, Redland Bay, Queensland. The 2020 Australasian Permaculture Convergence (APC) was postponed to April 2021 due to the COVID19 pandemic. The program will be kept as close as possible to the one planned for last year but with necessary changes. The APC is a biennial gathering of permaculture people from around the country and the Asia Pacific region. All people with an interest in permaculture and regenerative development are invited to join for four days of workshops, hands-on activities and discussions on how we can both celebrate and support nature’s abundance. The Quandamooka First Nations people are the traditional custodians of North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) and the Southern Moreton Bay region including Redland Bay. The organisers pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging. For more information on their activities visit their website Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee …

Starhawk from USA Charlie McGee and Formidable Vegetable 3 Exciting Events Robin Clayfield, on behalf of Northey Street City Farm (and herself) has invited the much loved and respected author, activist, ritualist and Permaculture teacher Starhawk from the US to be our very special guest at the APC (Australasian Permaculture Convergence) and to also co-facilitate a 3 day and 3 night Social Permaculture in Action Immersion with Robin at Crystal Waters Permaculture Village. Dates for the APC – 20th to 23rd April 2020 Here’s the link to the website Dates for the Social Permaculture are 7th to 10th MayPoster and Link still to  come  🙂 Contact Robin by email Robin’s annual ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic  Learning’ Creative Teachers, Facilitators and Group Leadership Course at Crystal Waters Permaculture Village is fast approaching. Dates – 15th to 20th March 2020 Here’s a link to Robin’s website Immediately afterwards the absolutely fabulous, fantastic and …

A new online magazine, Eco Village Voice, presents special events and the first is the Eco Village Film Festival in Maleny, QLD. This film festival celebrates the rise of sustainable communities aka “ecovillages” who are using appropriate technology to combat the effects of climate change, and are focus more on care for the planet than consumerism and are promoting a healthy lifestyle for the future of humanity. Separate website – https://www.ecovillagefilmfestival.com Eco Village Voice is essentially an online magazine – global quarterly, local monthly. Our monthly ecovillage supplements, with Crystal Waters Ecovillage being the first, is a way for ecovillage residents to network and publicise their activities. It also integrates an independent social media platform for anyone interested in ecovillages and permaculture, or regeneration and sustainability, and more! See: https://www.ecovillagevoice.com

International author, workshop facilitator and Permaculture teacher Starhawk from US will visit Australia to be the special guest for the Australiasian Permaculture Convergence in Brisbane in April 2020, hosted by Northey Street City Farm. Amongst her busy schedule she’ll join Robin Clayfeild at Crystal Waters Permaculture Village to offer a 3 1/2 day Social Permaculture in Action Workshop. Everyone will be welcome, even if they aren’t attending the Convergence. Dates are 7th to 10th May 2020. Starhawk has a special gift in offering practical and elder wisdom in a straightforward and impassioned way with her decades of experience in social action, cultural change and Permaculture always guiding the journey. The Amazing Facilitation Team at the Social Permaculture Course in UK a few years ago with Robin on the left and Starhawk on the right. Photo by Dana Wilson

By Erin Young Social Permaculture is a nature-informed regenerative design framework for social systems; with particular focus on people care. Social Permaculture is regenerative social design. ​Here is a sample of the permaculture principles and how you might see them at play in social design: Design from patterns to details Circle structure used for meetings and classrooms. Circle rounds in a meeting use slow and small solutions to hear each person in the group, getting into the details of their input in an effective way. Circles support transparency, being the most efficient pattern for all members to see each other while connected to a common unity through the central space. Use and value diversity The eight forms of capital spread ‘wealth’ to eight key areas of resource availability (capital), rather than loading it with financial assets (as is most common). The eight forms of capital include natural, material, experiential, social, …