It was awesome! As attendees of Australasian Permaculture Convergence 14 (APC14) left on the tours following the gathering in Canberra, those heading homewards took time to reflect on what a constructive blend of ideas, conversation, workshops and good food this event was.
Sitting in the workshops and sessions, we saw evidence of an Aboriginal agriculture and ideas for a new approach to farming, ideas for remaking suburbia and for creating a new economics, we saw permaculture people working with refugees and in communities, and we heard from people local and far away. What we left with was a sense of the breadth of permaculture practice today and an insight into the thinking of permaculture practitioners.
Congratulations an insufficient word
Congratulations is an insufficient word to say to the NSW South Coast/ACT crew who organised this event.
When two years ago, at APC13 in Perth they put up their collective hand to organise the Canberra gathering, they knew it would be a demanding job. Yet they carried it off to give us a smooth-running convergence that mixed ideas and knowledge with conviviality and the buzz of colleagues and friends engaged in the important work of making our land, our continent, our towns, our cities, our countryside a better place.
Insufficient it might be, let all who attended say to them — Yah… CONGRATULATIONS — and thanks.
The organising crew who made APC14 run so smoothly.
And the next APC?
And APC15 in two years time? Where will that be? There was only one region that put itself forward to host the event. Looks like we’re headed north to the subtropics, to Brisbane. Fortunately, that will be in the cooler months. There, another team of more-than-capable permaculture practitioners will give us another more-than-convivial Australasian Permaculture Convergence.
Let us once again catch-up there and share our adventures in good design as we build a safe operating space for humanity in this age of the Anthropocene.
Many of the around 200 people who attended the convergence filled the main hall to hear the likes of Charles Massey, Bruce Pascoe and David Holmgren.
At permaculture convergences it is customary to make a group photo. The photo doesn’t record all who attended.
