Women’s Leadership at the NAPC

Photo credit: Melissa Raye

Dear Friends,

I am honored to represent the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute at the inaugural North American Permaculture Convergence (NAPC) August 29-31, 2014.

As you know, I’m passionate about the role of women in co-creating a regenerative future. I’m excited to share that passion at the NAPC and hereby issue an invitation to other women coming to the NAPC to be joyful co-conspirators at these events!

I have been invited to participate in a roundtable organized by Kelly Simmons on Women’s Leadership in Permaculture from 10am-noon on Saturday August 30. I am looking forward to meeting more WIPS (Women in Permaculture) and building our networks so that we feel connected and supported to take on audacious* leadership.  By audacious I mean “showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.”

My latest post about the connection between women’s leadership and building a more inclusive women’s movement can be accessed here.

I’ll also be leading a working group entitled “Further Developing the Pattern Language for Women in Permaculture–Evolving into Action.” This working group will meet on Friday Aug 29, during lunch and dinner; and Saturday Aug 30 at lunch directly after the roundtable. Additional working group sessions may be scheduled.

The proposed purpose of the working group is to move out of discourse and to catalyze action during the convergence and beyond.

To accomplish this, I will work with folks who have already read and reflected on the “Pattern Language for Women in Permaculture” to co-evolve the patterns proposed in that article. Please read the article if you wish to come to this working group so that we can use our time most efficiently (hmm… travel reading on your way to the NAPC?).

Some proposals that could arise from this working group…

• Editing/amending the proposed patterns
• What’s missing? Articulating new patterns
•  Lists of suggested “best/wise practices” that correspond to the patterns
  •  Examples:
    • Re Pattern 2 “The 30% Solution:” Are there at least 30% women present in your organization at all levels? If not, are you committed to asking why and implementing measures to support women’s leadership?
    • Re Pattern 8 “Be an Ally”: Request your permaculture entities to draft, implement and enforce anti-harrassment policies; Always provide dignified facilities for women to pee outdoors (and manage “moon time” needs) if this is requested on your site.
    • Re Pattern 3 “Value Diversity”: Make a written commitment to learn about dynamics of privilege and oppression over the next year.
    • Re Pattern 1 “Shift mental models”:  Cultivate the art of micro-affirmations, which not only block inequities, but also can reverse their negative effects. This modeling of small, appreciative acts also invites others to replicate them, thus creating a snowball effect.
• Gathering signatories to draft documents
• Bringing forth best/wise practices to the wider permaculture community for voluntary adoption
• Support for other historically marginalized groups to self-determine and articulate their own Pattern Languages for Leadership in permaculture
• Other things the group wants to happen…

I’m also passionate about other conversations at the NAPC, such as:

• Permaculture Entrepreneurship–creating socially just, thriving livelihoods as Conscious Ecopreneurs.
• Thinking outside the PDC box: models of permaculture education can better serve the needs of folks who have day jobs, financial constraints, childcare needs, etc.
• “Certification” or standards for permaculture teachers.

Just before convergence is Rico Zook’s Introduction to Itinerant Permaculture. I’m going and totally stoked!

The NAPC will be followed immediately by the Northeast Women in PC Gathering from Sept 7-10, 2014 and the West Coast Women’s Gathering Sept 18-21, 2014. The synergies are building! Since costs and family obligations will make it hard for me to travel again after the NAPC, please keep in touch! How do we build national and international living networks of women?

If you can’t attend the NAPC but would like to receive a post-convergence update, fill out this contact form.

I’ll be tweeting from SEEDSC1 on Twitter.

Contributions to offset the costs of attending the convergence would be gratefully accepted. Like many of you, I’m leaving behind a family, work, and childcare costs to build the permaculture movement. Any funds received that exceed costs (approximately $1000) will be forwarded to the diversity scholarships fund, and once that fund is fully supported, additional funding will be forwarded to remunerate organizers for their hard work in creating this amazing event.
To contribute, please email karryn@fingerlakespermaculture.org

With gratitude, Karryn