Each choice we make is a vote for the kind of world we want to live in. The mission of ‘Adapt – A Permaculture Game’ is to educate individuals and groups how to design in the ethics and principles of Permaculture to each aspect of our lives. We will play through the creating of a world to thrive in by applying principles, patterns, and collective knowledge pools to cultivate caring choices for our communities and our own self-care needs.  This playshop will provide you with the inside scoop on the evolutionary teaching tool – ‘Adapt’ – while participating in a few rounds of game play. Explore with us the many ways in which this game and its pieces can be used through out a multitude of educational environments and community development.

Presented By: Bridget O’Brien

Sunday September 18th | 12:30 – 1:30 PM | Bioregional Hub

2016 Convergence RED Talk Presentation: Gaia U: 10 Years of Supporting EcoSocial Designers. What’s Next?

2016 Convergence Panel: Our 200 Year Plan: Designing our Future Together

Alexa has studied consciousness research in college, with a focus on the evolution of consciousness. gained political awareness and activation on the streets of Eugene, and embraced her true calling in the discovery of permaculture. Weaving her experiences and passions together to help develop social permaculture as a shared tool box, conceptual framework for culture design and as a synergy filled social movement.

2016 Convergence Workshop: Catalyzing the Evolution of Collective Consciousness & Culture Through Design

2016 Convergence Panel: Permaculture and the Indigenous Contribution: A Courageous Conversation

2016 Convergence Panel: Cannabis Cultivation: Sustainability Practices for the Future

Benjamin Weiss is a certified permaculture designer and teacher, a father, activist, herbalist, gardener, musician, and writer from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Ben studied natural building and permaculture at The Farm Ecovillage Training Center, received a permaculture teacher certification from CRMPI, studied urban agriculture at Growing Power, and has studied herbalism with Sarah Preston of Radiance, shamanic dreaming techniques with Adhi Moonien Two-Owls, and earth-based Jewish spirituality with Rabbi Marcia Prager of P’Nai Or. Ben has facilitated PDCs and many other classes and workshops, has designed and managed three organic farms, has foraged professionally, and continues to develop the Rewilding Design System with Wilson Alvarez.

2016 Convergence Workshop: Environmental Activism in Disempowered Comunities

Beyond the Culture of Separation uses an innovative approach and interactive learning modalities to expand white-identified participants’ capacities to work toward a racially equitable society. Because shame and isolation are integral aspects of white socialization, our approach is grounded in encouragement and community building. We will explore levels of racism and introduce practical tools for shifting our personal and collective relationship to whiteness.

This workshop is for White-identified people *

*As white-identified people, we have a responsibility to educate ourselves about racism. In addition, coming together in a white-only space enables us to express feelings and share experiences without causing harm to people of color. Honest dialogues about race among white-identified people disrupts the white social norm that inhibits these conversations, while building our capacities to work effectively for racial equity.

Beyond the Culture of Separation is an 8-week class developed and led by me and my co-facilitators (4 cohorts of 15 plus participants over 2 years). we use an innovative approach and interactive learning modalities to expand white-identified participants’ capacities to contribute collectively to the creation of a society with greater freedom and dignity for everyone.

Presented By: Angela Sevin

Brandi Mack is a mother, holistic health educator, therapeutic massage therapist, and permaculture designer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Service Management and a certification from Starhawk’s Earth Activist Training. Brandi has worked and trained in the youth development sector for 15 years. Brandi currently is the national director of The Butterfly Movement where we are committed to support healing the wounds of our Soul (through Rebuilding and Re Framing our emotional selves), planting a Seed of hope as we Regenerate and Reconnect our hearts and our hands to the earth, leading ultimately to manifestation in the Soil of our Reactivated lives! Brandi uses permaculture principles to support individuals and communities connection back to the land. Brandi offers a Farmers Market basket full of workshops and trainings to help your rural or urban garden grow.

2016 Convergence Workshop: Working at the Edges: Exploring Our Personal and Cultural Eco-Systems

As a caring steward of life Bridget O’Brien strives to explore resilience through many pathways. Her studies and work focus on self-care, social, and land-use design. While utilizing her diverse skills, experiences, and trainings to provide a wholistic approach to culture repair. Bridget shares her passion for playful impactful loving service through her work as a Permaculture educator and designer. She is the Program Director for New Rising Sun (an educational retreat center, farm, and community developing in Ganges, Michigan), and is the creative inspiration of ‘Adapt’ – A Permaculture Game, in collaboration with PermaculturePrinciples.com.

2016 Convergence Workshop: Adapt – A Permaculture Game “Create a world you want to live in.”

Food insecurity is a reality faced by many low-income urban families, however the food access movement goes beyond developing local gardens, farmers markets, grocery stores, etc. This workshop is for those who are seeking methods on how to engage community members in altering the food system. Come join this interactive hour long workshop and learn about resident- led projects, in food swamps like Oakland and Bayview Hunters Point, CA, which integrated community engagement for local and governmental level change.

Presented By: Jasmine Vassar

Permaculture addresses some of the most effective solutions to some of the world’s most urgent problems. Yet the movement has not gone mainstream yet. This panel looks at some innovative approaches to building bridges with other sectors and audiences, from governments to the LBGT community to emergency preparedness.

Presented By: Penny Livingston,  Bayo Akomolafe, Ana-Marie Jones, Brandi Mack, Vanessa Raditz, Shawn Berry. Moderator: Jasmine Fuego

Friday September 16th | 8:15 PM – 9:15 PM | Main Stage

The Integral Center in Boulder Colorado is a forerunner in developing social technologies that build community, increase relational intelligence, and develop leadership skills. Their immersive courses such as the Authentic Relating Comprehensive, Authentic Leadership and Facilitation Training, and Authentic Man Program transform peoples relationships with themselves and others. One of the tools they’ve used to build community is Authentic Relating Game Nights. In this workshop you’ll experience how Authentic Relating Games can make our communities stronger and more resilient.

Presented By: Jaclyn Saorsail

How do we increase our own resilience and strengthen our communities in the midst of instability? How do we support local community projects, leaders and organizations, strengthening collaboration across differences? What do we do when our own lives are busy and full, yet our community is not responding fast enough? Come share and learn ways of catalyzing community-building and greater action – how to be an effective part of growing local resilience. We’ll share ways of engaging people in a wide range of projects, and ways to bring people together for positive, creative action.

Presented by: Tina Clarke

Saturday September 17th | 11:00 – 11:20 AM | Solar Panel: El Sol

We’ll start with an interactive exercise: a well-intentioned group of like-minded people unable to get anything done, because everyone wants to have a say in everything, and everyone has to agree on everything.

Once we’re all nice and frustrated, Mud Hut will lead a presentation about the importance of governance — dealing with authority in a clear and explicit way, because if you don’t, you get stuck. The presentation will cover Holacracy and self-management, ranging from the big-picture elements, like trust, emotional maturity and alignment with purpose, to the nuts/bolts: the rules and jargon and what functions they serve. Then he will facilitate a Holacratic-style governance meeting to experience an alternative to dealing with the same issues we started with.

Presented By: Mud Hut

Sunday, September 18th | 9:30 – 10:30 AM | Solar Panel: El Sol

2016 Convergence Panel: Permaculture and the Indigenous Contribution: A Courageous Conversation

If we believe that permaculture can save the world, then it is social permaculture that can implement this on a grander scale. It is social permaculture that can go beyond the linear process of paradigm transitioning, to truly address the core issues we face, not just addressing them at surface/current manifestations. In culture design we anchor in the highest vision first, then bridge with the descending paradigm process. Everything we need to create this highest vision is available, it is just still dispersed and embedded in the descending paradigm, thus unable to be fully realized. To put new culture elements together in more comprehensive ways, in more enlightened context creates the quantum leap we are looking for, to the scale and power needed to face our greatest challenges. The development of these tactics, strategies, organizational structures and venues are our collaborative design templates.

Learn More About Alexa Bernard

2016 Convergence Workshop: Land Access- Bring Back the Commons

Christopher is a leadership and life coach, facilitator, workshop leader, and Founding Co-Director of Ecology of Leadership Programs at the Regenerative Design Institute in Bolinas, California. Along with decades of deep nature connection and ceremonial work, he also served as a biologist on dozens of wildlife conservation projects over 20 years. He has been lecturer, collaborator, and presenter at numerous local, regional, as well as national conferences and institutions – such as Bioneers, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the California Sustainability in Higher Education Conference, and Permaculture Convergences – on topics of sustainability, change-management, inner permaculture, and heart- and nature-inspired leadership. www.christopherkuntzsch.com

2016 Convergence Workshop: Love in Action – Exploring Your Ecology of Leadership

Pachamama Alliance works in partnership with the Achuar, an indigenous tribe in the Amazon rainforest, to protect and preserve their ancestral lands. Part of that work is “changing the dream of the modern world” to one that honors and sustains life. The Co-Active Leadership Model from the Coaches Training Institute offers a new framing of leadership and collaboration that supports a new way of organizing grassroots efforts that engages everybody’s insights and creativity.

Developing new ways of collaborating within and between organizations is at the forefront of this work. The Co-Active Leadership Model is based in relationship to one another and relationship to Life, key themes of Building Resilient Communities and permaculture. This framework empowers everybody to contribute their fullest selves, and generates creative approaches and powerful solutions.

Presented by: Pachamama Alliance: Rogér Knoren and Jason Bayless

Wednesday September 14th | 11:15 – 12:15 AM | Mainstage

Join us for a highly interactive introduction to NVC and explore more efficient collaboration strategies.

We are creating a world where everyone’s needs matter and people have the skills to make peace. Awaken greater self-compassion, create opportunities for choice, and experience more satisfying relationships with Nonviolent Communication. Join us for an introduction to NVC and explore more efficient collaboration strategies. Specifically, we plan to explore: -Use conflict as an opportunity for generative outcomes -Identify shared purpose and values -Emphasize connection, first, last and always Workshops are highly interactive, and focused on practices that can be put to use immediately.

Offering an interactive workshop on NVC through the focus of collaboration. The intention of this workshop is skill-building to bring people together in alignment with shared purpose and values, and create opportunities for generative outcomes beyond what we can do alone.

Saturday Oct 7| 3:30pm| Willow Grove

Workshop given by Margo Dunlap