Dear IPC Support Group -

We will soon be gathering in Jordan for IPC10.

We have reserved a meeting time for the IPC Support Group on the first day of the Convergence, September 19th, 4-5pm, with additional follow-up meetings.  We now have 80 members on the IPC Support Group listserve, from 26 countries.  The meetings are open, all are welcome to attend and observe.

Background Info

The history of the International Permaculture Convergence (IPC) Support Group:

The Support Group was formed at the end of IPC7 in Croatia in 2005 with ten founding members, that included three past IPC conveners.  The intention was to help future IPC conveners (after being selected), with the very large task of hosting an IPC.  It had been observed that prior IPC's had exhausted their organizers and support organizations, financially and otherwise.  The hope was to design and implement a few simple structures that would ensure continuity of the IPC's into the future.  Below is a list of some implemented and some in process.

• registered domain names in trust into the future (IPC11, 12, 13, etc) for the IPC's
• developed a website that was easily transferable from one IPC convener to the next
• develop archives of past and future IPC's (available on the website)
• work on scholarship strategies
• encourage members to serve as a collective memory of IPC's
• media and outreach to PC world community
• livestream broadcasting proposed & researched (attempted for IPC9 Africa, happening at IPC10 in Jordan)
• blog for reporting during Conference and Convergence (first time IPC9)
• Protocols developed for Support Group listserve so we can all stay friendly! many viewpoints, many opinions (Initiated after IPC10)
• Members brought books and laptops to share with delegates

In Brazil at IPC8, in 2007, the IPC Support Group was officially recognized by the IPC General Assembly (those present at the IPC).  At the end of IPC8 it was given the responsibility for interviewing and recommending a choice for the next IPC, which would then be voted on by the General Assembly.

In Malawi Africa, at IPC9, in 2009, the IPC Support Committee began working on and adopting a criteria for making the choice for the next IPC host country.  The criteria was posted on the IPC9 website blog.  It is an evolving document, and will be re-examined at each IPC, as conditions and technology change, sometimes rapidly (for instance livestream broadcasting had been proposed and researched for IPC9, but because of technical limitations in Malawi we weren't able to accomplish, share with PC world community as hoped).

Draft Meeting Agenda
for IPC Support Committee
September 19th, 2011, 4-5pm

Please send in additional agenda items in advance to be included.

1. Past Conveners Reports and Present Convener Report
2. Discuss IPC Host Selection Criteria and changes(see below IPC9 Criteria approved by Support Group)
3. Discuss IPC11 and future hosts for IPC 12,13,14 (potential of countries queing up for hosting future IPC's) 
4. Scholarship funding strategies 
5. Language Translations 
6. IPC website  and Archives of IPC10, future funding, transference steps, who updates archives (responsibility & how to fund) 
7. Live Streaming /Archives into the future 
8. Future of IPC Support Group and Membership, is it accomplishing its intention, helpful to organizers? 
9. Setting up Friends of IPC groups around the world

IPC Convener/Host Selection Criteria As Used at IPC9 (an evolving document)

Below are the criteria used in the selection process:

1. Potential technological restrictions.  This is key because live interactive broadcast facility as a livestream TV channel is now possible.  It was to be a big feature of IPC9 but turned out too difficult because of the upload speed in Malawi.  This would allow any person anywhere in the world with web access to participate in IPCs and also achieve maximum global coverage.
2. Travel challenges for attendees - difficulties around visas, ease of access, safety of country and site.
3. Reducing the total expenses of attending IPCs, which can siphon funds from scholarships as it did this time, and effort will be made to avoid it next time.
4. Having a lead organising group already established and ready to start almost immediately after the last IPC finishes is critical.
5. Ease of payment - this was very difficult in Malawi and - so this drains organiser upfront funds for deposits on venues etc.
6. Likely stability of the country and regions political climate - in two year's time.
7. Time of year - eg. Africans planned their timing to avoid the malaria season
8. Time line - able to do the IPC in two years? Africans found two years rather difficult.
9. Preparedness at the time of the bid
10. History of region catchment - can it draw in the whole region?   - eg. has there been past regional convergences?

 Fairness and Equity in IPC10 Selection (document was posted during IPC9 on website blog, and broadcast to permaculture listserves aroung the world)

http://2009.ipcon.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=231&Itemid=143

List of members on International Permaculture Conference/Convergence Support Group

Facilitator International Permaculture Conference/Convergence Support Group
Wesley Roe - USA/Canada

Webmaster
Craig Mackintosh

IPC10 Main Coordinators
Nadia 'Abu Yahia' Lawton - Jordan/Australia
Mohammed Ayesh - Jordan

Past Conveners of IPC

Steve Hart - New Zealand, IPC3 New Zealand
Prem Thapa - Nepal, IPC4 Nepal
Pat Dare - Australia, IPC6 Australia
Tony Andersen - Denmark, IPC5/7 Denmark/Croatia
Ali Shariff - USA/Brasil, IPC8 Brasil
Mugove Walter  Nyika - Malawi/Zimbabwe, IPC9 Malawi

IPC9 International Permaculture Conference Support Group Members

Laura Rival - Uruguay
Rafeal Poubel - Brasil
Gusmo  Ramirez - Argentina
Suzi High - England
Andy Langford - England
David Holmgren - Australia
Diana Petrochelli - Argentina
Maria Caridad Cruz - Cuba
Brock Dolman - USA
Julio Diaz                       
Albert Bates - USA
Scott Pittman - USA
Sharon Ferguson - USA
Liora Adler - USA/Mexico
Declan Kennedy - Germany
Margaret Holzer - Austria
Stella  Strega - Spain
Kat Steele - USA
Rosemary Morrow - Australia
Ed Mendoza - USA
Jeff  Mecham - Ecuador
Sally Ramsden - Australia
Hannah Thorogood - Denmark
Julios Pitti - Zimbabwe
Marsha Hanzi - Brasil
Omkar - Costa Rica
Juan Rojas - El Salvador 
Lucas   Bona - Brasil          
Paavla Jandakova-bourdais - Czech Republic
Ethan Roland - USA
Paul B Barker - USA
LaTrice & Leo - USA
Nicholas Heinamann - South Africa
Melora  Golden - USA
Therese Williams - USA
Ayouba M Kamara - Liberia
Julio Itacaramby - Brasil
Maria Whittaker - USA
Jeremiah Kidd - USA
Peter Murage - Kenya
Bornface Matimba
Admire Swatidzo
Patrick Padden - Ireland
David Kahn - USA/Egypt
Stacia Nordin - Malawi
Dor Havkin - Israel
Benjamin Farr - USA
Margie Bushman - USA
Kudzanai Lewis Mashingaidze - Zimbabwe
Peter Cuming - Australia
Larry Santoyo - USA
Warren Brush - USA
Nicole Ross - USA
Owen Hablutzel - USA
Roberto Perez - Cuba
Keith Morris
Morag Leiper
Paul Taylor - Australia
Pavlo Ardanov
Charles - Australia
Lindsay Dozoretz - South Africa/
Loong Yoot - Thailand
Lucas Bona - Brasil
Joan Ropiha - New Zealand
Trish Allen - New Zealand
Nobuo Nakanishi - Japan

PROTOCOLS FOR IPC SUPPORT GROUP LISTSERVE:

First we ask everyone on the listserve to honor People Care when discussing ideas with each other.

This year 2010 protocols for emails added by consensus of the group - thank you Rosemary Morrow.

Protocols for emails

• No personals statement about liking or disliking anyone.
• Stay with the topic
• Do not quote unsubstantiated people such as "many" think, or "others" want   etc
• Use no adjectives or only positive ones, no ridicule or put-downs
• No condemnation of any process without a creative suggestion to put in its place
• Substantiate criticisms i.e. if you say ''serious mismanagement of funds" (for example) please explain why and what they are. etc.
• Keep emails short and one topic per email.