Learn the art of faciltation—whether  you’re involved in community gardens, Permaculture groups, transition initiatives, teaching or sustainable development work—you need effective facilitation skills and tools to harness community energy. Creative facilitation of perticipatory process, balancing challenge and conviviality is key to success.

Through this short intensive course, Robyn Francis shares 3 decades of experience in community facilitation and participatory process in diverse situations and cultural landscapes.

NEXT COURSE    Sept 9-13, 2012, PCA, Djanbung Gardens, Australia

This course aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of permaculture community project work through inclusive facilitation—empowering you to empower your community. Learn skills and effective tools for building resilient communities and transition initiatives to respond locally to the big issues of our time--climate change, resource depletion, increasing natural disaster, and food water and energy security. Local solutions through community participation will require effective facilitation and inclusive process.

Topics include:

• Social permaculture design & Social ecology;

• Facilitation skills for inclusive processes;

• Participatory processes for consultation, decision making & design; forums, affinity matrix, imagineering, milling, visualisations, popcorn, speak-out, and many more...

• Creating community contracts, protocols, procedures, accountability and governance systems;

• Developing a strategic plan for community development and project proposals;

• Promoting programs, team building, developing networks, logistic planning;

• Adapting to ethnic, cultural and human diversity in the community;

• Communications, and dealing with difficult situations;

• Nurturing sense of community, fun, cultural diversity and spirit of place.

Course activities will include presentations, discussion, role play, group project work and participatory processes, you will learn many of these processes by doing them through your course work...

Certification: Students who successfully participate in the full 5-day course with receive a Permaculture College Australia certificate of completion in Creative Community Facilitation. This course contributes to units in the APT Certificate IV and Diploma of Permaculture.

Trainer/facilitator: Robyn Francis has been working in community facilitation on the grass roots and local government level for over 30 years. She has worked with Australia’s leading social planners and facilitators in a wide range of projects from intentional community, climate change action groups, community-based transition and sustainability initiatives, community consultation projects and participatory design for local government. Robyn Francis works internationally as a Permaculture consultant and trainer and is principal of Permaculture College Australia

Next Course: September 9-13, PCA, Djanbung Gardens, Australia

Course Details: Sunday 21st 3pm Office opens for registration, course commences 4pm followed by dinner and evening session. Mon-Tues-Wed classes 9am-5.30 plus 2 evening sessions, Thursday class 9am-4pm.

Cost: $395/$295 (sliding scale, fairshare exchange) includes full tuirion, course handbook, morning/afternoon teas + 3 evening meals (NB communal kitchen available for other meals - DIY). Fee includes onsite camping. Please enquire re other accommodation options

REGISTER NOW  download  Short Course Enrolment Form (64 kB)

Previous Dates:

August 21-25,2011 PCA, Djanbung Gardens, Australia

April 18-22, 2011: Taiwan Institute of Permaculture, Taiwan (bi-lingual: English & Mandarin) The following pictures are from the 2011 Creative Community Facilitation Course in Taiwan.

Facilitating a talking circle

Group planning and problem-solving processes

Conversation Cafe evening with local indigenous Taiwanese representatives - building cultural bridges

Role play on the power of community facilitation and cooperation