[Pil-pc-oceania] Pil-pc-oceania Digest, Vol 13, Issue 19 Message 2

[Janet Millington]

Dear Rowe,
I love the different format and I especially like the way each group that
organises and runs a conference/convergence interprets and designs the
experience in a different way.

Every convergence has been different and that is what keeps us all going
back.  There is that level of comfortable expectation and then there is that
interest in how things will go, the new focus, and it keeps us thinking
outside our cage.

There is always the opportunity to move in or out of sessions or even start
your own if none that are scheduled fit your needs. 

I like your thinking of peer recognition and I thought at first it was a
great idea and then I put myself in the convergence and I changed my mind.
Once you give something to someone then no matter what spirit it is done in
then it appears as if there is competition and one project got something and
another didn't.  That means there must be a value judgement made so then you
say "by whom?"  and "by what criteria?"

The actions are all so diverse with diverse challenges and circumstances and
resources may make one look better than another.  One may be better now and
not later and same with individuals ....so it would be hard to judge.

Having said that there is nothing stopping us each taking a resource be it
book or seeds or DVD or money and giving that to someone we thought had a
worthy project that they identified with, and giving it to them.  And this
has happened informally at every convergence I have attended.

Even a word or a congratulations is a great gift, a gift of support and
energy.  So maybe we should pack with us some resources and our biggest
smiles and show pride in what our fellows have achieved in the last 3 years.

And I agree we should take special note of our young practitioners and show
our appreciation of them and their work.

I hope you understand where I am coming from.  I don't mean to dampen your
excitement and commitment to the convergence and our young practitioners as
you know I value your ideas and hold you in the highest esteem.
Fondest regards
Janet
PS I am going to start getting a bag of goodies together between now and the
convergence.  Now what do we think of that as an idea?