Sunday, November 01, 2009

International Newsletter on Sustainable Local Development
Newsletter #63
November 1st 2009

Summary

Message from the Editorial Team

Reclaim the Fields
An initiative of the peasant youth of Europe

Changing indicators
A societal debate on development that we want

Inner City Development Cooperative (Manila, Philippines)
A disaster

Message from the Editorial Team


We are presenting two articles written by Judith and Martine in the light of their respective participation in two recent meetings in Europe. Even if both meetings had completely different themes, they dealt head on with alternative approaches to development as we know it.

For their part, young farmers are establishing approaches and strategies for environmentally responsible local agriculture anchored in local communities. On the other hand, we all know that the dominant economic indicator is the calculation of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, this indicator is totally inadequate to measure the well-being of individuals, the true wealth of societies. For example, the recovery and recycling of waste adds more to GDP than the reuse of well-planned products designed to last longer. The theatrical play "Erika’s Paradox” demonstrates how this ecological disaster was transformed into a growth indicator of GDP in France! We could list many other examples. Therefore, it is very important that other indicators be put into place.

Finally, we wish to inform you of the natural disaster that hit the neighbourhood of Tatalon in Manila. We described in Newsletter #44 the inspiring work of the Inner City Development Cooperative. Now everything has to be rebuilt.

We want to express our solidarity with the members of this community.

Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut



Reclaim the Fields
An initiative of the peasant youth of Europe


Reclaim the Fields held a gathering of about 300 young farmers and landless youth with agricultural projects of various kinds from all over Europe. It took place on a collective farm at Cravirola, near Minerve, in the South West of France, from September 30th to October 4th. It was organised by Reclaim the Fields, a youth movement tightly linked to Via Campesina. It was created in Rostock, Germany at the time of the anti-G8 meeting in May 2007.

The camp was essentially self-organised (camping, collective kitchen, workshops and plenary sessions…). It was aimed at addressing various issues that have become increasingly critical in the current multiple global crises (financial, economic, climate change…). The participants were a mixture of people who had either started up their own projects or who intended or wanted to do so. The key issues discussed were those of access to land and to seeds (especially the traditional rights of farmers to save, exchange and resow their seeds). Some of the discussions also addressed the questions of fair prices for agricultural products and direct sales’ circuits from farms to consumers, the social recognition of farmers, the opposition to the dominant industrial farming model, and the need for fair agricultural policies. Other discussions included ideas on how to achieve self-empowerment and capacity building that is adapted to a non-industrial model, and how to make it possible for those who want to farm to do so. But the most recurrent and central theme was that of access to land, a question which varies according to the law and availability and price in each country.

The importance of local communities and sustainable local development
One of the most central and recurrent questions was the best way to articulate and organise things at local level. Peasant agriculture is probably one of the most effective ways to fight climate change, improve health and maintain a sustainable local economy. Some of the most interesting discussions were those on gaining acceptance within local communities. This concerned not only new arrivals within the communities, but also how to manage change in the case of transmitting the farm within the same family, particularly when the transmission was from father to daughter, and when the new generation wanted to change the way the farm was run (a shift to organic agriculture, or from raising livestock to market gardening for example). Becoming an accepted member of a rural community is one of the key levers to success.

Access to land
The idea of learning to work within local communities, to get support form local authorities and have land set aside for peasant farming and market gardening was often mentioned. This also needs to take the notion of collective property and projects as well as individual land-ownership into account. One idea for the future was to develop an on-line community to inform people of available land that might suit their project. Structures like Terre de Liens and the Nef in France are a help, but are not sufficient. Too much land is lying fallow, and although the first option is always to gain access to land through peaceful, legal means, a deep and total agrarian reform is needed to provide more equitable solutions. The Brazilian MST movement and their practice of occupying unused land is highly effective too… Each country has its own legislation, which can either facilitate or prove to be a major obstacle. Access to land is highly controlled in France, which is often a major obstacle.

Selling produce in direct supply chains
All the existing networks and solutions, such as the CSA (AMAP) were of course mentioned as part of the answer. But maintaining and even developing local farmers’ markets, direct sales on the farms, linking sales to agrotourism and other initiatives also need to be supported. There are also many atypical projects that do not fit into any mould, and that also need to be considered. The move to including organic local suppliers in public tenders in France is a positive thing too. Again, this requires lobbying and communication with local structures.

The urban dimension was also included as an important aspect, both in terms of urban and peri-urbans market gardening, but also in terms of linking up with other social movements to improve living conditions and access to healthy affordable food.

The camp ended with a peaceful sit-in outside the regional offices of the SAFER, the Société d'Amenagément Foncier et d'Establissement Rural, a State body that plays a powerful role in the sale and acquisition of land. This clearly showed the determination of so many young people to gain access to land, to build a European movement of young peasant farmers.

Author: Judith Hitchman
Original article in English and French

http://reclaimthefields.org/
http://reclaimthefields.org/content/action-à-la-safer
http://www.terredeliens.org


Changing indicators
A societal debate on development that we want


Our indicators make us blind! The present crisis we are experiencing goes far beyond a financial and economic crisis. The primary indicator of wealth is gross domestic product and its development, namely economic growth. However, this indicator only takes monetary exchange into account, and ignores the elements that have no "price" as they are often incalculable... Researchers are examining alternative measures of well-being. While GDP growth has served as a reference to progress since World War II, it has become even more necessary to rethink progress in terms of well-being for all people, including future generations. This means reducing disparities, sharing of resources, social cohesion and sustainable development....

In the whole series of recent initiatives and works devoted to this subject, the Stiglitz Commission report has opened the door to this.

Two recent meetings placed that focus on indicators for territorial well-being.
Territoires de Coresponsabilité held their first meeting September 25th 2009 in the town of Mulhouse. This town is a recognized pioneer in this process.

In its strategy for social cohesion, the Council of Europe defines the latter as « the ability of society to ensure the well-being of all through the joint responsibility of the various stakeholders (public and private actors, citizens). A link to sustainable development is created by including the well-being of future generations, making the welfare of all generations a goal for societal progress ». With this impetus, several territories have begun to implement this new approach, using this definition as their starting point, and by using a method in which citizens are invited to rethink the organization of the society in which they live, based on the real needs identified in a concerted approach.

The method was first applied in the city of Mulhouse, France in 2005 with the help of Samuel Thirion (Division for the Development of Social Cohesion). This experience helped develop the foundations for this methodology. It is still the most advanced that exists. As a result, applications have also been introduced in the Department of Timisoara in Romania, the Autonomous Province of Trento in Italy and in Paris, Ile-de-France Region. They have led to the introduction of the concept of Territoires de Coresponsabilité.

This method is currently being used nationally in the Rural Poverty Alleviation Program (PLPR) in Cape Verde, co-funded by IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) placing it within an institutional framework that links the community, the regional and national levels. A link between the local approach and regional policies is also on track in the Walloon Region (Belgium). Several other territories, regions and/or countries are currently planning to use or take inspiration from this method, including Brittany (France) with the support of the NGO PEKEA (Political and Ethical Knowledge on Economic Activities) and in Gabon.

The implementation of this strategy involves: development of indicators to define and measure the well-being of all; especially with citizens; the collaborative sharing of responsibilities to ensure progress towards the well-being of all, including that of future generations; the follow-up and evaluation of societal progress realized.

For further information : http://spiral.cws.coe.int

The ISBET Program (Societal Indicators of Territorial Well-being) presented its first results on October 5th in Rennes (France): "Counting what really matters in a territory" Organized by PEKEA and a Local Governments Club.

PEKEA stands for Political and Ethical Knowledge on Economic Activities. Over 900 people are members. It is recognized as an NGO in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The members of this think tank come from research programs, universities, and especially NGOs; they are all leaders in alternative actions on the field and concerned citizens. Some fifty countries have participants. The network organization and the extensive use of the Internet provide an international dimension to the organization whose global headquarters is located in Rennes. The online texts are published in three languages: French, English and Spanish.

Why is there a Local Governments Club (LGC)? At the initiative of Rennes Métropole, the idea of a club was discussed and worked among some elected local authorities. Formally, three local governments created the club in 2006: Rennes Métropole, Département d’Ille et Vilaine and Région Bretagne, joined in 2007 by the Région Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The LGC is chaired by Alain Yvergniaux, Regional Council of Bretagne.

The priority for Local Governments is to improve the well-being of the members of their communities. That is to say, these Local Governments need to make decisions and design policies able to improve this well-being, or to increase global societal value. The convergence is clear between this first PEKEA project to give content to the concept of « societal value » and assist Local Governments wishing to have a better understanding of the level of well-being of their local communities for which they are responsible. Attaining this objective will increase the capacity to select appropriate policies that will increase this level of societal well-being.


The project ISBET (Societal Indicators of Territorial Well-being), financed by the Bretagne Region and promoted by PEKEA, follows this perspective. From an analytical point of view, the project is built on three axes:
1. Calculation of a regional IDH (Human Development Index) and its deflection at local level (IDH2, IDH3, IDH4…) ;
2. Construction of territorial indicators of well being with the participation of citizens and stakeholders on two territories in Brittany.
3. Theoretical discussion on procedures for the participatory construction of indicators.

The process of collective construction of indicators for well-being (axis 2 of the project) takes inspiration from the approach promoted by the Council of Europe. It aims to visualize what really counts for the citizens and to formulate proposals that would feed into the elaboration of public policies in domains such as territorial social cohesion, sustainable development, etc. Participation of citizens, stakeholders, associations, economic actors and others in the construction of a shared definition of well-being of all and for all is considered an essential pre-condition when it comes to identifying what really counts for them.
This approach is being piloted in two areas of local communities of peri-urban Rennes: Val d'Ille and Pipriac in the Ille and Vilaine Department.

Contacts : PEKEA, Michel Renault, coordinator of project ISBET with information from Claire Cartieaux
http://www.pekea.org

Martine Theveniaut (participant at both meetings)

Inner City Development Cooperative (Manila, Philippines)
A disaster


We introduced the Inner City Development Coop (ICDC) in Newsletter #44, December 1st 2007; Yvon had the opportunity to visit this cooperative in October 2007 at the first Asian Forum on Solidarity Economy.

Now a tragedy has affected the community. Typhoon Ondoy hit the Philippines very hard on September 26th. As described in a message from Zeny de Jesus of ICDC, the disaster struck the whole community, including 99% of the cooperative members. And that is not all, since a fire destroyed 600 homes at the same time. The message explains the situation well.

As it often happens, the poorest are most affected when natural disasters strike, especially because the slums are located in areas more conducive to flooding.

Nevertheless, with the tool they have collectively, their cooperative, members immediately took charge of the situation to assure their survival and their community’s.

Having witnessed the strength and the will of the cooperative and its members, I am sure they will succeed in rebuilding their community and renewing their efforts to lift people out of poverty.

Author: Yvon Poirier

Although the following article is in French, the pictures show the extensive damage done.
http://blog.lefigaro.fr/babyloan/2009/09/manille-ou-lirresistible-montee-des-perils.html


Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/

Special thanks to:
Évéline Poirier from Canada for the English translation
Brunilda Rafael from France for the Spanish translation
Michel Colin from Brazil for the Portuguese translation

To contact us (for information, feedback, to subscribe or unsubscribe):
Yvon Poirier ypoirier@videotron.ca

Thursday, October 01, 2009

International Newsletter on Sustainable Local Development
Newsletter #62
October 1st 2009

Summary

Message from the Editorial Team

Transition towns
An international network of local initiatives to meet the challenges of peak oil and climate change


Message from the Editorial Team


The main article prepared by Judith delves further into information and ideas presented in previous issues on the lasting effects of the energy crisis on the whole of society. In our previous issue, we reviewed a book by Jeff Rubin which shows that if the crisis is global; its impact will spread as far as local levels of society and disrupt people's lives.

The Transition Towns’ approach is therefore practical and highly prospective, as it prepares and helps us to adapt to the idea that our daily lives will be disrupted. Now is the time to start organizing the transition towards communities capable of living together in a sustainable manner with the existing resources of our planet. We have every reason to be inspired by these precursors.

A REMINDER


In our previous issue, we invited you to share your own experiences and reflections. We wish to reiterate our call.

In this Forum, we are assuming that we are all, to varying degrees, actors and practitioners of solidarity economy, all rooted in a singular territorial context, but living and sharing many matters which we have in common.

In the interest of better knowing you and building a shared diagnosis, we wish to invite you to participate in the following manner (a 1-2 page document).

1 - Introduction: You and your organization: address, mission, goals.
2 - Who is behind these initiatives (citizens, civil society, technicians, NGOs, local authorities, etc. )? followed by a brief account of these
3 - Lessons learnt: obstacles and opportunities
4 - Key issues; courses of action?

For further information:
ALOE http://www.forums.socioeco.org//info/atelier7-w7tf
AA4SE http:/www.aa4se.com

Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut


Transition Towns
An international network of local initiatives to meet the challenges of peak oil and climate change


Although Totnes in the U.K. is often thought to be the home of the Transition Town movement, it actually all started in 2005 in Kinsale, a small town in West Cork in Ireland. This is where Rob Hopkins, the founder, was then lecturing in the Kinsale College of Further Education. It is also where he started the first full-time 2-year permaculture course in the world. The movement is based on the concept that our planet is facing the dual threat of peak oil and climate change, and that all people and local communities need to develop a bottom-up energy descent action plan to become less energy dependent, build resilience and capacity, and learn how to become responsible consumers in all ways. The movement has spread rapidly: today it is not just Transition towns, but also Cities, Islands, Hamlets, Valleys and Forests... The approach has developed already developed extensively in the English-speaking world (it is increasingly widespread in the UK, Ireland the US, Australia, NZ and Canada), although there are also some initiatives in Latin America and mainland Europe.

What it is and how it works.
The objectives are to
• Build resilience and develop the capacity within the community to prepare for the transition away from the dependence on fossil fuels to a safe and sustainable future
• Ensure a supply of fresh local food, support local farmers and food producers
• Relearn from our elders how to grow our own food as well as all sorts of other traditional skills
• Develop community solutions to reducing carbon emissions
• Protect the local environment, its ecosystems and biodiversity.

The emphasis is on “local” and “small-scale”, and convincing people to grow their own food in their gardens or allotments is one of the key goals of the movement.
There is no blueprint, although there is a handbook, based on 12 steps. Each community has to empower itself to find its own solutions. This means that the speed and way in which each community works is variable and unique. Some initiatives have even gone as far as developing local currencies. (Kenmare in Ireland, Totnes and Lewis in the UK.).

An interesting comment by Sally Sweeney, instigator of an initiative that started up under a year ago in Tramore in Ireland: “It’s important to learn how not to be alarmist so that you can make a difference, make people aware of how serious the situation is; and make people want to act.” In the case of Tramore, both the “energy” group and the “food” have developed well and fast, and there are mutual visits between similar group in other towns, which helps empower, create emulation and also helps maintain interest and enthusiasm.

The stage of interfacing with local authorities is a critical aspect. Once a local community becomes empowered, with a dedicated core group, they become credible. And this in turn helps to develop a virtuous circle where local authorities introduce measures that support the approach. The outcomes are citizens’ empowerment, a more committed approach to responsible consumption and sustainable local development.

Author: Judith Hitchman
Original article in English and French

For more information:
http://transitiontowns.org
http://transitionculture.org
http://www.villesentransition.net



Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:
http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/

Special thanks to:
Évéline Poirier from Canada for the English translation
Brunilda Rafael from France for the Spanish translation
Michel Colin from Brazil for the Portuguese translation

To contact us (for information, feedback, to subscribe or unsubscribe):
Yvon Poirier ypoirier@videotron.ca

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

International Newsletter on Sustainable Local Development
Newsletter #61
September 1st 2009

Summary

Message from the Editorial Team

Principles of Community Economic Development
A global approach

Why your world is about to get a whole lot smaller
Oil and the end of globalization

Semences Paysannes Meeting, Le Roc, France, June 22nd – 25th 2009


ANNOUNCEMENTS
A - Asian Forum for Solidarity Economy
B - Local Initiatives/ Territorial anchoring of the Solidarity Economy: an invitation to contribute



Message from the Editorial Team

Things move very quickly: in fact the consequences of a globalized and deregulated economy are getting worse (and it's not over as shown by the analysis of the work of Jeff Rubin).

In this context, the territorial approach is trying to show the innovative nature of social relationships established in local or regional initiatives. Today they are essential players in the organization of solidarity. The vision of Community Economic Development presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Network for Community Economic Development (CED) bears witness to this fact.

This evolution confirms the analysis developed in this Newsletter. As you can see in the Announcements Section, Yvon and Martine are directly associated with follow-up applications that resulted from Workshop 7 at the Lux'09 Forum. Given the innovative nature of this approach we now need to adopt a methodological approach in order to prove and convince people that economic solidarity, rooted in local life, and connected with the outside world, can become a sustainable component and alternative to neoliberal capitalism, in the mainstream economy. We also want to demonstrate how it can bring together strategies for change, that are capable of meeting the challenges of a more responsible kind of globalization.

Finally, we wish to remind our readers that you may send us news or articles we can publish, taking into account our limited capacity, since the publication of our newsletter is a strictly volunteer endeavour.

Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut

Principles of Community Economic Development
A global approach


At the annual meeting of the Canadian Network for Community Economic Development (CED) held in Winnipeg, Manitoba last June, Stephen Ameyaw from Simon Fraser University (Vancouver) gave a presentation on the Canadian government’s policy regarding the economic development program in place since 1989 in the Inuit regions of Canada. Community economic development is at the heart of this strategy, currently under review.

We wish to share with you an excerpt from this presentation.

PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
CED is:
 development by people, for the people. In this type of development the community takes the lead right from the beginning and control the process to the end.
 a process. At times, communities may attract outside experts, and practitioners to help plan development projects, but the goals and the things they need must be set by the people. Examples include: Local materials, and labour and ideas.
 a long-term process — people will stay involved, get organized so that they achieve their goals.
 holistic - CED includes, physical, spiritual, social, natural environment, land, sea and rivers, their culture, health of the people and the environment are all intertwined.
 inclusive - Every member of the community participates in community affairs and is represented in several committees.
 the development of the people; the leaders are committed, organized, work together.
 founded upon sustainability - can the community sustain all the initiatives it is undertaking?
 Innovate communities find new ways to create opportunities, natural resources and materials.
 aims for diversification - means creating opportunities for change
 collaborative - communities build partnerships with industry, government, international organizations and others to accomplish goals.

This description is very similar to the principles developed in our Newsletter since its inception in November 2003. In light of our experience and the experiences of others in other countries, we wish to add some elements: CED strengthens social cohesion, relationships of non-violence and peaceful conflict resolution in the community; the building of a vibrant local economy that relies on its own human and material resources; openness to the outside world and awareness of the interdependence between the local and global, and ability to find better local solutions to current challenges.

This is why CED is a valuable resource for planning one’s development in terms of future generations.

Author: Yvon Poirier


Why your world is about to get a whole lot smaller
Oil and the end of globalization


Jeff Rubin, former chief economist of World Markets for a major Canadian bank, CIBC, has just published a book entitled Why your world is about to get a whole lot smaller.

In 2000, this economist was one of the first to predict that oil prices would soar. In his book, he demonstrates how the end of cheap oil will dramatically upset the economy and society. He speaks of the end of globalization to describe the phenomenon.

With supporting data, he shows that for several years now, oil consumption has risen by 4 million barrels more than the amounts found in new explorations. Even with camouflaged or limited access to data, there are major signs that deposits currently in production are being depleted. For example, the main oil field in Saudi Arabia is starting to contain salt water, a sign that sea water is being pumped to increase pressure, which is also a sign of depletion. Another example in the United States, where the historical production was 10 million barrels per day, now is only 5 million bpd. The operation of oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico was supposed to cover this production drop, but was virtually destroyed by Hurricane Katerina.

Meanwhile, despite the current economic crisis, sales of automobiles continue to increase by about 10% per year in India and China. The author also shows that alternative energies are far from being able to replace oil in the foreseeable future.

Book review: Yvon Poirier

Rubin, Jeff, Why your world is about to get a whole lot smaller, Random House Canada, 2009, 287 p.


Semences Paysannes Meeting, Le Roc, France, June 22-25th 2009.
Semences Paysannes is a network that aims to support small-scale farmers in their work to defend the right to conserve, re-sow and exchange seeds, which is a fundamental historical farmer’s right. These practices have been outlawed in many countries, under pressure from multinational seed companies and the pro-GMO lobby. The traditional practice of participatory breeding (selecting the ears of wheat that look best to the farmers, in their own and other farmers’ fields and using the seed to re-sow the next year’s experimental crop) also helps traditional local varieties of crops to adapt to local conditions and climate change, so is very important. It is equally important to preserve historic varieties that are part of our agricultural heritage.

This particular meeting brought together 150 participants from 18 different countries, and was dedicated to three aspects: visiting Jean-François Bertholot’s magnificent in situ collection of historic wheat on his farm, where the meeting took place, workshops for exchanging know-how on milling and sour-dough bread baking between traditional artisinal, small-scale bakers, and a one-day seminar on existing regulations and how to overcome obstacles.

The importance of enabling small-scale farmers and artisinal bakers to produce traditional sour-dough bread that is both high in quality and nutritional value is an imprtant dimension of the struggle for sustainable local development.

Author : Judith Hitchman
Original article in English and French


ANNOUNCEMENTS

A-Asian Forum for Solidarity Economy

The second Asian Forum on Solidarity Economy will be held in Tokyo, November 7th -10th 2009. This is a follow-up meeting to the first such forum held in Manila in October 2007.

Four thematic workshops will deliberate the following topics:
Social Finance/Microfinance & Solidarity Economy
Fair Trade & Solidarity Economy
Social Welfare & Solidarity Economy
Local Initiatives/territorial anchoring of Solidarity Economy

http://solidarityeconomy.web.fc2.com/en/program.html

B – Local Initiatives/ Territorial anchoring of the Solidarity Economy: an invitation to contribute


Workshop 7 which dealt with the theme "Democratic participation and territorial anchoring to create another economy" is continuing its systematic approach to ensure that this process will become a major pillar of development strategies in solidarity economy.

«Territorial anchorage comes into view when we look at the reality of Solidarity Economy (or SE) in a territorial approach, from the local to the global. An important advantage of this approach is to provide a realistic view of the level of development of SSE in communities, countries and continents. It allows for more rigorous efforts to examine various facets and dimensions of Solidarity Economy at its peculiar stage of development in a given locality. This improves the vision of how the thematic aspects or dimensions of SSE need to be enhanced and stimulated in order to advance SSE as a sustainable alternative economic reality in a given locality. »
«More importantly, territorial anchorage sharpens the focus on the role of governance in the promotion of the Solidarity Economy as an alternative economy, in the context of the globalization process. »

Taking into account the holding of the 5th meeting of the Globalization of Solidarity in Asia in 2013, the Asia Alliance for Solidarity Economy (www.aa4se.org) is the main partner in the process. Pactes Locaux (www.pactes-locaux.org) has agreed to assume responsibility to implement the consensus of the Workshop 7, with the support of the FPH.
To carry out this process, based on exchange between practitioners (or catalysts) of project areas, a provisional steering committee has been formed of:
Ben Quiñones (Asian Alliance for Solidarity Economy).
Denison Jayasooria (Asian Alliance for Solidarity Economy)
Yvon Poirier (International Newsletter on Sustainable Local Development)
Martine Theveniaut (Pactes Locaux)

This step is open and inclusive. Depending on the country and the continent, the meaning of territory and territorial anchoring are different: one speaks of community economic development in North America, community development in India, local development in Europe, Francophone Africa as well as North and South America. Regardless of these different terminologies, we know that beyond lie great similarities in approaches and practices.

We invite all interested readers to join the on-line open forum until October 30th 2009 and describe your experiences. Your contributions will go directly towards the preparation of the 4th Workshop of the Asian Forum for Solidarity Economy - Local initiatives / Territorial Anchoring of the Solidarity Economy to be held in Tokyo, Japan, November 7th – 10th 2009.

You can find the presentation text and a guide to respond to this invitation on the following websites:

ALOE http://www.forums.socioeco.org//info/atelier7-w7tf
AA4Se http:/www.aa4se.com


Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/

Special thanks to:
Évéline Poirier from Canada for the English translation
Brunilda Rafael from France for the Spanish translation
Michel Colin from Brazil for the Portuguese translation

To contact us (for information, feedback, to subscribe or unsubscribe):
Yvon Poirier ypoirier@videotron.ca

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

International Newsletter on Sustainable Local Development
Newsletter #60
July 1st, 2009

Summary

Message from the Editorial Team

Silent March of The Invisible Force
ASSEFA : 40 years of community development in India

Message from the Editorial Team


In this issue, we wish to share the very significant progress achieved in recent years by the Association for Serva Seva Farms (ASSEFA) of India. This development highlights the potential for increased and better quality alternatives and growth implemented by a territory over time. In this case, the villages are the basis of this initiative or mechanism. But these villages are not withdrawn, these communities are connected by a global project and a bank adapted to the needs, which acts at the regional and national level, allowing solidarity to be organized more broadly and solidly.

We have already introduced this association in Newsletters #4 (2003) and #12 (2005) available on the website listed below. In August 2002, Yvon was the guest of ASSEFA as part of an international delegation. At that time, the association consisted of approximately 3,500 villages. Six (6) years later, they were 9,800 villages! From Yvon’s perspective, this is still a most inspiring association to be acknowledged.

In the coming months, we shall explore with you the path of our Newsletter in regards to the outcome of the meeting in Luxembourg (see previous issue). The awareness that accompanies ongoing crises, particularly the announced end of cheap oil will undoubtedly have tremendous impact. A large number of analyses predict the return of the territory, the "local" level to the place of (re)composition of human activities and management of natural resources and monitoring of ecosystemic resilience. The time has come to put all our human energy at the service of peaceful alternatives to the global macroeconomic model which relied on exploiting with disregard natural resources that we thought inexhaustible. "It is too late to be pessimistic", as says Arthus-Bertrand in the documentary Home.

Next edition: September 2009

Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut

Silent March of The Invisible Force
ASSEFA : 40 years of community development in India


In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the Association for Serva Seva Farms (ASSEFA) of India published a collection of various articles about its activities in a book with a revealing title: Silent March of the Invisible Force.

In March 2008, this Gandhian inspired movement was composed of 9,766 villages in 8 different states of India. Altogether there are 803,000 families, over 3.5 million people, who benefit from the many activities of ASSEFA. By 2010, it is expected that over 1 million families will be involved in the movement.

In this article it is not possible to describe in detail all the activities ASSEFA. We are presenting a set of elements that give an idea of the work which has been accomplished since 2002, when Yvon Poirier first conducted a site visit. We wish to invite readers to consult Newsletters #4 and 12 to get a better idea what has been achieved in the past 7 years.

Vision: A Holistic Approach
At the beginning in 1968, the purpose was to help the landless to create villages on land obtained by the Gandhi movement. In the beginning, ASSEFA worked for the villagers. In the next step ASSEFA worked with everyone, including the poor. For the past 15 years, it is more appropriate to speak of development by the people, in which the association is involved with planning and support. This approach is holistic and aims to create self-sufficient and sustainable villages.

The concept of trustee is at the heart of the principles that prevail. « Everyone should live on this Mother Earth as a Trustee with all that he has and acquires for the benefit of the community in which he lives.” Therefore, ASSEFA puts its trust in the community and the villagers. They are free to organize themselves, manage money and material resources in order to obtain mutual benefit, and if possible to benefit the nearby villages.

Micro-finance: an empowerment tool for women
The organization of villages rests largely on women's self-help groups (SHGs). In March 2008, there were 32,000 WSHGs bringing together 500,000 women in 113 Sarvodoya Mutual Benefit Trusts (SMBT). In 1996, SMBT became owners of Sarvodaya Nano Finance Limited, a financial institution recognized by the Bank of India. Therefore, micro-finance has been the property of women since 1998. It is managed by them, with the help from ASSEFA professionals. In 2008, there were 172,000 women who received loans. The repayment rate was 99.66%!

In this holistic approach, ASSEFA ensures that villages can meet their needs: health, education, housing, income-generating activities (such as milk production, small businesses, direct sales of agricultural products in markets, etc.).

Building social cohesion
A major emphasis is the building of peace in the communities. As we stated in 2005, ASSEFA with the contributions of organizations in Europe and the support of various Nobel Peace Prize recipients, including the Dalai Lama of Tibet, Mairead Corrigan Maguire of Ireland and Aug San Suu Kyi of Myanmar, has obtained that the UN General Assembly declare “2001-2010 International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World." This training is integrated into the ASSEFA school curriculum.

Community weddings are another important activity that has been introduced in recent years. In India, marriage remains an important institution. Beyond the two people, it is a sacred rite that unites two families. However, most marriages are arranged. Although this is a festive event, for many poor families it is a financial disaster. Even if bringing a dowry has been illegal since 1961 in India, it remains the norm. Therefore community marriages, which simultaneously unite Hindu, Muslim and Christian couples do not just promote respect among religions but also strengthen the community and the fight against poverty. With the assistance of WSHGs organizing such marriages reduces the cost to concerned families by 50%. In January and February, 2006 in 7 villages of Tamil Nadu (a state in southern India), 340 couples were married and 49,000 people attended the celebrations. Involving the villagers puts in place the conditions to help the newlyweds, if needed. « In short, the community wedding becomes a potent tool to build social cohesion and self-help villages.”

Prospects for the next 40 years
The priority remains to achieve social and economic justice, and create prosperous villages. Even if the “empowerment of the most vulnerable is a «work in progress» in every society, while sustainability is no longer just a matter of the survival of projects and organisations but must be a global concern; and our ability to understand the implication of inter-dependence may be the key factor in determining whether humanity survives the next century”.

Globalization worsens the gap between rich and poor worldwide and within each country. “The post-petroleum economy opens new opportunities but will create dislocations and real pain for many people. Without effective means to manage the global economy and ensure that people’s basic needs are met, including adjusting to changes in our environment, a secure future for humanity is at risk.”

Author : Yvon Poirier¸
Silent March of The Invisible Force
Sarvodaya Action Research Centre, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, September 2008, 248 p


Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:
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Special thanks to:
Évéline Poirier from Canada for the English translation
Brunilda Rafael from France for the Spanish translation
Michel Colin from Brazil for the Portuguese translation

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Sunday, June 07, 2009

International Newsletter on Sustainable Local Development
Newsletter #59
June 1st, 2009

Summary

Message from the Editorial Team

4th Intercontinental RIPESS Meeting, Globalisation of Solidarity – Lux’09 Forum, April 22-25, 2009 Schifflange (Luxemburg)
The contributions of Workshop 7: Democratic participation and anchoring the SSE at a territorial level to create another economy.

Message from the Editorial Team


As we announced last April, the entire Editorial Team attended the Lux'09 Meeting. From our perspective, this meeting was a success, especially since several working groups are taking action on proposals elaborated during workshops.

We wish to invite you to visit www.lux09.lu to view the results of thirteen thematic workshops as well as the final Declaration.

Since we were involved from the beginning in organizing Workshop 7, Democratic participation and anchoring the SSE at a territorial level for another economy, and since it is the essence of the mission of our Newsletter, we wish to share the preparatory process of the workshop and its main results.

We are very satisfied with this result, especially as in many other workshops, the concept of local development, which for us means territorial anchoring was present. In conclusion, in the vast majority of sectors of activity, whether responsible consumption and fair trade, solidarity finances, food, energy, housing, etc., the importance of the local level or territorial anchoring is a constant.

Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut

+++++++++
4th Intercontinental RIPESS Meeting, Globalisation of Solidarity
Lux’09 Forum, April 22-25, 2009, Schifflange (Luxemburg)

The contributions of Workshop 7: Democratic participation and anchoring the SSE at a territorial level to create another economy.


In the current context of deep crisis of democracy and the growth model, the French association of Pactes Locaux, supported by the Foundation for the Progress of Humankind (FPH) devised a mobile, learner-centered capitalization process, that involved a broad working platform at European level. In December 2007, the preparations for Workshop 7 agreed to hold 5 regional meetings. They were hosted by locally active organizations involved in territorial issues. Considerable progress if the following key issues was made:
• Poitou-Charentes: citizen’s participation and creation of 340 employer’s groups to meet needs, create jobs through the foundation of a European Resource Center (France Joubert)
• Auvergne: responsible tourism, a laboratory for territorial solidarity economy, that is both harmonious and sustainable, as well as being a tool for development for the local population. (Alain Laurent and Jean-Claude Mairal)
• Grand Duchy of Luxembourg: Objectif Plein Emploi is a network of 820 employees in jobs that cannot be relocated as well as 400 volunteers. It focuses on local development, solidarity economy and promoting the Third Sector in Europe (Ben Goerens)
• Ile-de-France (Paris Region): the Equitess Collective in Fontenay-sous-Bois introduced new socio-economic practices that contribute to better together in urban areas. (Christine Bourdel, Françoise Hutinet, Joël Cacciaguerra)
• Nord-Pas-de-Calais: metropolis agglomerations (Lille, Kortrijk, Arras and Calais, Dunkerque, Boulogne) and their adjacent territories: How to organise solidarity and economy, and avoid a fatalistic approach were the watchwords of this meeting. (Bruno Deffontaines and Mireille Charonnat, Development Council of Pays de Saint-Omer, with the rural regions of the Green Zone).

The five meetings were concluded in January 2009. The results were highlighted using the same criteria, and charted on a grid. They were discussed between peers and led to concrete proposals. They were enriched and extended at international level between February and April 2009. Thius was done by:
• Using illustrative charts prepared by the speakers and other guest contributors from around the world who were members of workshop 7: Europe, Georgia, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Madagascar, Quebec, Chile, Malaysia and the Philippines.
• Hosting an international delegation in the Aude before the Lux09 meeting, from April 16th - 21th : Yvon Poirier and Jacques Fiset (Quebec), Denison Jayasooria (Malaysia) and Ben Quiñones (Philippines), President and leader of the CSRSME Asia (Coalition of Socially Responsible SMEs). This is the organisation responsible for carrying the torch for the 5th meeting to Asia in 2013.

Much material, many questions, suggestions and proposals of great value were gathered through this participatory process (www.pactes-locaux.org). Luxembourg ‘09 is a milestone and a new starting point, as evidenced by the general conclusions of Workshop 7. :
85 people registered, about forty actually were present for all 3 sessions of the workshop:
1) "Illustrate and discuss views from the North."
2) On the following day, "Views from the South"
3) "Comparing our vision" on the third day and identification of converging ideas and similarities between actors at all levels of responsibility; making joint proposals from local to European and international levels, potential answers through regulations, organisation, co-operation and decisions.

Workshop 7 considers the idea of territorial anchoring is of central importance.
The gravity of the current crisis provides an opportunity to revise fundamental aspects of the economy by connecting them to the other dimensions at the most relevant level. This means at local, territorial level. It implies that people are the central starting point for both analyses and action. At this level it is possible to adopt a holistic vision. Territorial anchoring makes it possible to adopt a transversal, across-the-board approach and achieve joined-up thinking (environment, social, culture, finance, governance etc.). It also allows for the involvement of all social groups, especially the excluded; it is essential that SSE develop socially inclusive policies. This approach is a pillar of the social solidarity economy and will be placed at the heart of the 5th meeting of RIPESS in Asia.

For this concept to be understood and disseminated, the learning approach of the Pactes Locaux is an appropriate tool. It the concrete translation of the expression “experience shapes and takes shape”. The learning journey (as it is called in Asia) contributes to the co-construction of a shared vision of the territory and about the territory. This type of tool needs to be improved and adapted.
Capacity building and training are indispensable. The target groups for this are elected representatives, municipal staff and the civil services in general.
Participation must be the norm, but it must be facilitated by reaching out to the most excluded and the most needy, through listening and dialogue rather than by preaching. This is essential.
It is important to have facilitators, storytellers and moderators in daily local life. The same applies to effective tools like the African tradition of sitting under a tree to talk things through.
Taken together, all these elements help to establish the link between representative democracy and active democracy.
The networking and exchange of North-South experiences is also important. There is a need to strike a new balance between exchanging experience and knowledge.
The use of regulations, in other words of policies, is inevitable in order to establish links between local, regional, national, continental and global levels.

There were specific proposals that mark the shared will to continue a meaningful dialogue to explore two issues in the framework of the International Asian Forum in 2013:
• What contribution can the territorial, cultural, environmental, and social dimension bring to the various themes that the Forum intends to address?
• What contribution can be made to the development of global projects?
A number of actions have been listed, and are being explored in terms of their potential implementation.

This approach was reinforced in the concluding speech to Lux09 made by Romain Biever, Chairman of INEES (European Institute for Solidarity based Economy), in which he emphasised the following 5 points:
• "continue to conceptualize basic research in the field of economic science;
• continue applied research on various themes through projects because the skills are embedded within the projects;
• emphasise the value of territories in democratic governance;
• strengthen networking;
• enable all citizens to participate, to develop critical thinking, fight dogmatic positions, participate in the media ... We must combine these 5 points, and help them to grow from the territories, to become new locomotives. We need to develop a knowledge-based society and create centres of excellence in our territories and internationally. "

Article by Martine Theveniaut


Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/

Special thanks to:
Évéline Poirier from Canada for the English translation
Brunilda Rafael from France for the Spanish translation
Michel Colin from Brazil for the Portuguese translation

To contact us (for information, feedback, to subscribe or unsubscribe):
Yvon Poirier ypoirier@videotron.ca

Thursday, May 28, 2009

International Newsletter on Sustainable Local Development
Newsletter #58
May 1st, 2009

Summary

Message from the Editorial Team

Economic Justice from the Bottom Up
The Solidarity Economy Movement Emerges in Its First U.S. Conference

Message from the Editorial Team


A first conference on solidarity economy was held in the U.S. last March. In this issue we are reproducing an article by Carl Davidson, a Coordinating Committee member of the U.S. Solidarity Economy Network (USSEN).

In the current economic, financial and environmental crises, the development of a solidarity economy movement as public policy within a country that promotes neo-liberal globalization is a sign of fundamental change, which follows the election of Obama as president of the USA. The challenges are enormous in a context where large corporations do not wish to relinquish being major players. For example, Exxon is trying to get their hands on wind power projects!

The movement is young, but it is rooted in a variety of social movements, spread in all regions of the U.S.


Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut

Economic Justice from the Bottom Up
The Solidarity Economy Movement Emerges in Its First U.S. Conference
By Carl Davidson
SolidarityEconomy.Net


Nearly 400 organizers and activists gathered at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst March 19-22 for the first national gathering of the U.S. Solidarity Economy Network, exceeding the expectations of its organizers.
The deepening economic crisis made the meeting quite timely. The overall theme was 'Building Another World,' and drew participants from the East Coast, South and Midwest of the US, even Alaska and Puerto Rico. Internationally, delegations came from Quebec, Venezuela, Peru, Mexico, and Canada. People represented economic justice and green jobs projects, food coops and credit unions, worker coops and labor unions, and peace and justice organizing efforts.
"Our diversity was very dynamic and creative," said Julie Matthaei, a USSEN coordinating committee member. "It served us well in affirming our unity, discussing differences, and helping us reach a deeper understanding of the solidarity economy in our context."

The solidarity economy is a grassroots movement widely known throughout Latin America, arising from people turning to each other for survival in the face of the slashing of social safety nets imposed by globalization and neo-liberalism. It consists of peasant cooperatives, workers seizing abandoned factories and a variety of organizations of the urban poor. In Europe and Quebec, it's also known as part of the social economy, with deep ties to the trade unions, worker-owned cooperatives and the non-profit sector in social services. Together, the social and solidarity economy are quite strong there, with successes in pushing public policy.
USSEN was launched at the US Social Forum in Atlanta, 2007, which drew some 12,000 participants. SEN activists had organized over 80 panels and workshops, and the network was founded from among the participants. It has added to its numbers since then, with the Amherst meeting its first major U.S. project. It was co-convened with the Universidad de los Andes from Venezuela and RIPESS-North America, the Intercontinental Social Solidarity Economy Network.

Emily Kawano, USSEN director, welcomed everyone at the opening plenary and took note of this history. "We know the solidarity economy is new to activists here in the U.S., but we're very excited about how it is being taken up. We're very clear on its core meaning, but at the same time, we like the concept that we build the road as we travel it." Ethel Cote followed with a description of how the Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNET) she was representing was facing new challenges in coming to scale in the new period of crisis, while Benito Diaz of the Venezuelan University on the Andes described the large cooperative movement launched as part of the Bolivarian revolution in his country.
The conference was organized around some 70 workshops in eight time slots, with four major plenary sessions, as well as an opening tour of local examples of the solidarity economy in practice in Western Massachusetts. A total of 199 speakers made presentations and facilitated discussions.

A broad range of topics
The topics covered a wide-range: A common policy agenda in the context of Obama's recovery plans, cooperative housing, fair trade, credit unions, alternative currencies, cooperatives in Venezuela, worker takeovers in Argentina, feminist economics, the social economy in Quebec, the role of labor unions, worker cooperatives, green jobs alliances, solar power and many more.
The Friday morning plenary was packed. Elandria Williams from the Highlander Research and Educational Center in Knoxville, Tennessee fired people up with descriptions of organizing battles for economic justice. "We've been engaged in the solidarity economy for our survival for and long time. We just never applied that name to it." She shared the platform with Ethan Miller from the Grassroots Economic Organizing network. He delighted the session with an extensive graphic mapping of all the interconnected features of the movement cast on a giant screen.

Solidarity Economy and green jobs
The question of the solidarity economy's connection with the wider "green jobs" movement came up early in an opening round workshop on shaping a common policy in the context of the Obama stimulus. The issue was underscored by the recent appointment of Van Jones of Green For All to the White House team--Green For All and Jones are highly regarded here. While there was no consensus answer, almost all agreed that there was considerable overlap between the two, and the solidarity economy projects had an important role in the green jobs movement.
"They're not exactly the same," said one participant. "T. Boone Pickens, the Texas millionaire guy who wants all those wind turbines to make the Midwest the Saudi Arabia of wind power is clearly part of the green economy, but he's most likely indifferent at best as to what makes for a solidarity economy, worker and community ownership and the like. But that's where we come in, what we can offer to the green jobs movement."

Two main questions structured the discussions
The "Obama debate" emerged in several workshops over the weekend. There were a range of views on the new White House, with many sympathetic to Obama. Some declared themselves as Green voters, however, and a few didn't bother with the election. In fact, there are two major underlying discussions and debates in the solidarity economy movement almost everywhere.
• One is whether SE projects operate as alternatives to markets or as a dynamic option within them.
• The other concerns the state, and whether SE projects grow mainly by linking horizontally outside of government, or whether they partner with government to force structural reforms, especially on the local level. Both views were expressed, but neither saw the need to force a conclusion on the matter.
But most participants were simply upbeat about the size and diversity of the turnout, and intrigued over the array of choices of workshop subject matter they could sample.

A conference of international scope
The Friday evening plenary deepened the internationalist dimension of the conference. Nancy Neamtan from the Chantier de l'économie sociale in Quebec, the network of networks of all organizations involved in social economy, explained the deep connection with the labor movement through a number of battles and crises, and how the social economy is critical to the survival of the working class, especially working women. Graciela Monteagudo, speaking for the Argentina Autonomista Project, gave a powerful slide show on the efforts of that country's urban street poor to organize themselves in recycling cooperatives, while Jose Sojo of Venezuela described the ongoing challenges with cooperatives surviving in the marketplace.
Jobs for youth
By Saturday morning the conference workshops had the problem of being overcrowded, as more activists arrived in Amherst for the weekend. "Community Owned Green Jobs and Green Energy" was a popular choice. Organized by Massachusetts Coop Power, the presenters gave excellent detailed descriptions of creating green jobs for youth installing solar powered hot water heaters in residential homes. Even low-income families could take advantage of a number of creative plans to cover up-front expenses for the units by borrowing against their future savings on power bills from the utility companies.
"It's 'Win-Win' all round," said Lynn Benander of Coop Power. When queried about how she won over dubious inner city youth to take up the program, she replied: "I put a foam cup of hot water in the middle of the table and asked, 'How would you keep it hot?' and got them to compete for solutions. Then I said, 'OK, good, now how you keep this room and this building warmer? Here's a detector, find the heat loss, and think about how to stop it. Worked like a charm; they got into it."

Partnering to build an inclusive, equitable and green economy
A workshop that followed up on a similar theme was "Building an Inclusive and Equitable Green Economy," presented by the Massachusetts Green Jobs Coalition. "How do we actually do it?" asked Kalia Lydgate, a MAGJC organizer. A student inspired by Van Jones and his book, "Green Collar Economy," she went on to describe how they used his ideas to build cross-sectoral alliances that are inclusive of those needing green jobs the most. "If you walk in a room and it's all white guys in suits, you've got big problems. That just won't work." MAGJC turned out to be a successful statewide coalition and advocate that got bottom up job training and funding done the best way.
"This is one of the most thought provoking and enlightening experiences in my life," said Tylik Railey, a young activist with the Asbury Park Neighborhood Cooperative in New Jersey. "I'm so glad that I am a part of a movement this huge and worldwide. Not knowing too much about solidarity economy, I was a little hesitant into walking into this world of organizers, scholars, students, and small business people. But in little to no time I was sharing my experiences with these same people."
The role of unions in the social movement
The afternoon round featured a workshop on labor. Yvon Poirier of the Canadian CED Network and a retired Quebec trade unionist gave a presentation on the critical role of unions in the Quebec social movements. "With our conservative government in Ottawa," said Poirier, "a progressive agenda is not fully possible right now." Still, he went on to explain the advanced way, compared to the U.S., that since the mid-1980s, Quebec unions made use of their own pension funds to support growth in the social economy that served the basic needs of the population. Others in the workshop brought up some of the problems with "business unionism" in the U.S, but noted there were now a number of openings for work around wider issues. All agreed that SEN activists should take up the Fight for the upcoming Employee Free Choice Act that the GOP Right is trying to block.

Worker cooperatives are at the heart of the solidarity economy
One workshop discussed a number of projects in the Bronx and New York City. Workshop participant Bucket von Harmony, a member of a rural coop in Virginia, reported:
"We learned how many immigrant workers in New York City are treated poorly by their employers. So a group of folks got together and formed various collectives: a childcare co-op, a construction co-op, and a house cleaning co-op. They each have different structures. One requires that everyone put in 2 hours of marketing work a week. The construction co-op gives women the opportunity to participate in construction that they had not access to before and they all pay each other equally no matter what their skill level is. It is awesome to see how sharing and cooperation can better the lives of those who have the hardest time getting by, as so much our movement is made up of those who have had a lot of privilege in the mainstream culture."

Credit unions are also a feature of the solidarity economy.
The workshop, "Guide to a Better Banking System," organized by the Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, spotlighted how they have been hit by the overall financial crisis, when their own national center was caught with securities, supposedly safe AAA investments, that were really based on toxic mortgages. "We'll take a hit,'" said Cliff Rosenthal, "but we'll come through it better than others." He went on to explain the value of credit unions, themselves coops, in meeting the financial needs of local worker and community-base cooperatives.
Rosenthal also led off at the Saturday evening plenary with a short version of the workshop. But the role of credit unions became apparent with the other presenters with him: Van Temple of the National Community Land Trust, which works to develop affordable housing on community-held land; and Nick Regalado of West Virginia's Coal River Mountain Watch, which promotes windmill farms and opposes the "mountaintop removal" method of strip mining coal ravaging the Appalachian highlands. This session concluded with a militant call by Julio Chavez, the former mayor of Trujillo, Venezuela for greater cooperation internationally, and solidarity with the Bolivarian revolutionary process unfolding in his country.
Rejoicing together

A cabaret of solidarity culture closed out the evening with high energy. First was Raging Grannies, a colorful group doing peace and folk songs, and a number of folk singers including Red Valley Fog, Jay Mankita and Ethan Miller. "Brick by Brick", an inner city hip-hop group changed the pace with rap poetry written that day, to much enthusiasm. Finally, a spoken word group read from the writing and speech of famous labor leaders over a span of 150 years, and ended with everyone standing, singing a rousing version of "Solidarity Forever." Among the more grey-haired veterans of labor battles in the 1970s, there wasn't a dry eye to be found.

Wrap-up
Sunday was wrap-up day, as people prepared for catching planes. A last round of workshops featured one of Egalitarian Communes led by Bucket von Harmony, and another on "Women Feminism and the Solidarity Economy" with Ethel Cote, Julie Matthaei, and Nedda Angulo of RIPESS. Angulo gave the final plenary a militant call to expand the work on all continents, and to encourage those who could to attend the upcoming RIPESS meeting in Luxembourg.
Throughout the conference, SEN had three "business meetings" on the work of building the organization and the wider network. It agreed to form a new board of directors and a smaller coordinating committee, as well as setting other priorities and refining its message and mission. Quebec's Yvon Poirier summed up the conclusion:
"Back in June 2007, in Atlanta, there were about 40 people in the final meeting, out of the 80 workshops, that decided to go forward. Now there are about 350 or 400 people in the US that know a lot more, and are certainly interested in one way or another, in promoting Solidarity Economy." With scarce resources, it won't be an easy task. But the times demand it, and if the people who gathered in Amherst are any indication, they will rise to the occasion.
US SEN website:
http://www.populareconomics.org/ussen/
Original article in English
Sub-section titles added by the Editorial Team

Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:
http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/

Special thanks to:
Évéline Poirier from Canada for the English translation
Brunilda Rafael from France for the Spanish translation
Michel Colin from Brazil for the Portuguese translation

To contact us (for information, feedback, to subscribe or unsubscribe):
Yvon Poirier ypoirier@videotron.ca

Thursday, April 02, 2009

International Newsletter on Sustainable Local Development
Newsletter #57
April 1st, 2009

Summary

Message from the Editorial Team

Musings on the mainstreaming of solidarity economy, public procurement and cultural difference


Message from the Editorial Team
In this issue, Judith shares her thoughts on the impact of solidarity economy in the European context: the inclusion of products which are designated either fair trade or organic in the procurement policies of the national or regional governments, local authorities , as well as large institutions like universities, major industrial or commercial groups. This issue is presently being discussed by several countries.

As reported in our last issue, militants in Brazil are calling for support of a Brazilian Bill on School meals, which ensures that at least 30% of canteen food in schools is sourced from local family farms and Solidarity Economy. In the same vein, RIPESS is proposing to launch a global campaign for public procurement and an ethical and responsible consumption of goods and services.

Judith's article provides an overview of some of the practical challenges encountered, especially in France and the UK. As the title of the article suggests, there are also many initiatives elsewhere. For example, Yvon is aware of two initiatives of the Early Childhood Centres’ Network of Quebec; they are the equivalent to childcare nurseries. Many of these centres purchase organic foods from local farmers. This helps create awareness of healthy eating in young children of preschool age and keeps their parents informed. These centres have also created a joint co-operative for the procurement of all their goods and services.

This question is on the agenda the Lux'09 meeting. It is transversal and concerns responsible consumption (Workshop 6), but also public policies (Workshop 1), networks (Workshop 9) or communication (workshop 10), etc.

All of our Editorial Team will be actively participating in the Luxembourg meeting!! We will share discussions and progress in the June 1st Newsletter, as it will not be possible for May 1st.

As we know that many of our readers will also be present, and we are very much looking forward to seeing you there.

Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut


Musings on the mainstreaming of solidarity economy, public procurement and cultural difference.
This short article is based on a number of recent experiences and meetings with which I have been associated, mainly as interpreter, and is an attempt to further the understanding of readers as to some of the threats and opportunities inherent to the development of economic alternatives in the current global situation of multiple crises.

Fair Trade and buying local: a complementary approach?
A recent seminar organised by Max Havelaar for the Fair Trade Towns programme provided much food for thought. This programme which has European Union funding, uses the following definition:

« A Fairtrade Town is a town, city, village, county, zone, island or borough that has made a commitment to supporting Fairtrade and using products with the FAIRTRADE Mark. Any area can work towards Fairtrade status and everyone needs to be involved!

Community organisations, faith groups, businesses, schools and individuals all contribute to making their area a Fairtrade Town by pledging to do what they can to support Fairtrade and promote the FAIRTRADE Mark. »

Fair trade, along with local organic food and the short supply chain or direct producer-to-consumer production of food or goods, (particularly Local Solidarity Partnerships between Producers and Consumers: LSPPC) is a very strongly emerging trend today. While the first is based on the specific criteria of Fair Trade (cf Max Havelaar, WFTO – formerly IFAT – sites), the latter is based on principles of responsible consumption at local level. Both cut out the concept of middlemen, and ensure a decent living for the producers. This in itself means that while the producer is paid far more than if the goods are bought by supermarkets (who try to keep the prices paid to growers/producers to a minimum, and their own profit margins to a maximum), that the short chain means that prices that consumers pay are generally much the same as those of the ‘mainstream market economy’. The quality of food and goods is always very high.

The other key aspect is the respect of International Labor Organisation (ILO) conventions, which guarantee decent work conditions for all producers. And when people can earn a decent living, the question of being forced to take the perilous path of emigration is often solved. This is all the more true when the issue of food sovereignty is also placed at the heart of governmental policy as is the case in certain countries like Mali. If we take all these aspects into account when we buy our fruit and vegetables for the week, it then becomes a reasonable choice to offset a bunch of fair Trade bananas (food miles, but Fair Trade) with a bag of locally grown organic apples (our own local farmers can survive)… ! And these are all aspects that ensure that a genuine local economy, a real economic alternative to the crisis situation can emerge, be it here in Europe or further afield.

Public Procurement policies: what role can the solidarity economy play?
Public authorities in Europe also have the ability to purchase goods on the best cost/price basis, or to include specific social or socio-political clauses. For small items, there is no need to go to tender. For larger amounts, where tenders are compulsory, the specifications may include such clauses as including disadvantaged workers and/or environmental clauses. Italy was the first country to have introduced the social dimension in public procurement in 1991, by reserving certain public markets for social co-operatives. This law had to be re-examined following objections by the European Commission. For the legal discussion on public procurement has now taken on a European dimension. In effect, the inclusion of social criteria in public tenders is still not mainstream practice.

While it is now quite a widespread and generally accepted approach in France to have organic food in school canteens (and so much the better!), the introduction of other products is more recent. An interesting example of just how far public procurement can be taken is the town of Nantes, where specific clauses in public tenders for uniforms for various Municipal services are based on the use of Fair Trade textile (organic cotton in particular). The difficulty here is essentially one of demand exceeding supply; this initiative will hopefully in time induce a whole market turn-around, with supply meeting the public demand for the product. Another key area is that of recycled paper.

Two cultural variables struck me rather forcefully, both during this meeting. The first is that whereas procurement in France tends to be top-down, based on a traditional hierarchical approach. This is a support-mechanism whereby regions, counties and cities are twinned at institutional level with those of the French ex-colonies of the South in the “Priority Solidarity Zone” of « decentralised co-operation », providing financial support for local development projects in many of these countries (often ex-colonies). Various associations, some of which are faith-based also support solidarity projects in the South. The approach in the United Kingdom is quite different. It is civil society and community-led, and frequently has to exert considerable pressure on Local Authorities to buy into projects. The Anglo-Saxon approach also generally includes faith-based NGOs. The role of civil society NGOs provides a bottom up impetus to economic alternatives.

The challenges of mainstreaming the sale of solidarity economy goods and services
Another aspect is the concept of risk-taking and procurement of alternative economy goods and services, even within the solidarity economy movement itself. Fair Trade and organic food are clearly identified products, irrespective of whether or not they are officially certified (this is another issue which is deliberately not addressed in this article). Certain other products and services are now accepted by consumers, be they private individuals or companies. Linux versus Microsoft is a good illustration. Someone buying a Linux system knows that they are not taking an inordinate risk. Yet there remains a general resistance when organising one-off alterglobalisation events, to working with alternative interpreting networks or systems, which are all too often perceived as unreliable, even where the contrary has been proven. This was sadly the case in the decisions taken at the World Social Forum in Belem, which resulted in limited events being covered by interpretation and a failure to enable participants to speak in the language of their own choice.

Is the underlying cause behind these decisions the fear of those in the purchasing seat that « their » event, inevitably a once-in-a-lifetime moment, might not be a success? Yet if people’s ability to take this sort of risk does not increase, how can genuine change occur? Posner and Schmidt in 1984 conducted a well-recognised survey on ethical behaviour and choice by managers. The results point very clearly to the importance of exemplarity, with the example of the behaviour of ones’ superiors being the single most important factor that determines behavioural choice. This means, by extrapolation, that the role played by local authorities in their choice of procurement has a huge potential knock-on effect and impact in terms of setting a positive example. First results of the Fair Trade Towns programme and the awareness it has raised, clearly bear this out. The same could certainly be said for purchasing of alternative goods and services if a little more effort were to be made in procurement.

In conclusion
The challenge facing social and solidarity economy are considerable if it is to occupy a greater place and continue to grow and build a fairer more solidarity-based economy. Only a holistic approach will lead to long-term solutions to the current multiple crises at local and international level, where products become linked to ILO labour standards, with ethical clauses, fair prices, food sovereignty, and lasting relationships. This implies both openness and a collective willingness to change, to take risks and explore alternatives.

Author: Judith Hitchman
Original article in English and in French


Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/

Special thanks to:
Évéline Poirier from Canada for the English translation
Brunilda Rafael from France for the Spanish translation
Michel Colin from Brazil for the Portuguese translation

To contact us (for information, feedback, to subscribe or unsubscribe):
Yvon Poirier ypoirier@videotron.ca

Monday, March 02, 2009

International Newsletter on Sustainable Local Development
Newsletter #56
March 1st, 2009


Summary

Message from the Editorial Team

Proposals by the Solidarity Economy movement at the 2009 WSF

For a new economic and social model
Let’s put finance in its place!
A call for the signature of associations, trade unions and social movements Belem, February 1st 2009


Message from the Editorial Team


Yvon attended the WSF in Belem (Brazil), held from January 28th to February 1st 2009. During the course of this event, members of RIPESS working in close co-operation with the Brazilian Forum on Solidarity Economy (FBES) organized several workshops as well as participating in workshops being run by allied organizations.

In the current context of systemic, financial, and food crises, along with global warming and the economic recession, it appears that the media and some politicians seem to have discovered the wealth of this economy, not only in terms of potential job creation but also for its innovative content and potential for regenerating the economy. We could be self-congratulatory, but that would mean overlooking that the general economic slowdown will hit training programs, associations, small businesses, cooperatives, many workers and people very hard! Unlike banks, we cannot count on the massive financial support of governments!

The strength of the solidarity economy will be to operate more efficiently, by networking to enrich practice and overcome problems. It will not be able to succeed on its own, because of the complexity and the interdependence of the problems caused by neo-liberal globalization, but it can emerge as a powerful vector for the transformation of social relations. We do not know if there is an alternative to capitalism, but what is certain is that there is an economic alternative to total liberalism. The road will be difficult, complex and long. It begins with the alliance of the forces of progress united in these different currents of thought and action, in all continents to represent, lead and provide regular support for the construction of alternatives which are more human and interdependent.

Having participated in the RIPESS Board meeting as well as various workshops organized by RIPESS and its members during the WSF, Yvon would like to draw to your attention to two interesting documents.

To grasp the scope of the first article, "Proposals", including point # 5 of this text, we need to understand the word "territory" as referring to the places where the meetings were held, meaning close to the major thematic debate centres that attract large crowds. RIPESS is not a member of the WSF International Council, making it difficult to gain more formal recognition in the programming of forums, including the logistics of meetings.

In this issue, we present:
• Proposals that originated from organizations of Solidarity Economy present in Belém.
• A call for signatures for a new economic and social model: Let’s put finance in its place! Signed by several international organizations.

The Luxembourg meeting (www.lux09.lu) is an up-coming event, that will allow us to put forward proposals, and hopefully action plans which translate into reality.

Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut


PROPOSALS BY THE SOLIDARITY ECONOMY MOVEMENT AT THE 2009 WSF
In light of the international economic crisis, we affirm that Social Solidarity Economy is one of the strategies that can enable sustainable economic growth; It can contribute to building a new model centred on the well-being of people in all 5 continents:

We, the workers and activists of the Solidarity Economy movement make the following proposals:

1. In the current context of global crisis, alternative economic practices are more than ever the response based on their history as new instruments of social and solidarity finance. It is therefore essential to recognize and support the creation of closer links between economics, sustainability and solidarity finances.

2. It is necessary to revitalize the role of the FAO within the UN system in order to ensure the right to food. This should done by recommending increased food production on family farms and solidarity economy projects. It is also as a means of creating jobs and sources of income to overcome rising unemployment in the world.

3. In future events, we wish to give greater political clout and more practical consistency to the physical construction of the World Social Forum, by ensuring that solidarity economy, local family farming, and materials with a low environmental impact play an ever-increasing part in the infrastructure.

4. We recommend the creation of a network of organizations for local and international economic solidarity exchanges, via the web, based on existing systems and using information technology/free media to jointly develop a network solution.

5. In the construction of future editions of the WSF, given the contribution of the Social Solidarity Economy to the globalization of solidarity, we recommend that the territory (in terms of the location) of the Social Solidarity Economy be geographically located near the main themes in order to design territories that take these affinities into account

6. We support the Brazilian Bill on School Nutrition, which ensures that at least 30% of school canteen food is sourced from local family farms and Solidarity Economy. This implies a strategic action in defence of food and nutritional security, and another model of development: local, supportive, sustainable and culturally diverse.

7. We propose to launch a global campaign for public procurement and for the ethical and responsible consumption of goods and services produced by the Solidarity Economy and family farming. We denounce the destructive impacts that result from the consumption of products of capitalist enterprises and multinational corporations.

8. We join other social movements around the world in their struggles for human dignity, well-being, the empowerment of peoples and the transformation of the current development model.

Proposals submitted and supported by:
Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS)
Brazilian Forum of Social Solidarity Economy (FBES)
February 1st 2009

Call for the signature of NGOs, trade unions and social movements
Belem, February 1st 2009

For a new economic and social model
Let’s put finance in its place!


The financial crisis is a systemic crisis that emerges in the context of global crises (climate, food, energy, social…) and of a new balance of power. It results from 30 years of transfer of income from labour towards capital. This tendency should be reversed. This crisis is the consequence of a capitalist system of production based on laissez-faire and fed by short term accumulation of profits by a minority, unequal redistribution of wealth, an unfair trade system, the perpetration and accumulation of irresponsible, ecological and illegitimate debt, natural resource plunder and the privatization of public services. This crisis affects the whole humanity, first of all the most vulnerable (workers, jobless, farmers, migrants, women…) and Southern countries, which are the victims of a crisis for which they are not at all responsible.

The resources to get out of the crisis merely burden the public with the losses in order to save, with no real public benefit, a financial system that is at the root of the current cataclysm. Where are the resources for the populations which are the victims of the crisis? The world not only needs regulations, but also a new paradigm which puts the financial system at the service of a new international democratic system based on the satisfaction of human rights, decent work, food sovereignty, respect for the environment, cultural diversity, the social and solidarity economy and a new concept of wealth.

Therefore, we demand to:

• Put a reformed and democratised United Nations at the heart of the financial system reform, as the G20 is not the legitimate forum to resolve this systemic crisis.
• Establish international permanent and binding mechanisms of control over capital flows.
• Implement an international monetary system based on a new system of reserves, including the creation of regional reserve currencies in order to end the current supremacy of the dollar and to ensure international financial stability.
• Implement a global mechanism of state and citizen control of banks and financial institutions. Financial intermediation should be recognised as a public service that is guaranteed to all citizens in the world and should be taken out of free trade agreements.
• Prohibit hedge funds and over the counter markets, where derivatives and other toxic products are exchanged without any public control.
• Eradicate speculation on commodities, first of all food and energy, by implementing public mechanisms of price stabilisation.
• Dismantle tax havens, sanction their users (individuals, companies, banks and financial intermediates) and create an international tax organisation to combat tax competition and evasion.
• Cancel unsustainable and illegitimate debt of impoverished countries and establish a system of democratic, accountable, fair sovereign borrowing and lending that serves sustainable and equitable development.
• Establish a new international system of wealth sharing by implementing a progressive tax system at the national level and by creating global taxes (on financial transactions, polluting activities and high income) to finance global public goods.

We call on NGOs, trade unions and social movements to converge in order to create a citizen struggle in favour of this new model. We urge them to mobilize all over the world, in particular in the face of the G20, from March 28th onwards.

Signatures of organizations and list of signatories at www.choike.org/gcrisis or signatures by email at finance@eurodad.org (indicating name of the organisation, country and email contact)

1. This call is the result of a series of seminars at the World Social Forum 2009 in Belem, which involved among others :
Action Aid, Attac, BankTrack, CADTM, CCFD, CEDLA, CNCD, CRID, Eurodad, Global alternatives Forum, IBON, International WG on Trade-Finance Linkages, LATINDADD, Networkers South-North, NIGD, SOMO, Tax Justice Network, Transform!, OWINFS, War on Want, World Council of Churches.


Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:
http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/

Special thanks to:
Évéline Poirier from Canada for the English translation
Brunilda Rafael from France for the Spanish translation
Michel Colin from Brazil for the Portuguese translation

To contact us (for information, feedback, to subscribe or unsubscribe):
Yvon Poirier ypoirier@videotron.ca

Saturday, February 14, 2009

International Newsletter on Sustainable Local Development
Newsletter #55
February 1st, 2009

Summary

Message from the Editorial Team

Rickshaw Bank in India
An initiative for alternative employment

4th International Forum on the Globalisation of Solidarity
An invitation to participate


Message from the Editorial Team


As 2009 begins, all we hear is talk of armed conflicts and the chain effects of a recession that could escalate into a major economic depression. Like always, it is the individuals and people who are the most destitute, the most vulnerable, who suffer the most. As in the 1930s, the starting point of the crisis is the most powerful country, the one that has imposed the form and conditions of globalization. We are all concerned and potentially threatened by what is happening. That is why it is essential today to contribute our own thoughts and make our proposals.
The dogmas that we have spent many years denouncing, like deregulation, privatization, and unsustainable consumption in wealthy countries are finally being queried. This provides us with an opportunity to assert that another economy exists.

We have supported change for over twenty years. These changes have progressively spread internationally and recently been reaffirmed at the World Social Forum in Belem, Brazil in January; this will continue in the run up to the 4th International Meeting of Globalization of Solidarity in Luxemburg in April 2009. The future of our alternatives is bright. The actors of social solidarity economy will have the chance of having their message heard in the coming months. We must seize this opportunity for building convergences and alliances and acting together.

We are happy to share a very interesting innovation by and for the poorest with you in this newsletter. As we have repeatedly said, innovation and creativity of alternative approaches, based on the empowerment of people themselves in their economic activity, is one of the key resources, perhaps the most valuable means of changing the course of events.

It is a powerful motivation for all of us.

Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut



Rickshaw Bank in India
An initiative for alternative employment


In India, as in many other countries, people who are uprooted from rural life where they no longer manage to survive, try to improve their situation by moving to urban areas. However, due to a lack of training and skills, they simply increase the number of people living in poverty, often in atrocious conditions. There are currently 8 million rickshaw pullers in India of whom 95 percent do not own their vehicle due to lack of funds. In India, rickshaws are modified tricycles used to transport passengers or goods. To earn a meager living, pullers are obliged to rent them on a daily basis at rates that could be considered excessive (usually controlled by a form of mafia). Out of the average daily income of 75 rupees, pullers are obliged to pay the owner 25 rupees (50 rupees is equivalent to $1 US). And as they do not have an insurance policy, they are in a vulnerable situation if an accident occurs and passengers get hurt. Generally speaking, five people live on this income.

Dr. Pradip Kumar Sarmah, Executive Director of the Centre for Rural Development and a veterinarian by profession identified this problem and tried to find a solution to help these rural people; he thought that the best way was to develop a project that allowed drivers to own their rickshaws.

The project : the Rickshaw Bank


The idea of the Rickshaw Bank was born in 2004. Following a number of trials, a system has been established since 2006 to allow self-employed workers to become independent owners of their rickshaws. In addition, the project includes many innovations:
• A new rickshaw has been developed with the help of the India Institute of Technology using materials that are lighter and more aerodynamic
• The new design makes it possible to install advertising, which increases revenue
• Bank loans now exist to buy their rickshaw, with the help of a development NGO, following agreements with financial institutions and ministries
• The loan is fully repaid within a 12 - 24 month period as pullers use a payment plan equivalent to the same amount of 25 rupees a day they used to pay previous owners
• The loan of approximately 13,000 rupees for the rickshaw also covers money for a uniform, an identity card, a license and two-year insurance
• Solidarity forms within the group as drivers are divided into groups of five (along the lines of loan circles in micro-finance). Every five groups (making up 25 drivers) have a garage to maintain and repair their rickshaws. This place, which is also used for families to access cooking gas, produces a sense of community and becomes a place for exchanging ideas.

More than 3000 drivers have already become owners, and there are so many requests that the Centre for Rural Development can no longer meet the demand. It is important to mention that the project received high visibility in the media, including national television and newspapers. As the project is supported by the different levels of government, and Ministers are often present at launches in new cities, public awareness of the project has increased. It is now planned to expand the project by granting franchises to other organizations throughout India.

The impact

The project is already demonstrating an impact on sustainable community development. This is true at three levels:
• Social - improving the health of drivers and their families; better opportunities for children to go to school, improving law and order (less control by the mafia) and creation of a more positive working environment.
• Environmental - an alternative to the use of fossil fuels (cars) and access to more environmentally friendly cooking gas
• Economic - access to ownership of a rickshaw increases income and living standards, access to financial resources, job creation for young people and opportunities for local companies to increase their sales

The future – the Soleckshaw

A new experimental model of rickshaw, operating on an electric motor with a battery charged by solar energy is being tested in New Delhi. Launched with the participation of the Ministry of Science of India, it is hoped to use the Soleckshaw on a large scale during the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

It is a well-known fact that the density of population in the cities of India is such that eco-friendly transportation must be found to move people and goods. While allowing a significant improvement in living conditions for the very poor, the Rickshaw Bank seeks to improve urban life, and with the large-scale introduction of solar-powered rickshaws, the physical demands on drivers will also be considerably improved.

Author : Yvon Poirier
Summary of a presentation at the COMMACT Conference in Brisbane, Australia, October 2008
For further information: www.crdev.org
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4963756.ece


4th International Meeting on the Globalisation of Solidarity
An invitation to participate


The European Steering Committee is actively preparing for the Lux'09 Forum scheduled to be held from April 22nd – 25th, 2009 in Schifflange et Kulturfabrik (Luxemburg). Almost all the members were present when it met January 9th and 10th, 2009 in Saint Omer (in the region of Nord Pas de Calais, France). This location was chosen in response to an invitation by the working platform hosted by the Pactes Locaux. This collective was holding their 5th and final stage of regional capitalization of experiences on the theme of democratic participation and territorial anchoring. This will be the theme of workshop No. 7, one of the 14 scheduled for LUX09. There is an interactive on-line forum for each of these workshops which covers various themes. See - www.lux09.lu

The sum of the contributions of the workshops is intended to bring food for thought to the theme chosen by the Europeans, and validated by RIPESS (Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of Economic and Social Solidarity), for this IV Meeting of the Globalization of Solidarity: Another economy exists: the innovations of the social solidarity economy. Our world is currently undergoing a deep crisis of the growth model. This model has produced unsustainable and deeply unfair globalization. The actors of the social and solidarity economy are aware that Lux'09 represents an important moment and an opportunity to take a step forward. It provides the opportunity based on their collective advances to move out of the woods and assert themselves as stakeholders who can change the rules of the game and move beyond the crisis by coming up with solutions of excellence.

The April deadline is fast approaching and pre-registration is now possible on-line on the site already mentioned above that is dedicated to the forum, and moderated by INEES (European Institute for Solidarity based Economy). We would like to take this opportunity to remind interested persons who wish to participate in Lux'09 that active contribution to on-line discussions is highly encouraged. In fact this is one of the conditions for fully joining in the process. Go for it!

Martine Theveniaut
General Delegate, Pactes Locaux-Lux’09
www.pactes-locaux.org



Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:

http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/

Special thanks to:
Évéline Poirier from Canada for the English translation
Brunilda Rafael from France for the Spanish translation
Michel Colin from Brazil for the Portuguese translation

To contact us (for information, feedback, to subscribe or unsubscribe):
Yvon Poirier ypoirier@videotron.ca