International Newsletter on Sustainable Local Development
Newsletter #68
May 1st 2010
Summary
Message from the Editorial Team
Terre de Liens (Land of connections) is an NGO (association) that was created in France in 2003.
Message from the Editorial Team
Land, both urban and rural is considered as just another coveted good that is subjected to speculation, not to mention the resources that are concealed underground, or the waterways. The history of humankind is a long succession of wars and expropriation. But in modern times, the manner in which peoples have become dispossessed has taken a dramatic and unjust turn: written laws have been opposed to the oral cultures of First Peoples, who have used their ancestral lands since time immemorial, all over the world.
People are fighting all over the world to reinstate justice and the full rights to their land. This is true in Canada, Brazil, India and Tanzania as well as elsewhere, as this Newsletter has already reported.
In another vein agrarian reform, which is so hard to achieve is underway. In many countries citizens' movements are implementing concrete measures to remove land from the field of financial speculation. Land trusts are a tool that is being used more and more frequently. In the USA and the UK Community Land Trusts are non profit-making structures. By becoming the land-owners the CLTs can preserve land from speculation and make it accessible for affordable housing to support social inclusion. American CLTs were not at all affected by the mortgage crisis in 2008!
More recently, a similar land trust movement has developed in Europe and North America. The French Association Terre de Liens is putting all its efforts into recovering agricultural land to protect it from being abandoned or falling victim to speculation. They are using it to help farmers who want to run organic farms and grow local produce.
In this issue, we are presenting a concrete case study, that of Echausses, that illustrates this innovative practice, a perfect example of sustainable local development. We would like to thank the collective of Echausses for their contribution.
Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut
Terre de Liens (Land of connections) is an NGO (association) that was created in France in 2003.
Its mission is to "contribute to the creation of environmentally responsible and socially interdependent rural activities, by supporting people with projects and the collective acquisition of agricultural land and buildings. It is also to raise the awareness of civil society, and challenge politicians, unions and associations in order to reinclude land management at the heart of their concerns." It is inspired by the Triodos Bank, a Dutch green bank that started a green fund to invest in and buy land for organic farming in the 1980s. This thinking became more widespread in the ‘90s in popular education, ethical finance, organic, biodynamic farming and environmental protection movements.
One objective was to devise a tool that would allow people to go beyond the solution of the GFA (agricultural land acquisition groups) or the SCI that can prove to be fragile structures in the long run, because if any one partner decides to withdraw, the whole operation is jeopardised.
To implement its action plan, the association of Terre de liens created two tools: one for solidarity investment, the Terre de liens Landholding Trust, which has a savings’ fund that is used to acquire agricultural land that is then rented out to farmers, and the Terre de liens Foundation. Recognised as being of public interest, the latter may accept donations of money and farms. Terre de liens is now present in 15 regions of France.
The example of "Echausses" in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
Eight adults between 28 and 40, with five children shared a collaborative project and were looking for a multi-purpose property. "Echausses" in Limoux seemed an ideal place. The real estate is composed of 7 ha of alluvial deposit land, 2 barns, a hayloft, a wood-fired old-fashioned bread-baking oven, 580 m2 of habitable space and 120 m2 that could be converted. It is situated in Limoux, in the south of the Aude department (county) very close to the Pyrenees. The financial weight of the project and their determination to ensure the land would continue to be put to use to grow food, inclined the group to favour a collaboration with the Terre de liens Landholding Trust.
The total cost of the transaction was € 520,000. The price of the residential buildings and the mixed nature of the project helped the group to determine the value by separating the assets as follows:
• The living quarters: € 310,000 of residential buildings acquired by the SCI “Fermacultures” created by the collective.
• The agricultural land and buildings acquired by the Landholding Trust (150,000€ for agricultural land and buildings, 60,000 € for roofing, masonry, restoration of wasteland, etc, spread so that 16% was put up by members of the collective project and 84% borrowed from local savings banks and non dedicated funds). This guarantees the possibility for those involved to continue to live on site if their farmland were sold on at a later stage (upon retirement or departure of members involved in the collective).
What was their project? "The diversity of our professions, our paths and our daily lives create both the richness and challenges of the project" they wrote in the description of their project.
"One of the challenges was to find a legal arrangement that reflected the true state of our money matters, solidarity and the division of power: Working together one day a week and one weekend per month to strengthen our ties and jointly build a certain independence (a shared vegetable garden, renewable energies) and to develop some cultural life on the farm (film evenings, games, discussions, concerts ...). All this involved many different things: Develop and manage all shared areas by consensus; develop our “committed” professional activities on site, all that involves a lot of dedication. We also had to find means of sharing materials (agricultural, household, workshop and cultural property) and shared income; cultivating open and non-violent communication; having fewer material goods but growing more as human beings…. We had to jointly buy organic and local the food we did not produce."... Moving step by step towards an ideal situation is no easy thing: for example for the SCI, separating the capital from the personal cash deposits has helped even out the difference in capital and achieve a fairer, more horizontal way of sharing. The development of a legal plan has been sometimes challenging, at times a frustrating and confusing state of affairs, especially where there were no definitive, reliable legal answers, even though we consulted professionals.
Even if the shared time fosters bonding among the residents, the professional economic activities and dwellings remain individual. Each person is responsible for developing his or her own professional and personal project: Vincent is setting up an organic market garden for vegetables while Gaëtan is growing organic fruit; both fruit and vegetables will create added value through direct sales (markets and box schemes). The land will be worked whenever possible using mules rather than tractors. Gaëtan will also keep up his consulting business in forestry management alternatives. Lisbeth, a midwife, moved her holistic support birthing offices to the site (she specialises is home births). Cécile is planning to accommodate senior citizens. Michaël, a special needs teacher, is planning to occasionally host disabled individuals or troubled youths. Jocelyn, who makes string-instruments and is a musician, wants to move his workshop to Echausses. Nina, a teacher, is planning to create educational activities for young children.
The collective agricultural and cultural project is centred on the choice of working together one day a week and one weekend a month. They hold regular meetings the funding and organization of the project. The resources are shared, and there is almost daily exchange. Household running costs (water, electricity, gas ...) are divided according to a variable schedule that is jointly defined on the basis of the estimated individual consumption.
The project milestones.
The SCI was created in April 2009. The property was purchased and in May, the pioneers moved in (3 adults)! By the beginning of July, 5 adults and 1 child were living in Echausses and the interior renovation of the SCI began. In the summer they sorted out the fences on the land. With the help of Moutsie from Nature & Progrès, they carried out a complete botanical inventory using bio-indicators. A nice welcome party on August 15 was followed by a lively collective effort to begin the renovation of roofs of the property (400 m2) and to stabilise the retaining wall of the bakery.
By late August, 7 adults and 3 children were living in Echausses and the roofing work continued. Vincent bought two beautiful cross Pyrenean-Portuguese donkeys (Ulis and Quetzal) and he began to train them. At the start of September, 4 ha of the land authorised for agricultural purposes that had been lying fallow was restored (by heavy grinding, ripping, chiseling, plowing, and harrowing). A pedologist (soil specialist) using the Hérody-biodynamics approach considered that the work had been well done, the quality of the soil was improved: bushes had not started to grow again, the earth was coming to life (aeration) and the vegetation had significantly changed.
In autumn, the group completed the renovation of most of the roof. Lisbeth began her work as a midwife in Echausses, Gaëtan continued with his forestry activities and prepared to plant his orchard, Josselin continued to prepare his workshop for making string-instruments and to organize Occitan concerts, Nina was preparing for an educational entrance exam, Cécile was working as a trainer in the region, Michaël as a special needs teacher in Limoux, and Vincent was preparing to farm the land. Work on the interior of the buildings (walls, floors, electricity) will continue through the winter, as well as the organization of the workshop in one of the Terre de Liens barns. Vincent and Gaëtan continue to develop their plan for the market garden and organic fruit trees with ADEAR 11 . Vincent is pursuing the training of his donkeys for tillage (they’re starting to get the hang of it!) as he prepares for his first season.
In March 2010, eight adults between 28 and 40 and five children from 1 to 11 are now living in Echausses. Béatrice, Michaël’s wife, has moved in with her two daughters.
And what now ?
"We are planting hedges just about everywhere! Firewood, many small daily tasks and meetings for the management of the SCI ... We are testing the well (it flows well!) and beginning to install irrigation and buy farm equipment. Vincent sowed his first plant bed after tillage and installed his first greenhouse (after some administrative problems). Gaëtan ordered his fruit trees and got his stakes (from a forest that he manages!), the collective vegetable garden has been started ... Long live the sun!
In one month ... the project will already be one year old! We had to accept that ... the world was not created in one day, and Echausses will not be completed in a year! Life at a place helped by "Terre de Liens" ... the happiness of a great adventure! Thank you to everyone who has supported us from near and afar. "
For further information:
Terre de Liens, « Une richesse à cultiver » : http://www.terredeliens.org
mouvement@terredeliens.org
Terre de Liens in Languedoc-Roussillon : lr@terredeliens.org
Summary by Martine Théveniaut (from documents submitted by the Echausses collective).
Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:
http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/
Special thanks to:
Évéline Poirier (Canada) and Judith Hitchman (France) for the English translation
Paula Garuz Naval (Ireland) for the Spanish translation
Michel Colin (Brazil) for the Portuguese translation
To contact us (for information, feedback, to subscribe or unsubscribe):
Yvon Poirier ypoirier@videotron.ca
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Thursday, April 01, 2010
International Newsletter on Sustainable Local Development
Newsletter #67
April 1st 2010
Summary
Message from the Editorial Team
The Urgenci International Network, Kobe Conference 2010: Community supported foods and farming
Solidarity Economy in Nepal
Message from the Editorial Team
There are many varied initiatives in Asia in the field of local and community development, social and solidarity economy.
In this number Judith Hitchman shares the results of her participation in the URGENCI network Symposium that was held in Japan. Yvon Poirier took part in a meeting organised by the recently developed Nepalese Solidarity Economy Network.
In both instances, the field trips allowed us to observe how rich and strong a more community-oriented economy can become, when it is anchored in the needs of the local population.
Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut
The Urgenci International Network, Kobe Conference 2010: Community supported foods and farming
The background
With the world in a state of on-going economic, financial, social and environmental crises, the relevance of local actions is greater than ever before. The importance of food sovereignty at local community level has taken on a new meaning. Not that Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a new phenomenon. The concept was first developed in Japan in the early 1970s, to try to guarantee healthy organic food at a time when mercury poisoning had led to Minemata disease, mother’s milk poisoned their children, and pollution was causing increasing environmental havoc. Three separate initiatives came together, led largely by Yoshinori Kaneko, to form the Japanese Teikei system. A similar unrelated birth occurred in Switzerland around the same period. As Elizabeth Henderson, one of the leading figures in the field of CSA and the global fight for local solidarity-based partnerships between producers and consumers so rightly says: “A century of ‘development’ has broken the connection between people and the land where their food is grown in many countries, North and South. A few decades of free trade have driven family-scale farms to the point of desperation. A long series of food scandals - illness from food-borne pathogens, milk and other products contaminated with GMOs and chemical pollutants - have led to a crisis of confidence in imported foods from industrial-scale farms. CSA offers a return to wholeness, health and economic viability”.
The Urgenci International Network brings together the many different national networks of consumer-producer partnerships from different countries all over the world. Its key aims are to disseminate and promote the concept of Community Supported Agriculture, as well as other related issues, such as the preservation of biodiversity and access to land. It also includes other similar concepts, such as farmers’ markets. The current global situation is leading to a natural development of the phenomenon, and it is a vital part of building a new solidarity-based economy.
An exemplary case-study: Tamba city local authorities play their part.
Japanese culture is largely based on the concept of harmony and peace, which is not an easy challenge in a country where 21 per cent of the population are over 65, agricultural land increasingly lying fallow, more food imported from abroad, young people moving from the rural to the urban lifestyle… Food also plays a very central role in Japanese lifestyles, and is traditionally one of the finest cuisines in the world.
We had the unique opportunity of a field trip to Tamba city before the Kobe conference took place, to visit a local initiative. Tamba city is the result of 6 different towns merging some years ago. It has a population of 71,000, and is situated in the Hyogo Prefecture, about an hour’s drive from Kobe. It is where Shinji Hashimoto, one of the members of the Urgenci International Committee lives and farms. The region is famous for both its beautiful scenery and its food.
In order to develop the Teikei system, and address some of the challenges stated above, Shinji was largely instrumental in convincing the Local Authorities to financially support some 20 young people from various cities who wanted to become farmers to gain access to farmland. He helped to initiate an apprenticeship scheme so that the young people could learn their new profession, alternating between internship and working their own rented farms. The initiative has proven highly successful, with over 1,000 consumers benefiting from the box scheme and able to buy reasonably priced organic fruit and vegetables for ten months of the year.
The producers and consumers involved in the scheme prepared one of the finest banquets I have ever eaten for our group, all from local produce, all cooked by members of the Teikei scheme. The ceremonial speeches were moving, with the mayor and other local figures speaking and toasting the farmers and the group of foreign visitors. The farmers all introduced themselves to the group, and presented their individual projects. Most had left factory jobs in cities to take up a rural life and serve their community by producing healthy food.
Using and preserving nature
The search for harmony already mentioned above can best be illustrated by the approach to growing organic rice and preservation of the wetlands: the paddy fields are populated with ducks. They keep them clean, provide natural fertiliser, and good healthy meat. The Oriental Stork (konotori), is a bird that is very sensitive to pollution. It became extinct in Japan due to “modern” farming practices killing off its food supply of frogs, fish and other wetland animals. The last bird died near Kinosaki in 1971.
Konotori no Sato Park was built to reintroduce the storks to Japan using birds obtained from Russia. The storks themselves are now designated a special protected animal by the government, and have become a symbol of the Tajima region around Kinosaki where I spent several days, where even the local airport is named after them (Konotori Tajima Airport).
Located 10 km south of Kinosaki, the Konotori no Sato Park is part museum and part breeding habitat, where visitors can learn about the storks, the breeding program and conservation, as well as see the birds on the sanctuary grounds.
The aims of the program are being realized as local farmers are altering their farming practices to preserve the wetland habitat, and the storks are being successfully reintroduced into the wild. In May 2007, for the first time since 1964 a stork chick hatched in nature. Its parents were born at the sanctuary and released into the wild. The Teikei farmers of the region are very proud of their storks, and rightly so!
Challenges and threats
One major challenge facing all forms of alternative economic production in general, and food in particular, is that of standards and quality. In a world where the transnational agribusiness has imposed quality certification costs that are prohibitive for small-scale producers, there is an even greater risk of being excluded from the market. The participatory guarantee system (PGS), such as Nature et Progrès in France, does however provide a positive answer to this. A similar system operates in Japan. A far greater and more insidious threat is the industrial-scale production of organic food by transnational corporations, trying to cash in on the ‘niche market’ of the increasing number of people who have understood the dangers of GMOs and pesticides, but are unable to distinguish between industrial-organic and family-farm produce, and who see the organic food sold in supermarkets as an attractive option. It seems important to me to raise public awareness on this issue.
Scaling up the local approach and building networks
Like so many of the case studies illustrated in other articles of this newsletter, the Teikei system and other CSA approaches (AMAP in France, GAS in Italy, farmers markets in the UK, Equiterre in Quebec, Vodelsteams in Belgium, Reciproco in Portugal…) are all based on a form of sustainable local development. Local food, local jobs, less fuel, fewer food miles… As Elizabeth Henderson states: “Each local food project takes its shape from the tastes, talents, needs and resources of its creators. The more we can learn from and support one another, the faster we will move toward sustainable and peaceful communities”. To achieve this, the Urgenci international network intends to continue disseminating the Local Solidarity Partnerships between Producers and Consumers (LSPPC) approach, and build alliances and partnerships with other networks to strengthen the ability of civil society to fight the multiple crises.
Judith Hitchman
Activist and special envoy in charge of intercultural relations
with the International Committee of URGENCI
Original article in English
http://www.urgenci.net/
Solidarity Economy in Nepal
On March 4th, the Solidarity Economy Network (SEN-Nepal), currently under construction, organized a workshop to better understand the origins of different concepts such as social economy and solidarity economy, the history of the SSE movement, the current global issues and the challenges of networking. Approximately thirty (30) people from more than twenty (20) organizations attended the workshop. Among these organizations, there were some from social economy enterprises such as cooperatives in agriculture and in savings and loans, a national association of groups of forest users, micro-finance, fair trade organizations and advocacy groups, etc.
For this occasion, the coordinating committee's provisional network invited me to make a presentation on how to meet their targeted objectives. Since this was the first time that several of the organizations were participating in a network meeting (the most important meeting to date), the coordinating committee presented its action plan for the year. One objective of the plan is to become better known and recognized, especially in the media. Various opportunities can be used for the advancement of the social solidarity economy. The restoration of democracy with the king's forced abdication in 2006, and the end of armed insurrection provides a more favourable environment for development. The Constituent Assembly elected in 2008 is under the legal obligation to adopt a new constitution before the end of May. With the establishment of a federal republic and the elections that will follow, Nepal will work to rebuild an economy that meets the urgent needs of the population. The situation is therefore more conducive to proposing the inclusion of the social solidarity economy in public policy.
At the request of the organizers of the workshop, the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI), a Canadian international NGO, the costs of my participation were covered through a short-term mission of the UNITERRA program.
I cannot conclude this short article without mentioning the importance of a vast organization of forestry users that I first got to know when I met them at the World Social Forum in January 2005. FECOFUN (Federation of Community Forestry Users, Nepal) consists of 12,500 user groups (who have been entrusted with the forest), representing a total of 1.7 million families, or about 9 million people. Considering that the population of Nepal is 28 million, 1/3 of the population is a member of the association. This association, which considers itself as part of the social solidarity economy is by far the largest civil society association in Nepal. It is also an active member of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international certification organization dedicated to the responsible management of the forest.
I wish to thank Sunil Chitrakar from the Nepal Fair Trade Group and member of Board of Directors of RIPESS for organizing my participation in the workshop and the CECI office in Nepal for their hospitality and support.
Yvon Poirier
Member of the International Comittee of CCEDNet
(Canadian Community Economic Development Network)
and Comité international du Chantier de l’économie sociale du Québec
(a social solidarity network in the province of Quebec)
For information:
http://www.fecofun.org/
http://www.fsc.org/
Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/
Special thanks to:
Évéline Poirier (Canada) and Judith Hitchman (France) for the English translation
Brunilda Rafael (France) for the Spanish translation
Michel Colin (Brazil) for the Portuguese translation
To contact us (for information, feedback, to subscribe or unsubscribe):
Yvon Poirier ypoirier@videotron.ca
Newsletter #67
April 1st 2010
Summary
Message from the Editorial Team
The Urgenci International Network, Kobe Conference 2010: Community supported foods and farming
Solidarity Economy in Nepal
Message from the Editorial Team
There are many varied initiatives in Asia in the field of local and community development, social and solidarity economy.
In this number Judith Hitchman shares the results of her participation in the URGENCI network Symposium that was held in Japan. Yvon Poirier took part in a meeting organised by the recently developed Nepalese Solidarity Economy Network.
In both instances, the field trips allowed us to observe how rich and strong a more community-oriented economy can become, when it is anchored in the needs of the local population.
Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut
The Urgenci International Network, Kobe Conference 2010: Community supported foods and farming
The background
With the world in a state of on-going economic, financial, social and environmental crises, the relevance of local actions is greater than ever before. The importance of food sovereignty at local community level has taken on a new meaning. Not that Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a new phenomenon. The concept was first developed in Japan in the early 1970s, to try to guarantee healthy organic food at a time when mercury poisoning had led to Minemata disease, mother’s milk poisoned their children, and pollution was causing increasing environmental havoc. Three separate initiatives came together, led largely by Yoshinori Kaneko, to form the Japanese Teikei system. A similar unrelated birth occurred in Switzerland around the same period. As Elizabeth Henderson, one of the leading figures in the field of CSA and the global fight for local solidarity-based partnerships between producers and consumers so rightly says: “A century of ‘development’ has broken the connection between people and the land where their food is grown in many countries, North and South. A few decades of free trade have driven family-scale farms to the point of desperation. A long series of food scandals - illness from food-borne pathogens, milk and other products contaminated with GMOs and chemical pollutants - have led to a crisis of confidence in imported foods from industrial-scale farms. CSA offers a return to wholeness, health and economic viability”.
The Urgenci International Network brings together the many different national networks of consumer-producer partnerships from different countries all over the world. Its key aims are to disseminate and promote the concept of Community Supported Agriculture, as well as other related issues, such as the preservation of biodiversity and access to land. It also includes other similar concepts, such as farmers’ markets. The current global situation is leading to a natural development of the phenomenon, and it is a vital part of building a new solidarity-based economy.
An exemplary case-study: Tamba city local authorities play their part.
Japanese culture is largely based on the concept of harmony and peace, which is not an easy challenge in a country where 21 per cent of the population are over 65, agricultural land increasingly lying fallow, more food imported from abroad, young people moving from the rural to the urban lifestyle… Food also plays a very central role in Japanese lifestyles, and is traditionally one of the finest cuisines in the world.
We had the unique opportunity of a field trip to Tamba city before the Kobe conference took place, to visit a local initiative. Tamba city is the result of 6 different towns merging some years ago. It has a population of 71,000, and is situated in the Hyogo Prefecture, about an hour’s drive from Kobe. It is where Shinji Hashimoto, one of the members of the Urgenci International Committee lives and farms. The region is famous for both its beautiful scenery and its food.
In order to develop the Teikei system, and address some of the challenges stated above, Shinji was largely instrumental in convincing the Local Authorities to financially support some 20 young people from various cities who wanted to become farmers to gain access to farmland. He helped to initiate an apprenticeship scheme so that the young people could learn their new profession, alternating between internship and working their own rented farms. The initiative has proven highly successful, with over 1,000 consumers benefiting from the box scheme and able to buy reasonably priced organic fruit and vegetables for ten months of the year.
The producers and consumers involved in the scheme prepared one of the finest banquets I have ever eaten for our group, all from local produce, all cooked by members of the Teikei scheme. The ceremonial speeches were moving, with the mayor and other local figures speaking and toasting the farmers and the group of foreign visitors. The farmers all introduced themselves to the group, and presented their individual projects. Most had left factory jobs in cities to take up a rural life and serve their community by producing healthy food.
Using and preserving nature
The search for harmony already mentioned above can best be illustrated by the approach to growing organic rice and preservation of the wetlands: the paddy fields are populated with ducks. They keep them clean, provide natural fertiliser, and good healthy meat. The Oriental Stork (konotori), is a bird that is very sensitive to pollution. It became extinct in Japan due to “modern” farming practices killing off its food supply of frogs, fish and other wetland animals. The last bird died near Kinosaki in 1971.
Konotori no Sato Park was built to reintroduce the storks to Japan using birds obtained from Russia. The storks themselves are now designated a special protected animal by the government, and have become a symbol of the Tajima region around Kinosaki where I spent several days, where even the local airport is named after them (Konotori Tajima Airport).
Located 10 km south of Kinosaki, the Konotori no Sato Park is part museum and part breeding habitat, where visitors can learn about the storks, the breeding program and conservation, as well as see the birds on the sanctuary grounds.
The aims of the program are being realized as local farmers are altering their farming practices to preserve the wetland habitat, and the storks are being successfully reintroduced into the wild. In May 2007, for the first time since 1964 a stork chick hatched in nature. Its parents were born at the sanctuary and released into the wild. The Teikei farmers of the region are very proud of their storks, and rightly so!
Challenges and threats
One major challenge facing all forms of alternative economic production in general, and food in particular, is that of standards and quality. In a world where the transnational agribusiness has imposed quality certification costs that are prohibitive for small-scale producers, there is an even greater risk of being excluded from the market. The participatory guarantee system (PGS), such as Nature et Progrès in France, does however provide a positive answer to this. A similar system operates in Japan. A far greater and more insidious threat is the industrial-scale production of organic food by transnational corporations, trying to cash in on the ‘niche market’ of the increasing number of people who have understood the dangers of GMOs and pesticides, but are unable to distinguish between industrial-organic and family-farm produce, and who see the organic food sold in supermarkets as an attractive option. It seems important to me to raise public awareness on this issue.
Scaling up the local approach and building networks
Like so many of the case studies illustrated in other articles of this newsletter, the Teikei system and other CSA approaches (AMAP in France, GAS in Italy, farmers markets in the UK, Equiterre in Quebec, Vodelsteams in Belgium, Reciproco in Portugal…) are all based on a form of sustainable local development. Local food, local jobs, less fuel, fewer food miles… As Elizabeth Henderson states: “Each local food project takes its shape from the tastes, talents, needs and resources of its creators. The more we can learn from and support one another, the faster we will move toward sustainable and peaceful communities”. To achieve this, the Urgenci international network intends to continue disseminating the Local Solidarity Partnerships between Producers and Consumers (LSPPC) approach, and build alliances and partnerships with other networks to strengthen the ability of civil society to fight the multiple crises.
Judith Hitchman
Activist and special envoy in charge of intercultural relations
with the International Committee of URGENCI
Original article in English
http://www.urgenci.net/
Solidarity Economy in Nepal
On March 4th, the Solidarity Economy Network (SEN-Nepal), currently under construction, organized a workshop to better understand the origins of different concepts such as social economy and solidarity economy, the history of the SSE movement, the current global issues and the challenges of networking. Approximately thirty (30) people from more than twenty (20) organizations attended the workshop. Among these organizations, there were some from social economy enterprises such as cooperatives in agriculture and in savings and loans, a national association of groups of forest users, micro-finance, fair trade organizations and advocacy groups, etc.
For this occasion, the coordinating committee's provisional network invited me to make a presentation on how to meet their targeted objectives. Since this was the first time that several of the organizations were participating in a network meeting (the most important meeting to date), the coordinating committee presented its action plan for the year. One objective of the plan is to become better known and recognized, especially in the media. Various opportunities can be used for the advancement of the social solidarity economy. The restoration of democracy with the king's forced abdication in 2006, and the end of armed insurrection provides a more favourable environment for development. The Constituent Assembly elected in 2008 is under the legal obligation to adopt a new constitution before the end of May. With the establishment of a federal republic and the elections that will follow, Nepal will work to rebuild an economy that meets the urgent needs of the population. The situation is therefore more conducive to proposing the inclusion of the social solidarity economy in public policy.
At the request of the organizers of the workshop, the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI), a Canadian international NGO, the costs of my participation were covered through a short-term mission of the UNITERRA program.
I cannot conclude this short article without mentioning the importance of a vast organization of forestry users that I first got to know when I met them at the World Social Forum in January 2005. FECOFUN (Federation of Community Forestry Users, Nepal) consists of 12,500 user groups (who have been entrusted with the forest), representing a total of 1.7 million families, or about 9 million people. Considering that the population of Nepal is 28 million, 1/3 of the population is a member of the association. This association, which considers itself as part of the social solidarity economy is by far the largest civil society association in Nepal. It is also an active member of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international certification organization dedicated to the responsible management of the forest.
I wish to thank Sunil Chitrakar from the Nepal Fair Trade Group and member of Board of Directors of RIPESS for organizing my participation in the workshop and the CECI office in Nepal for their hospitality and support.
Yvon Poirier
Member of the International Comittee of CCEDNet
(Canadian Community Economic Development Network)
and Comité international du Chantier de l’économie sociale du Québec
(a social solidarity network in the province of Quebec)
For information:
http://www.fecofun.org/
http://www.fsc.org/
Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/
Special thanks to:
Évéline Poirier (Canada) and Judith Hitchman (France) for the English translation
Brunilda Rafael (France) for the Spanish translation
Michel Colin (Brazil) for the Portuguese translation
To contact us (for information, feedback, to subscribe or unsubscribe):
Yvon Poirier ypoirier@videotron.ca
Monday, March 15, 2010
International Newsletter on Sustainable Local Development
Newsletter #66
March 1st 2010
Summary
Message from the Editorial Team
Sustainable Local Development and traditions: the Parakuiyo Maasai challenge
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The 2010 Pan-Canadian Summit on a People-Centred Economy
The 2nd US Social Forum
Message from the Editorial Team
In this number Judith Hitchman shares the challenges facing the Maasai in Tanzania. Like most other indigenous peoples of our planet, « modernity » as imposed by the dominant form of globalisation, creates the exclusion of indigenous peoples and undermines their traditional lifestyles; in some countries this even goes as far as threatening the very existence of these peoples as such.
In order to cope with this situation, the Maasai in the village of Parakuyo have developed a form of community organisation that places the education and schooling of their children at the heart of the response to this challenge.
We also would like to draw your attention to two events that are scheduled to take place in North America in the upcoming months. As Yvon Poirier will be involved in both events, he will share his observations with us later in the year.
Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut
Sustainable local development and traditions: the Parakuiyo Maasai challenge
Traditional life-style and local development
One of the most complex and difficult issues facing the indigenous peoples on our planet is how, or indeed whether or not to reconcile their traditional life-style with what can be considered true sustainable local development. I recently had the very great privilege of spending a week visiting my Maasai friend Adam Kuleit ole Mwarabu in Parakuyo, Tanzania. I had met Adam in Tunisia last year during the work I did with the civil society lobby at the negotiations on FAO Treaty on Plant Genetic Ressources, and had greatly admired his way of reconciling tradition and modernity. After all, there aren’t many people who can stand up in front of a UN meeting in full Maasai traditional dress (which he always wears) and make a Powerpoint presentation… I took the opportunity of a visit to my Kenyan son Ruwa, north of Mombasa last October, to hop on a plane from Mombasa and fly down to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and travel by bus to visit him and his family…
All too often, our vision of sustainable local development is culturally clouded by Western concepts of progress, and fails to take the issues of the wisdom of local traditions on board. Worse still, many indigenous peoples are buying into so-called “modernity”, to the detriment of their traditional practice. And the combination of outside exploitation of mineral and land resources, human greed, climate change and loss of biodiversity and of the natural balance of traditional ecosystems all add up to a kind of local development that is ultimately anything but sustainable.
But education can be seen as part of the way forward. This article tries to tell some of the story of the Maasai population of Parakuyo, a small village approximately 60km from Morogoro in the Kilosa district of Tanzania, of Adam Kuleit ole Mwarabu and his family, his colleague Pololet Mgema, and Peter John Mruma, Headmaster of Parakuyo secondary school. It is the result of some very privileged time spent there last November. The village has a population of more than 4000 inhabitants keeping livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys in an area of 30,000ha.
A traditional society based on a harmonious balance between men, women and nature: a little background information.
Few people are aware of the complex traditional balance of Parakuiyo Maasai society. They are pastoralists, with land that is traditionally a common good. Their territory covers both Kenya and Tanzania. Their society is based on traditions that are transmitted from one age group to another. It has an open-minded, humanist basis, with a structured profound spiritual wisdom, knowledge of medical virtues of plants and trees, and a social practice anchored in honour, loyalty, sharing and respect. Their society is also based on the wisdom of mediation and conflict resolution rather than aggression.
Their pastoral practice is anchored on a deep historical knowledge of their land and the alternating dry and rainy seasons. It used to include cohabitation with wildlife, and a naturally balanced difference between the way that cows graze (they eat the long grasses), and other animals that eat only the shorter grass and browse the acacias trees and other plants. Drought is not a new phenomenon in these regions, but the historic access to highland pastures alternating with grazing the steppe in the plains used to mean that ecosystems and cattle survived. Contrary to the loudly expressed opinions of many so-called development agencies, the Maasai never destroyed the land. Quite the opposite: their rotating grazing systems were a mighty factor of preservation! Until very recently they were a wealthy people, with herds of many thousands of heads of cattle, even though they do not necessarily attach much traditional importance to money per se as they have always used a barter system and paid livestock for dowry and peace making.
Land reform, land-grabbing and the violation of human and animal rights.
Colonial and post-colonial land reform frequently granted private land rights to both natural wildlife reserves and parks (to be used to exploit tourism), and introduced Western style cattle ranching on the best lands that were allocated to both black and white elites.
The Maasai have progressively become marginalised and dispossessed of their lands. They have been excluded from their traditional grazing lands such as the Mara (now the famous Maasai Mara game park in Kenya), and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. For a people to whom land is a communal territory containing resources, rather than a resource to be appropriated by individuals, (or the State) the above are totally at odds with the way in which traditional Maasai have always governed by social and political conventions designed to reduce the risk of unpredictable climate and semi-arid conditions. The balance of culture and nature enabled the Maasai to live in harmony with other creatures on their lands.
An example of one of many land-grabs is illustrated by one of several incidents that took place in 2009 (previous similar incidents took place in 2006). Non-pastoralist communities massively evicted pastoralists in Tanzania from their traditional lands with governmental support and collusion. They introduced modern intensive cattle ranches aimed at exporting meat. Farmers entered land that was not theirs, gained deeds to the land, and started to farm. The government supported them, stating that the Maasai were uneducated and poor. Cows were impounded and died of hunger and thirst. There were physical fights over land, and even deaths. Maasai homes were burnt. Access to water for grazing became a serious issue. Cows were rounded up, and the Maasai had to pay 30,000 Tanzanian shillings (about 18 euros) a head as a fine for “damaging the environment” and 1,500,0000TZS (880Euros) to put them into trucks that they had to rent (a further expense) to remove them from the “camps”. During the evictions, traditional leaders and the Maasai Bishop Jacob Mameo of ELCT Morogoro diocese went from village to village, organising traditional meetings to organise advocacy. The evicted nomadic pastoralists informed members of the parliaments, the European Union, the United Nations, the African Commission on Human & Peoples’ Rights and Local governments of great violation of human and animal rights, but the impact of this information has yet to be felt on the ground.
From considerable wealth (their cows) the Maasai were quickly reduced to a destitute community: typically, people went from owning from 300 cows to nothing overnight. Children were out of school, with parents who could no longer afford to pay the school fees. This was of course not only unconstitutional, but also a violation of the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous People’s Rights, Human Rights and also animal rights… The Prime Minister created a commission in 2007, but over two years later, the report still has not been published. The government position has remained one of prioritising foreign investment in land and tourism… The regions of Arusha, Rukwa, Morogoro and Mbeya have been the most affected. A population of 10,000 pastoralists have lost more than 300,000 livestock. The affected families have been left by the government to die of hunger and disease.
Fighting against the odds
The Parakuiyo Pastoralists Indigenous Community Development Organisation, was founded by the community as an informal NGO. It uses traditional Maasai leadership as a natural form of governance. In 2006 it became a formal structure to enable it to receive outside funding for local projects. It continues to do much successful work at international level in terms of advocacy and defending Maasai and pastoralists’ rights. It is a member of PINGOs Forum, a national platform established in 1994 to defend indigenous peoples’, pastoralists’ and traditional hunter-gatherers’ rights. The four objectives are human rights, land rights, education (both secondary and higher) and capacity building.
In Parakuyo village itself there are several public standpipes and flush toilets in the village, and some non-traditional houses even have their own showers and flush toilets. Young girls can now go to school and not have to walk more than a couple of hundred meters to draw water for cooking: a major impact on their access to education. There is also a primary school. Vicky, Adam’s wife is a teacher there. The financial crisis has meant that her salary has been cut, adding further to their financial difficulties. Their daughter, Winnie, lives about an hour’s drive away with Vicky’s parents, so that she can attend Kindergarten school, as there is none in Parakuyo. Her parents pay someone to take her to school on his bicycle every day, and only see her during the holidays and once a month…Their son, Longishu, is still a toddler, and full of the joys of a life full of love and relative (if closely supervised) freedom. They live in one room in a house provided by Vicky’s school. Internet connections are an acrobatic business, and Adam (who is very tall) often has to put his computer on a series of chairs on top of the table to get a signal… As a Junior Elder, and much-respected leader, Adam is constantly consulted on all sorts of matters when he is at home.
The heart of the village project is the Parakuyo Secondary School. It was founded in 2005, and opened in 2007. There are 220 pupils. It is the only Parakuiyo Maasai secondary boarding school in Tanzania. It has been essentially community-funded by the Maasai families whose children attend the school (90%). There is also an annual grant of 20,000 shillings for every child who attends. There are classrooms and dormitories for forms 1-3. (The secondary school system includes forms 1-4). There is an almost equal gender balance, with 45% girls and 55% boys attending. 90% of them come from pastoralist families. Five years ago, very few girls attended, but there has been successful awareness-raising of the importance of education, supported by the traditional elders. Parakuyo Secondary School was built for Parakuiyo Maasai children in the Morogoro and adjacent regions. 90% of the children in the secondary school are Parakuiyo Maasais.
The school also uses traditional approaches to help young people develop their sense of community responsibilities, such as allocating them plants and trees to tend. After school, the day pupils also participate in traditional activities of herding and village life.
There are many challenges facing the school, some of them urgent. Those children who have gone through forms 1-3 now have no classrooms or dormitories for form 4. They are currently out of school. There are no science labs or equipment. The kitchen, little more than a sheet of galvanised metal over an open fire, uses wood rather than gas or solar energy to prepare meals, not an optimal ecological solution by any means. Apart from trying to raise funds for the much-needed classrooms and dorms, there is also an adult education project…
As the article says, Maasai communities today are facing multiple challenges: human rights issues, climate change, land grabbing, economic survival and the inevitable migration not to new pastures and grasslands but towards the major cities and tourist resorts, with all that this implies. Whatever the future impacts of government policy or climate change on the pastoralist community, the emphasis in Parakuyo is on education, both through the modern school system and Maasai traditions that are part of the Parakuiyo project. It is an important element that will help these young people to preserve their identity and face whatever the future holds in store.
* There are two spelling variations used in this article : Parakuiyo for the Maasai community, Parakuyo for the village and the school.
Judith Hitchman
Original article in English
http://pingos.moportfolio.com/about_us
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/drip.html
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The 2010 Pan-Canadian Summit on a People-Centred Economy
This summit will be held in Ottawa (Canada) from May 30th to June 1st 2010.
The 2010 National Summit on a People-Centred Economy will be an unprecedented gathering of leaders and representatives of the community economic development, cooperative and social economy sectors to build a common agenda and mobilize action for a secure, sustainable economy that puts people and the planet first.
The summit will focus on six themes: Finance and Investment, Enterprise Development, Territorial Revitalization, Organizing the Social Economy Marketplace, Partnerships, International.
For further information:
http://www.ccednet-rcdec.ca/en/summit
The 2nd US Social Forum
From June 22nd – 26th 2010, some 20,000 activists are expected in Detroit to attend the 2nd US Social Forum. The current context of different and serious crises in the United States makes this event even more important than ever.
http://www.ussf2010.org/
Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/
Special thanks to:
Évéline Poirier (Canada) and Judith Hitchman (France) for the English translation
Brunilda Rafael (France) for the Spanish translation
Michel Colin (Brazil) for the Portuguese translation
To contact us (for information, feedback, to subscribe or unsubscribe):
Yvon Poirier ypoirier@videotron.ca
Newsletter #66
March 1st 2010
Summary
Message from the Editorial Team
Sustainable Local Development and traditions: the Parakuiyo Maasai challenge
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The 2010 Pan-Canadian Summit on a People-Centred Economy
The 2nd US Social Forum
Message from the Editorial Team
In this number Judith Hitchman shares the challenges facing the Maasai in Tanzania. Like most other indigenous peoples of our planet, « modernity » as imposed by the dominant form of globalisation, creates the exclusion of indigenous peoples and undermines their traditional lifestyles; in some countries this even goes as far as threatening the very existence of these peoples as such.
In order to cope with this situation, the Maasai in the village of Parakuyo have developed a form of community organisation that places the education and schooling of their children at the heart of the response to this challenge.
We also would like to draw your attention to two events that are scheduled to take place in North America in the upcoming months. As Yvon Poirier will be involved in both events, he will share his observations with us later in the year.
Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut
Sustainable local development and traditions: the Parakuiyo Maasai challenge
Traditional life-style and local development
One of the most complex and difficult issues facing the indigenous peoples on our planet is how, or indeed whether or not to reconcile their traditional life-style with what can be considered true sustainable local development. I recently had the very great privilege of spending a week visiting my Maasai friend Adam Kuleit ole Mwarabu in Parakuyo, Tanzania. I had met Adam in Tunisia last year during the work I did with the civil society lobby at the negotiations on FAO Treaty on Plant Genetic Ressources, and had greatly admired his way of reconciling tradition and modernity. After all, there aren’t many people who can stand up in front of a UN meeting in full Maasai traditional dress (which he always wears) and make a Powerpoint presentation… I took the opportunity of a visit to my Kenyan son Ruwa, north of Mombasa last October, to hop on a plane from Mombasa and fly down to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and travel by bus to visit him and his family…
All too often, our vision of sustainable local development is culturally clouded by Western concepts of progress, and fails to take the issues of the wisdom of local traditions on board. Worse still, many indigenous peoples are buying into so-called “modernity”, to the detriment of their traditional practice. And the combination of outside exploitation of mineral and land resources, human greed, climate change and loss of biodiversity and of the natural balance of traditional ecosystems all add up to a kind of local development that is ultimately anything but sustainable.
But education can be seen as part of the way forward. This article tries to tell some of the story of the Maasai population of Parakuyo, a small village approximately 60km from Morogoro in the Kilosa district of Tanzania, of Adam Kuleit ole Mwarabu and his family, his colleague Pololet Mgema, and Peter John Mruma, Headmaster of Parakuyo secondary school. It is the result of some very privileged time spent there last November. The village has a population of more than 4000 inhabitants keeping livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys in an area of 30,000ha.
A traditional society based on a harmonious balance between men, women and nature: a little background information.
Few people are aware of the complex traditional balance of Parakuiyo Maasai society. They are pastoralists, with land that is traditionally a common good. Their territory covers both Kenya and Tanzania. Their society is based on traditions that are transmitted from one age group to another. It has an open-minded, humanist basis, with a structured profound spiritual wisdom, knowledge of medical virtues of plants and trees, and a social practice anchored in honour, loyalty, sharing and respect. Their society is also based on the wisdom of mediation and conflict resolution rather than aggression.
Their pastoral practice is anchored on a deep historical knowledge of their land and the alternating dry and rainy seasons. It used to include cohabitation with wildlife, and a naturally balanced difference between the way that cows graze (they eat the long grasses), and other animals that eat only the shorter grass and browse the acacias trees and other plants. Drought is not a new phenomenon in these regions, but the historic access to highland pastures alternating with grazing the steppe in the plains used to mean that ecosystems and cattle survived. Contrary to the loudly expressed opinions of many so-called development agencies, the Maasai never destroyed the land. Quite the opposite: their rotating grazing systems were a mighty factor of preservation! Until very recently they were a wealthy people, with herds of many thousands of heads of cattle, even though they do not necessarily attach much traditional importance to money per se as they have always used a barter system and paid livestock for dowry and peace making.
Land reform, land-grabbing and the violation of human and animal rights.
Colonial and post-colonial land reform frequently granted private land rights to both natural wildlife reserves and parks (to be used to exploit tourism), and introduced Western style cattle ranching on the best lands that were allocated to both black and white elites.
The Maasai have progressively become marginalised and dispossessed of their lands. They have been excluded from their traditional grazing lands such as the Mara (now the famous Maasai Mara game park in Kenya), and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. For a people to whom land is a communal territory containing resources, rather than a resource to be appropriated by individuals, (or the State) the above are totally at odds with the way in which traditional Maasai have always governed by social and political conventions designed to reduce the risk of unpredictable climate and semi-arid conditions. The balance of culture and nature enabled the Maasai to live in harmony with other creatures on their lands.
An example of one of many land-grabs is illustrated by one of several incidents that took place in 2009 (previous similar incidents took place in 2006). Non-pastoralist communities massively evicted pastoralists in Tanzania from their traditional lands with governmental support and collusion. They introduced modern intensive cattle ranches aimed at exporting meat. Farmers entered land that was not theirs, gained deeds to the land, and started to farm. The government supported them, stating that the Maasai were uneducated and poor. Cows were impounded and died of hunger and thirst. There were physical fights over land, and even deaths. Maasai homes were burnt. Access to water for grazing became a serious issue. Cows were rounded up, and the Maasai had to pay 30,000 Tanzanian shillings (about 18 euros) a head as a fine for “damaging the environment” and 1,500,0000TZS (880Euros) to put them into trucks that they had to rent (a further expense) to remove them from the “camps”. During the evictions, traditional leaders and the Maasai Bishop Jacob Mameo of ELCT Morogoro diocese went from village to village, organising traditional meetings to organise advocacy. The evicted nomadic pastoralists informed members of the parliaments, the European Union, the United Nations, the African Commission on Human & Peoples’ Rights and Local governments of great violation of human and animal rights, but the impact of this information has yet to be felt on the ground.
From considerable wealth (their cows) the Maasai were quickly reduced to a destitute community: typically, people went from owning from 300 cows to nothing overnight. Children were out of school, with parents who could no longer afford to pay the school fees. This was of course not only unconstitutional, but also a violation of the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous People’s Rights, Human Rights and also animal rights… The Prime Minister created a commission in 2007, but over two years later, the report still has not been published. The government position has remained one of prioritising foreign investment in land and tourism… The regions of Arusha, Rukwa, Morogoro and Mbeya have been the most affected. A population of 10,000 pastoralists have lost more than 300,000 livestock. The affected families have been left by the government to die of hunger and disease.
Fighting against the odds
The Parakuiyo Pastoralists Indigenous Community Development Organisation, was founded by the community as an informal NGO. It uses traditional Maasai leadership as a natural form of governance. In 2006 it became a formal structure to enable it to receive outside funding for local projects. It continues to do much successful work at international level in terms of advocacy and defending Maasai and pastoralists’ rights. It is a member of PINGOs Forum, a national platform established in 1994 to defend indigenous peoples’, pastoralists’ and traditional hunter-gatherers’ rights. The four objectives are human rights, land rights, education (both secondary and higher) and capacity building.
In Parakuyo village itself there are several public standpipes and flush toilets in the village, and some non-traditional houses even have their own showers and flush toilets. Young girls can now go to school and not have to walk more than a couple of hundred meters to draw water for cooking: a major impact on their access to education. There is also a primary school. Vicky, Adam’s wife is a teacher there. The financial crisis has meant that her salary has been cut, adding further to their financial difficulties. Their daughter, Winnie, lives about an hour’s drive away with Vicky’s parents, so that she can attend Kindergarten school, as there is none in Parakuyo. Her parents pay someone to take her to school on his bicycle every day, and only see her during the holidays and once a month…Their son, Longishu, is still a toddler, and full of the joys of a life full of love and relative (if closely supervised) freedom. They live in one room in a house provided by Vicky’s school. Internet connections are an acrobatic business, and Adam (who is very tall) often has to put his computer on a series of chairs on top of the table to get a signal… As a Junior Elder, and much-respected leader, Adam is constantly consulted on all sorts of matters when he is at home.
The heart of the village project is the Parakuyo Secondary School. It was founded in 2005, and opened in 2007. There are 220 pupils. It is the only Parakuiyo Maasai secondary boarding school in Tanzania. It has been essentially community-funded by the Maasai families whose children attend the school (90%). There is also an annual grant of 20,000 shillings for every child who attends. There are classrooms and dormitories for forms 1-3. (The secondary school system includes forms 1-4). There is an almost equal gender balance, with 45% girls and 55% boys attending. 90% of them come from pastoralist families. Five years ago, very few girls attended, but there has been successful awareness-raising of the importance of education, supported by the traditional elders. Parakuyo Secondary School was built for Parakuiyo Maasai children in the Morogoro and adjacent regions. 90% of the children in the secondary school are Parakuiyo Maasais.
The school also uses traditional approaches to help young people develop their sense of community responsibilities, such as allocating them plants and trees to tend. After school, the day pupils also participate in traditional activities of herding and village life.
There are many challenges facing the school, some of them urgent. Those children who have gone through forms 1-3 now have no classrooms or dormitories for form 4. They are currently out of school. There are no science labs or equipment. The kitchen, little more than a sheet of galvanised metal over an open fire, uses wood rather than gas or solar energy to prepare meals, not an optimal ecological solution by any means. Apart from trying to raise funds for the much-needed classrooms and dorms, there is also an adult education project…
As the article says, Maasai communities today are facing multiple challenges: human rights issues, climate change, land grabbing, economic survival and the inevitable migration not to new pastures and grasslands but towards the major cities and tourist resorts, with all that this implies. Whatever the future impacts of government policy or climate change on the pastoralist community, the emphasis in Parakuyo is on education, both through the modern school system and Maasai traditions that are part of the Parakuiyo project. It is an important element that will help these young people to preserve their identity and face whatever the future holds in store.
* There are two spelling variations used in this article : Parakuiyo for the Maasai community, Parakuyo for the village and the school.
Judith Hitchman
Original article in English
http://pingos.moportfolio.com/about_us
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/drip.html
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The 2010 Pan-Canadian Summit on a People-Centred Economy
This summit will be held in Ottawa (Canada) from May 30th to June 1st 2010.
The 2010 National Summit on a People-Centred Economy will be an unprecedented gathering of leaders and representatives of the community economic development, cooperative and social economy sectors to build a common agenda and mobilize action for a secure, sustainable economy that puts people and the planet first.
The summit will focus on six themes: Finance and Investment, Enterprise Development, Territorial Revitalization, Organizing the Social Economy Marketplace, Partnerships, International.
For further information:
http://www.ccednet-rcdec.ca/en/summit
The 2nd US Social Forum
From June 22nd – 26th 2010, some 20,000 activists are expected in Detroit to attend the 2nd US Social Forum. The current context of different and serious crises in the United States makes this event even more important than ever.
http://www.ussf2010.org/
Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/
Special thanks to:
Évéline Poirier (Canada) and Judith Hitchman (France) for the English translation
Brunilda Rafael (France) for the Spanish translation
Michel Colin (Brazil) for the Portuguese translation
To contact us (for information, feedback, to subscribe or unsubscribe):
Yvon Poirier ypoirier@videotron.ca
Sunday, January 31, 2010
International Newsletter on Sustainable Local Development
Newsletter #65
January 1st 2010
Summary
Message from the Editorial Team
Recipes from Rome: the World Summit for Food Security
Message from the Editorial Team
A full decade of the 21st century has already gone by!
We are living in a time of paradox. We all know that the requisite knowledge to solve the fundamental issues facing humanity exists, be it those of food, health, education, peace or creating harmony between peoples and within nations.
The same can be said of the environment. We now know that scientifically speaking, the degradation of the biosphere is a fact. We also know that we collectively consume more resources than our planet can provide. It is an established fact that we would need at least three times our planetary resources if all countries were to follow the consumer model of the so-called “developed” countries.
And progress towards the key objectives, such as the Millennium Development Goals for poverty reduction or even that of reducing greenhouse gas, is at a standstill, or even regressing.
Conservative forces that uphold the ideology of “it’s all working fine”, be it the neoliberal voices of the United States, or newer powers such as China or India (all of which are remarkably similar), still support an ideology of economic growth. Yet we are acutely aware that the answers to problems can not be found in the thought processes that created them in the first place, an idea first put forward by Einstein.
We can see for ourselves that these forces are still blocking the essential elements of the reforms that are fundamentally needed, as witnessed by President Obama’s attempts to push through reforms, the failure of the Copenhagen conference, even if some small reform is being carried through in order to control the financial system. Nothing is being done to change the most essential aspects, even though the need is greater than ever.
So in terms of concrete, positive results, no significant progress has been made.
But there is major progress happening at other levels.
In particular, there is a new level of global awareness of the key issues. Most NGOs and social movements in countries and at the international level agree on their analyses, even if their strategies are still somewhat divergent. The World Social Fora and many other meetings, such as that organised by RIPESS testify to this progress.
The vision of economies and alternative societies is increasingly based on approaches such as solidarity economy, that are inclusive in nature, and that are generally more localised. Connecting the approach more closely to people’s local environments increasingly appears as a viable alternative to the so-called development as known hitherto.
It would indeed be preferable to implement a “different” model that is more compatible with the limited resources of our biosphere. If we fail to do this, our planet will self-destruct, and this is likely to be extremely brutal. So it is advisable to do something, or things will be even worse for most of the inhabitants of our world.
This is the tenor of the article that we are publishing in this issue on the question of food. There are two conflicting “models” out there, as clearly shown in the text on the FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation) summit held in Rome last November. As the participants in the People’s Forum that took place at the same time clearly stated, the choices we are facing are between a productivist agricultural model aimed at growth (of profits) and a model based on local agriculture aimed primarily at feeding people (rather than share-holders). For our part, our choice is clear!!
Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut
Recipes from Rome: the World Summit for Food Security
The World Summit for Food Security was recently held in Rome (16th - 18th November) under the auspices of the FAO (the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation), headquartered in this city. The timing could not have been more appropriate, as the pretentious title of the meeting suggests: “Imagine. Achieving food security in times of crisis”. This notion of food security is aimed at food for all, even at the height of current global financial turbulence, with over one billion people in the world suffering from hunger. The aim of the first Millennium Development Goal - to halve the number of people suffering from hunger by 2015 compared with the figures for 1990 - is far from today’s reality. If we add the uncertain impacts of climate change on agriculture, the profit-driven interests of agribusiness and predatory attitudes of governments, the outlook for the most vulnerable is indeed pessimistic.
A parallel meeting: People’s Forum on Food Sovereignty
Civil society rose to the occasion, and organised their own space for discussion in the People’s Food Sovereignty Forum that was also held on the same dates in Rome, parallel to the FAO Summit. I had the privilege of being a member of the volunteer interpreting team that was responsible for supporting the communication between over 400 delegates who had come from all over the world. The objective was to promote the right of rural communities to define their own agricultural model that respects their ecological, social, economic and cultural traditions. Food sovereignty prioritises local consumption, access of small farmers to natural resources, to land, seeds and agricultural biodiversity. It condemns the use of food production as either a trade or a political weapon. A great number of civil society organisations participated in the Forum. The International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty represented them in their discussions with the “United Nations system”, mainly the FAO and IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development).
The final declaration text from the People’s Forum, from which I have extracted a few key points, mentions the importance of considering the Food Security Committee of the FAO as the privileged body for developing international policies on food and agriculture, especially as the recent reform that has been approved confers a greater role on the representatives of civil society. The declaration also discusses the appropriate financial support provided by members of the FAO to enable the Committee to carry out its work in an adequate manner, guided by the human right to food. Financial resources have been proposed by the World Bank and other international financial institutions, whose past mechanisms of governance have shown a lack of democracy and transparency; this means there is a risk of the same mistakes being made as in the past. “As long as institutions such as the WTO continue to privilege commercial interests over the globally marginalised and malnourished, hunger will continue to stalk the world”.
The text also defends the need to respect ecological supply chains, and condemns the aggressive mercantile approach to nature and knowledge. It requests a global moratorium on GMOs and invites all States to take immediate adequate action to protect and regulate national food markets by managing supplies to guarantee the availability of food, decent pay and fair prices. States should guarantee joint control of land through integrated agrarian reform that respects both individual and collective access to land, and control over territories.
Concerning the control of resources for food production, the Declaration condemns the alarming land- and water-grabbing currently practiced by certain countries and multinationals. In less than one year, 40 million hectares of fertile land in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe have been usurped through agreements that favour this practice and displace local food production in favour of export crops. The Declaration also opposes intellectual property rights aimed at protecting living resources such as seeds, plants and animals.
Finally, the text commits civil society to building alliances via the International Planning Committee and presents the input from the different work groups that took place during the Forum: Women, who defend their role in food sovereignty, youth who plead for education and training in agricultural practice, fishing and animal husbandry, indigenous peoples who demand the right to land and who consider nature as a living being that is essential to the identity and culture of their communities.
The FAO Summit Declaration
The official declaration of the FAO Summit expresses good intentions and pompous commitments in their five Principles of Rome for sustainable global food security: 1) invest in national plans to channel resources aimed at NGOs and well-designed results-oriented programmes, 2) encourage strategic co-ordination of national, regional and global plans in order to improve governance and promote a better distribution of resources, 3) work towards food security through direct emergency measures aimed at the most vulnerable groups, in order to fight hunger and poverty, 4) guarantee the role of the multilateral institutions, 5) guarantee the commitment of all to investing in agriculture, food security and nutrition, in order to fund pluri-annual plans and programmes.
The civil society Forum criticised the FAO for grounding the achievement of the above principles in the creation of a High Level Action Group on the crisis in food security at the instigation of the Secretary General of the United Nations. This is in the context of the reform of the Committee for food security. Civil society’s disagreement is due to the fact that the Action Group supports the multinationals that are patenting seeds and commercialising GMOs in order to implement projects with many large international philanthropic foundations who are operating on funds from the World Bank.
Civil society condemns the fact that the FAO also delegates “the strategic co-ordination of national, regional and global plans” to a “global Alliance for agriculture, food security and nutrition”, created by the industrialised countries of the G8 that - and this is no mere coincidence - control most of the food system by imposing production models that are contrary to the interests defended by small-scale farmers.
The principles of Rome also includes the World Trade Organisation, and suggests on paper that global markets become more open to small-scale farmers from developing countries, in order to enable them to increase their productivity, and compete in more equal circumstances. Civil society organisations again reproached this attitude: Although the WTO is a multilateral institution representing countries of all sorts, and with a decision-making system based on the principle of “one country, one vote” it is important to realise that in the corridors of power some countries club together to defend their interests more than those of others, in terms of the available resources, the size of the economic and legal lobby and their influence. Once again, the developing countries have a handicap in negotiations before they even begin.
Challenges for the years to come
It’s time to square up on the chess board: one camp defends food sovereignty, protected by rural tradition and the ancestral knowledge of peoples and communities, while the other is in favour of technological green revolutions, the industrialisation of agriculture and GMOs. These are the black and white, even grey squares on the board... Can there be no meeting of the ways in this struggle for power?
Ethical commitment and respect of the environment, of ecosystems and subsistence means of rural populations should take priority; it is necessary to avoid ideological and political prejudice as well as economic interests that may block the path. If we really wish to reach a reciprocal commitment of all stakeholders, we need to consider that achieving a joint solution is a moral obligation that broadens our field of vision.
Food sovereignty implies a sense of responsibility. On one hand, governments need to guarantee supplies of accessible food that is culturally acceptable and nourishing, and to facilitate emergency access to those in need of help, without undermining the principle of sovereignty. On the other, farmers and producers should participate in the decision-making process as to how to grow and distribute food. Their know-how is both their heritage and their contribution. Food is life. It comes from the land that we work and from animals that we raise or hunt. It is nature, culture, tradition, religion, the identity of peoples and nations. We savour it, appreciate it, dream about it; it awakens feelings and emotions in our hearts; it brings us together, satisfies us, makes us aware of our essential being and our shared identity. As citizens, we can, through our acts, set the example for future generations, through responsible consumption, by cultivating our curiosity as to the origin and way in which food is produced, and by drawing closer to nature. We are all involved in the future of our planet and we can no longer remain dependent on decisions taken by others.
Jorge Soriano Bugnion
voluntary professional interpreter and activist
Original article in Spanish
http://www.fao.org/wsfs/
http://peoplesforum2009.foodsovereignty.org/
Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/
Special thanks to:
Judith Hitchman 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
Newsletter #65
January 1st 2010
Summary
Message from the Editorial Team
Recipes from Rome: the World Summit for Food Security
Message from the Editorial Team
A full decade of the 21st century has already gone by!
We are living in a time of paradox. We all know that the requisite knowledge to solve the fundamental issues facing humanity exists, be it those of food, health, education, peace or creating harmony between peoples and within nations.
The same can be said of the environment. We now know that scientifically speaking, the degradation of the biosphere is a fact. We also know that we collectively consume more resources than our planet can provide. It is an established fact that we would need at least three times our planetary resources if all countries were to follow the consumer model of the so-called “developed” countries.
And progress towards the key objectives, such as the Millennium Development Goals for poverty reduction or even that of reducing greenhouse gas, is at a standstill, or even regressing.
Conservative forces that uphold the ideology of “it’s all working fine”, be it the neoliberal voices of the United States, or newer powers such as China or India (all of which are remarkably similar), still support an ideology of economic growth. Yet we are acutely aware that the answers to problems can not be found in the thought processes that created them in the first place, an idea first put forward by Einstein.
We can see for ourselves that these forces are still blocking the essential elements of the reforms that are fundamentally needed, as witnessed by President Obama’s attempts to push through reforms, the failure of the Copenhagen conference, even if some small reform is being carried through in order to control the financial system. Nothing is being done to change the most essential aspects, even though the need is greater than ever.
So in terms of concrete, positive results, no significant progress has been made.
But there is major progress happening at other levels.
In particular, there is a new level of global awareness of the key issues. Most NGOs and social movements in countries and at the international level agree on their analyses, even if their strategies are still somewhat divergent. The World Social Fora and many other meetings, such as that organised by RIPESS testify to this progress.
The vision of economies and alternative societies is increasingly based on approaches such as solidarity economy, that are inclusive in nature, and that are generally more localised. Connecting the approach more closely to people’s local environments increasingly appears as a viable alternative to the so-called development as known hitherto.
It would indeed be preferable to implement a “different” model that is more compatible with the limited resources of our biosphere. If we fail to do this, our planet will self-destruct, and this is likely to be extremely brutal. So it is advisable to do something, or things will be even worse for most of the inhabitants of our world.
This is the tenor of the article that we are publishing in this issue on the question of food. There are two conflicting “models” out there, as clearly shown in the text on the FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation) summit held in Rome last November. As the participants in the People’s Forum that took place at the same time clearly stated, the choices we are facing are between a productivist agricultural model aimed at growth (of profits) and a model based on local agriculture aimed primarily at feeding people (rather than share-holders). For our part, our choice is clear!!
Editorial Team
Judith Hitchman
Yvon Poirier
Martine Theveniaut
Recipes from Rome: the World Summit for Food Security
The World Summit for Food Security was recently held in Rome (16th - 18th November) under the auspices of the FAO (the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation), headquartered in this city. The timing could not have been more appropriate, as the pretentious title of the meeting suggests: “Imagine. Achieving food security in times of crisis”. This notion of food security is aimed at food for all, even at the height of current global financial turbulence, with over one billion people in the world suffering from hunger. The aim of the first Millennium Development Goal - to halve the number of people suffering from hunger by 2015 compared with the figures for 1990 - is far from today’s reality. If we add the uncertain impacts of climate change on agriculture, the profit-driven interests of agribusiness and predatory attitudes of governments, the outlook for the most vulnerable is indeed pessimistic.
A parallel meeting: People’s Forum on Food Sovereignty
Civil society rose to the occasion, and organised their own space for discussion in the People’s Food Sovereignty Forum that was also held on the same dates in Rome, parallel to the FAO Summit. I had the privilege of being a member of the volunteer interpreting team that was responsible for supporting the communication between over 400 delegates who had come from all over the world. The objective was to promote the right of rural communities to define their own agricultural model that respects their ecological, social, economic and cultural traditions. Food sovereignty prioritises local consumption, access of small farmers to natural resources, to land, seeds and agricultural biodiversity. It condemns the use of food production as either a trade or a political weapon. A great number of civil society organisations participated in the Forum. The International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty represented them in their discussions with the “United Nations system”, mainly the FAO and IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development).
The final declaration text from the People’s Forum, from which I have extracted a few key points, mentions the importance of considering the Food Security Committee of the FAO as the privileged body for developing international policies on food and agriculture, especially as the recent reform that has been approved confers a greater role on the representatives of civil society. The declaration also discusses the appropriate financial support provided by members of the FAO to enable the Committee to carry out its work in an adequate manner, guided by the human right to food. Financial resources have been proposed by the World Bank and other international financial institutions, whose past mechanisms of governance have shown a lack of democracy and transparency; this means there is a risk of the same mistakes being made as in the past. “As long as institutions such as the WTO continue to privilege commercial interests over the globally marginalised and malnourished, hunger will continue to stalk the world”.
The text also defends the need to respect ecological supply chains, and condemns the aggressive mercantile approach to nature and knowledge. It requests a global moratorium on GMOs and invites all States to take immediate adequate action to protect and regulate national food markets by managing supplies to guarantee the availability of food, decent pay and fair prices. States should guarantee joint control of land through integrated agrarian reform that respects both individual and collective access to land, and control over territories.
Concerning the control of resources for food production, the Declaration condemns the alarming land- and water-grabbing currently practiced by certain countries and multinationals. In less than one year, 40 million hectares of fertile land in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe have been usurped through agreements that favour this practice and displace local food production in favour of export crops. The Declaration also opposes intellectual property rights aimed at protecting living resources such as seeds, plants and animals.
Finally, the text commits civil society to building alliances via the International Planning Committee and presents the input from the different work groups that took place during the Forum: Women, who defend their role in food sovereignty, youth who plead for education and training in agricultural practice, fishing and animal husbandry, indigenous peoples who demand the right to land and who consider nature as a living being that is essential to the identity and culture of their communities.
The FAO Summit Declaration
The official declaration of the FAO Summit expresses good intentions and pompous commitments in their five Principles of Rome for sustainable global food security: 1) invest in national plans to channel resources aimed at NGOs and well-designed results-oriented programmes, 2) encourage strategic co-ordination of national, regional and global plans in order to improve governance and promote a better distribution of resources, 3) work towards food security through direct emergency measures aimed at the most vulnerable groups, in order to fight hunger and poverty, 4) guarantee the role of the multilateral institutions, 5) guarantee the commitment of all to investing in agriculture, food security and nutrition, in order to fund pluri-annual plans and programmes.
The civil society Forum criticised the FAO for grounding the achievement of the above principles in the creation of a High Level Action Group on the crisis in food security at the instigation of the Secretary General of the United Nations. This is in the context of the reform of the Committee for food security. Civil society’s disagreement is due to the fact that the Action Group supports the multinationals that are patenting seeds and commercialising GMOs in order to implement projects with many large international philanthropic foundations who are operating on funds from the World Bank.
Civil society condemns the fact that the FAO also delegates “the strategic co-ordination of national, regional and global plans” to a “global Alliance for agriculture, food security and nutrition”, created by the industrialised countries of the G8 that - and this is no mere coincidence - control most of the food system by imposing production models that are contrary to the interests defended by small-scale farmers.
The principles of Rome also includes the World Trade Organisation, and suggests on paper that global markets become more open to small-scale farmers from developing countries, in order to enable them to increase their productivity, and compete in more equal circumstances. Civil society organisations again reproached this attitude: Although the WTO is a multilateral institution representing countries of all sorts, and with a decision-making system based on the principle of “one country, one vote” it is important to realise that in the corridors of power some countries club together to defend their interests more than those of others, in terms of the available resources, the size of the economic and legal lobby and their influence. Once again, the developing countries have a handicap in negotiations before they even begin.
Challenges for the years to come
It’s time to square up on the chess board: one camp defends food sovereignty, protected by rural tradition and the ancestral knowledge of peoples and communities, while the other is in favour of technological green revolutions, the industrialisation of agriculture and GMOs. These are the black and white, even grey squares on the board... Can there be no meeting of the ways in this struggle for power?
Ethical commitment and respect of the environment, of ecosystems and subsistence means of rural populations should take priority; it is necessary to avoid ideological and political prejudice as well as economic interests that may block the path. If we really wish to reach a reciprocal commitment of all stakeholders, we need to consider that achieving a joint solution is a moral obligation that broadens our field of vision.
Food sovereignty implies a sense of responsibility. On one hand, governments need to guarantee supplies of accessible food that is culturally acceptable and nourishing, and to facilitate emergency access to those in need of help, without undermining the principle of sovereignty. On the other, farmers and producers should participate in the decision-making process as to how to grow and distribute food. Their know-how is both their heritage and their contribution. Food is life. It comes from the land that we work and from animals that we raise or hunt. It is nature, culture, tradition, religion, the identity of peoples and nations. We savour it, appreciate it, dream about it; it awakens feelings and emotions in our hearts; it brings us together, satisfies us, makes us aware of our essential being and our shared identity. As citizens, we can, through our acts, set the example for future generations, through responsible consumption, by cultivating our curiosity as to the origin and way in which food is produced, and by drawing closer to nature. We are all involved in the future of our planet and we can no longer remain dependent on decisions taken by others.
Jorge Soriano Bugnion
voluntary professional interpreter and activist
Original article in Spanish
http://www.fao.org/wsfs/
http://peoplesforum2009.foodsovereignty.org/
Our Newsletters are available on the WEB:http://local-development.blogspot.com/
www.apreis.org/
Special thanks to:
Judith Hitchman 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
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
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
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
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:
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
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:
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
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
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
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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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