Alex's Desktop - שולחן העבודה של אלכס

Hardware for Humanity

2011-11-11T09:45:00.001+02:00

When studying at Cornell University I took a hands-on course in Farm Welding. The idea was to balance between all the academic courses I was taking in agriculture and to attempt to bridge the gap between me (suburban boy) and the the farm-grown folk. Little did I know who truly significant the course would be. From the moment I joined up with the folks that would found Kibbutz Lotan I spent many, many years in the garage - metal shop as a tractor mechanic, machine designer / constructor and building welder.

Marcin Jakubowski has opened the Global Ecovillage Construction Set - http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Global_Village_Construction_Set. He came upon this idea after realizing that his academic-theoretical education was 'useless' but his creative knowledge was exactly what would allow him to make a productive farm in Missouri. Marcin - nothing is useless if you use it to progress - and you certainly have!

This quick TED talk tells the story of this opensource hardware sharing project:

Tractors for changing the world. I'm interested in his earth brick press. Which reminds me of the rotating brick press I saw at Galagafarm Ecovillage in Hungary...time to check in how that project is coming along.

I miss working in the shop and I have a short list of project that I'd like to build - we're working on a new green-building design (simple rectangular steel framed strawbale) and I really want to realize my Cornell dream of setting up a methane digestor for cooking gas in the EcoCampus. Maybe in 2012?

2011-10-25T11:04:00.001+02:00

The envelope on my chair.

An envelope was on my chair in the office this morning. In it are 3 photocopies of the article The Marriage of Natural Building with Conventional Building by Brandy Gallagher & Elke Cole, Communities Magazine, Summer 2008, #139 [TEXT]. The article describes the work being done by the young, inspired and creative builders of O.U.R. Ecovillage in British Colombia. An article that we wrote about the issue of working with code and engineering officials to make safe houses in Israel appeared in the same issue Livni, M., (2008). Battling the Bureaucracy in Israel. Communities Magazine, Summer 2008, #139 [PDF].

I had met some of the O.U.R. gang at the 2008 Natural Building Colloquium and enjoyed listening to their dreams of building community, both physically and socially. I think that they are also behind the work at http://www.cobworks.com/ on Mayne Island

The major construction of this cob was completed in a 3 week workshop led by Ianto Evans and Elke Cole of CCC. Hilde's project was the first cob fully permitted as a house in Canada. The roof is totally load bearing on the cob walls. The house is 600 sq.ft on 2 floors and is fully plumbed and wired. Finished cob and roof construction costs were approximately $56,000.

I checked out Elke Cole's website http://elkecole.com/services/houses-that-love-you-back/ and photo albums [LINK] inspiring natural building projects (lots of cob)

exceptional work in Africa empowering women to build homes & wood conserving cook stoves that don't pollute the air in the house

http://elkecole.com/projects/mnenia-village-project/

and community buildings

full of light and music

In her blog she speaks of the the work that she's done, lessons she's learned and her personal growth as she leaves O.U.R.

"As I write this I am acutely aware that I learn most when in contact with others. The deeper the connection, the more vulnerable we become, the bigger the learning and the more I feel a sense of belonging."

This connected to a conversation that I had yesterday about community living with a friend overseas who pointed out how we on kibbutz "live, work, play, socialize, pray and more in the same physical location for most of your days." and "wondered if that reality felt comforting, boring, reclusive?". I can say that I'm never bored. I have to agree with Elke about the 'acute awareness' and how that has molded me, not unlike when mixing mud, sand, water and straw to build. Unlike a wall it's a dynamic process - every meeting with every person, both in my community and outside has meaning. Yesterday it was the bus driver who let me on the bus home even though it had left the station - a small act of kindness that was very important to me, and so I expressed my gratitude again during the ride to which he smiled. This morning it was a finding a compromise with a community member and noticing how as we spoke the look of tension on her face turned to calm and a smile.

I wonder a lot about the value of spending a period of time in an intentional community and how that inter-plays with transforming society. This morning's sync is that while looking at a backlink website that poped up as I searched for Elke's website, I checked out www.kibbutzlotan.com's backlinks and one of the first to appear was the Institute for Democratic Education, a teacher's training institute started by a graduate of Kibbutz Lotan's Year of Service program (post high school - pre-IDF/National Service) Eyal Ram. Eyal speaks of how his year on Lotan instilled in him the fervor to transform schools. He and the team he has built does spectacular work

2011-10-25T01:20:00.002+02:00

Which do I read first?

I took the bus to Jerusalem today. The traffic from the central bus station to Hebrew Union College / Beit Shumel was bumper to bumper and took so long that I debated whether I should try the tram or just walk on the way back (see below).

My trip was to meet with Rabbi Dick Hirsch. He was the founding director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington DC and active in the civil rights movement, was the professional head of the World Union for Progressive Judaism and active in freeing Jews from the USSR, and was significant in establishing the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism and the Reform Kibbutzim. On top of all that - he's a really sweet guy. And with his wife Bella (with whom I love to share milking stories with - hers from the family homestead in Siberia, mine from the beginning of the Lotan dairy) they appear to be simple, nice people. They've impacted the lives of millions. [LINK - From the Hill to the Mount]

While we were talking I was reading the titles of the books that covered his walls. Most of the jackets were old and worn, few I had read, each of them I'm sure had some influential message that I was sad that I've missed out on. I remembered to asked him for a copy of his new book For the Sake of Zion which focuses on Reform Zionism. I wanted a formal photo and as I pulled out the camera, our photographer Menachem stepped in. It was a daily sync because at that moment Dick and I we were talking about developing Kibbutz Lotan's Center for Creative Ecology and our relationship with the Jewish National Fund of which Menachem Leibovic is Deputy Chairman.

When I got home I was enticed by a friend to check out the Huffington Post. At the bottom of the home page was another part of the sync: Jewish Books: 18 Essential Texts Every Jew Should Read. So the theme continues: Which Do I Read First?

--
The third sync was the new Jerusalem Tram. When I got to Rehov Yafo (Jaffa Street) I remembered yesterday's post about Re-Facing Jerusalem. I was looking to see if the street signs were intact and tri-lingual. I had noticed how filthy the store fronts were from bus and car soot as the bus was caught in gridlock (Yidd-lock?) at the south side of the Machane Yehuda Market. On the way back home I was thrilled to be able to breathe fresh air as Rehov Yafo is closed to traffic other than pedestrians, bikes and the tram.

I was glad to not find any defaced signs. As for graffiti (well placed on boarded windows) I saw some ancient words about social respect and tolerance "Derech Eretz preceded the Torah"

Literally, derech eretz means "the way/path of the world/land," but within the context of Jewish culture it implies everything from civility and grace, to general culture and knowledge. There is also the double meaning of eretz as both land in general and Israel in particular. Looking for a translation for this term I found the book Small Acts of Kindness: Striving for Derech Eretz in Everyday Life by Shalom Freedman (is this book #19?).

So the third sync was the flashing, clean, modern and tri-lingual destination screen on the tram:

There is the added absurdity that can be attributed to the destination itself (Air Force)...but instead I'll leave with a good feeling about clean transportation (it was actually free because they can't get the electronic bus/tram cards to work) and tolerance in the City of Peace.

2011-10-23T11:04:00.001+02:00

Which do I listen to first?

This morning I read an article in Haaretz by David Sheen titled "Israeli plan to relocate 30,000 Bedouin a gross injustice, say researchers". The piece is too short to do justice to the complexity of the issue*, nor, more importantly, does it include any of the details of "ways of dealing with it respectfully and fairly" as proposed by the researcher interviewed for the article, Clinton Bailey.

The name Clinton Bailey sounded familiar and I wanted to read more about his work. I googled his name and came upon the blog of Josh Berer named

http://joshberer.wordpress.com/

Josh blogged about his meeting with Bailey in 2009. I read Josh's bio and fascinated with this young man's interests, reviewed some of the links in blog. I've been dabbling in calligraphy since my teens. My friend Lisa studied at Reed College and knowing my interest told me in detail about the fabulous calligraphy program and instructors there. Now everyone has heard about it since Steve Jobs spoke about how taking the calligraphy class there was a pivotal moment in his life and in the development of Apple.

"names intertwined in the branches of an olive tree on the first page of the invitation, and when the page was turned, the tree would disappear and the calligraphy itself would remain" - Josh Berer

Josh's interest in Arabic Calligraphy is a thread in his interests of Language, History and Culture of this region. He's also been engaged in civil direct action - check out Re-Facing Jerusalem street signs that have been vandalized to remove the Arabic (a counterpoint to his interest in graffiti) . Kudos to Josh and Friends!

The reason that we have English, Hebrew and Arabic in the logo of our Center for Creative Ecology is because all three are Israeli National Languages and should be posted on all signs.

We have some unresolved issues with jazzing up this logo because we don't have adobe illustrator that speaks Arabic - any suggestions?

Ah - the title of this blog! One of the entries in Josh's blog lead me to the Library of Congress

Webcasts related to the Hebraic Section [LINK to Great Audio Programs!]: looking through the list I ask wonder Which do I Listen to First? (I guess none until I get an mp3 player or ipod or something like that...). Let me know which ones you listened to and enjoyed/learned from.

--
*The Policy Brief, titled “Principles for Arranging Recognition of the Bedouin Villages in the Negev,” provides an overview of the Negev Bedouin, the Goldberg and Praver Plans, and guiding principles for the proposed alternative solution as suggested by ACRI - The Association for Civil Rights in Israel. I found the document on the website http://bedouinjewishjustice.blogspot.com/ which is associated with Rabbis for Human Rights. For the record, we (Kibbutz Lotan Center for Creative Ecology) continue our relationship with the NGO BUSTAN as trainers and partners in empowering Bedouin Communities, sustainable development and natural building.

2011-10-16T07:43:00.002+02:00

http://www.baubiologie.at/asbn_erfahrungsaustausch/01_asbn_meilensteine/pages/2010_haus_simma_hittisau.htm

Slideshow of Straw Bale Building in Austria including a wide variety of building types and a chart comparing embodied energy and CO2 sequestration/emissions of insulation materials LINK from http://www.baubiologie.at/

2011-10-16T07:18:00.000+02:00

Bruce King is an engineer of the 'let's take materials and use them in the best possible way to make safe, affordable and energy efficient buildings". His expertise runs from concrete to straw bales to rebuilding Haiti. His website http://www.ecobuildnetwork.org/ presents green building in a way that building industry can understand it (hey, where did the straw bale codes go? I'll have to write to him about this) and his blog http://bruceking.posterous.com/ posts articles that have to do about where the world is going (and where it should). I just checked out his PDF: Making Concrete Blocks from Concrete Rubble - plans for forms and the process as he's been doing in Haiti.

Bruce King, PE

Green Building Press

bruce@ecobuildnetwork.org

PO Box 6397

San Rafael, CA 94903 USA

(415) 987-7271

Materials & Technology

2011-10-08T22:55:00.000+02:00

Chris Magwood has developed the Endeavoour Centre in Ontario, Canada to showcase natural building technologies in a professional manner. This website includes presentations on the materials and building techniques including pre-fab strawbale walls, inexpensive foundation systems using sandbags and tires and much more: Materials & Technology

Natural Building and Climate Change in Santa Barbara

2011-10-03T00:42:00.000+02:00

This evening I was writing an email connected to my return to Santa Barbara, Calfornia to speak at UCSB on Thursday, 17 November 2011. The last time I was there was for the Naural Building Colloquium in 2008. You can view the photos of event (thanks Kelly Hart of http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/) which included breathtaking views of the Pacific.
Gunner (in the white shirt, who runs the site with his wife Heidi) sat next to me the opening circle.
During the event we designed and framed the toilet building for the Orella Ranch site which often caters weddings.
Every wall incorporated a different "mud" building technique: cob, light straw, waddle and daub (check out the PHOTOS for more). We got a lot of work done, but as you know the finishes take time.

The finished building is gorgeous

Gunner posted these photos of the finished project including some of the Tom Watson Wick system installed next to a copse of ancient oak trees that recycles the wastewater. Details of the system appear in Art Ludwig's book and website Oasis - Art is Gunner's next door neighbor and he explained how it functioned and Tom Watson himself lead the work!

While writing emails i listened to Bill McKibben speaking at University of California Santa Barbara [VIDEO] about creating a worldwide movement http://www.350.org/ to curb carbon dioxide emissions. I'm aware of the atmospheric data, the data on the increasing acidity of the oceans (which negatively impacts coral growth), melting of glaciers and increased incidences of mosquito borne diseases as the planet gets warmer and wetter but I hadn't yet read the 2008 report in which NASA scientists said that we now know where the red line is and how much is too much for "If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm, but likely less than that." [ABSTRACT / REPORT]

I found the lecture and Bill's journey fascinating and educational but you may just want to jump ahead to the 34th minute for the slideshow which shows how "caring for the environment is not something for wealthy white folk but more so an issue that engages dark skinned people in Africa and Asia who are already feeling the changes" [PHOTOS]. Thanks Bill for leading!

May 2010 EcoNews

2010-05-24T12:16:00.000+03:00

Here is the new, May 2010 issue of Ecovillages newsletter. Diana Leafe Christian

Ecovillage Tour: Our College Class Visits Dancing Rabbit

Author Toña Luisa Osher, center.

Ecovillage Living, Money, and Quality of Life

By Toña Luisa Osher, Huehuecoyotl Ecovillage, Mexico

I think we have to think broadly and deeply when considering money and finances in an ecovillage. Economic sustainability can be measured not just in cash but also in terms of our quality of life and how we provide for our families.

It feels better to be "glue."

Ecovillage Culture: "Glue" or "Shrapnel"

By Keenan Dakota, Twin Oaks, US

Burl was expelled from Twin Oaks because of his negative behavior. However, his departure didn't automatically make Twin Oaks healthier — or safer. My take on the culture of Twin Oaks is that different people bring different strengths to the group. A group doesn't function well just because it has well-thought-out rules or systems. We don't, as individuals, behave well because of our policies, but because of how we interact together in a moment-to-moment way.

Quebec's New Ecovillage Directory

In January, 2010, Leslie Carbonneau and I published the first Directory of ecovillages and eco-communities in Quebec: Répertoire des éco-communautés du Québec. Read more:

Ecovillage Conference Tokyo, 2007

Ecovillage Conferences & Courses – Asia

Ecovillage activists, academic researchers, and ecovillage founders will participate in educational and advocacy events about ecovillages in Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines from May through September, 2010. Read more:

http://www.DianaLeafeChristian.org

http://www.EcovillageNews.org

http://www.Earthaven.org

Kibbutz Lotan Eco Volunteer Program - GoEco

2009-07-10T09:34:00.001+03:00

Volunteers can come and help with the practical ecology work of Kibbutz Lotan and live in the Eco Campus Neighborhood. The work includes caring for the migratory bird park, organic gardens, educational eco-center and natural building.

Kibbutz Lotan Eco Volunteer Program - GoEco

FW: solar seder article

2009-04-10T11:41:00.000+03:00

Dear Colleagues,

On Lotan we celebrated Birkat Hachama, blessing the Sun too: we Bless and Bake!

Please feel free to post and print the following article and photographs.

Please pass this on to newspapers that you have contact with.

Article by: Joshua Silverstein

Photo Credit: Center for Creative Ecology, Kibbutz Lotan

Alex Cicelsky

Center for Creative Ecology

a non-profit education institute supported by

Amuta Tzel Hatamar, Israel tax exempt no. 580347029

Friends of Lotan, USA 501(c)(3), no. 17053031035036

Kibbutz Lotan

D.N. Eilot 88855 Israel

Tel: +972-(0)54-979-9009

Websites: www.kibbutzlotan.com

www.birdingisrael.com

From: Joshua Silverstein [mailto:silverstein.jd@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 4:54 PM
To: Lotan-build (Alex)
Subject: solar seder write-up

Hey Alex,
Here's the solar seder article. Feel free to just forward it on.

chag sameach,
~Yoshi

--
Joshua D. Silverstein
Dorot Fellow
2008-2009
054.908.2813

Zach Staggers, GA Dec. 2005: Making Music

2009-03-16T15:23:00.002+02:00

Zach wrote at 7:25pm on February 2nd, 2009
hey fellow eco-freakos, zachary staggers assa-el berkowitz (as it is written on my lotan GA permaculture certificate) here!saying hi, and look: my band, THE SO SO GLOS, became the 1st artists signed to a brand new sustainable record label called Green Owl Records.we just put out our second album, Tourism / Terrorism on 100% post consumer paper waste. we have been relentlessly touring (with a veggie oil bus), and recording, and are spreading the word. we also co-founded an art / music / living space in brooklyn called the Market Hotel in which we take part in throwing all ages DIY shows, making brooklyn a better place!heres everything, and i hope all is well with all the LOTANoidsmy band --- THE SO SO GLOShttp://www.myspace.com/sosoglosour tour photo blog---http://thesosoglob.blogspot.com/the eco-friendly GREEN OWL RECORDShttp://www.greenowl.com/sosoglosPEACE

Let's Do It (country cleanup) video

2009-02-11T14:15:00.000+02:00

Friends –

This is from my friend Toomas, member of the Estonian Parliament. He was one of the initiators of the Lets Do It – Clean up Estonia project. Using cell phones and Google they empowered some 50,000 people to pick up 10,000 Tons of trash in One Day!

http://toru.ee/view/35f8390bcf2d

If anybody wants to clean up a country or a region, they can find some information and inspiration here.

Alex Cicelsky

Center for Creative Ecology

a non-profit education institute

Kibbutz Lotan

D.N. Eilot 88855 Israel

Tel: +972-(0)54-979-9009

Websites: www.kibbutzlotan.com

www.birdingisrael.com

Lotan EcoCenter FW: black soldier fly technology for waste digest ion to veg and fish production

2009-02-08T00:11:00.001+02:00

Hi,

Read on for what appears to be a super fast way to digest waste and produce nutrients for vegetable and fish production.

Alex

From: Paul Olivier [mailto:paul.olivier@esrint.com]
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 11:46 PM
To: (private, with public archives) Global Straw Building Network
Subject: Re: [GSBN] black soldier fly technology

Mark,

Thanks so much for sharing this with me.
I was not aware of this site.

Paul

On Sat, Feb 7, 2009 at 4:13 AM, Mark Piepkorn <mark@buildinggreen.com> wrote:

Great timing. There's a sidebar about recycling food waste this way to the feature story in the current Environmental Building News, titled "Growing Food Locally: Integrating Agriculture Into the Built Environment."
http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2009/1/29/Growing-Food-Locally-Integrating-Agriculture-Into-the-Built-Environment/?sidebar=2

At 03:38 PM 2/6/2009, Paul Olivier wrote:

I would like to share this presentation with you,
It shows how the technology has evolved over the past year.
It also features the possibility of completely closing the loop on human waste.
http://www.esrla.com/pdf/Brazil.pdf

Many thanks.
Paul
--
Paul A. Olivier
27c Pham Hong Thai, Ward 10
Dalat City
Lam Dong Province
Vietnam

Louisiana telephone: 1-337-447-4124 (rings Vietnam)
Mobile: 0906941573 (in Vietnam)
Mobile: 84-906941573 (outside Vietnam)
Skype address: Xpolivier
_______________________________________________
GSBN mailing list
GSBN@greenbuilder.com
http://greenbuilder.com/mailman/listinfo/GSBN

_______________________________________________
GSBN mailing list
GSBN@greenbuilder.com
http://greenbuilder.com/mailman/listinfo/GSBN

Courtney - GA Decemnber 2008: Back to the basics

2009-02-02T11:55:00.001+02:00

Dear Friends,

Courtney Rosser took a break from ski instruction and world travels to participate in our Green Apprenticeship (Winter 2008-9) eco-design program. She has shared the following thoughts with her friends of how to reduce our footprints in our world by making some basic and simple changes in our lifestyles and choices we make daily. These may be obvious to some of us, and new to some of us – always a good reminder and timely as Tu Bishvat (New Years for the Trees) is a week hence. Thanks Courtney for taking the time and good fortune as your journey continues.

Hugs,

Alex

Hello

It's me again...I'm beginning to embrace my newfound responsibility to pass on info to help save the world, so I'm afraid you all are going to feel the brunt of it. I realized, after some responses to my first email, that maybe I threw you all into the deep end a little bit with the info I passed on. For me, in my lifestyle, what I've learned here is the basics of what I plan to do in the future. But it slipped my mind (in my haste to share everything) that many of you live completely different lifestyles than my own, and maybe some even simpler solutions would be helpful. So I'll keep this email short and pass on some of the simple things we can all do without making drastic changes in our lives, or depriving ourselves of certain conveniences.

- try and shop locally when possible, or at the least, be aware of where you are shopping (I won't preach, but you all know first hand, or can guess my extreme dislike for Wal-mart)

- put a brick in the tank of your toilet to reduce the amount of water with each flush...every time you flush you use about 8 litres of water

- bring tupperware containers for potential leftovers when you go out to dinner OR, even better...stay at home and cook

- POT LUCKS! pot lucks are a great way to spend time with friends and family, eat delicious food, and have a great time without spending much money or dealing with going out to a restaurant. Everyone brings one dish and you're set!

- reusable bags for groceries; I know a lot of grocery stores recycle plastic bags these days, but it's still better to reduce consumption and demand for them in the first place

- find your local farmer's market, it'll provide for a fun outing, and I imagine you'll quickly taste the difference in the food. You can also look into Community Supported Agriculture in your area...local farms provide seasonal seasonal produce for you on a regular basis

- water your gardens and lawns at night, to reduce the amount of evaporation during the day

- drink tap water and use reusable water bottles

- bring a reusable mug to your local coffee shop; oftentimes you'll get a discount for this. If you're drinking/eating there, request a mug rather than a disposable cup

- keeping big jugs/reusable bottles of water in the fridge will serve as thermal mass and help regulate the temperature if you're opening and closing it a lot, reducing the amount of energy required to keep it at a steady temperature

- cut your meat consumption in half, or try and eat meat once a week, if at all

- switch to LED (the best choice) or compact fluorescent light bulbs

- buy second hand clothes...pre-loved!

- do clothes swaps with friends...gather things you all don't want anymore and bring them together, maybe someone else wants them...start a freeshare gathering! Remember, one man's trash is another's treasure

- look for natural, local products with little packaging

- turn the water off when you brush your teeth, clean the dishes, etc.

Hope some of these help. Also, I sent this website to many of you already, but I wanted to pass it on to everyone. This is a guy who lives in Manhattan who did an experiment with his wife and child to try and live for a year making zero impact on the environment. They started small and made it work and he kept a blog the entire time. So there are many little tips on his page that will work in an urban setting and may not be too inconvenient to your lifestyle...I highly recommend it!

www.noimpactman.com

Thanks for listening.

Courtney

Lotan EcoFamily GA+ update, on communities, consensus

2009-01-19T10:50:00.000+02:00

Hi,

Thanks to the folks at Communities Magazine for making the following resources available on the web. I suggest checking out the article on Consensus (Hmm – someone interested in translating it into Hebrew?).

Alex

Dear Subscribers to "Ecovillages" Newsletter,

Here is the January '09 issue - I hope you enjoy it.

The lead story profiles an ecovillage: "What We Can Learn from Ecovillage Sieben Linden"

http://www.ecovillagenews.org/wiki/index.php/What_We_Can_Learn_from_Ecovillage_Sieben_Linden

You will also find:

Is Consensus Right for Your Group? Part II

http://www.ecovillagenews.org/wiki/index.php/Is_Consensus_Right_for_Your_Group%3F_Part_II

The Feeling, Thinking, and Business Meetings of Ecovillage Sieben Linden

http://www.ecovillagenews.org/wiki/index.php/The_Feeling%2C_Thinking%2C_and_Business_Meetings_of_Ecovillage_Sieben_Linden

A New Anastasia Village in the Netherlands

http://www.ecovillagenews.org/wiki/index.php/A_New_Anastasia_

"In Grave Danger of Falling Fruit"

http://www.ecovillagenews.org/wiki/index.php/%E2%80%9CIn_Grave_Danger_of_Falling_Fruit%E2%80%9D

You'll also find the first book review and Letters from readers in Holland, France, and the US.

What I Learned from "Beyond You and Me"

http://www.ecovillagenews.org/wiki/index.php/What_I_Learned_From_%E2%80%9CBeyond_You_and_Me%E2%80%9D

Letters to the Editor

http://www.ecovillagenews.org/wiki/index.php/Letters_to_the_Editor_200901

Next issue – March 2009.

Diana Leafe Christian

Alex Cicelsky

Center for Creative Ecology

a non-profit education institute supported by

Amuta Tzel Hatamar, Israel tax exempt no. 580347029

Friends of Lotan, USA 501(c)(3), no. 17053031035036

Kibbutz Lotan

D.N. Eilot 88855 Israel

Tel: +972-(0)54-979-9009

Websites: www.kibbutzlotan.com

www.birdingisrael.com

FW: GA+ update 18JAN08

2009-01-18T16:15:00.000+02:00

Hi all. Its my pleasure to welcome to the family the current GA participants from Canada, Italy, France, Switzerland, Brazil, and US: Jacob, Courtney, Bobbi, Emily, Adrien, Michele, Gillian (Shemesh), Leo, Maya, Lila and Tara. There are great vibes in the Eco-Campus and great food during the pot-lucks. Special hugs to our Eco-Interns: Eitan, Roi, Danit, Lindsay and Maya! And big applause to Kfir, Dana, Sivan and the Projects Team that are putting up the strawbale Education, Recycling and Arts building in Eco-Kef. Tomorrow's special event will be (a Mike Kaplin produced) "Make Mud Not War".

Here's a bunch of updates:

1. Anya Gandelman (GA winter 2007-8) posted a video about folks in Pasadena CA who have made their house edible and off gridable:

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=46271242758&h=ab4nW&u=ZdU10 . I like the compact solar water heating element on the funky solar shower (Hey Nir, how about following up on your idea to put coils of black pipes on the rooftops of Lotan : http://dervaesinstitute.org/photogallery/Solar/Solar%20Shower/slides/newsolarshower-4.html

2. Eitan Altshuler along with Lindsay and Maya our current Eco-Interns who are working to send GA deep into Cyber Space, sends us the following really wonderful message:

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to announce to you the development of a Facebook group page for Lotan's Permaculture/Ecology program called "The Lotan Eco-Family." I will provide the link, but I think you might need to be a Facebook member in order to view it (or at least participate).

Here's the link.... (you can post pictures, videos, or articles...as well as comment of course)

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45145966047

The Facebook group is, more or less, closed to GA's, Eco-Interns, and Teachers/Leaders of Lotans Eco-program although invitiations have been sent to 'honored-friends' and the group is essentially public. It can be used towards finding new GA's by sending messages to members to ask/remind them to tell any friends of theirs who might be interested about the Green Apprenticeship progam. It can also be used for fund-raising from former alumni as well as giving members updates on the Bustan's, Gan-Bayit's, and Eco-Kefs development. Participants in the group can also use it as a forum towards a greater conversation about the environment, ecology, and permaculture as well as to promote new ideas and projects as well as seek help in regards to any obstacles in their way.

I can't stress enough of what extraordinary value your participation in the group can mean, and in case, you are not interested in Facebook, I would like to say that in my experience it has been a wonderful tool for staying in touch with people from all of my travels, and it's not just for college students any more. Many professionals use Facebook to network these days.

I have also started construction of Lotan's You Tube channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/KibbutzLotan

SO LET US KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO ADD TO IT and Spread the Word!

3. My search for the appropriate biogas system for the Eco-Campus turned into a "salchicha" after a couple of Ecuadorian Farmers were volunteering on Lotan (I like this better than the tank systems). This website shows the system. Have any of you built a sausage type plugflow bio/methane digester yet? http://www.ruralcostarica.com/biogas-video.html

4. Hungry? Good food from Claire (GA Spring 2008) http://www.noshveg.com/ . Good Fortune to you!

Hugs to all,

Alex

Namibia #221 - Sand, Sun and Serious Work

2008-12-06T08:44:00.001+02:00

Dear friends,

After almost 12 years in Namibia, I still can’t get used to the fact that it’s cold in June and July and boiling hot when the festive season rolls around in December. Fortunately, this year we have been blessed by some early summer rains, so the dry spell that began last April has finally broken with new grass and scattered flowers growing in the fields.

At least the farmers are happy. By contrast, the Namibian news is filled with horror stories about the failed neighboring-state of Zimbabwe (some of our Zimbabwean friends have relatives who were beaten up by the Mugabe forces), and about the teetering Namibian economy that -- even under the best of circumstances – wobbles dangerously on the triple legs of tourism, mining, and a diminishing fishing industry. But over the last six months, to no-one’s surprise, tourist bookings are down; uranium prices have fallen; and the diamond companies are saying, quite bluntly, that no one is buying. Already one third of Namibians are living on less than US$1 a day.

GOOD NEWS WE’RE GLAD TO SHARE:

Among the good news we can share is that all twelve of our local tertiary students that we help sponsor did well this year. By way of example, Lucas (who lives with us) scored amongst the best in his class for Mechanical Engineering, and we have two seniors who are about to graduate with good jobs awaiting them in geology and accounting.

Ten days ago Bernd finished teaching and I returned from 2 weeks in Ethiopia, so last weekend we took all the students to the coast for a massive camp-out and Braii (traditional Namibian barbecue). On Saturday morning, we booked a sand-boarding adventure that is a lot like tobogganing except that it takes place on huge sand dunes. True to its eco-tourism identity, there is only a cheap piece of bendable pressboard between yourself and the hot sand, onto which you literally have to hold on for dear life. Bernd and I joined the adventure and clocked 68 and 60 kilometers per hour respectively going down the step slopes (45 and 40 mph). The students overcame a lot of their own fears in doing this, which felt very empowering -- and all of us had a blast. (Sorry that our photos could only be “before” and “afterwards.” In between there was too much blowing sand that could have ruined the camera.)

Speaking of students, this past year Bernd and I also took on a double-orphan who is studying economics, and we’re hoping to add at least one more for the coming year. To make that possible, we’re willing to match all donations that come in from friends, dollar-for-dollar, up to US$2000 (meaning that we would provide an additional US$2000, for a total of US$4000). We know this is a tough time for everyone, but if you are stumped for a holiday gift for someone, why not consider a contribution in that person’s name, instead? Any amount will be gratefully accepted.

Our own holiday plans this year are simple. Bernd and I will return to the Coast for some writing, reading, craft-making and long walks on the beach: Bernd indulged me with a third dog so that will definitely keep us running! Elsita arrives on December 23^rd after her year in El Salvador; thereafter we head north for a traditional wedding (I promise to write about that in my next Namibia Diary) and finally we return to the coast for New Year’s. Come January Elsita will have to decide whether she wants to try to find work in the USA (where most of her friends live) or stay here a little longer (where, despite the economic woes, her job prospects are probably better). Meanwhile, Sergio will spend his holidays with the U.S. Marines in Okinawa, Japan – he says he is bored there but we are thrilled that he is safe.

AN ETHIOPIAN REVOLUTION, ONE NEIGHBORHOOD AT A TIME:

My own international travels are over for 2008, although the Family Health International (FHI) office in Ethiopia will definitely require me to return soon after the New Year. The work is fascinating: FHI has helped transform traditional Ethiopian burial societies (called “Iddrs”) into mutual-aid organizations that focus on living people rather than only on the dead. It’s one of those silver-linings to the AIDS pandemic that always makes me stop and think about what else we might be missing, underneath the mounds of tragedy that generally accompanies this disease.

By way of background, traditional Iddrs span the entire county as local voluntary associations for every 3,000 - 5,000 people. Based on a Government mandate, Iddrs have historically collected a small payment every month from all households in their catchment area, in order to provide financial and logistical support for burial expenses when someone dies. But with the start of the AIDS pandemic, some local Iddr leaders realized that their priorities were all wrong: So many people were dying, often for lack of medicine and healthy food. So they said, “Why not take a portion of the money allocated to each person for funeral costs and allocate it for medicine and food while the person is still alive?” If the person still dies, they argued, this amount can be deducted from the death-benefit; but if the person lives, then the amount provided can be paid back once the person starts earning money again.

Brilliant, isn’t it? From this starting point, several local Iddrs underwent a complete sea change: they asked to have local volunteers trained in home based care, and then in orphan-care (which is where I come in), and finally in resource-development, service-co-ordination, and even in monitoring-and-evaluation. One challenge will be scaling this model out to cover more and more neighborhoods, but the potential is obvious. It also amazes me that all Iddrs members are volunteers; moreover they span all religious groups (Christian and Muslim) with the mandate that each family’s own religious customs must be respected.

The world needs more of this, that’s for sure. With Obamania flying high around the world, we know that the possibilities for positive change are endless. Meanwhile we wish you and yours all the best for a safe and happy holiday season. We appreciate your friendship, your support, and your correspondence.

Yours truly,

Lucy (and Bernd)

Money can be sent directly to the Saving Remnant Program at Catholic AIDS Action (tax deductible) at: Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers; Controller's Office; PO BOX 302; Maryknoll, NY 10545-0302… Please state that this donation is for the MISSION ACCOUNT of Fr. Richard W. Bauer, Namibia and for the SAVING REMNANT program. If you need a receipt, they can provide that for you, and if you don't want to be put on the Maryknoll mailing list, please also state that in your letter (otherwise you’ll get a lot of Catholic-related mail). The alternative is to make a bank deposit into our account in the USA or in Namibia or send a check to our power-of-attorney – let us know what you prefer and we’ll send you details.

Lucy Y. Steinitz & Bernd Kiekebusch

P.O. Box 86266, Windhoek, Namibia

Lucy@steinitz.net (or)

BerndLucy@iway.na

Tel/fax: (264) - 61- 250-267

FW: Taking the next steps beyon LEED towards sustainable building

2008-12-04T14:26:00.000+02:00

While in the US I met with David Eisenberg, director of the Development Center for Appropriate Technology www.dcat.net . He informed me that in addition to the research that I new the organization was supporting in code (building codes, fire, seismic testing) in relation to natural building techniques (cob, strawbale, adobe, rammed earth…) they have become active in the USGBC for both removing barriers to technologies like straw bale construction as well as developing performance based codes for the entire construction industry.

Using the International Building Code as a trigger, Eisenberg's presentation to the Cascadia Region Green Building Council describes the Living Building Challenge (LBC) Code Barriers White Paper: a 'next step' work-in-progress, to identify and analyze code and other regulatory barriers to LBC projects and suggest ways those barriers can be addressed . (see more about the LBC below) It can be viewed here http://www.cascadiagbc.org/lbc/lf08_dcat_presentation and is very similar to his US congressional briefing (which can be viewed along with additional presentations made about low cost energy efficient building) at http://www.eesi.org/062008_Straw-Bale_Construction

This work can be seen on the website of the Cascadia Region Green Building Council www.cascadiagbc.org & http://www.cascadiagbc.org/lbc/lb-resources .

The Living Building Challenge recognizes " The USGBC is in the process of a major restructuring of the LEED® system, modifying the weightings of credits based on potential life cycle impact and adding a focus on regionalization."

Excerpt from the Living Building Challenge ver.1.3 http://www.cascadiagbc.org/lbc/lbc-v1.3.pdf :

The purpose of the Living Building Challenge is straightforward – to define the highest measure of

sustainability possible in the built environment based on the best current thinking – recognizing that ‘true

sustainability’ is not yet possible. The Living Building Challenge is by definition difficult to achieve. Although

facets of this standard have been accomplished in numerous projects around the world, to date, no single

project has integrated the Challenge in its entirety. With this standard, Cascadia aims to encourage dialogue

on the necessary evolution of the building industry and engender support for the first pilot projects, until

more and more Living Buildings emerge.

Two rules govern the standard:

1. All elements of the Living Building Challenge are mandatory. Many of the requirements have temporary

exceptions to acknowledge current market limitations. These are listed in the footnotes of each

section. Exceptions will be modified or removed as the market changes.

2. Living Building designation is based on actual, rather than modeled or anticipated, performance.

Therefore, buildings must be operational for at least twelve consecutive months prior to evaluation.

I think this information is pertinent to sustainable development university departments staff and students. Please feel free to forward this message.

Alex

2008-12-03T09:44:00.000+02:00

3 December 2008

Yesterday afternoon Lucy and I were traveling back to Lotan from Sde Boker. "Shall we try to hitch while waiting for the bus?" Lucy asked. We like hitching because we usually meet great people, and I know that they'll stop for her quicker than they'll stop for me. Sure enough, the second car stops. The back seat has cases of wine. Yossi, the driver is the sales manager for two new and excellent wineries. He was driving to Eilat, along with his pal Shalom who is the rep for high quality German beers. We introduce ourselves and started discussing "ecology" stuff of course. Yossi was adamant, "we'll finish off the world long before we really start discussing how to save it, let alone take action". Shalom agreed. They said that they are part of the problem because they are opinionate but do little to help. I said that wine is extremely "eco" because it is a very low impact way of celebrating life daily at home and with friends - a way to appreciate the simple things that we have in life. With a good wine and simple food and those around us we make the regular moments unique and meaningful. When we learn to do this and enjoy it we don't need high-carbon (dioxide emissions to the atmosphere) diets of travel to Las Vegas, big cars and "entertainment" adventures. The conversation continued with Lucy and I receiving an education on wine growing and processing and quality from a wine master. Soon we passed through Mitzpe Ramon and we stopped at the edge overlook to Ramon Crater. Yossi said, "lets appreciate the simple thinks that we have in life", opened a spectacular bottle of wine and there sipped liquid joy as we watched the sunset over the colored twisted cliffs accompanied by Ibex, the crescent moon, Venus and Jupiter.

GA+ update: CNN - Simple Living and Eco Communities

2008-09-08T13:11:00.000+03:00

Dear Friends,

1. Thanks to Kazimir of the Global Ecovillage Network for telling us about the International Communities newsfeed put out by Communities Magazine. You can see the latest feed -

Simple Living and Eco Communities featured on CNN,

http://communitybuzz.ic.org/2008/08/25/cnn-simple-living-and-eco-communities/

and subscribe on their website.

2. WE ALL NEED to put out the word and get the next Green Apprenticeship sessions filled up. We've listen to your feedback and streamlined the program. 6 weeks of EcoLiving and EcoLearning in the Domes that you built - doesn't everyone want to do that? Spread the word!

Spread the Link!

Green Apprenticeship Permaculture and Ecovillage Education December 2008, February And April 2009;

http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/creativeEcology/ga/index.htm

And for college age students who want to spend a semester in Israel and receive credit there's the Living Routes (LR) Peace, Justice and the Environment Program which includes GA:

http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/creativeEcology/peaceJusticeEnvironment.html

3. We need your help to give the gift of EcoEducation to Israelis: if you know of folk who want to invest in Israel's future, the Green Apprenticeship Scholarship fund is the place to plant their money.

4. This week: we say goodbye to Neta (GA Fall 2007) who's been educating and empowering kibbutz lotan's youth for two years now and Goldie (GA neighborhood builder) as they set off to world travels. The windows are going on domes 9 and 10. The LR group arrives today. The date harvest is going well. Life is good.

Shalom and Hugs,

Alex

Alex Cicelsky

Center for Creative Ecology

a non-profit education institute supported by

Amuta Tzel Hatamar, Israel tax exempt no. 580347029

Friends of Lotan, USA 501(c)(3), no. 17053031035036

Kibbutz Lotan

D.N. Eilot 88855 Israel

Tel: +972-(0)54-979-9009

Websites: www.kibbutzlotan.com

www.birdingisrael.com

Environment, Solar Power, Ecosystems, Land use reading from Alex

2008-09-01T11:30:00.000+03:00

Dear Israel LR-PJ&E Fall students,

Welcome to Israel, to the Heat and Humidity and Beauty of the Elah Valley. Please extend my personal regards to your hosts at the Eco-Arts project and Enjoy!

I don’t want to take away from the spiritual and group-building experience of the coming week. So please continue reading when you have 10-15 minutes to read about Land Use and Environmental Issues.

Context -

It is not trivial that you are where you are and that the opportunity for creating an Eco/Arts based community exists. Communal life in Israel is a protected and regulated by law. We’ll look more deeply into the structure of this legal system and its implications (for Israel and EcoVillages worldwide) later on when you are on Lotan. The issues in the law pertain to interior structures and relationship with the government. Government means in particular the Israel Lands Authority (ILA) which administrates LAND USE in Israel. One of the cardinal issues that you will be confronted with every place you visit during this semester will be “who owns the land” and “what is permitted to do on it”. Please remember to ask these questions – they are intrinsic to understanding the planning and sustainability of projects. You can start with the Eco-Art’s dance studio!

With that introduction here are two articles in this week’s Israeli press that could be titled “They giveth – they taketh away”.

The first is about the ILA and GIVING - using land for large scale solar panel parks (like the ones we want to build in the Arava).

The second is about the ILA and TAKING – destroying the remaining sand dunes ecosystem in the Israeli Arava (15 minutes south of Lotan) by mining them for sand for the construction industry.

See you soon,

Alex Cicelsky

Center for Creative Ecology - Kibbutz Lotan

Arava Institute for Environmental Studies / Ben Gurion University Desert Research

www.kibbutzlotan.com

phone - 054-979-9009

This is MIDEASTENVIRONET - The Middle East Environmental Network

Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 12:30:54 -0400

From: Stuart Schoenfeld <schoenfe@YORKU.CA>

Subject: Lands Admininstration to go green with renewable energy Haaretz

Lands Admininstration to go green with renewable energy Haaretz

By Avi Bar-Eli, TheMarker Correspondent

Renewable energy in Israel is receiving a major boost: The Israel Lands

Administration (ILA) will grant a partial, or even full exemption from leasing

fees for land used for generating 'green' electricity.

The full exemption will apply to land allocated for renewable energy projects,

such as wind turbines or solar panels, in areas near the northern and Gaza

borders - so-called confrontation-line regions. For regions in the periphery

defined as National Priority A, the fees will be only 31% of the regular

amount, and 51% in areas defined as National Priority B.

The decision is not just lip service to environmental causes, but will have a

significant monetary effect for the state, as the state coffers will now be

forfeiting millions of shekels a year. However, the reduced rates may alter the

calculations and make more investments in renewable energy in the periphery

worthwhile.

The move will have particular importance for the solar energy projects planned

for the Negev and Arava deserts in the south, most of which are in areas of

national priority. It will also have significant effects on

electricity-generating projects along the northern border, many of which are

based on pumping water up to elevated reservoirs at night when electricity is

cheap, and then using the water to generate electricity during peak hours by

letting it flow downward and turn generating turbines. Electra has planned such

a project near Manara in the north at an investment of NIS 1 billion.

The decisions were reached in a meeting this week between National

Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, his director general Yechezkel

(Chezie) Kugler, ILA Director General Yaron Bibi and other ILA officials. The

ILA agreed in principle to Ben-Eliezer's request to join the effort to provide

incentives for renewable energy projects, despite the loss of revenue involved.

The ILA's governing council will be asked to officially approve the list of

benefits next week.

Only a month ago, the council decided to charge the full fees - 91% of the value

of the land - for such renewable energy projects, a decision met with shock from

all sides involved in the energy sector and other parts of the government. The

decision had huge financial implications for such energy projects, particularly

for solar and wind plants that demand large tracts of land. As a result,

Ben-Eliezer asked to reconsider the decision.

Installing solar panel arrays or wind turbines on buildings will also be

exempted from the ILA's land usage fees, as long as the total annual power

generated is no larger than the amount of electricity used by the owners. This

is particularly good news for moshavim and kibbutzim, many of whom are in the

process of signing huge contracts to install large solar arrays on the roofs of

their houses and other buildings, in an effort to provide incentives for the

communities to become self-sufficient in terms of energy.

In addition, the ILA decided a month ago to consider only 10% of agricultural

land used for renewable energy projects as industrial land, which carries

higher fees.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1016348.html

*****************************************************************

This is MIDEASTENVIRONET - The Middle East Environmental Network

Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 12:31:36 -0400

From: Stuart Schoenfeld <schoenfe@YORKU.CA>

Subject: A world in a grain of sand Haaretz

A world in a grain of sand Haaretz

By Amir Zohar

The good gerbil and the bad gerbil are two species of small rodents that are

engaged in a struggle for survival in the sands around Samar, a kibbutz in the

Arava desert. The good gerbil lives in the natural sands of Samar and Kibbutz

Elifaz, in the estuary of the Timna Rift, and is content with little - a few

leaves saturated in water, and golden dunes. The bad gerbil is the

materialistic one. It likes large quantities of leaves, and when they are

available, due to human intervention, its brutal character comes to the fore:

It forces the good gerbil out of the "cultured" dunes into those on the

margins.

"The balance of terror between these two guys reflects the thesis that I proved

in my research," says Roi Talbi, a zoologist and expert in desert animals who

is a member of Kibbutz Samar. "Wherever there was human intervention in nature,

be it in the form of pumping sewage or farming, I found that the bad gerbil

overcame the good gerbil and multiplied. Where there was a natural balance, the

presence of the bad gerbil declined and the good gerbil multiplied. The

conclusion is that the bad gerbil is incapable of living in the harsh

conditions of true nature in the desert. In an analogy to our economy, the bad

gerbil is like the last of the entrepreneurs, who needs state assistance in

every privatization."

The struggle for survival being waged by rodents in burrows is a perfect

metaphor for the bureaucratic wrangling underway directly above them.

Government ministries, environmental organizations, scientists, Arava residents

and their supporters from around the country are all battling, either to

preserve the sand of the last great sea of dunes in the Arava, or to sell it to

real-estate developers in Eilat.

The construction industry in Eilat currently has three significant sources for

fine, high-quality natural sand: Mishor Rotem near Dimona, the Samar sands and

the sands of the northern Arava (which were transferred to Jordan in the peace

treaty with that country). Another source of sand is a quarry that has been dug

near Eilat - cheaper sand, at NIS 20 a ton, but of inferior quality. Excavating

and transporting a ton of sand from Dimona to Eilat costs NIS 75, but the

high-quality sand from Samar and Jordan can be had for only NIS 60 a ton. The

result is that the Samar site, which is about 40 kilometers from Eilat, is

preferred by the Israel Lands Administration (ILA), the National Infrastructure

Ministry and the developers; whereas the environmentalists and the local

residents want this dune to be left alone.

The Samar site lies east of the date groves of two kibbutzim, Samar and Elifaz,

on the Israel-Jordan border. It once extended across about seven square

kilometers, but after allocations of land for farming and sand quarrying,

barely 2.5 square kilometers remain, in a narrow strip divided into three

parts: the northern segment, which has been declared a nature reserve; the

central segment, which the greens also want declared a nature reserve, but

which is designated for quarrying; and the southern segment, of which half has

been annihilated in the wake of quarrying in recent years, and whose other half

the ILA also wants to turn into a sand quarry.

"The streams in the southern Arava do not flow south to the sea, but eastward,"

says geologist Dr. Hanan Ginat of Kibbutz Samar, explaining how the dunes were

formed. "In the past, the sand arrived from the Timna Valley in floods, as

alluvium that included pebbles, fine sand and clay. The fine sand, the only

type that is good for construction, was heaped into dunes by the wind that did

the sorting and carried it from the mouth of the stream."

But nature is now less able to renew the sand reserves in the Arava. "There are

far fewer floods, in part because of global warming," Ginat says. "And, in

addition, the kibbutzim, Samar and Elifaz, planted huge date groves in the

middle of the area, which also block the diminished flow of sand from the Timna

Rift. The result is that the alluvial path has changed and now bypasses the area

of the dunes."

Ginat launched the struggle to save the dunes in 1997. It has not always been

successful, because the ILA, with the authorization of government planning

departments, constantly cut into the sands. The worst affected was the southern

segment, constituting about a fifth of the total, which was completely leveled.

"What is left for us to propose is that they continue to quarry at the existing

site, but in depth," Ginat says. "A study I conducted there, together with the

geologist Dr. Amir Eidelman, proved that there is still good sand - albeit of a

slightly lower quality - beneath the quarried area. The fact is that when the

contractor was unable to quarry in the other segments, he simply dug deep into

the existing site, even though he was forbidden to do so, proving the soundness

of our thesis. But the ILA and the Infrastructure Ministry simply do not want to

engage in artificial sorting, because it is expensive for the entrepreneurs.

They want the ready-made dunes, in which the wind has already done the sorting

naturally. Their demand is contrary to all the principles of sustainable

development, which also consider the needs of future generations."

Not all the sand goes for construction. Farmers in the northern Arava also use

sand, and in even larger quantities, as a base for their hothouses. The

relative shortage of sand has not yet given rise to huge thefts and violent

struggles for control between criminals, as it has in the coastal plain region.

But here it is precisely state authorities - the ILA and the Infrastructure

Ministry - that are behind the initiative to expand the quarrying, for the

financial benefit of contractors in Eilat and farmers of the Arava, but at the

expense of rare natural resources.

In this connection, the ILA spokeswoman, Ortal Tzabar, notes that the increasing

demand for sand generated a wave of thefts, which led the ILA to step up its

plan. However, a request for concrete information about the thefts went

unanswered. In the meantime, a tender to quarry sands at Samar issued in May by

the ILA and the Infrastructure Ministry infuriated the Interior Ministry.

Officials there maintained that it was wrong to issue the tender before a

number of conditions, decided on by professional bodies in January 2007, were

met. "The ILA asked for a year to carry out the obligations," the Interior

Ministry spokeswoman, Sabine Haddad, said. "But although more than a year and a

half has passed, we have not yet received information on the subject."

The ILA, which was quick to issue a statement to the press on the success of the

tender and the interest taken in it by more than 20 contractors, says it was

surprised by the Interior Ministry's reaction. According to the ILA, the tender

was based on an authorized plan for the territory and on an additional

authorization by the committee on planning principles, which discussed the plan

to build a rail line to Eilat. The Interior Ministry reacted to this curtly:

"Our response stands."

The ILA position is that the state must supply the sand needed for construction

in Eilat, amounting to about 160,000 tons a year, and the needs of the farmers

in the northern Arava, who, the ILA estimates, will need some 10 million tons

of sand in the coming decade to re-layer the hothouses. As for the conditions

laid down by the professional team (digging in depth at the existing site and

examining the request for the area to be declared a nature reserve), the ILA

stated: "The Nature and Parks Authority obligated itself to execute drilling

that would make possible laboratory tests of the subterranean material, but did

not do so ... According to geological advice we received, the subterranean

material is inferior to the material of the sand dunes ... In addition, deep

digging is not suitable for the future route of Israel Railways ... Regarding

the nature reserve, the ILA will consider its position if and when the plan is

submitted to the planning committees."

Beyond the conflict with the Interior Ministry, the ILA position is not

consistent with the facts, at least as they are described by the established

green organizations. "We never gave the ILA a commitment to execute a

subterranean sand quality examination," says Guy Alon, the director of the

Eilat District of the Nature and Parks Authority. "The authority actually

offered its help to the ILA in this regard, because it is important for us to

preserve the territories, but our offer was rejected."

Alon, who is in charge of law enforcement against the sand thieves, together

with the ILA, adds: "I am not aware of sand thefts in our region, which extends

north from Eilat to Kilometer 101, nor have I heard of thefts north of our

district. I don't understand the ILA's urgency - on top of which the primary

momentum of building in Eilat is already over. Half the city was built without

a grain of sand from Samar, which means that good solutions exist."

The director of the Southern District of the Society for the Protection of

Nature in Israel (SPNI), Shai Technai, discerns a disparity in the approach of

the residents of the southern Arava, who are against quarrying - "because their

economy is based on date groves" - and the farmers of the northern Arava, who

are in favor of sand quarrying at Samar "in order to reduce transportation

costs."

Nature and Parks Authority official Alon: "We are not against quarrying, and the

authorized plan also permits it, but before doing damage, let's first please

exhaust all the alternatives." The SPNI is also unable to fathom the ILA's

moves; its legal adviser has written to the ILA asking for explanations, but

has yet to receive replies. The head of the Hevel Eilot Regional Council, Udi

Gat, fired off a furious letter to the new ILA director general, Yaron Bibi. "I

want to lodge a sharp protest against the tender," he wrote earlier this month.

After listing the violations of the professional body's decisions, he

concluded: "I want to demand the immediate annulment of the tender, or at least

its suspension."

Roi Talbi, who is leading the struggle against the ILA, was born in Rishon

Letzion to a traditionalist Yemenite family; photographs of his grandparents

hang on the wall above his computer in his trailer at Samar. He arrived in the

kibbutz 13 years ago as part of a Nahal paramilitary brigade group made up of

former members of SPNI trekking groups. (He is the only one of the group still

living in the kibbutz.) After obtaining a bachelor's degree in biology, he did

his M.A., on the ecology of the sands, at the Institute for Desert Research at

Midreshet Sde Boker in the Negev. He now teaches at the Arava Institute for

Environmental Studies in Kibbutz Ketura and also works as a packer of the

area's majhoul dates.

Talbi's pet subject is the Persian haloxylon, a plant that constitutes the axis

of the natural food chain in the Samar region. In the course of drilling during

his research, he found small reservoirs of groundwater at a depth of six meters.

"That is the haloxylon's source of life. It is a protected plant that exists

only in the Arava sands," he explains. "This bush, which has roots going 10

meters deep, gray branches and thin, fleshy leaves, is the host for a whole

population of creatures: rodents, birds, insects and rabbits - all of them

vegetarians that eat its leaves and fruit. But lizards eat the insects and

snakes eat the lizards. The large predators - mammals such as foxes, sand cats

(now extinct), wolves and hyenas that arrive from afar, prey on whatever is

available to them on the surface.

"The Arava," he continues, "is considered one of the 10 hottest and driest

deserts in the world, and it also suffers from a high level of radiation

because of its characteristic whiteness. So during the day in the summer, the

animals burrow into the sand, which is insulating and airy. But in the evening,

a whole show of animals gets underway here," he says, visibly enjoying the

memory of his experiences in the field.

"The Samar animals like extremes. They live only in the sands, with wind, and

they dislike water and vegetation. The proof is that when water is introduced

from an artificial source, such as sewage in the northern segment, where there

is more vegetation, the bad animals from the Arava and the Negev go there and

displace the Samar animals. This is what is happening in the northern nature

reserve, because of its proximity to farmland.

"In fact," Talbi notes, "if I apply my desert thesis in full, then I am also

against growing the wonderful majhoul dates, which sell in Europe for a euro

each. True, I myself work with them and make a living from them, but maybe I

should be kicked out of the kibbutz because I am angry at the damage the grove

is causing to the zoology of the dunes."

Talbi's struggle has the professional and social backing of geologist Hanan

Ginat, who has lived in Samar since 1979, when he, too, arrived there as part

of a Nahal group. Ginat, married and the father of five children, was born in

Jerusalem's Katamon neighborhood, and together with his son Amir took part in

the initiative of fans of the Hapoel Jerusalem soccer team, who last season

established Hapoel Katamon as an alternative team.

After obtaining an undergraduate degree in education and teaching, he switched

to geology for his master's. He did the research for his Ph.D., which he

obtained from Ben Gurion University of the Negev, in the Arava, "at a time when

there were still floods here, which there no longer are, and dunes, which have

now stopped wandering because of the lack of rain." He now leads SPNI training

courses and serves as the scientific director of the Dead Sea and Arava Science

Center. A book, "Geology of the Negev," which he co-authored with the

researchers Ezra Zilberman and Yoav Avni, will soon be published. In charge of

its production is Dr. Amir Eidelman, a member of the executive board of SPNI

and a geological adviser to ILA.

"When the ILA wanted the land, we drew up a report together and suggested to

them that they dig deep in the existing area," Ginat says. "Eidelman even

brought a tractor from Eilat, with which we dug a pit and proved that the deep

sand is just as good. How come he is suddenly working as a geological adviser

to the ILA and changing his opinion completely? This is a salient conflict of

interest."

Eidelman, for his part, says: "I started to advise the ILA 15 years ago, and it

has nothing to do with my being a member of the executive board, on which I

serve on a volunteer basis. In the report with Ginat, the subterranean sand

sample was higher than the usual criterion for construction sand (9-15 percent,

as compared to 3-5 percent). Still, it was clear to us that this sand could be

exploited, and it was exploited, even though it is not the best. The report I

have now conveyed to the ILA is based on the examination from that time and on

a recent examination, and the results are specified in the documents of the

tender. In the report for the tender I informed the contractors that only 30

percent is above ground and 70 percent is below ground."

Then why start a new site instead of going deeper with the existing excavation?

"Because of the opposition of the planning committees, since the area is

designated for farming, and the objection of the drainage authorities to the

creation of pits in the area."

Earlier this month, the ILA conducted a tour for contractors at Samar. Talbi and

his friends had created a presentation and circulated a petition in the weeks

before the visit, and about 50 demonstrators showed up in the broiling midday

heat of the Arava with posters and whistles to greet the 20 candidates for the

tender and the representatives of the ILA, headed by Dr. Amir Eidelman.

Talbi: "The truth is that it is hard to get Arava residents actively involved.

Most of the demonstrators were not from the kibbutzim, but from all over the

country. Not all the locals even signed the petition. We got most of the

reactions from the north and center of the country - maybe the northerners are

more developed when it comes to this issue."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1016203.html

Video Clip of Building a Green Apprenticeship Dome

2008-06-15T17:33:00.001+03:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SEahWSgs0k

Solar Cooking, Education and support of refugee relief efforts

2008-04-23T10:50:00.000+03:00

Jewish World Watch (JWW)
16944 Ventura Blvd. Suite 1
Encino, CA 91316
818-501-1836

info@jewishworldwatch.org

Solar Cookers International

1919 21st Street #101
Sacramento, CA 95811, U.S.A.
T: +1 (916) 455-4499
F: +1 (916) 455-4498
info@solarcookers.org

April 23, 2008, Hai (18) Nissan 5768

Dear Friends,

As Jewish Environmental activists and educators, we have been following your work and others in Africa to bring solar cooking to those in need. We applaud your activities and encourage visitors and students to support JWW and Solar Cookers International's efforts. This is particularly relevant during this Pesach/Passover week when we are all attuned to the Holiday's themes of freedom and self determination. Part of the tour in our eco-center includes brewing tea in a solar oven – while adjusting the oven's direction toward the sun visitors are told the story of how solar ovens save lives of Darfur refugees, and our appreciation of efforts made by your organizations.

Utilization of solar cooking is a component of our 10 week Green Apprenticeship (GA) program. Students use the CooKit model (sent to us by Solar Cookers to support our education work) that is used in Chad (as well as permanent box and reflector models that they construct). The weekly (and this evening's "kosher for Pesach") pot-luck dinner will have many items cooked in solar ovens. We will also be reviewing the Iridmi report posted by Solar Cookers: most of our graduates become involved in social action activities and this project and report convey in a professional way the challenges and systematic approach in technology transfer and social interaction to achieve success.

In my opinion the webpage Iridimi refugee camp, Chad | Darfur refugees

http://www.solarcookers.org/programs/iridimi.html is one of the best resources I have ever seen on the internet. In addition to the general information and images, inclusion of the

PowerPoint Presentation (pdf)
Frequently asked questions (pdf) (doc)
August 2006 Solar Cooker Review
October 2007 audio interview with Iridimi project evaluator and SCI board member Gabriele Simbriger-Williams
October 2007 project evaluation (pdf)

makes it a powerful education tool and worthy of recognition by the media (this is being bcc'd to Israeli internet reviewers as well).

We incorporate talking about the realities of refugees in Africa while making solar ovens with students – youth visiting for day visits as well as GA. To improve the program I have a few questions:

1. Students are keen on hearing what is going on "today". Obviously the tragedy continues. Specifically though is there a 2008 report on the continued use of the solar cookers in camps that have production facilities? I did not find one in either of your websites or in the site of the Darfur Alert Coalition.

2. What does it take to be a JWW Supporting Organization of the Solar Cooker Project? Can schools, youth organizations and synagogues in Israel, Canada and Europe join as well as the US organizations listed?

3. We have had challenges in finding a "friendly" glue for binding the aluminum to the [recycled] cardboard. In the Iridmi presentation (slide 21) it states that "Gum Arabic is a product from Acacia senegalensis, a tree indigenous to Chad. The gum makes excellent glue when dissolved in tepid water" We have many acacia trees. Who can be contacted to learn about the process of extracting the material (sap?) to produce the glue used in Chad?

4. We are particularly fond of building with earth. I'm sure that a version similar to Oriol Ballin's cob solar oven will be incorporated in our Green Apprenticeship neighborhood where students live in domes constructed by covering a simple steel geodesic frame with straw bales and earth plaster. Oriol – did you build this oven at the Rocamare Environmental Education center in Catalunya? Do you have performance data / improvement suggestions to share?

We will be adding the links to http://solarcookers.org/, http://solarcooking.org/ and www.jewishworldwatch.org to our websites.

Thank you again for your work!

Alex

BCC: Eco-Alumni of Center for Creative Ecology, eco-colleagues

Alex Cicelsky

Center for Creative Ecology

a not-for-profit education institute supported by

Amuta Tzel Hatamar, Israel tax exempt no. 580347029

Friends of Lotan, USA 501(c)(3), no. 17053031035036

Kibbutz Lotan

D.N. Eilot 88855 Israel

Tel: +972-(0)54-979-9009

Websites: www.kibbutzlotan.com

www.birdingisrael.com

FW: Inspired Action- Transition Towns

2008-02-26T14:35:00.000+02:00

From Anya (Green Apprenticeship Winter 2007-8

Subject: Inspired Action- Transition Towns

Here is a great article about Rob Hopkins and the birth and life of Transition Towns and some links, in both he generously shares tons of information. If a community does take up the initiative much support is out there for the wonderful work that this is!

www.transitiontowns.org
www.transitionculture.org
www.eatthesuburbs.org

I made attempts to attach the 50 page Transition Primer but it just would happen, so just go to the first link and you will find it there. It's all very wonderful and inspiring, so far in the UK there is something like 30 of these initiative with Totnes (in the south) being well developed in it's transition.

Enjoy, Anya

This month’s Ecologist magazine is one of the best editions yet. It contains a superb piece called ‘Power On’ which offers a refreshingly frank assessment of the UK’s energy situation in the light of peak oil and climate change which is essential reading (I’ll link to it when an online version becomes available). It also has a long piece about Transition Initiatives which presents the whole approach in a very positive way. The Ecologist have kindly given us permission to reproduce this article below; Local Hero: Rob Hopkins, Transition Town Totnes. By Ed Hamer. From creating its own currency to relearning lost arts, now one man is helping a community respond to the threat of peak oil.
Totnes is a town rapidly re-branding itself. Renowned as the alternative capital of Britain’s greenest county, the town’s name traditionally conjures images of crystal healing, new age culture, beards and sandals. It may come as a surprise then, that this dreamy pastoral backwater is the location for what has been dubbed ‘the most significant and potentially ground-breaking social experiment of our time’.
Transition Town Totnes, as it has more recently become known, is the first initiative of its kind in the UK attempting to reduce the carbon footprint of an entire community in a way that is imaginative, fun and engaging. Over the next 12– 18 months the project will develop a community-led Energy Descent Action Plan setting out an achievable timetable for reducing the town’s dependency on fossil fuels.
On first impressions you may be forgiven for thinking that Transition Town Totnes is an idealistic proposal reminiscent of the utopian sixties counterculture. You may also believe that our inevitable transition to an oil-free society cannot possibly be cultivated at community level, but instead must be led by industry or government. If this is the case, you will certainly not have attended one of the many talks given across the UK over the past year by the man behind Transition Culture, Rob Hopkins.
Rob is not your average Bohemian Totnesian. He also disarmingly humble considering what he’s achieved since moving here just two years ago. We meet on a drizzly Devonshire afternoon in the Field Kitchen of Riverford organic farm a handful of miles to the west of the town. Rob grins broadly as we sit down with a glass of local Luscombe ginger ale.
‘We came here a few weeks ago for my wedding reception’ he tells me, ‘We held the ceremony at a youth hostel near Totnes, which we all got to by going up the river on a boat’. Eccentric, perhaps; you get the impression however that Rob is the kind of chap who simply lives what he breathes; low impact living.
Rob’s conviction is rooted in the idea that ‘A town simply using much less energy and resources than at present could, if properly planned for and designed, be a more resilient, more abundant and more pleasurable place to live’. His passion is inspired by a pioneering approach which has applied the principles of permaculture design to the inevitability of the peak oil crisis.
The term ‘permaculture’ was developed by Australian ecologists Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970’s, to describe the practice of observing natural ecosystems to identify remedies to man-made problems. Originally applied to agricultural systems (permanent agriculture) the concept was soon adapted to energy efficiency, building design and resource sustainability.
Rob’s first introduction to permaculture came while travelling in India in the early nineties. On returning to the UK he enrolled on a two week permaculture design course after seeing Bill Molllison give a talk in Stroud. ‘I remember being blown away by the realisation that permaculture actually provides us with a toolkit for earth repair. The course and the talk had a big influence on my degree in urban planning at Bristol and has inspired my work ever since’.
Following his graduation Rob moved, with his young family, to Ireland where he began teaching permaculture and pioneered the Practical Sustainability course at Kinsale Further Education College. The course quickly evolved to become the first two-year full time permaculture course in the world. It was while teaching at the college in Kinsale that Rob and his students were introduced to the uncomfortable realities of Peak Oil.
‘The Transition Towns initiative was motivated by my initial sense of shock after first watching the DVD The End of Suburbia and a lecture at the college by Colin Campbell, who wrote The Coming Oil Crisis’ explains Rob. ’We were amazed to discover that no-one anywhere had really been thinking about it that much. Being a permaculture course our immediate response was “right then, what shall we do about it?”’.
Together with his students on the course Rob set about applying the permaculture principles of energy efficiency, resource substitution and redesign on a scale never attempted before. Dividing themselves into working groups they set out to construct an Energy Descent Plan detailing the practical steps required to wean Kinsale from its dependency on fossil fuels.
‘The Kinsale Plan was really a prototype. It wasn’t until after we had published it that the consequences of what we had created began to sink in. People from all over the world were contacting us saying “this is incredible”. I think it shocked a lot of people into realising how desperately unprepared we are to face the challenges ahead’.
Over this period Rob also took personal steps to reduce his own ecological footprint by designing and building his family home. With the help of volunteers, using entirely renewable and locally sourced materials, he constructed the first new-build cob house in Ireland for over 100 years.
The project was followed by thousands of people via an online photo-blog and hailed for demonstrating that affordable rural housing could be provided with minimal building-miles. Tragically however, the house was deliberately destroyed by fire just three months before it was completed.
Such a traumatic incident obviously influenced Robs decision to leave Ireland. However, the wave of community support which followed the fire took him and his family by surprise and inspired a new beginning for the seeds of Transition Culture.
In choosing Totnes as the new home for Energy Descent, Rob recognised the potential offered by town’s unique blend of progressive and alternative culture. ‘What we were looking at developing here in Totnes was a much more thorough and deeper version of what we piloted in Kinsale. Totnes also differs from Kinsale in that the community has been involved throughout the process from the very beginning’.
In line with his unique permaculture approach Rob spent his first year in the town simply observing and raising awareness within the community through a series of film screenings and discussions. ‘The way we showed the films and held discussions was carefully structured, we were fully aware that we couldn’t simply tell someone to watch The End of Suburbia at home, by themselves, and expect them to suddenly start growing carrots the next day’ he laughs.
In September 2006 the project was finally launched with: ‘The official unleashing of Transition Town Totnes’. There followed a series of Open Space events where the community was invited to volunteer their skills and enthusiasm. Within six months working groups had been established to focus on the primary aspects of Transition culture; from energy and healthcare to economics and the arts.
‘Unlocking the collective genius of the community’ is how Rob sees the early stages of Transition. ‘One of the first things we did was to consult the town’s older generations, to ask for their experience and advice on how the town used to function with minimal oil dependency. It is important to remember that this concept is not new, as recently as the second World War Totnes was almost entirely self-sufficient out of necessity’.
As the individual working groups gained momentum, the town began to attract enquiries from communities across the globe wanting to initiate the Transition process in their own villages, towns and cities. ’We didn’t have a template for what we were doing in Totnes’ recalls Rob, ‘so when people started asking us how to actually start the process we had to sit down and think about what we had done’.
The Twelve Steps to Transition was borne as a result, and has since been adopted as a blueprint for Transition Culture.’ The Twelve Steps are really not prescriptive but instead intended as a rough guide, all the different communities who are doing this are interpreting them in their own way, but people seem to find them useful as a starting point’ says Rob.
Undoubtedly the single most ambitious venture to date has been the launch of the town’s independent currency earlier this year. The Totnes Pound was launched in March to emphasise the importance of re-localisation and to encourage people to attribute a value to the local economy. Following a trial period where 300 notes were distributed into circulation, 10,000 one pound notes have now been printed and are accepted by more than seventy businesses throughout the town.
‘The Totnes Pound has really grasped the imagination of the community’ says Rob with boundless enthusiasm, ‘I think it is essential that projects such as this have solid manifestations which people can relate to. It provokes discussion but also sets the framework for a post-industrial society in which local currencies are inevitable’.
Rob is currently working on a book for publication in the spring entitled ‘Small is Inevitable’. Designed as a comprehensive template to the Transition phenomenon Rob uses the book to explore what he calls the ‘Head, Heart and Hands of Energy Descent’.
In an engaging and accessible manner Rob describes the Head as the concepts of peak oil, outlining the arguments for and against localisation and historical examples from a pre-oil dependent society. The Heart refers to the enthusiasm and motivation which already exists within communities and how this can be focused to facilitate change. The Hands are what Rob refers to as ‘the great reskilling’, the practical steps which communities must take to become self-sufficient in food, energy and materials.
‘What the book is really saying is that this change from the grassroots is happening whether you accept it or not, this isn’t a process which comes along with all the answers, it is a process which is about getting people thinking about the right questions’.
Rob’s work has attracted personal commendations from the most unlikely of quarters. In July this year the town’s Conservative MP Anthony Steen used his monthly newspaper column to highlight the importance of the Totnes model and the dangers of complacency regarding peak oil. ‘Rob is clearly very driven by his passion’ says Mr Steen, ‘he has set a precedent which has achieved an enormous amount in a very short time, we are all just waiting to see where it will go from here’.
It is undeniable that Rob’s passion is the catalyst which has sown the seeds of Transition culture, and that he is seen by many as the figurehead of the movement. Although aware of his growing profile Rob remains firmly grounded by more than a decade of working directly with the soil. ‘I seem to be able to inspire others with the way I speak about energy descent’ he says modestly, ‘I prefer to see my role as a promoter of Transition Culture as a positive response to peak oil’.
Transition, it seems, has arrived at a time of change. As Rob points out: ‘The potential of this time is immense and the scale of the challenge is unique, the tools of lobbying, campaigning and protesting are no longer sufficient, Transition effectively provides us with new tools to face new challenges’.
In the last twelve months alone, twenty new Transition initiatives have sprung up across the UK from cities the size of Bristol to tiny rural hamlets. A further ninety are undergoing the initial stages and Rob receives at least two new enquiries every week.
When I ask Rob if the Transition initiative has an ultimate goal or a destination, he hesitates slightly before offering one of his infectiously enthusiastic smiles ‘There are 1000 towns and cities in the UK, 10, 000 villages and twice as many hamlets. Ultimately I have a faith that the ingenuity and resourcefulness that got us up to the top of this peak in the first has the potential to take Transition to every single one of these communities’.
And with that I notice that the rain outside has stopped, the sun is shining and the world suddenly seems a lot brighter.
Copyright: The Ecologist Magazine. Many thanks for permission to reproduce here. Appears in the latest (November) edition.

Namibia #211 - How Zimbabweans are coping

2008-02-17T22:31:00.000+02:00

From: Lucy Steinitz - HIV/AIES community support in Africa
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Subject: Namibia #211 - How Zimbabweans are coping

Dear friends,

I just returned from another Stephen Lewis Foundation trip to Zimbabwe. Upon examining my American passport upon entry at the airport in Harare, the official stared at my hyphenated double-surname and croaked, "Are you German?" "No, my husband is," I answered cautiously. The man broke into a broad smile. "Germans make very good husbands," he asserted. "Go on through."

Now, how the heck does HE know?

One thing that has always been true is that Zimbabweans love to play around with names. So on this trip I met a girl named Pardon, several men named Blessed, and a whole lot of Lovemores. But when I learned that my driver's name was Cain and he had a twin brother named Abel, I knew I would be in for an unusual trip. Cain warned me the electricity averaged only two hours a day, that it had been raining for two weeks' straight, and that there are potholes on virtually every road the size and depth of caves. I also had read that life expectancy had dropped to 33 in this country, that 3000 people a week were dying (mostly from HIV exacerbated by hunger), and that only one tenth of the people eligible for anti-retroviral treatments (the AIDS-drugs) were getting them.

Zimbabwe has, quite literally, the worst-performing economy in the world. Last year, the inflation rate hit 26,000% -- the world-record.

On the other hand, in Zimbabwe you can become a billionaire overnight. If you change money at the official rate of exchange, the rate is 30,000 Zim-dollars to one American dollar. But find someone who is willing to do it at the so-called Parallel rate that (also known as the informal or black market), and you could get 200 times that amount: 6 million Zim- dollars for one greenback. Unfortunately, the largest bill available (just printed) is "only" for 10 million Zim dollars - about US$1.65 and dropping fast - so you end up carrying bags full of cash wherever go you. I swear it looks like Monopoly money. Most of the bills are so worthless that you can see them lying around unprotected; the money is not even worth stealing any more.

To hedge oneself against inflation, bartering has become common. So has hoarding. Prices change every day. Those who can, spend their money on fuel-vouchers and then sell them when the cost of fuel increases: it's better than any bank around. But this contributes to the chronic fuel-shortage. One result is that Zimbabweans are fit: they don't think twice about walking 9 or 10 miles in one direction and back again - to attend school, go to work, buy some eggs, or attend a meeting.

Many organizations these days try to pay their staff in US travelers' checks. (If your business has a foreign exchange account, this is legal.) Then once a month every staff person must travel across the border -- Botswana is usually preferred because Zimbabweans don't need a visa -- to buy up whatever they can there, and then cart it back home in bags or boxes. Whatever commodities you don't use you can sell to friends and relatives, as most local store-shelves are virtually empty.

Every one asks, Why don't Zimbabweans stand up and rebel? The answer is, because they are too resilient. They work harder than just about anybody else I know and each time another aspect of their society collapses, they simply take a deep breath and say, "Let's make a new plan." Also, Zimbabweans don't look generally look to rich folks and say, "I wish I was like them," but they look to people who are even worse off and say, "Shame: I'm glad I'm not as badly off as they are." Remarkably, voluntarism continues to thrive: Neighbor continues to help neighbor, with the understanding that now it's my turn but next time it may be yours.

There are a few contingencies. Many Zimbabweans have friends and relatives outside the country who send in remittances - even US$40 or $50 from overseas is more than most people earn in a month. Moreover, literally everyone in Zimbabwe has become an expert gardener. Every front lawn and back yard has been turned into a small farm-plot, where people typically grow sweet potatoes, cassava, maize, ground-nuts, tomatoes, peas, soy beans, and various green vegetables. It's amazing! Across the street, if there is a half-empty church-yard, abandoned property, or a bit of soil in a median-strip, it's the same thing: plant, plant, plant.

Because Western medicine has also become prohibitively expensive and difficult to find, many organizations have started teaching people how to use various herbs and medicinal trees for their health. By law, every government health clinic now has a model herb garden, with free lessons from a local herbalist.

How did things get this way? For many people, the main cause is Zimbabwe's land reform program. Most of the country's productive farmland remained in white hands after independence in 1980, and through the 1990s the government of President Robert Mugabe worked to shift ownership. But when these policies yielded little progress, the government unveiled plans to seize land without compensation. As hundreds of farms were taken over - sometimes by local people, more often by senior government officials - production and the export of grain and tobacco collapsed.

Government corruption and huge spending on the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo also drained the public purse. But as far as President Mugabe and his ministers are concerned, these factors have nothing to do with the country's economic travails. They blame sabotage by the West in general, especially the UK, the former colonial power), as well as the sanctions imposed upon the country -- although these are aimed at leaders rather than at the economy as a whole.

On March 29^th 2008, Zimbabweans will go to the polls once more. Most people I spoke with believe that the election will be stolen again, but two weeks ago a new opposition candidate emerged for President, and as one friend put it, "Hope springs eternal." Whenever change finally comes, I'm convinced that Zimbabweans will rise up like a phoenix from the ashes and become one of the strongest nations on earth. The good thing is that most of them have not lost their sense of humor, their warm smiles, or their belief in finding a peaceful solution to their problems. Strange as it may sound, the rest of the world has a lot to learn from Zimbabwe.

Kind regards,
Lucy

Lucy Y. Steinitz & Bernd Kiekebusch
P.O. Box 86266, Windhoek, Namibia
Lucy (at) steinitz.net

Tel/fax: (264) - 61- 250-267