permaculture

[<permed@nor.com.au>]

>                        * castor oil plant
>
>thats about the most toxic cereal i have ever heard of  ;o)

Castor oil plant is usually planted for oil production - also an 
important crop in much of India - castor oil has many uses including soap 
production and medicinal.

Re Afghanistan generally - it has been ravaged by war, mostly civil (plus 
the Russians) for over 20 years - although it has an incredibly rich 
cultural history it is generally a poor nation with a very harsh climate.
While there is thoughtful discussion re-pc input it is important to move 
with caution and diplomacy (including political & religious). Pc 
'missionaries' (do-gooders) are not needed, rather people very skilled in 
cold desert/dryland strategies. As well as learning, reviving and 
incorporating what is still known of traditional sustainable food 
producing systems (a lot of knowledge gets lost through the ravages of 
protracted war) critical areas of expertise will also include waste 
treatment, water harvesting, housing, environmental health and firewood 
production. Also many areas of Afghanistan are riddled with land mines 
and who knows what chemical consequences of over 2 decades of warfare.
Are there any Muslims trained in pc from Macedonia or middle east? Would 
be prudent to have at least 1 Muslim in any team going over there to work 
with refugee camps e.g. in Pakistan, as there's a lot of suspicion and 
hostility towards the christian western world.
My thoughts re- getting things rolling would be to contact Afghan support 
groups at home first, talk with Afghan refugees who have good English 
language skills and offer them a PDC to work in partnership on future 
strategies and action plans.
The war is not yet over and Pakistan may find itself fully embroiled in 
its own civil war over the whole issue if it drags on much longer.
Most of us are not in a position to go racing off into such a volatile 
situation but we can support the peace process and add our voices to the 
plea for political sanity to limit the damage and stop the onslaught. 
Tread carefully
Robyn Francis

Djanbung Gardens Permaculture Education Centre
home to: 
Permaculture Education
ERDA Institute Trust
Nimbin Eco-Village Project Office
Robyn Francis - permaculture designer & educator
PO Box 379, Nimbin NSW 2480 Australia
Ph 02-6689 1755 Fax 02-6689 1225
permed@nor.com.au  www.earthwise.org.au