permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [Fwd: [permaculture] Agroforestry Project Requests Help]
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 20:22:26 -0600
From: Douglas Hinds <cedecor@GMX.NET>
Reply-To: Douglas Hinds <cedecor@gmx.net>
Organization: CeDeCoR, A. C.
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

Hola Jaime Lawrence & other saneters following this thread,

In relation to your joint post of Saturday, October 19, 2002,in
which Jaime asked:

JLW> Subject: [permaculture] Agroforestry Project Requests Help
JLW> Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 15:09:32 -0700 (PDT)
JLW> From: Jaime Juantara <jaimejuantara@yahoo.com>
JLW> To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

JLW> L.S.   (English)

JLW> My name is Jaime Lopez Wolters, an agroforestry student at Wageningen
JLW> University, the Netherlands.

JLW> As part of my practical training I have taken on the assignment
JLW> of starting an agroforestry project in a small village in the
JLW> highlands of Guatemala.

JLW> The project focuses mainly on the improvement of the local
JLW> system of corn production and aims to work in a highly
JLW> participatory manner.

Then be sure and contact the CIMMYT: http://www.cimmyt.cgiar.org/

JLW> The idea is to form a group of farmers who are willing to take
JLW> the development of farm innovations into their own hands,
JLW> learning to work together aswell as with scientists, NGO's and
JLW> GO's. Our role as facilitators would be to guide this process
JLW> and aid with our particular expertise.

JLW> We are very unexperienced and would gain much from feedback
JLW> given by other organisations or individuals working in the same
JLW> field.

JLW>   In these beginning stages of the project questions that arise are:

JLW> - What topics do you touch in a first meeting with farmers?

Ask them what their needs, principle problems and hopes are, and
come prepared to present solutions that involve their participation.

JLW> - What kind of structure should this farmer's group create as a
JLW> solid foundation for present and future work?

First determine what structures already exist within the community
at present. Base your own effort on that framework.

JLW> - How do you set up a participatory problem analysis meeting?

Investigate within the community before calling a meeting together.
Ask who the leaders are and determine whether they're interested
in collaborating in order to benefit their community. They're the
ones that should call the meeting together.

JLW> What techniques have proven effective?

Get in contact with the International Development Research Centre -
Science for Humanity: http://www.idrc.ca/

They share your goals and are also working in Guatemala at present.
IDRC COUNTRY PROFILES: IDRC in Guatemala
http://www.idrc.ca/cntryprof/prn_cntryprof.cfm?ovr_id=12

The Heifer Project International is another good source of
information and support for what you want: http://www.heifer.org/

JLW> If the topics of agroforestry and/or participatory development

For agroforestry, the SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences) is top notch: http://www.slu.se/eng/index.html
http://www.slu.se/eng/cooperation/index.html
http://www.slu.se/eng/intrelations/index.html

JLW> are of interest to you or your organisation we would greatly
JLW> appreciate it if you would take the time to reply with comments
JLW> and suggestions. Perhaps you can also pass this email on to
JLW> others who might be able to help us.

Lastly, google's directory:
Society/Organizations/Humanitarian/International_Assistance
http://directory.google.com/Top/Society/Organizations/Humanitarian/International_Assistance/?il=1
and
http://directory.google.com/Top/Society/Organizations/Development/
will provide you with more good leads.

But I've dealt myself with the three mentioned above and can vouch for
the quality of their work.

Douglas Hinds
CeDeCoR, A.C.
Mexico