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  • From: "Gaden@ziplip.com" <Gaden@ziplip.com>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] Solomon Islands
  • Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2003 23:13:01 -0700 (PDT)

Re: John Schinnerer - "I'm also curious to know who "civil society" is, and
how they are designing culturally to end crime and violence beyond the
immediate and hopefully temporary imposition of rule of force."

I don't know what "civil society" is deemed to be in this instance. But I
would think that Russ's elegant statement of 'social viability' would be
applicable in this context.

"Social viability: a situation in which the activities of communities
contribute to the continence of a society and the wellbeing of a people and
their institutions.

This implies the ability of individuals and communities to function free of
ethnic or other conflict and free of the coercive influence of militias that
threaten the wellbeing of the population and the coherence of communities.

A socially viable society is one which is resilient to external and internal
pressures and provides the needs of those living within it." Russ Grayson.


"Really what I'm interested in is self-determination for locals. This can
happen under the protection of non-locals. Historically however the
non-locals didn't facilitate self-determination for the locals. They just
took over and imposed systems to get what they wanted."

I think we'd all agree with this in most post-colonial situations. But the
world seems to be getting a bit more complex than the 'Colonialism Vs
Indigenous' issue. There seems to be increasing fragmentation (Balkanization)
and ethnic parochialism within many countries.

The Solomon Islands have had self-determination for nearly 30 years now. Most
of the current conflict seems to be coming from internal pressures rather
than external.

Indigenous self-determinism becames quite complex when there are powerful
competing interests within the homeland movements. Where do you draw the line
in history for primacy?"

"I suppose everyone's been a colonial power to some greater or lesser
degree at some point through history."

Extending back through centuries Solomon Islands have been a clearing house
of Spanish, Germans, British, Americans, Australians, Polynesians,
Micronesians, Asians and others. Many of these people have created
infrastructure and raised families for many generations, intermarrying with
other residents and cultural groups. Who is a 'local' now?

How do you deal with issues of democracy vs armed control (militias,
warlords, bandit leaders etc. ? How do you identify legitimate authority? How
do you balance the forces of instability? Complex issues.

The 'colonial exploitation' role has arguable been taken over by a local
militia leader, Andrew Nori. (He was the finance minister until he was caught
up in fraud allegations.) He's been co-ordinating the stripping of forest
resources (for sale to Malaysia) for short term financial gains. (alledgedly
to fund his armed militia force).

Even within his own tribal/clan group, his actions are being opposed by the
elders and by local women's groups. But he has the guns and the willingness
to use extreme violence to pursue his own interests. He's wanted by the
democratic authorities for many ten's of murders. But at present, he seems
more powerful that the legitimate powers.

The police force is in disarray, and allegedly responsible for much of the
looting. The parliment almost never sits and seems to have become completely
powerless. The government is bankrupt.

Colonialim may be the original source of much of the current turmoil. But
matters seem to have moved on from there. It seems an oversimplification
nowadays to simply 'blame the British'.

Gaiden





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