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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] alternatives to Poppies

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  • From: kris kaul <kriskaul@yahoo.com>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] alternatives to Poppies
  • Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2007 09:10:27 -0800 (PST)

Roxann,

For a long-term solution I would take a look at what Lambi Fund
(www.lambifund.org) is doing in Haiti, or rather what the Haitian peasants
themselves are doing with support from Lambi. The focus is on giving seed
money, training, and technical support to projects conceived by Haitians
grassroots groups. Although Haiti has a tropical climate, the extreme
degradation of the land has led to erosion and drought in many parts of the
country. The focus on a return to local self-sufficiency in food and other
goods would in any case apply to Afghanistan.

Here are examples of some of the projects:

- agricultural cooperatives, including education and training in community
farming, goat and pig breeding, water collection, and reforestation with
valuable (food or lumber producing) tree species.

- micro-credit and training for women. Women in Haiti form the backbone of
the agricultural economy and do most of the marketing. Micro-credit allows
them to take turns taking small loans for building up sustainable enterprises.

- a small mill cooperative run by women. Previously, women had to walk
several days to mill their grain, and lost part of the grain's value in
paying the miller, then had to carry the milled grain several more days to
market.

- reforestation nursery cooperatives. Training and seed money were
provided. The nursery now serves not only to reforest the region around the
community but also sells seedlings and provides technical assistance well
beyond.

- building cisterns and irrigation canals. By working directly with
peasant groups and their plans, the water projects completed by Lambi are
still functioning and providing multiple benefits while other top-down
"solutions" imposed from outside have failed.

Some other projects include community honey production, grain storage,
spice farms, and tool banks. Lambi recently teamed with Wangari Maathai and
the Greenbelt Movement to plant 1 million trees in Haiti.

When I visited Haiti last month I was really struck by the level of
empowerment and self-sufficiency in the people involved in these projects,
especially given the utter lack of resources in the environment surrounding
them. (nb: I don't work for Lambi.)

Two projects that impressed me the most were the plantain "multiplication"
center and the huge reforestation project undertaken by the peasants of Bige.
I have some pictures of the projects here:
http://www.pbase.com/kkaul/haiti_07

I think the keys to the success of these projects are their commity-based
nature and democratic decision-making process. I am sure it would look and
feel different (as it should) once translated appropriately to the afghani
culture.

Kris

permaculture-request@lists.ibiblio.org wrote:
Message: 7
Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:19:29 +0000
From: " roxann "
Subject: Re: [permaculture] alternatives to Poppies
To: "permaculture"

Message-ID: <20071218141929.6851.qmail@hoster905.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

well, it's possible by providing information i can also provide information
about options. i agree that the current model of commerce is not good. not
for afgans and not for us here in the US. they are also working with them to
grow their own food, but unfortunately, i'm sure that mission is headed by
Monsanto or the likes thereof. so, i'm just doing what small thing I can do
and that is requesting information from the sources i know of to be rich in
knowlege and suggestions to pass on. they need both immediate and long term
possibilities. if someone has thought out a plan that might work, feel free
to pass it on and i'll get it into the hands of folks who just might be able
to implement some of those plans. but i doubt they'll get past the criticisms
if some solutions don't follow right behind. where can i get some examples of
sustainable solutions that have worked to provide both food and a means for a
living to small communities? that is exactly the sort of thing i'd
love
to be able to provide info on. and how can any of this really work in a
feudal system, anyway? is it hopeless? are there examples of sustainable
systems that work in the feudal model?

i'm not really knowlegeable on how things actually work in those countries,
and i'm certain that i've got too large a degree of naivete' and the glasses
are a shade too rosy. but it does seem a great place to start a permaculture
revolution if we can. even if they don't identify what they are doing with
the word. the fact that there is someone on the inside who is hungry for
information is encouraging. he might just plant the seed and even if it
remains dormant for a long time, there is still the possibility of it one day
breaking ground.

(i'm still catching up on emails, so Robyn, or Keith, I haven't gotten to
your information about the Bedouin people yet. But thanks and I'll print it
out and send it to him for ideas)


Roxann, NW AR
http://blog.ancientearthwisdom.com


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