I Pllppet Show in Sudan Pacific Northwest Bioregion Report Ways of Working VOLUME IX, NO.2 52.00
Dec. 82/Jan. 83 RAIN Page 2 RAIN: Joumal of Appropriate Technology Volume IX, Number 1 Dec. 82/Jan. 83 Staff Rob Baird Ann Borquist Nancy Cosper Pennv Fearon John Ferrell Steve Johnson Kris Nelson Contributors: Gail Katz Alan Lockler Patrick Mazza Carlos Portela George Resch Jim Riker Roz Riker Mark Roseland Laura Stuchinskv Graphic Design: Linnea Gilson Comptroller: Lee Lancaster Printing: Eagle Web Press Typeseting: Em Space Cover Photogaph: Dapid Bml.l'1l RAIN Magazine publishes infonnation which can help people lead more simple and satisfying lives, make their communities and regions more economically selfreliant, and build a society that is durable, just, and ecologically sound. RAIN is published 6 times a year by the Rain Umbrella, Inc., a non-profit corporation located at 2270 NW Irving, Portland, Oregon 97210, telephone 503/227-5110. Subscriptions are $2S/yr. for institutions, $IS/yr. for individuals ($9.50 for persons with incomes under $5000 a year). Copyright © 1982 Rain UmbreLla, Inc. No part may be reprinted without written permission. IN THIS ISSUE ... Articles Green Deserts: Planting for Our Very Lives . . ............ . ...... . ... 6 Puppet Show in Sudan - by David Mulligan . .. ... . . ..... .. . .. .. . . . 8 S'ustainable Agriculture: A Tradition in West Africa - An Interview with David and Mark Freudenberger .. . ....... . .. . . .. .. .. ... . . ... .. . . ... 12 Wallowing in Development: The Loss of Ecological Information - by Jim Riker . .. .. . . ...... . ... . . . . . .. .. . ... . . .. ...... . .... . ..... 20 Chinese Aquaculture: Fine Tuning AT - by Christina Rawley and Ron Zweig ....... .. .. . .......... . ...... 40 Water For Food For People - by Rob Baird . .... . . . ... ...... . . . . . . ... 28 Features Calendar . . .... ... .. . . ....... 38 Raindrops . . ....... . . ... . ... 4 Letters . ...... . . ... .. . . . . .... 2 Rush . .. . .... .. ..... . .... .. . 37 Pacific Northwest Touch and Go .. ...... . . . . . . . 17 Bioregion Report ..... ..... 31 Access Information Communication and Organizational Reviews ...... 15 Information ... . . . . ...... .. 4 Periodical Reviews .......... 18 International Forestry .. ...... 10 Resource Sharing ........ .... 25 Organizational Development . 14 Working .. . ....... . . . ..... . . 23 LETTERS Dear Rain, After reading Jim Springer's article and which are rooted not in individual about the Trident resistance I feel com psyches but in our socioeconomic and pelled to respond to what seems to be a political institutions. fairly common attitude within the move The first factor is the boost that miliment against nuclear arms. I refer to the talY spending gives to the domestic attitude that "the cause of arms creation economy. Weapons production is exand war is rooted inside each of us;' and tremely lucrative, and it just so happens that in working for arms reduction it is that the top military contractors are important to first overcome the "tridents among the largest and most influential within ourselves." This view is expressed corporations in the country. by many leaders of the movement who Secondly, a strong military force is are Christians and/or pacifists and who necessary to maintain the imperialistic see the arms race as primarily a moral policies of U.5. multinational corporaissue rather than an economic and politi tions. These corporations depend on forcal one. I believe the notion that we eign countries for their natural resources, should focus on our "inner work" is a their additional markets, and their cheap wonderful sen timen t bu t a lousy stra tegy. labor, a point brought out in Tom Bender's At the risk of oversimplifying a com fine article, True Security. plex sitution, I would like to suggest three A third factor contributing to military factors which I believe greatly contribute escalation is the vehement anticommunist to "the cause of arms creation and war" ideology which is so important for sup
Page 3 RAIN Dec. 82/Jan. 83 pressing fundamental criticism of the social order in a country founded on the right of free speech. This same ideology which works to silence domestic dissent also serves to engender a public hysteria which automatically legitimizes any kind of extreme measure taken to "protect us from the communists." As long as these conditions exist, any positive step toward arms control and reduction will be temporary at best. This involves going beyond "looking inwards" to the cultivation of a sophisticated social awareness. For the nuclear arms race is not primarily a matter of love and hate. But ending it is certainly a matter of life and death. Sincerely, Lance Regan Bellingham, WA. Dear Rain, Thought you'd like to see how great minds travel in similar tracks. Our cover is a sketch of water plants along the Guadalupe River - uncanny Similarity to your photo in KNOWING HOME, and we both used the caption "a sense of place" for the photo. We'll keep you advised if you will us. Shalom and Suerte Michael Smith St. Philips College San Antonio, TX (Michael sent us a copy of the San Antollio Artists Revue special issue on the San Antonio bio-region which came out about the same time as RAIN's book on tile Portland area bio-region, KNOWING HOME . We will be rel.liewing the San Alltonio Review and other bio-regional publications in a following issue). Dear Gentlemen; I am currently enrolled in a sociology class at El Camino College. Our current assignment in the class is to write about simple and economical ways to build a house. I am interested in homes that are being built underground and inside mountains, etc. Could you please send all information on this type of housing and other unique, inexpensive, and economical ways to build a house? Cindy Guyton Torrance, CA (Boy, do we know about that sociology class at EI Camino! We've gotten a dozen letters from that class. We cannot easily supply ALL the information on underground housing. It would probably take several days to pull that together (at least!). Also, IJy the way, most of the time there are as many, or more, gentlewomen as there are gentlemen working at RAIN.) Dear Rain, When writing your Bioregion Report, "County Zaps Radio Waves," you should have verified your information. While Multnomah County is indeed the first to place all aspects of broadcast tower siting into one ordinance, they do not possess the first comprehensive set of regulations regarding major sources of radiofrequency pollution. Portland's radiofrequency emissions standard is not advisory only; it has a dual nature. An advisory standard of 100 microwatts per square centimeter (onehalf the county standard) was instituted to express the standard that the Portland City Planning Commission felt the industry "should" apply to. Without conclusive evidence that this standard was necessary, the mandatory standard was set at 1000 microwatts per square centimeter. The City of Portland does have a more intense electro-magnetic environment than some other cities. However, in all fairness it must be pointed out that recent studies have shown Portland to not be an extreme example in any sense. Last, but certainly not least, is the years-old !'ong of the EPA's impending release of a national radiofrequency standard, or even the release of the oftpromised documentation of pertinent studies. The effort you refer to began sincerely enough, but the research summary has since been withheld and the broadcast industry has been promised no more than the publication of a federal guideline. A federal guideline is a device that would apply only an advisory standard to federal agencies. Sincerely, Steven W. Gerber Portland, Oregon (Thank you for pointing out our error.) Dear RAIN, "Beyond the State" is a very good article - congratulations for the fine piece of writing. I was wondering if I could have permission to reprint it for friends? I would also include publicity for RAIN magazine on the last page of reprint? I'd really appreciate it. Also the whole issue was fantastic. Please pass the word on to the rest of staff. Great work. Best, Larry Sheehy Fresno, CA
Dec. 82JJan. 83 RAlN Page 4 RAINDRO ACCESS: Communication and Information At his first staff meeting, our newest intern Kris Nelson told us that he was waiting for the (proverbial) dust to settle in order to see how things "really" fit together at RAIN. His remark was met with polite guffaws; Kris was the third intern in a row to make that remark. Changes keep happening so fast around here that dust does seem to be raised. John Ferrell, a mainstay at RAIN for over two years has left to join the staffof the California Office of .Appropriate Technology. Laura Stuchinsky, another old time Rainiac is no longer a RAIN staff member but is working through RAIN in organizing a Northwest regional agriculture conference (see Northwest News Section). Bruce Borquist, too, has moved on, taking a job as a community developer in a small town just south of Portland. Meanwhile two new interns have joined the staff, Kris Nelson, who helped organize the Options Northwest Conference, and Penny Fearon, who originally came to RAIN as a staff aide to the Solar 82 conference. This RAIN Magazine was produced by a new staff team, with some old timers contributing. We were fortunate to have had John Ferrell leave behind probably one of the most well-documented transitions in the annals of nonprofit organizations. From the how-to manual he produced and memos left around like easter eggs, we were able to pull together a facsimile of the RAIN you all know. We did make some changes in RAIN, several of which have been in the making for months. The ORGANIZATION REVIEW is a place where we can focus attention on people working together: shining examples, unique perspectives on community and global problems, and groups offering information and assistance that readers might want to know about. The PERIODICAL REVIEW is a place for us to review noteworthy periodicals and emerging trends and patterns in the flows of printed communication. The RUSH section and CALENDAR section have been changed to incorporate our need to include last minute items (RUSH) and a place to describe timely events (CALENDAR). This issue was also a dramatic test for our computer system which we called upon for searching through information to find likely entries and then produced edited copy for typesetting. The software we used, MIST, developed by our good friends Peter and Trudy JohnsonLenz, performed admirably well. It took to RAIN like a duck takes to water. We are also using MIST to compile a comprehensive report on the RAIN Self-Reliance Project that was initiated in January of 1981. Did you know, for example, that we responded to over 2,000 information requests which included requests from 40 out of SO states and several foreign countries? Or that RAIN sponsored (and co-sponsored) events were attended by over 3,500 people? Current generation of Microcomputers The microcomputer market is likely to be dominated for some time to COIIII? by IBM's entry into the field. It has been projected that there mall be a million IBM microcomputers on the market within a year. The crop of microcomputers starting to come out this fall are faster, more in telligen t, and roomier thaI! the last generation of microcomputers. The new machines are commonly referred to as the 16 (and sometimes 32) bit machines. The tiny chip which dictates the number of electronic moves that can be made at any aile time is called the Central Processing Unit (CPU). Suddellly ill the l1ew machines there is more space to write more complex softwa re programs. The l1ew microcomputers also make use ofhard disk technology, a Im(l-cost magneticstorage medium that allaws ten to fifteell times thestorage area oftypical floppy diskette models. We are in a kind of "mealllvllik'" stage. TIle sofhoare market is aimed at 8-bit microcompu ters and it will take time for software to catch up with the increased capacity of 16-bit machines. So in the meanwhile some manufacturers are offering machines that can run both 8-bit and 16-bit CPUs. There is a good overview all the current generation of microcomputers in the September issue of High Technology ($2.()()J issue, 38 Commercial Wharf, Boston, MA021l0) . ORGANIZATIONS Knowledge Index Dialog Information Services, Inc. 3460 Hillview Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94304 415/858-3785 Knowledge Index is Dialog's entry into the personal computer information utility market, competing with others such as The Source and Compuserve. Knowledge Index is an abridged collection of the databases that Dialog offers its regular customers with some new hicks to satisfy personal computer operators including a means to print out enhies found in the Dialog databases - providing your computer is equipped with telecommunications software and a device for translating from analog to digital communication (a phone modem). The basic fees are time online, $24Jhour, which includes long distance telephone line charges, and a $35 one time fee for a manual. Articles, reports, etc. which are located by users on a database can also be photocopied and sent to the user ($4.50 plus $.20 per page). Contents include computers, engineering, agriculture, medicine, daily news, education and psychology.
Association for Humanistic Psychology 325 Ninth Street San Francisco, CA 94103 415/626-2375 The 1983 annual conference of AHP is being planned around a networking theme conceived by Jessica Lipnack, Jeffrey Stamps (authors of Networking: A First Report and Directory), and others, to be held in Toronto in June 23-27, 1983. The title of the conference is Conscious Networking for Individual and Social Change. Other changes at AHP have brought to the organization new co-presidentselect, Rick Ingrasci and Peggy Taylor, who also write for and publish New Age Magazine. Citizens for Video Democracy PO Box 820 Menlo Park, CA 94025 Citizens for Video Democracy, headed by Duane Elgin, author of Voluntary Simplicity, is addressing the need to increase the knowledge content of mass media. They are presently distributing a petition to call upon national television networks and local stations to allocate one-third of prime-time hours to informational or socially relevant programming. Communitree Group 470 Castro Street, Suite 207-3002 San Francisco, CA 94114 415/861-TREE (voice communication) 415/861-6489 (computer communication) Dean Gengle, with Communi tree recently wrote to update us on Communitree's activities. Communitree offers telecommunications software that allows one to use a microcomputer to form computer mediated communication networks. Several networks have been formed using Communitree, including one in Berkeley which is of general interest (415/548-4683) and one with health information for the disabled (415/325-7tX!6) . Gengle also says that Communitree has been used by an Alaskan political candidate to set up a network among his supporters. Community Memory Project 916 Parker Street Berkeley, CA 94710 415/841-1114 Community Memory has released information about a new relational database system with word-processing facilities, which is being offered by Pacific Software Manufacturing Company, 2608 Eighth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 (415/540-0616). From royalties for licenses to use the software, Community Memory expects to develop a communty pilot project where people would be provided with access to a computer which used Sequiter to facilitate communication networks and information sharing. Peacenet Disarmament Resource Center 942 Market St., Rm. 708 San Francisco, CA 94102 415/495-0526 Peacenet is a group of people involved in using computers and tel~ommunications in the cause of peace. Program goals include developing computermediated communication networks and a database on peace and disarmament issues. Telecommunication Project Gay Press Association PO Box A, Old Chelsea Station New York, NY 10011 212/242-6863 The Gay Press Association has launched a research project to determine the use and interest in computers and telecommunications among the Gay and Lesbian communities. The project will study such things as computerized conferencing, Gay information banks, public access to technology and information. Union for Democratic Communications Dept. of Radio-TV-Film Temple University Philadelphia, PA 19122 A national organization of communication researchers, media producers and activists. The group recently sponsored a conference with workshops on such topics as Political Economy of Telematics, Building Democratic Communication Theory, and Media Use in the Third World. PUBLICATIONS Delicate Bonds: The Global Semiconductor Industry Lenny Siegel Pacific Studies Center 867 W. Dana Street, #204 Mountain View, CA 94041 $2.00,1981 An important perspective on the growing electronic industry through examination of the nature of the worldwide semiconductor industry which includes use of cheap labor in many Third World countries for production of chips and other computer parts. Information Industry Market Place 1982 R.R. Bowker Box 1807 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 $37.50, 1982, 266 pp. A comprehensive directory to the information industry, including lists of information brokers, database publishers machine readable databases, telecommunication networks, library networks and consortia, online vendors, online user groups, reference books and periodicals. Page 5 RAIN Dec. 82/Jan . 83 Microcomputer Buyer's Guide Tony Webster Computer Reference Guide $27.00, 1981, 326 pp. We get a lot of requests at RAIN about how to research the buying of a microcomputer. Mostly the field changes so rapidly that the best guides are people who keep up on the technology. No buyer'S guide is going to be complete or up-to-date but this one gives it a good try. The first chapters provide basic descriptions about computers including discussions about hardware, software, peripheral devices, etc. The rest of the guide is a brand-by-brand discussion of different microcomputers on the market. Other Networks PO Box 14066 Philadelphia, PA, 19123 $15/year, quarterly. This is a good quality, low cost production. The editors know how to put together an interesting, well-rounded sampling of innovative communication networks. From the Alliance of Home Business Women to fanzine types (underground comix and fantasy magazine networks), Other Networks describes them all. There isn't any of the I-am-the-best-Networker-aroundstuff, or center of the mega-network in the sky, just simple service, connecting people to learn from one another. Reset: Notes on Alternate Infonnatics clo Mike McCullough 90 E. 7th St., #3A New York, NY 10009 An informal newsletter about computer and telecommunication grassroots ilctivities. Social uses of the new technology. They, along with the rest of us don't even know what to call it - informatics, telematics, compunication, or something. The most recent issue included a desCription of the Apple Computer Company Grants Program and news from a group called Informatics for the Third World, as well as a Sri Lanka microcomputer club. Uses of Computer and Communication Technologies by Grass-Roots Community Organizations Timothy Haight, Robert Rubinyi, Anna Lucia Zornosa Communication Arts Department University of Wisconsin Madison, WI 53706 608/263-3921 Based on a survey conducted by Timothy Haight and colleagues, this is one of the first analyses of uses of computers among citizen action and communitybased organizations. It's just a start, mind you, but it can give you an idea of some of the political, managerial and technical issues community groups using computers are dealing with.
Dec. 82/Jan. 83 RAIN Page 6 Green Oe'serts: Green Deserts is a small group based in Britain which has for the last eight years been trying to help people in arid lands work out ways of growing their own food, fuel, and fodder while actively enriching the earth of the Earth. The methods which seem to be emerging center on the reintegration of agriculture, forestry, and animal husbandry into a unified and ecologically-balanced system in which wastes are recycled and natural energies and appropriate technologies are employed. Ofcourse, these ideas are not really new to RAIN readers . . . But what is unusual is that here is one group which is actually putting the theories to practice and sending research, photo-documentation, educational and agro-forestry teams out on field projects into difficult desert countries. Over the years we've done tree planting in Abu Dhabi, Jordan, Tunisia, and are now working on a long-tenn project to reclaim and conserve prime cropland along the Nile and Atbara rivers in northern Sudan, in co-operation with the Sudan Government and the Sudan Council of Churches. Last year, a major expedition was mounted by Green Deserts in which 12 people, six Land Rovers, and literally tons of spare parts were dispatched overland from East Anglia across Europe and down through the Egyptian Sahara to Sudan. The Land Rovers and remaining parts were sold in order to raise enough money to get the projects started. The official British Overseas Development Administration was then convinced to provide matching funds for field expenses to keep things going. Green Deserts' work in the Sudan centers on three separate but related projects: 1) The improvement of small farms and agro-forestry experimentation within the areas protected by shelterbelts of trees; 2) The introduction of various leguminous tree crops in the unprotected outlying areas to provide additional animal forage and cooking fuel for drought-stricken pastoral nomads; and 3) The setting up of a mobile village agricultural exension service using an entertaining puppet show combined with traditional dancing, singing and story telling to complement courses in tree planting techniques. So far we've had an especially good response from the villagers first visited by the mobile extension unit, and early results from the desert tree planting trials with the herdsmen are encouraging. Green Deserts is also active in Britain, building public awareness through seminars and audio/visual presentations on a number of environmental topics. Much of the source material for this comes from our own Visual Information Service (VIS), an on-going project to provide planet-wide photo-documentation of the world's deserts and deforested areas and the reclamation efforts underway. Some financial support for our activities is coming from a growing network of members, and a few small businesses run by our core group in rural Suffolk. Most of our funding, however, is raised during a three day festival known as The Rougham Tree Fair which the Green Deserts group has been organizing every year since 1978. As the most widely attended event of its kind in Europe, the Tree Fair has become famous for bringing a wide variety of musical groups, theatre troupes, and fringe performers of every kind together with one of the finest informal exhibitions of local traditional craftsmanship (weaving, pottery, wood-carvng, etc.) to be found anywhere. Beneath all this runs a strong undercurrent of environmental awareness, surfacing in the fonn of discussions, films, ANs, and demonstrations on organic farming, A.T., ecology and of course, trees. Culturally speaking, the Tree Fair is an important, though casual confluence where the mainstream society can safely splash about in some warm New Age waters without feeling threatened by the rising tide of transformation that is flowing from the future. While the important issues of nuclear power, disannament and hunger have been flooding public consciousness, concern for some even more essential basics like
Page 7 RAIN Dec. 82/Jan. 83 PLANTING FOR OUR,VERY LIVES by David Mulligan lood, air and water - which only trees can guarantee seems to be sinking out of sight. Let's hope before more forests become just bits of driftwood in a boiling sea of sand that somewhere below the foam which tops the waves of world awareness will be found a strong groundswell of support to save the plants and trees which feed the Earth. 00 David Mulligan, a Green Deserts Council Member, has been working with the Tunisian Institute for Appropriate Technology since 1978. When we were scouring the globe looking for infonnation on the problem of desertification, he volunteered to write a short article 0/1 the work that Green Deserts is doing. From: GreCII Deserts Melllbers Masa:;/It' Trees: The Key to Recovery Dry areas cover about a third of the earth's land surface. Hawever, much of the remaining two-thirds is unsuitable for agriculture. If we exclude tundra, polar and high mountain regions and consider what percentage of potentially usable land has become desert during the last century, the ,figures are as follows: In 1872 about 14% was desert; in 1952 this had risen t033%;and by 1977 it was astaggering 55%. Now, ill 1982, almost two-thirds of tht' u5'.blt' land on earth has become dry and barren . The UN estimates that at the present rate of cropland loss and population growth, there will be halfas much cropland available to feed each person by the year 2000. While recognising that there are many ways of approaching the problem of desertification, Green Deserts particulary supports the introduction of tree crop fanning systems in arid lands. The beneficial effects of trees in barren or desert areas are many. They enrich the soil while providing protection against erosion, wind-blown Sand and scorching sun. The concept of tree crops means that trees can be planted for all of the above benefits, and in addition provide crops offodder, fuel, food, fibre and other products. This makes tree planting more economically viable than is possible from the mere provision of timber. Once trees have been established and are providing some initial protection (in as little as 2 years), other crops can be introduced in an integrated system of agro-forestry. Many productive trees are able to grow in marginal arid lands, in particular a number of the drought-resistant legumes. Research is needed into. the potential Df these and many other promising species. Agricultural and range management systems based around tree crops will be able to sustain rural communities in arid lands, while at the same time improving the soil for future generations. As predicted world food shortages worsen, it is possible that products from currently little-known trees will be accorded substantial importance, providing a much needed economic and ecological boost to many marginalfanns.
Dec. 82/Jan. 83 RAIN Page 8 ~1E:LL~ ~;.;~'''.....~ ~~ ~ ~ i?·r filt~~~ P . h '.Q.j 'i; ..- ~.:- I · ~~~. uppet S O\IV (??JP)~~ Our journey through Nile Province, Sudan, convinced us beyond any doubt of the urgent need to communicate to the people living there the importance of trees and to regenerate a respect for and understanding of the direct benefits that tree planting, nurturing and careful management can have on the quality of their lives. We visited an agricultural scheme which is protected by extensive shelter belts of mesquite trees. Immediately outside the shelter belts all plant growth stops dramatically. Then for many miles there is nothing but desert and villages, which obviously had trees fairly recently but which are now practically submerged in sand. Large date palms, dead, and stripped of all accessible wood, are a common sight and it is hard to imagine by looking at the landscape that there ever was enough water to support the pathetically thin strips of fertility. The resulting situation of a lowered water table making the drawing of water harder and harder, and having to tl.i..tvel further and further for firewood makes life increasingly difficult, particularly for the women. This causes a level of exhaustion just in coping with the most basic survival which would make the extra burden of, for example, watering a tree sapling because of its long term benefits an unlikely priority. And it is useless planting trees if the goats are immediately grazed on them and they are cut down for firewood. Therefore it is essential that the people who deal with the desert daily really feel that tree planting is going to help them. There is a strong story-telling tradition in Sudan, so after researching into the Sudanese folklore, we wrote a story using local archetypes and made puppets of all the characters, hoping that we had chosen the right ones. We were pleased to find that whenever we showed the puppets to people we met they seemed to identify readily with them; we decided to try a performance. We arrived unannounced at Shagalwa village with a forest ranger, five performers, John Agnew of 'Green Deserts: a sack of mesquite seeds, a pile of booklets (compiled by Sudan Council of Churches in simple language with illustrations) about desert reclamation, and a puppet show. The evening was an extraordinary success. We set up our theatre by the light of the headlamps in an open space in the village, and by the time we were ready to start (about half an hour), around 500 people had materialized from nowhere and were patiently waiting for something to happen. Set in a village on the edge of the desert suffering from creeping sand, the story was told as follows: "A lazy boy, Ali, is chastised by his Grandmother, Haboba, for not working in the fields to provide food for them to eat. Ali says that there is no point in his working, as the fields his Grandfather used to work are covered in sand. "WelL go and graze the goat by the trees," Haboba says, but Ali tells her that there is only one tree remaining, the rest having been cut down for firewood. She boxes his ears and sends him out anyway. Ali and the goat go to the only tree, Ali falls asleep in its shade and the goat grazes. The tree groans and complains when the goat nibbles its leaves, scaring it away. Then Abbas al Hatab (woodcutter) enters looking for a tree to fell, but every time he turns to swing his axe the tree dodges out of the way. Unaware of this, he stumbles around cursing, thinking he is losing his aim; he mutters to himself that if he didn't know that it was impossible he would think that the tree had moved. The goat pops his head up to say that the tree had moved, asking the audience to confirm this. Abbas is now really angry; he swings his axe one more time, but just as he is about to strike, the tree comes to life, revealing itself as a fearful looking ghinn, who grabs him by the neck. He flees in terror. Alone on the stage the tree speaks to the audience in verse about the benefits of trees and the many uses of wood. Noticing Ali sleeping in the shade, the tr~e speaks to him in a dream telling him to plant a shelter belt of
Page9 RAIN Dec. 821]an. 83 In Sudan trees around his Grandfather's fields to protect them from the wind-blown sand; the land will then become usable again. Muttering about his strange dream, Ali awakes and finds mesquite pods dropped by the tree. He goes off, whistling optimistically, to plant them." The actors put tremendous life into the voices so the audience was laughing at the goat's antics, booing at Abbas, and silent for the tree's poem; a perfect crowd. Before they dispersed, the forest ranger announced that there was to be a discussion, for anyone interested, at the local club. We met there with a small group of about 25 farmers. The main point that came out of the discussion was that although they had felt life becoming harder with sand covering fertile land, lowering water tables, etc., none of the farmers present had before made the connection between this condition and lack of trees. One man described himself as being terrified at the increasing poverty he was facing. The farmers, on hearing for the first time of the Forest Department's work in planting shelter belts, asked for a shelter belt for their village. The forest ranger explained that the Forest Department does not have the manpower to cover every village in the desert but if the village could provide the labor then they would provide seeds and practical advice and supervision. An arrangement was made for this to happen. We left Shagalwa feeling convinced that story telling, drama and particularly puppets are an ideal means of communicating ideas to people of low literacy level. By presenting a play involving local archetypes, which the villagers readily identified with, we were able to discover very quickly the level of awareness they had of their own environmental problem and its causes. We were also able to reach the women and children who would not have attended a more formal educational exercise. The discussion highlighted how little these people knew of the Forest Department even though the village is very near Shendi and extensive shelter belts have been planted within 25 km. of Shagalwa. The farmers seem unaware of the significance of the work being done. This points to a need for extension work of this sort to communicate to people in their own villages.0 0 TI,e abaue article was excerpted from Green Deserts Members Magazine, Autumn 1981. Desertification is a major problem in Northern Ghana where 1spent time as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The Johnny Appleseed approach doesn't go UlJer too well in an area where a grawing population has to cut dawn more and more trees every year in order to have fuel for cooking. There's also the cultural beliefthat trees represent the "bush," a place of disorder and danger; therefore, they must be cleared uway so that people will feel safer. It has been estimated that the desert is creeping south into the tropical forests of central Ghana at a rate of 3 miles per year. The challenge we and other village development facilitators faced was to be culturally sensitive when talking to folies about planting trees. For example, we helped them to make the connection that planting trees helped to protect the drinking water dams from wind and soil erosion . Further, if their villilge can boast of aconstant supply afwater through the dry season, it will be easier for their young men to convince their wives-to-be to come and live with them. Without that guarantee, the village literally withers away. - Ann Borquist From China . .. This past spring millions ofChinese citizens began planting trees in a lIatiollal afforestation drive. Every able-bodied citizen over the age of e11!7.>el1 is expected to plant three to{ive trees each year in amassive effort to Ilalt tltefurther devastation of China's limited forests . Considering tllat tile millions of Chinese census takers just counted a billion people ill China, that's a lot of trees.
Dec. 82/Jan . 83 RAIN Page 10 ACCESS: International Forestry ORGANIZATIONS The Africa Tree Center In a letter to former Rain editor, John Ferrell, R. T. Mazibuko the founder of ATe, shared these thoughts with us. Dear Mr. Ferrell, Thank you for your very kind letter. I am indeed glad to make contact with you and your association. My people have no agricultural tradition as is known in the East and West. We have just come into contact with civilization, education, etc. about 200 years ago. The rich land of Africa is ruined by soil and soul erosion and exhaustion. Famine is the number one killer; next is malnutrition. To fight all this, I decided to form this organization where each family plants one tree a year. I have to make the presentation very, very attractive and practical to be within the understanding of my people who are 25 million compared with 4LIl million whites. My program imcludes afforesting hills and mountains and every piece of land that is not for agricultural purposes. We also intend to plant trees and blunt water grasses along river banks. I am glad to state that my people are responding very, very well. All I require is finances to buy more and more trees to distribute. My friends in Switzerland have made it possible for me to buy one acre of land in order to raise my own young trees. I hope that in four years time I will be in a position to raise more trees than I have to buy. We of the third world, in fact aU the world's people, should clearly undersand that the soil is our topmost gift which we got from God. As you well know, trees can live without man. man cannot live without trees. Yours Sincerely, R.T. Mazibuko Kwa Dlamahlahla PO Box 90 Plessislaer 4500 Natal, South Africa The Chipko Movement - People Who Hug the Trees Chipko, meaning "people who hug the trees," comes from a legend about avillage woman named Amrita Devi who had been taught to love and protect the trees as she would her family. One day, the Maharajah sent his men to cut trees for his new palace. Arnrita begged the soldiers to take her instead of the trees. "Stand back" they shouted. She refused so they chopped through her body and the bodies of her daughters and 360 other villagers. The Maharajah was angry when the soldiers returned with so few trees, but when he heard the story, he stopped the work on his new palace and set out the next day to visit Amrita's village. He was so moved by the willingness of the people to lay down their lives for the trees that he declared a moratorium on treecutting near the Chipko villages. And today, the villages are still guarded by their beloved trees, an oasis in a desolate desert. The Chipko movement appeared in the early 1960s and continues today in its efforts to protect many Himalayan forest areas and to organize national afforestation programs. Chipko Movement Dasholi Gram Swrajya Mandai Gopeshwar District Chamoli, U.P. INDIA AFRICA TREE CENTRE KWA DLAMAHLAHLA rain and thus prevent tam\n8 PrOvide \)8$ fof tanning
~ Page 11 RAIN Dec. 82/Jan. 83 OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WORKING ON AFFORESTATION Associacao de Preservacao da Flora e da Fauna ex Postal 1176 CEP 80.000, Curitiba, Parama, Brazil Association des Edaireuses et Edaireurs de Haute-Volta BP 2500, Ouagadougou, Upper Volta Comprehensive Rural Education, Social Cultural and Economic Center G. PO Box 2095, Dacca - 2, Bangladesh Forestry Association of Nigeria PO Box 4185, lbadan, Nigeria Gambia Scouts Association PO Box 693, Banjul, The Gambia Millions of Trees Clubs clo Youth Hostels Association of India, Siragate, Tumkur-Kamataka, India 572101 Men of the Trees Crawley Down, Crawley, Sussex, England Sociedad Censervacionista Aragua Aptdo 5115, Maracay, Venezuela Sociedad Dominicana Para la Conservacio de Recursos Nauiales PO Box 174-2, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Tree Society of Sri Lanka (Ruk Rakaganno) 378/6 Araliya Gardens, Nawala Road, Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka BIBLIOGRAPHY Dripe to Tum Clrina Green, Beijing Review, May 1982 Forestry and Rural Development, Food and Agriculture Organization, 1981, Rome. Greening tire Countryside, Sharma Ravi, 1981, from: Centre for Science and Environment, 807 Vishal Bhawan, 95 Nehru Place, New Delhi, India, 11019 Green Deserts Magazine, Rougham, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk IP30 OLY England. $8/year students and senior. Membership includes publication and one living tree held at their nursery until collected or planted . Green Wall ofClrilra, in Development Forum, July/August 1981 Salrel Tragedy, in The Ecologist, July/August 1981. Social Forestry - No Solution Within the Market, The Ecologist, July/August, 1982 Trees of Life, in Development Forum, July/August 1981. Village Afforestation: Lessons of Experience in Tanzania, E. M. Mnzava, Food and Agricultural Organization, 1980, Rome. Undercurrents , Special Isstte on Trees and Forests, September 1981 World Rainforest Destruction - Tire Social Factors, The Ecologist, January/February, 1982 St. Barbe Baker Tlris year marks tlte 50th anniversary of Dr. Richard St. Barbe Baker's foullding of the Men of the Trees, an international society of tree enthusiasts started in Kenya. During the 92 years of tlris remarkable conservationist's life, St. Barbe Baker pioneered forestry programs in Kerrya and Nigeria; devised a plan, later adopted as the Cit'ilian Conservation Corps, to reclaim America's "Dust Bmvl"; led two expeditions through the Sahara encouraging tree planting in 24 African coun tries to arrest the oncoming desert; and launched a fund to save the redwoods of California. He lectured throughout the world and taught ecological forestry at the University of Saskatchewan . For World Forestry Day this past March, St. Barbe Baker left us with tlris message: "If we are to enter the new century with new forests we must start planting nmvfor our very lives."
Dec. 82/Jan. 83 RAIN Page 12 USTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: A Tradition in West Africa An interview with David and Mark Freudenberger Agricultural sustainability is more than a new catchword, it is an objective for realizing a long-term coeuolutwnary relatwnship between humans and natural resources wherever one is throughout the world. Yet to many people in the drought-plagued countries of West Africa, sustainability is synonymous with day to day survival, a hope threaded intricately with each moment of living. nvo dedicated brothers are challenging us to think more clearly about the conditions for sustainable food production and self-reliant development. David and mark Freudenberger are of the soil. David was born in Zaire, and Mark has spent over half his life in Africa. Between them, they present their vision of sustainable farming systems which incorporate forestry and wildlife mangement strategies for West Africa. Mark recently served as a project agronomist .for Catholic Relief Services in Upper Volta. Previously, he worked with the Peace Corps in Togo, and Bread for the World in Washington. David has recently written a chapter on deer (arming and management in South Africa in David Yerex's book The Fanning of Deer: World Trends and Techniques (1982). In 1977, David attended the U.N. Conference on Desertification in Nairobi, Kenya. Both David and Mark provide us with a greater familiarity with the land and people ofWest Africa. They express a revrencefor the land and its natural rsources, as well as a deep respect for the people who create self-reliant development. Their message is clear. Sustainable and selfreliant developmen t can occu r ifwe take note ofwhere we have been and apply it to where we are going. - Jim and Rosalind Riker RAIN: Your work in West Africa has focused on sustainable food production systems of forest and grasslands and wildlife management. Yet this concept of permaculture doesn't seem to be getting the recognition it deserves. Hasn't the whole emphasis to date been instead on field crop production, such as millet? MARK: Yes, most of the research funds are channeled into field crop production and how to increase it. There is very little research on forestry and multiple use of trees, integrated with fuel crop production, animal husbandry, and conservation. When I presented a paper to the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) and other groups in integrated forestry, they thought it was a great idea but not practical and relevant. I think they are wrong. There are examples that have been tried all over the world which suggest that if you start first on integrating tree crop production into field crop production based on native practices you might be on the right track. Eventually this may supplement or even replace field crop production on poor soils entirely, and lead to a more sustainable system. RAIN: How do these concepts of integrated farming, forestry and wildlife management apply to local conditions? DAVID: Keep in mind that cropping has to be structured very much on a micro-regional basis. There is a whole western mentality that farms go from fence line to fence line, over hill and dale. But that just does not work in the African climates and soils. Development must occur on a local basis, recognizing ecological as well as social differences. There might be an incredible diversity within a very small area. You may see a rice paddy that is 3x10 meters and it may do very well though all around it is barren rock. MARK: I think the marginal lands have to be put into tree crop production and grasses. Then your best land with the deepest soils, the alluvial soils, can be very carefully used for particular types of field crop production, if you can maintain the soil fertility in the long-term. I am not sure that can be done, due to the soil erosion and I don't believe we can sit back and philosophize about whether or not there is hope. That is doomsday politics. We must get on with the work that needs to be done. nutrient depletion of current field crop production. RAIN: Given the current deterioration of the land, it seems that there is not much which can be based on the traditional agriq.Iitural system. Are we moving into a transitional system of agriculture based on the existing conditions? DAVID: It is transitional in the sense that we cannot go backwards, but I think there is a great deal of value in the traditional knowledge which should not be lost. For instance, western scientists can identify only 16 varieties of millet, while the local villager can identify 54 varieties. That kind of knowledge base, which includes the uses of
these millet varieties and the growing conditions required, would take years for western scientists to figure out. So this knowledge base should be incorporated into the transitional system. RAIN: How can this rich knowledge base become part of the transitional process? DAVID: In my particular field of interest, wildlife management, the transition that I believe needs to come about is based on the cultural traditions and wisdom of the villagers. Throughout most of these African countries, game reserves and national parks are being set up as a place for western tourists on photo-taking safaris. I think that game parks are going to have to serve as productive food producing systems as well. The whole cultural system of traditional villages is based upon management of the wildlife in many ways. There is cultural knowledge of various characteristics of the indigenous animals and a taboo system which applies to just about every aspect of game. There are even taboos on how often an elephant may be killed. Therefore, one of the transitional aspects needs to be a new approach to natural resource management, building on these traditional practices regarding the indigenous wildlife. RAIN: What insights may be gained from traditional African fanning systems that can address the current needs of food, fuel, forest and wildlife preservation? MARK: In tenns of the field crop production or the production of food grains, I like to use Wes Jackson's idea that describes how nature is oriented towards the production of polycultures that are perennials, while western agriculture has been oriented towards the production of annuals in monocultures. Monoculture has been the focus of most of the agricultural experiments and research over the past 20 years, but traditional African farming systems were based on polyculture perennials. It integrated a variety of trees and plants to meet the villagers' multiple needs of food, medicines, fibre, fodder, and fuel. In the case of the nitrogen-fixing tree, acacia albida, the nuts are eaten by animals, the wood is very valuable for firewood, and one can plant crops around the tree. We need to look at what these specific traditional technologies were and how they can be adapted to a more intensive and sustainable type of agriculture. I don't think that we can have the iUusion that traditional agriculture is necessarily the most productive, but I think it can teach many valuable lessons in our efforts to realize a Page 13 RAIN Dec. 82/Jan. 83 sustainable agriculture. DAVID: There is also polyculture in animal production as well. There is definitely an ecological role for a cow, a zebra, or an elephant. It must be seen as part of the multicropping system, using both traditional and domesticated animals. RAIN: Are governmental agencies, donors, and nongovernmental organizations receptive to the pennaculture ideas? And are they introducing them by building upon the traditions of villagers? MARK: This idea of pennaculture or agrisilviculture is very new. It is going to take a while before the concept and the practice begin to filter down among government, donor, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This is just a little spark. I don't know if the spark has set the forest on fire yet. There are certain agencies that have the foresight and the vision to begin testing. The key is going to be to publicize what is working and what is not. Can these preliminary efforts, in one part of the world, be relevant to another? We have to keep in mind the social, economic, and ecological constraints of each situation. RAIN: Are the lessons gained from the initial work in development and pennaculture being shared so we can build on each other's efforts? DAVID: There is a great communication gap, particularly when it comes to successes. There are so many agencies, NGOs and levels of government involved in practical efforts that a lot of what happens in the field is not reported, or it is lost altogether. MARK: Even within one's own agency, it is often extremely difficult to get a hold of infonnation. We are not doing a very good job of sharing infonnation, especially mistakes. Agencies don't like to publicize their project weaknesses, but it is a valuable learning process for each of us. So this, of course is why RAIN and similar publicatons are so important. The question is: how do you get this infonnation disseminated to those involved in development, especially to the practitioners? RAIN: Do you believe there is hope of actually establishing sustainable forestry and wildlife management systems given current conditions and trends in West Africa? MARK: I think that if you are a practitioner, you really don't think about it. If you struggle with the question of whether or not there is hope, I think you'll become very, very discouraged. Rather, you take encouragement in the little victories that appear every day. You realize that time is running outand that you've gotto try your hardest. DAVID: Given certain conditions, change can come about very quickly. Twenty years ago there weren't paved roads or schools in many of the villages I passed through in my travels, which illustrates that things have changed rapidly. We have to keep a historical perspective in mind. Yes, there is a lot that has to be done, but a lot has already been done. MARK: I think that if you sit back and contemplate the enormity of what has to be done, and you see the insane growth of the anns race, you can be discouraged. We don't have the luxury of getting discouraged. We don't have the luxury of being cynical. Not at all! Certainly as Americans we have been given tremendous opportunities of education, power, wealth, the possibilities for affecting change. I don't believe we can sit back and philosophize about whether or not there is hope. That is doomsday politics. We must get on with the work that needs to be done.o o
Dec. 821Jan. 83 RAIN Page 14 ACCESS: Organizational Development MAKING A PROFIT AND CHANGING TIlE WORLD Planning the Organizationol Structure of BllSiness Activities - Q Manual for Not-/orProfit Organizations Center for Urban Economic Development P.O. Box 4348 Chicago, IL 60680 1982, $12 postpaid, 105 pp. This manual is oriented toward the non profit neighborhood organization that wishes to establish a profit-making enterprise. The manual describes the advantages and disadvantages of different corporate structures, financial, and other business management aspects of setting up a profit making business. Profit MaJcing by Nonprofits Grantsmanship Center News 131 S. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90015 A two part series appeared in the JanuarylFebruary and MarchiApril (1982) issues of the Grantsmanship Center News, entitled "Profit Making by Nonprofits." It is an excellent introduction to the basic Chart 1 Sources of Income for Nonprofit Organizations.1980 Percenl 100,------------------------------------------------------------------- P"YI1~ Govern~n:~ __ I Servu:e Fees & Other 75 I principles of establishing a profit-making business in a nonprofit organization. The series will probably be offered through the Grantsmanship Center's Reprint Series. Write for details. Business Ventures ofCilizen Groups Charles Cagnon Northern Rockies Action Group (NRAG) 9 Placer St. Helena, MT 59601 $5.00,1982,50 pp. Yet another timely gem from NRAG. This publication is based on research conducted by Charles Cagnon on a nationwide tour of citizen groups attempting to develop profitrnaking businesses. Cagnon presents a case study of twelve of these organizations, analyzing the reasons for their successes and failures. The rest of the publication consists of small chapters devoted to practical advice, introductory remarks about various aspects of setting up a small business, and guides for citizen groups to follow in choosing a small business. Chapter titles include: Purchasing an Existing Business, Surviving the Learning Curve, Learning to Live with Profit, and Practical Uses of Human Healln ~ucallon Culture CVJC ano Rtv.;o' Services SerVIces aoo At5e;:srcn SoQaj ACIIon Sa~'te Bruce 1. R Smllri anc Nelson M RciOl'1tla~ l"'f Fo'sca Can-aC.i, ~I :~~ .r'..J" ~t· · ,Pilr- ·' ~ ..'- : .. . c:HfXIo!,· ..·S" ."$1" J~'U~ Na:.onal lsSoues Se""'lnar VW'~"'lIQJ1 0 C Oete""'lt..e't;' 198* From: Corporate Philanthrqpy Assets. Another reality of business is the tremendOlls number of unexciting tasks which must always be done. The transactions of a business are defined: If you are in the widget business, YOIl buy and sell widgets. This can have important implications for a nonprofit that wants to nm a business - especially if the people who will work there are accustomed to the variety and sense ofpride that comes from directly working on important issues. For instance, Oregon Fair Share discovered that one of the problems of running their Thrift Store was that people were bored working there. CORPORATE PHILANTIlROPY CorporaJe Philanthropy, The Business of Giving Council on Foundations Fulfillment Service 7212 Lockport Place Lorton, VA 22079 $12.00,1982,160 pp. The volume of literature recently published about corporate philanthropy is an indication of the impact of Reagan policies. Everyone is looking for a new source of funding, and often that new source is the corporation. The Council on Foundations has published an overview of the state of corporate giving and community involvement. The book includes articles on the role of business in community affairs, profiles of corporate contribution profeSSionals, corporate philanthropy in smaller communities, and grantrnaking in specific industries. There are also summaries of interviews conducted with corporate executives about their attitude toward philanthropic giving. You can start with this volume and Sternberg's (below) to get a grasp on the field. Nationol Directory of Corporale Contributions Sam Sternberg Regional Young Adult Project 944 Market St., #705 San Francisco, CA 94102 $32.00 (inside California add tax),1982 This report provides data on more than 600 companies and their philanthropic giving patterns. This is not a typical directory of corporate foundations but a profile of lesser known corporate giving programs. There is some focus on California, but about two thirds of the programs are from outside of California.
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