Oi!
So, my first 24 hours... so many thoughts and impressions and ideas, soaking it all in.
I have a long list of things to get done online today, with 2 hours before Livy and I leave for the Pequena anotherwordiforget, which, according to Livy, is a project in the jungle, but we were corrected by a favelan yesterday, that he doesn't even consider it a forest!
It's a civilized nature place apparently. AND I might know someone there from Switzerland who went to the same school as me!
SMALL WORLD!
So, within blocks of where Livy lives, is this gas station, very cheap gas, and this internet cafe - the owner's nephew or son is in France studying and the daughter went recently to visit for a month - I guess opening an internet cafe in the area from 8am - 11pm was a good idea capitalistically speaking.
Pooping - I was advised upon entering my sister's house/apt not to flush the toilet paper or the toilet will explode
My head is a bit congested, probably due to the air pollution, the chainsmoking of the european volunteers....literally constant, and the fact that the little house I am living in has a bit of mold. Ok, not a bit of mold, but 3 years ago had a foot of sewage in it and noone inhabited the place until January. Needless to say, we have to keep the window open at night or it really stinks. And it's normal to have a swollen face in the mornings when you awake from the hard mattresses.
The first food I had was some wholegrain bread and cheese... The cheese was hard to stomach, but I am not going to waste any food,
security - in response to my dads comment that I should be security concious. I am following Olivia's lead and advice on this one. My belongings are safe, and I'm following the instructions that, during the day, if I stick to the couple of places that I know, I will be perfectly fine. Also, I need to keep some cash on me in case I get robbed because they won't believe me if I say I don't have any. After 8pm, however, I must walk around in groups if I go anywhere.
When I go travelling by myself next week, I will find other travelers to join up with for any evening activities, won't have anything but my camera that could be stolen, and will speak anything but english :-)
The only concern she brought up was that there have been shootings recently in the favela, but she says it's all drug-related and non-touristy and at night.
It's cold here! Much colder than the internet weather websites were indicating... however, it was 90 degrees or so according to locals just a couple of days ago. So who knows how it'll shape up.
Even just in the 8 months Livy has been here, there have been changes in the favelas, such as a new law against billboards, and another saying bars have to close at 10pm, along with electricity, meters and poles on most streets. She said that on the other side of the hill in the same favela they steal all the materials and electricity.
The organization she volunteers for has many kindergartens, community centers, artistics workshops, schools, and more, all in the same small area. It feels like a small camphill community plus waldorf school (camphill is a community that takes care of handicapped adults based on Rudolf Steiner's philosophy).
Being surrounded by a new language is always exhausting for a day or two if you are trying to engage and interact with it... I can mostly understand portuguese at this point, but it's a double-whammy because the volunteers all speak to each other in german so I've been speaking more german than portuguese so far!
Everyone I meet, tells us that we don't look like sisters, which we protest, and then asks us which one is older. It's true, I can look quite young, especially with pigtails.
Much more to write, but I've got to spend my internet time wisely and get health insurance, etc.
Much love
Emma
Showing posts with label sustainable development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sustainable development. Show all posts
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Misled in school
So, after 4 years - or maybe it was three - studying international development and social change, and now starting to become more and more active and ask more and more questions - I keep coming across contradicting examples for certain "theories" i learned.
Unfortunately, I never had examples to begin with, so I can contradict these examples
with case studies showing the otherside.
A recent example...
While in Vietnam, I went to the board dinner of the Asia Pacific Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production - at a nice little vietnamese restaurant where, as I soon realized was usual, the waitresses all wear traditional long robes of beautiful silk, without patterns.
I was intrigued by the fact that when working, everyone wore these elegant traditional garm, but when not working, they wore jeans and high-heels and t-shirts!
So at this dinner I sat next to a very well educated Sri Lankan man who has been working in international development for decades.
I mentioned something regarding the problem with professionals being trained in Sri Lankan Universities and then leaving the country to work elsewhere for better wages and how it's an intellectual drain on the country and benefits "developed" countries. I had learned this in my Tales From The Far Side International Development Class.
ON THE CONTRARY: He said that they want their people to go and work and move abroad because they don't have enough jobs for the people they are training - and if you send them abroad - they will send incredible amounts of money back home!
We had quite insufficiently explored this - and without case studies!
Unfortunately, I never had examples to begin with, so I can contradict these examples
with case studies showing the otherside.
A recent example...
While in Vietnam, I went to the board dinner of the Asia Pacific Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production - at a nice little vietnamese restaurant where, as I soon realized was usual, the waitresses all wear traditional long robes of beautiful silk, without patterns.
I was intrigued by the fact that when working, everyone wore these elegant traditional garm, but when not working, they wore jeans and high-heels and t-shirts!
So at this dinner I sat next to a very well educated Sri Lankan man who has been working in international development for decades.
I mentioned something regarding the problem with professionals being trained in Sri Lankan Universities and then leaving the country to work elsewhere for better wages and how it's an intellectual drain on the country and benefits "developed" countries. I had learned this in my Tales From The Far Side International Development Class.
ON THE CONTRARY: He said that they want their people to go and work and move abroad because they don't have enough jobs for the people they are training - and if you send them abroad - they will send incredible amounts of money back home!
We had quite insufficiently explored this - and without case studies!
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
we create self-fulfilling phrophecies..
It is my understanding that the process works thus:
1. We predict what our "demand" will be
2. We build power plants, roads, schools, etc to MEET that demand
3. We thus fulfill the demand - by creating the demand
It seems quite backwards...
for example - on Cape Cod - they have a 10-year projected energy demand... so they are talking about what power plants, wind farms and such, will be needed to MEET that demand.
INSTEAD.....
How about decided what demand you WANT there to be?
Then you can figure out a strategy of how to reduce your energy demand over time.... through conservation measures, which will reduce the cost of the energy because new power plants and new development's WON'T be needed.
So decide that in 5 years, you want Cape Cod to be using X amount of energy....
which means you don't need more powerplants...
which means the energy costs will go up -
which will make conservation more affordable
which will spur energy conservation innovation....
If we keep predicting Unsustainable growth and consumption patterns - we will keep creating them... with a FALSE idea that we are REACTING to society.... though in fact, we are CREATING the demands in the first place through the market.
We could instead, realize we are in the decision-making position, and be PROACTIVE!
1. We predict what our "demand" will be
2. We build power plants, roads, schools, etc to MEET that demand
3. We thus fulfill the demand - by creating the demand
It seems quite backwards...
for example - on Cape Cod - they have a 10-year projected energy demand... so they are talking about what power plants, wind farms and such, will be needed to MEET that demand.
INSTEAD.....
How about decided what demand you WANT there to be?
Then you can figure out a strategy of how to reduce your energy demand over time.... through conservation measures, which will reduce the cost of the energy because new power plants and new development's WON'T be needed.
So decide that in 5 years, you want Cape Cod to be using X amount of energy....
which means you don't need more powerplants...
which means the energy costs will go up -
which will make conservation more affordable
which will spur energy conservation innovation....
If we keep predicting Unsustainable growth and consumption patterns - we will keep creating them... with a FALSE idea that we are REACTING to society.... though in fact, we are CREATING the demands in the first place through the market.
We could instead, realize we are in the decision-making position, and be PROACTIVE!
Saturday, April 28, 2007
The downfalls of professional conferences....
After years of conferences - attending, helping put them on, and presenting at.... I have yet to be impressed!
Four key downfalls (of env conferences):
1. good information, bad presenting
2. one-way info flow in conference structure
3. professionals representing the stakeholders
4.Conference doesn't walk it's own talk
There is often a myriad of good information, though scattered in focus, but the structure of the conference along with a huge discrepancy in presenting skills enfolds mixed results, often less desirable and quite unfortunate in terms of the amount of energy everyone has put in. Hours and days of planning, researching, honing down on the right slides, and most of it slips away through bad organization and skills.
There should be, as with most things, a certificate for presenting - which you can try out for - in such a way that all presenting skills are honored despite comedic or other styles as long as the information is presented clearly - and if you don't get the certification, classes or workshops are available.
Secondly - the organization of the conference. It baffles me how, with the extent of knowledge in existence, conferences are organized with one-way information flows, which assume there is one positions possible for each person - that of the learner and that of the teacher. This disregards the fact that we can all learn from each other - and that more brains together have more productive results. The structure of the conference does not enable growth, further learning which is fostered by engagement and interaction.
How many people in this world truly learn by being "talked at" ? And how many learn better when there is discussion,..... when there is real-life examples.....
Thirdly - Why do conference have "professionals" who are out of touch with the people they are speaking on behalf of? For example, at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development.... we have NGOs representing farmers...... I don't remember there being any farmers..... any workers.... any peasants... any teachers.... - the people we are talking about in the abstract - we don't give them a voice themselves - but we use theories and sometimes real life examples, - the professionals speak for them without EXPERIENCE being them.
Fourthly, at all the environmental conferences, with the small exception of some run by students who are truly trying to be aware, the conference within itself is unsustainable!. At the conference on Sustainable production and consumption for example, in Vietnam, it took place at an expensive 5 star hotel.... with meat, dairy, bottled water, excessive use of paper, lack of recycling facilities, constant lighting, and more! It didn't even take into consideration finding a hotel that was interested in sustainable development, and having the conference there - most liekly for free - in exchange for the knoweldge from all of the professionals - a WORKSHOP by all the conference participants creating a SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION PLAN OF ACTION!
why not have a conference of people in countries that are living sustainably? a regional conference... free conference.. They can talk about what they are doing - a community of real representatives not professionals... (We only have cross-shared learning between the rich people).... BOTTOM UP. Do they need us to facilitate ?Should we provide the cost?
Four key downfalls (of env conferences):
1. good information, bad presenting
2. one-way info flow in conference structure
3. professionals representing the stakeholders
4.Conference doesn't walk it's own talk
There is often a myriad of good information, though scattered in focus, but the structure of the conference along with a huge discrepancy in presenting skills enfolds mixed results, often less desirable and quite unfortunate in terms of the amount of energy everyone has put in. Hours and days of planning, researching, honing down on the right slides, and most of it slips away through bad organization and skills.
There should be, as with most things, a certificate for presenting - which you can try out for - in such a way that all presenting skills are honored despite comedic or other styles as long as the information is presented clearly - and if you don't get the certification, classes or workshops are available.
Secondly - the organization of the conference. It baffles me how, with the extent of knowledge in existence, conferences are organized with one-way information flows, which assume there is one positions possible for each person - that of the learner and that of the teacher. This disregards the fact that we can all learn from each other - and that more brains together have more productive results. The structure of the conference does not enable growth, further learning which is fostered by engagement and interaction.
How many people in this world truly learn by being "talked at" ? And how many learn better when there is discussion,..... when there is real-life examples.....
Thirdly - Why do conference have "professionals" who are out of touch with the people they are speaking on behalf of? For example, at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development.... we have NGOs representing farmers...... I don't remember there being any farmers..... any workers.... any peasants... any teachers.... - the people we are talking about in the abstract - we don't give them a voice themselves - but we use theories and sometimes real life examples, - the professionals speak for them without EXPERIENCE being them.
Fourthly, at all the environmental conferences, with the small exception of some run by students who are truly trying to be aware, the conference within itself is unsustainable!. At the conference on Sustainable production and consumption for example, in Vietnam, it took place at an expensive 5 star hotel.... with meat, dairy, bottled water, excessive use of paper, lack of recycling facilities, constant lighting, and more! It didn't even take into consideration finding a hotel that was interested in sustainable development, and having the conference there - most liekly for free - in exchange for the knoweldge from all of the professionals - a WORKSHOP by all the conference participants creating a SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION PLAN OF ACTION!
why not have a conference of people in countries that are living sustainably? a regional conference... free conference.. They can talk about what they are doing - a community of real representatives not professionals... (We only have cross-shared learning between the rich people).... BOTTOM UP. Do they need us to facilitate ?Should we provide the cost?
Thursday, April 26, 2007
A walking dollar abroad....
I don't want to buy things, in that I don't need things, i prefer experiences. If certain things can enhance my experience then perhaps I might be inclined to, but as experience is within, that would be quite rare.
In general, overconsumption is one of the largest plagues in modern times - a distraction from ourselves, our connectedness, along with a misuse of our spent energy (often doing something we don't like) - while depleting the earth's resources and often through unequal strategies and practices.
My Chilean friend, whom I met wandering around Vietnam by myself and looking at various intrigues along the streets.... a fellow young traveler, gorgeous, open-minded, and exciting. He said we should spend money here because the people are so poor.
In many senses, I agree - as it is a redistribution of the wealth - they work harder and for less, and we reap the benefits in our world, as the exploitation often returns back to the power source whether through governments or corporations or the IMF. I don't mean we reap the benefits only in that we get to buy some cheap things abroad.
Is it thus my duty and responsibility as a being in this world who's position automatically enables me to so easily reap the energy of those in different positions... born or granted?
Perhaps instead, I can focus my energy dual-fold - giving back, but not through the purchase and consumption of said goods which burden me with "things" but through spending my energy working to decrease the inequalities, and changing in any way possible the root cause - the energy system of the world - of give and take and power.
Perhaps then, I can give them money - however, that in the larger sense promotes laziness and dependency - a reward for doing something positive in their lives - change - or an incentive to make positive changes would make more sense.
The balance is hard to find - how do I properly give energy back that I have been given without a cost? Do I give them my time... my smiles... my positivity.... my listening... will they value that?
In general, overconsumption is one of the largest plagues in modern times - a distraction from ourselves, our connectedness, along with a misuse of our spent energy (often doing something we don't like) - while depleting the earth's resources and often through unequal strategies and practices.
My Chilean friend, whom I met wandering around Vietnam by myself and looking at various intrigues along the streets.... a fellow young traveler, gorgeous, open-minded, and exciting. He said we should spend money here because the people are so poor.
In many senses, I agree - as it is a redistribution of the wealth - they work harder and for less, and we reap the benefits in our world, as the exploitation often returns back to the power source whether through governments or corporations or the IMF. I don't mean we reap the benefits only in that we get to buy some cheap things abroad.
Is it thus my duty and responsibility as a being in this world who's position automatically enables me to so easily reap the energy of those in different positions... born or granted?
Perhaps instead, I can focus my energy dual-fold - giving back, but not through the purchase and consumption of said goods which burden me with "things" but through spending my energy working to decrease the inequalities, and changing in any way possible the root cause - the energy system of the world - of give and take and power.
Perhaps then, I can give them money - however, that in the larger sense promotes laziness and dependency - a reward for doing something positive in their lives - change - or an incentive to make positive changes would make more sense.
The balance is hard to find - how do I properly give energy back that I have been given without a cost? Do I give them my time... my smiles... my positivity.... my listening... will they value that?
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Living in a Reactive Society
As opposed to Proactive Society. We're constantly on the defensive.. reacting to products - governments - policies - developments. We're so busy reacting that we don't take or spend the time to be proactive with creative innovative solutions to create what we want. We're bombarded with information, pressures, products, advertisments, and misinformation!
An example if community development - we are reacting to the fact that Wal-Mart wants to come to Worcester, Massachusetts.
But if we had a mechanism in place for proactivity - we would have council of representations continuously work on a 5 or 10 or other year plan - where we want to go. Then the community is involved in deciding how the community will progress and can ask for bids from companies to come and fulfill the needs they decided they have - not an outside organization deciding for you.
There's soemthing fundamentaly unsustainable about the mechanisms we have in place for faciitating development whether it's the top-down approach or the problem of spending millions of dollars on an environmental impact assessment of a project that will happen anyways and is oftentimes inherently unsustainable due to it's resource use.
An example if community development - we are reacting to the fact that Wal-Mart wants to come to Worcester, Massachusetts.
But if we had a mechanism in place for proactivity - we would have council of representations continuously work on a 5 or 10 or other year plan - where we want to go. Then the community is involved in deciding how the community will progress and can ask for bids from companies to come and fulfill the needs they decided they have - not an outside organization deciding for you.
There's soemthing fundamentaly unsustainable about the mechanisms we have in place for faciitating development whether it's the top-down approach or the problem of spending millions of dollars on an environmental impact assessment of a project that will happen anyways and is oftentimes inherently unsustainable due to it's resource use.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)