Alternative Economies… networks upon networks!

Projects, meetings and wild ideas seem to be spawning everywhere – all in the name of alternative economies. In my two home cities (Portland and Boston) there are newly forming networks of people and groups aligning around reworking our social fabric via economics. It’s exciting!

The basic idea is that there are many, many avenues for creating our social, political and economic systems that are based on human and environmental rights (as opposed to growth and profit), and that it’s time to align these efforts as well as take them to the next level.

Boston

While in Boston, I attended the second meeting of the BEAN/BASEN group (Boston Economic Alternatives Network/Boston Area Solidarity Economy Network). The meeting was energizing… an interesting mix of folks weaving together various threads of the new economy. The group, at the moment, includes an economy professor, a political economy professor, a global network organizer, a labor union activist, a community economic development student, two immigrants, and a few other interesting organizers (note: a handful of these folks founded the U.S. Solidarity Economy Network at the US Social Forum last year).

As a newly forming group, their strategy is to focus on one specific activity at a time so that they can accomplish it together, reflect, and then choose the next task until they get into their flow. Sounds like a good strategy. Their first collective activity is to host a visiting scholar for an evening discussion.

They also spent some time visioning about what they all meant by the practices of the solidarity economy. While on the one hand the list they generated (see below) contains a broad spectrum of big, daunting and fun ideas (begging the questions of where and how to start), the conversation led to a few interesting insights, including:

* Many of these ideas sound far off or far-fetched, but we are in a time of rapid transformation. Maybe our work is to simple be ready for when a crisis allows the doors to open for what may now sound like radical or unachievable ideas. We must be ready to implement these ideas when the time comes! (That certainly gives me motivation to work on the more wild ideas!)*

And: *Solidarity is a resource*

Get involved! Email orionk@gmail.com.

U.S. Solidarity Economy Network

TheUSSEN formed during the US Social Forum last year (the two women pictured hereat the far end of the table are some of the founders). In their words, they looked “beyond the traditional critiques of neoliberal capitalist economics to focus on an economic way forward. We decided to showcase the alternative economic values and institutions that have been proliferating in the U.S., and this ended up leading us to include as well the solidarity economy movements abroad which have begun to create networks of these alternatives.”

“The solidarity economy emphasizes our relationships to other people, and to our environment, and inserts solidaritous values into these relationships. Solidaritous values are cooperative, egalitarian, democratic, locally based, and sustainable. It strives for an economy based on human needs rather than an insatiable drive for profit. The ultimate aim of the solidarity economy is the breakdown of oppressive economic hierarchies of all types, the development of human potential, and the preservation of our communities and environment.”

Good stuff: U.S. Solidarity Economy Network (U.S. SEN, www.USSEN.org),

European Social Forum

In Boston, I also met with Pasqualino, an Italian man who has been in Boston for 28+ years working with labor union organizing. He is now organizing alternative economies events for the European Social Forum, which is coming up in September. In hearing about the breadth and depth of the ESF solidarity economy events, I learned some interesting tidbits about Europe, like the fact that any company that works in more than one EU country must include workers in all decisions of the company. Cool!

Pasqualino also offered me the idea that a very essential moment in life is the condition of the worker when he/she gets paid. This transaction is the soul of the relationship between management, workers and the work. The question, then, is “how do you make this moment meaningful and just?”

Another interesting tidbit: 25% of liquidity in the United States are union pension funds.

Portland

It’s happening here too! A recent meeting brought together more than a dozen folks all working on different aspects of alternative economies. Together, they brainstormed, “what’s working well?” and “what’s missing?” in Portland. If you’d like the notes and/or invitations to future meetings, email me (jennyleis@riseup.net) or brush (brush@tryonfarm.org).

SO WHAT?

The point here is that the idea of forming networks that link many forms of the solidarity economy is HOT. And exciting. And moving.

Maybe it’s just the latest lingo, but the evolving language of ‘sustainability’ helps us frame, connect and understand what we are doing together. We humans tend to get either stuck or energized by the words we choose to describe large ideas and social movements. I think that using the language of economics is a really great way to link the current world with the world of our ideals. Yeah!

Click here to read the recent brainstorms of the Boston and Portland alternative economy meetings…

*****IN PORTLAND:*****

What's working well?

* LEED system. Cascadia Green Building Council. Making people conscious of green building.

* Community Way-- bringing unused capacity into the non-profit sector. Support charitable organization. Community Credits are sold to members at par to the dollar. Non-profits gain new innovative fundraising tool and consumers do not lose any buying power. Credits can be recirculated and sold between business. Bartering and fundraising tool.

* Community Prosper that will be up at the end of the month. Social networking for organization. Into beta testing phase.

* Worker cooperatives. People's Co-op. Red and Black. Frong Song Model in Cotati, California.

* Co-housing. Portland Collective Housing. Working on program to help people develop cohousing.

* PRA-- predominately activist groups, but some community groups. Mostly radical. Trying to start a free market. Food not bombs. Food not lawns. Getting people to plant gardens and do servings. Geared towards collectives. The biggest problem is maintaining communication. How can we make school and good programs feasible. Need other means to do the work. Creating associations that generate workable relationships.

* Free cycle and internet based exchange. Craig lists.

* City Repair.

* Pedalpolooza. Less Driver miles.

* Women in trades on NE Alberta.

* Connected to the unions. IWW. SEIU.

* Free boxes. Who gets to incorporate what into the economy? A lot of DIY. Cultural events.

* Farmers Markets.

* Community Gardens.

* Food stamps for rent.

* Mainstream business-- sustainable business network. Nike doing a lot of sustainability. Portland business community leader in sustainability.

* Alternative media and KBOO. PCAST. Independent Resource Center.

* Free Geek

* The rebuilding Center. Making waste streams useful.

* Questions? Intentional Communities? Co-housing? Basic idea is creating collective living situations.

* Directory.ic.org.

* Developing a census of these projects.

What's missing?

* Communication system. To maximize resources.

* Visualizing scale of activities.

* PAWC

* The financial system-- how we get money to buy houses. Separation from banking system. Have our own banks. A better way of getting the cash.

* Needing microfinance.

* Burden on cooperatives is too high. Bureaucracy involved is crushing. Extra set of hurdles because large legal system does not have an understanding.

* Need more people who understand the process-- having to relearn the process.

* Need a system of exchange that does not involved the banking system.

* Need for independent financial systems.

* Clarity on the issue-- what is this new model? Need some agreement.

* The whole idea of socialism-- it is imbedded in our system. If we can point how it already exists-- bringing back the commons. It has not reached popular culture. What are the main elements that we want to see in this new economy. Neighborhood Association has trouble with diversity-- ethnic families-- how to approach them. Sharing on how we plant our gardens. Start developing commonalities.

* Communication mediation-- Communication. People not working there when it is just a lack of communication.

* Links to healthcare, medical care, mental healthcare.

* Jobs that pay a living wage.

* Challenge that needs to be removed-- what are the "real" activities. Such a huge bar to get to another meeting outside of work-- past failed attempts disable new attempts.

* What about those who do not want a typical full-time job. Can they get paid with food. Balance-job complex-- participating in many multiple jobs.

* WE NEED MONEY!!!??? Direct interaction between individuals-- unused capacity of individuals.

* Debt Strikes-- risking foreclosure-- students?

* Engage the mainstream economy. There are mutual win situations.

* Cooperative Daycare.

* Radical Parenting Cooperative.

* Freeskhool-- NEED HELP!

* Local currency? PDX Currency is now Community Way.

* How to list services and trade services.

* A place to advertise-- I want my house painted and I'll do your computer work.

* Helping individuals connect with each other-- infrastructure that helps people find communities. Link with trainings, collective group of employers. A collective HR structure. Like WIkipedia but more for RSS Feeds. Radical legal collective-- supporting the interface between the capitalist legal system and alternative trade systems/economies. Need people with skills.

* Circle Group-- a lot of common patterns about how to work effectively around power structures, burnout-- building networks around what works and does not. Support infrastructure-- Air Force plane fueling other planes midair.

* Encouraging people to deal with the issues. Ignoring pending disasters.

* An alternative economy needs to include more than Portland-- Oregon-- Cascadia.

* Limiting corporate personhood-- supreme court decision analysis.

* Community supportive gardening.

Conversation topics

* What do people hold in common-- what do people share. Developing the Commons.

* Community Prosper-- build relationships for people to use the program. Social networking site work based on the number of people who participate. Open with a really big O.

* What's going to encourage people to network?

* Developing Worker Collectives-- networking cooperatives.

* Flex-jobs: flexible labor exchange (FLE).

* Study groups to conceptualize this new economy-- studying what people have in common. Developing the Commons.

*****IN BOSTON:*****

INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIORS AND INSTITUTIONS AND PRACTICES THAT WE ENVISION IN MIDDLE TERM IN BOSTON…

-- csa participation way up

-- community savings account – community ida; people put money into it, use for community ;; Michigan

-- people have lots more time; more focus on wellbeing, time spent with family , friends, hobbies, hanging out – less focus on efficiency, profit-making cogs; signals shift in cultural priorities and values; policies valuing family and childcare (exist in some scandanavian countries)

-- lots of intersecting democratic institutional connections; worker owned and operating business cooperativing with each other, local politicians, credit unions, etc. – democracy isn’t just voting once every four years, is way of life, way people engage with one another; schools are transformed or no schools, are in community, or if schooling, focus on how to learn skills of community, conflict resolution, how to be in community through dialogue, open to transform yourself constantly (vs. fixed idea of identity). People have spiritual and psychol wherewithal to transform themselves; explosion of new cultural forms; new integrated and previously unimagined forms – not just multicultural, many cultures, but many new global cultures, we are rooted here in boston but with deep and profound connections across the globe –

-- consumers being able to differentiate among goods not just based on price – solidarity economy seal; wikis to evaluate product according to values –

-- multiple community currencies supporting different kinds of values; guy who wanted to increase recycling in poor community – get scrip for recycling

-- community wealth ownership and community credit – and control over that – not controlled by banks

-- not cool to consume a lot – not bad to live simply

-- new forms of cooperative, collective housing; retrofitting,

-- cap income

-- many fewer cars – many roads taken back, transformed into parks—personal rapid transit (public transit)

-- boston as leader in adapting alternative energy sources, prototypes – using universities

-- productin – things made to last –

-- boston, resource wealthy, lots of water – how be open to immigration, people from all over the world being welcomed here – and us connecting to other cities around the world

-- how can immigrants integrate into the community without feeling “new” -- -- are here bec forced to be here. Understand what brought them here. Push for us foreign policy – that supports democratic leaders and real development – so people aren’t forced to emigrate

-- greater level of consciousness on part of public of choices that we’re making – effects of our economic choices – (the whole world has been affected by the US, are trying to copy us) – and see how our choices are affecting others

-- breaking down of division between lives and work – manifest passions in our work

-- more worker coops, consumer coops, solidarity coops; participatory budgeting;

-- actual bike lanes

-- people have understanding of what we get or make locally/regionally vs. internationally – understand feedback loops – as much locally grown food as possible; deep understanding of fair trade to get the rest

-- new myths – of spiritual connection to natural environment; re-indigenizing, help us understand out natural cycles; being connected to dynamics of this part of the earth; learning to listen; listening peoples – live in connection to selves and world around them

-- economy that values in terms of peopls’ work – artists and musicians and people working for justice can earn a living, including caring work

-- be conscious consumers – why are prices high for teff – because farmers are producing flowers rather than food

-- unified theory that brings all of these things together

-- work and relationships at work – power relationships, decision making, micro and macro level – new model which is horizontal, participatory, based on real knowledge,education, skills—creates quality products – abolish all managerial functions, transform property to collective property

-- there is a crisis with imminent problems that require imminent solutions – defend country through economic transformation and participation –

-- corporations can’t just maximize profit – not acceptable; corporate charters different.

-- note about crisis and transformation: if we’re entering a period of rapid transformation – crises – things can really change quickly; people get it that things aren’t working; it’s fertile ground for change – our organizing now can make us ready for these crises with real solutions

Truly a Convergence

The 8th annual Village Building Convergence just ended, and it truly was an inspiring convergence of people, ideas and action!

more reflections and photos soon!

STRATEGY: Mzamba community

We visited a rural SDI (Shack Dwellers Int’l) project on the border between the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal. The Mzamba community is fighting for their land. In a typical apartheid situation, their land was stolen and sold to a casino (which was illegal in South Africa, but the black “homelands” were not considered to be South Africa). Now, post-apartheid, the community’s land was returned to them, but with the casino still under lease for 50 years. And to make matters worse, the community is being charged the millions of dollars to pay for the casino’s “improvements” to the land. So they have been fighting a tricky land claim dispute for the last 13 years.

The situation is crazy: in order for the community to access their land, they have to go through the lavish gates of the casino and drive through the resort and golf course to another gate into “their part” of the land.

We met two of the ‘changemakers’ of the community: Mkuanda and Elias. They have been fighting for their traditional land for years, and at the same time have been working on other ways to bring income and empowerment back to the community. They have partnered with SDI to participate in community exchanges to create a vision for how to use their land once they get it back (land claims post-apartheid are common here). And they started Mzamba Tours, where they give tours to tourists (from the resort and nearby town) through their stunning land and traditional village.

LESSON LEARNED: A cool meeting ritual

A handful of the meetings I have attended here have started with “Apologies.” This is a time for people to state who is not at the meeting and why. I think this is a useful technique of noting who is missing, for creating some accountability, and just a nice way of affirming the people who do attend… as if the people not at the meeting were truly sorry that they weren’t there.

STRATEGY: People’s Environmental Planning

Shawn is an architect who works with the Federation of Urban Poor to provide technical support with housing solutions. He told us about some of the interesting nuances with trying to build dense and ecologically-healthy houses in informal settlements. It turns out that building vertically is not a popular option, as people do not want to live off the ground, or above another family. Also, as poor people want to move up in the world, they tend to reject the traditional (but ecologically and economically sensible) methodologies of building with mud and thatched roofs. They want concrete or brick houses with sloped metal roofs. And then the wealthiest people pay a fortune to have thatched roofs put on their houses. Ah, the irony.

STRATEGY HIGHLIGHT: Slum/Shack Dwellers International

SDI is an international network of groups (like the Federation of the Urban Poor and the Alliance of Rural Communities) who work on social justice issues in informal settlements and poor communities. SDI is an NGO that provides professional support to grassroots groups, and works completely by requests for assistance from the communities themselves. The SDI staff serve as an interface with formal institutions, like governments and funders, and do things like documentation and technical support. They try not to intervene with communities’ governance issues, but just lend assistance when asked.

To be part of the SDI network, a community must agree to follow a few methodologies that SDI has formed over time. At first I thought, “ah, here’s the catch” but upon exploring these ‘rituals,’ as they call them, I realize they are pretty great. For example, a major focus of SDI groups is to start “saving schemes” whereby the women (and some men) of the community learn how to save a bit of the money, pool it and manage it together and offer microloans to their community, much like the Grameen Bank. There are no formal workshops or lectures on how to do this; training takes place in the doing. For many women, their savings book records are more important to them than their ID. They are proud and empowered. Like the saying goes: “If you teach a man, you teach an individual. If you teach a woman, you teach a family.”

One of my favorite aspects of SDI is that they create learning networks between communities! They arrange community exchanges to bring people from one community to another who may be further along so that they can learn directly from their peers. Sometimes the staff people serve as language interpreters, but other than that, they sit back and let the communities talk with each other.

One of their other ‘rituals’ is enumeration: to assist the communities in surveying their own settlements to get a profile of who is living there and under what conditions. This is especially important because funds are often given to groups most in need, and without accurate figures, poor settlements often get ignored. Again, SDI gives professional support but don’t actually do the survey work. They are, however, working on creating an online system, where communities can use a computer to make monthly updates.

A key aspect of SDI is that they don’t work on the concept of entitlement, whereby a community takes a victim role and demands that they are entitled to help or resources. Instead they focus on activities like the saving schemes and surveys so that the community can build its own strong and united voice. With money in their pockets and information about their community, they have bargaining tools. Empowerment not entitlement.

SDI seems to be a very cool concept in action. It seems to be a really great way to utilize the skills of professionals to serve and empower local communities. In my quest to find creative ways to affect change horizontally (among grassroots groups) and to build power vertically (to create international impact), SDI gets a big smile from me!

STRATEGY: Western Cape Anti Eviction Campaign

*Note: please read my blurb about grassroots groups, CBOs, NGOs and government to understand the context of this group. Thanks.

*Another note: in these blog entries I am sharing my experience of groups while also not writing everything I think or have seen. It’s way too complex for me to really understand (and therefore report), and I also don’t want to partake in the politics between groups…

On a warm Sunday afternoon, we went to a meeting of the Anti-Eviction Campaign (AEC). We were warned that while this group was once quite a large and powerful force of the grassroots, now their energy was weakened by the political dynamics among social movements and the waning focus of “the people” (the complex issues around poverty are so hard to pinpoint). The AEC is now a dozen or so people from various townships across Cape Town who meet weekly to plan actions and support communities facing all sorts of issues related to eviction, including access to basic services.

The first thing that I noticed about the meeting was the formal meeting structure used, but not necessarily effectively. They chose a meeting chair by nominating and seconding motions, and then throughout the meeting people quietly raised their hands to speak. The chairperson kept the order of the meeting intact, but didn’t facilitate in the way I’m used to, by moving the meeting along, summarizing, focusing, etc. So the meeting lasted more than five hours. But, everyone got to speak what they wanted…….

At the meeting, they planned a flyering campaign to help people respond to water cut offs; reported back from the World Social Forum (five people went); and advised our host community, Zillarain, with their upcoming court case. In each of these agenda items, I was impressed with the intention and dedication that the group had.

As I have come to hear more about the AEC from other groups, I realize that AEC tends to hold a certain role in the movement: they are agitators, always looking for something to protest, and do so in the most grassrootsy manner, quite adamantly against any structure that seems too constrictive or controlling. They had an antagonistic way of relating to many other related groups, claiming that they are kept in subordinate roles and even purposely kept out of conversations. I realize that this is a role they have often had to take due to the political situation, but sometimes it seems to be ineffective or even harmful to their greater

For example, one thing that struck me was their advice to Zillarain, the community who had a court date for the following Thursday to claim land to live on. The AEC said, “we believe that any struggle in the courts will be lost because the laws are for property owners and we are property occupiers. Therefore there must be chaos made in court.” They went on to tell the Zillarainians to just jump up and grab the mic and speak and keep speaking and tell the court what life is like for them: “It’s not about permission, it’s a space where they can manipulate, so we have to change that and occupy the space. The law is not on your side… Tell them that your children don’t have food.” Now, I agree that the laws are not necessarily on the side of the community, but I just wonder how this tactic might make things worse. But who am I to know? Really.

I did, however, think that the AEC did a good job of preparing the community for what court might be like, and they offered good advice about getting together as a community to plan their statements, and to bring as many people as possible to court (not just one representative like the lawyers wanted). The AEC advised them to bring their youth in school uniforms, and to take measurements as to how far they have to walk to get water. Good stuff.

So on the whole, I felt like the current state of the AEC is a group with a lot of experience and a strong sense of solidarity with the people in informal settlements, and they just take a more antagonistic tactic towards social change. It’s an important role in the movement as a whole, but it could be detrimental when they try to work with other groups….

STRATEGY: succession model education – Desert Harvesters

Brad, Rodd, Chi, and other superheroes formed “Desert Harvesters,” a group dedicated to promoting native foods in the Tucson area. They make it fun and easy to integrate native foods into daily life. One fabulous event is their annual Mesquite Pancake Breakfast.

Mesquite trees are found in abundance throughout the Sonoran Desert and Tucson itself! The pods are a traditional food, full of flavor and nutritional delight. Once ground, the flour makes dee-licious pancakes and breads.

Click here for more photos!

Mesquite pancakes with prickly pear cactus syrup – super yum!

Hundreds of people line up for a taste – what a great educational experience.


After breakfast, people can bring their collected mesquite pods (from the many trees right in the city) and get them ground into flour. What a cool concept!

STRATEGY: plant yourself and work from there

Barbara Rose is another superhero! Dancing Rocks Permaculture Community has been planted on the edge of the saguaro “forest” desert for twenty years, and provides a stark contrast to the ever-developing town around them. Right next door to their thriving gardens that use only rainwater, houses that utilize the sun’s free abundant energy and other sustainability technology, are the ever-expanding cookie cutter developments – built with NO regard to rain or solar abundance.

After trying to work with local developers to no avail, Barbara Rose is waiting for them to come begging for her advice once they are in crisis with their ever-lowering aquifer, rising heating/cooling costs, etc. In the meantime, she has been working with Marana City Council (fastest growing city in America) – and has successfully gotten the words “permaculture,” “natural building,” and “sustainability” into the city charter… but do they know what the words mean? We’ll see!

STRATEGY: Listening tour!!

Sometimes we need to learn things first hand to “get it.” I was one of those people who vaguely knew who the Zapatistas are and what the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) is all about. So I went to meet them, and had a fabulous time.

Very briefly, the Zapatistas work to create local economic and social systems in response to the oppressive nature of neoliberalization. They have worked for decades to build local health, education and political systems in Chiapas, Mexico. And now they are on “The Other Campaign” to connect with local and native people across Mexico.

The Other Campaign is a brilliant strategy of grassroots mobilization. The Zapatistas are basically on a “listening tour,” moving from state to state calling together indigenous people and other activists to share their grievances, concerns, traditions and ideas with each other. The Zappies are the sparks and the threads from place to place.


I met them in Magdalena, in the State of Sonora, Mexico. During the weekend event, we listened to dozens of people speak their truths, and I was completely enthralled for hours and hours!

Click here for my story and photos of my adventure with the Zapatistas!

An enounter with the Zapatistas

We arrived at the eco-hostel ranch in Magdalena at about 3pm on Saturday, joining the other carloads of eager young activists from Tucson. Little by little, locals and nearby indigenous communities began to arrive.

I walked around and got a feel for the place and general vibe of the people. To one side of the central building was an outdoor kitchen, fire cook pits, lots of tables and chairs under some nice shade trees, and a few people enjoying the big pots of beans and rice ready for hungry travelers. In the distance beside the hostel/ranch was a big, reddish cliff with a three story Virgin of Guadalupe painted on it.

On the other side of the central dirt area, where a few men from the Tohono O’odham tribe were starting a ceremonial fire, was a covered pavilion with many rows of plastic Tecate-sponsored chairs facing a long table in front. Next to the pavilion were some very noisy goats.

I quickly got into a conversation with a smiley man named Carlos, a therapist (what kind? all kinds) from Nogales, the city on the border. He was one of those people who you immediately like, full of energy and eyes that listen. His sense of inner peace emanated gracefully.

The conversation revolved around the concept of changing ourselves before we can change the world -- a great start to a sacred weekend. This was a reminder to me about my own path, my own journey as an organizer and as a Saturn-returning woman. This is an essence of my personal struggle: to find my own sense of personal peace (including things like taking care of my body – he told me I should do a cleanse and clean my skin thoroughly, and I agree!) in the midst of my work as an activist. This is all of our struggles, no? So, to invoke this concept – that it starts with myself – at the beginning of this weekend, was quite apropos. Also, one year ago that day I began my three-month ritual for turning 28, which led to this year of wandering. I guess I should write about my ritual journey another time, but for now I will just say that it was quite synchronistic that this was the weekend that I went to Mexico to meet the Zapatistas, including sb.Marcos, to journey sola and freely flow with the go, and to let what happened happen.

So anyway, it was wonderful to meet Carlos. A few other things from our conversation: he taught me a peace exercise (basically, clench every muscle of your body and then let it go, a few times over) and we discussed how women are stronger than men and just don’t use our strength. Also, he said that if there’s something I can accomplish, I should get up early, put on my tennis shoes and get out there and do it. But don’t try to do what I can’t accomplish. He also said it’s always important to abandon the ego, the need to be the important person. Good stuff.

Next I met Martin, a professor of Mexican Literature at the University of Sonora (Mexico). At first we just had a nice conversation, kind of light. He seemed a little hesitant to share much, which only increased my intrigue, of course. I kept asking him questions, and he also inquired about me. I told him about my journey as a wandering organizer, looking to learn from/share with other grassroots efforts… and of course linking to the event happening around us (more people arriving, anticipating the arrival of the caravan). He told me about his poetry, and asked if I had read any of Marcos’ writing. Finally, he turned to me with a glint in his eye and said solidly, “I am a Zapatista with La Otra Campana.” Yes, a little rush went through me (I feel like such a starry-eyed little girl saying this)… this was why I was there: to meet people, individuals, and make personal connections, share stories, talk shop. It was a moment of “yes!,” I had made a friend, was building trust and connection with him, and we were both there to be there. I have to say that it was quite exciting talking about “the revolution” in such in a very real and direct, literal way… I mean, that’s why we were both at this event – this IS the revolution.

Then the EZLN caravan pulled in. Of course, everyone waiting around got all excited and started gathering around the bus to greet the caravanistas. What was interesting to me was how quiet it all was… folks silently piled out of the bus and accompanying cars (a myriad of revolutionaries: young people in black, older folks in cowboy hats, women in traditional clothes etc.) and people around were quiet, too. Finally a blob of people moved from one side of the bus towards the door of the main building: Marcos in the middle. Everyone wanted to see him. Digital and video cameras were everywhere. And all was quiet, very quiet. It was interesting.

So Marcos and the Zapatistas disappeared for a few hours to eat, rest, and meet with the local organizers. I was present and happy to wander around and talk to folks; after all, this is what I think the revolution is all about: connecting with people and going from there.

Martin and I struck up our conversation again and he invited me to Hermosillo, where he is from, to “know my country, my people,” to see for myself. Turns out he was organizing the Otra Compana event happening at the University on Monday. I told him I’d think about it and talk later. Oh to be a wandering traveler!

I next met Mel and Otis, the Tohono O’odham men at the fire. They were preparing for the opening ceremony and blessing that would begin the evening’s events. I learned that their reservation is on both sides of the border and they are having increasing problems both with Border Patrol and with migrants who are leaving a lot of trash through the desert. I also noticed that they didn’t speak much Spanish, though most people assumed they did.

Finally it got dark (after a beautiful sunset on the red saguaro-filled cliffs and the giant Virgin painting). And then Marcos appeared and the mass of starry-eyed (but still quiet) people gathered round and moved slowly with him to the fire.

The welcoming blessing and ceremony was good, as I expected, moving. Mel smudged about 25 people with some feathers… first Maria (the event’s organizer), then Martin (my new friend), then another guy, then Marcos, and many more. They all stood in a line around the fire. Drumming and dancers celebrated where we were, and blessed the event. At the end the dancers yelled (en espanol), “our hearts are of corn, our bodies are of corn, are souls ARE corn.” Then they yelled, “VIVE ZAPATISTA! SIGUE LA LUCHA” and the crowd joined in: VIVE! VIVE! SIGUE! SIGUE! Thus began the event.

We all moved into the pavilion to begin the testimonials. I was present and enthralled for the next five hours. I hardly moved. One at a time, representatives from native tribes came forward and spoke about the issues of concern for their communities, and of their appreciation for the chance to speak, be heard and be part of the Zapatista movement. People spoke in Spanish or their native languages and each time was translated into the Spanish (if native) and English. I was pleased at how much Spanish I still remembered and could follow.

Here are some of my notes:

~ We must work for justice. The government cannot break our souls.
~ From the governor (?) of the Mayo nation: the seven tribes in the state of Sonora have no housing and access to education. Megadevelopers and squatters are encroaching on their land,
~ A Ho’akum man: “The border was established without our consent”… their native land is on both sides, lots of problems now… to the north they face forced assimilation and to the south they face poverty. Not to mention more harassment from the Border Patrol, as they just try to live their lives on their land.
~ Someone spoke of how a non-indigenous woman was put as their representative (to the Mexican or local gov’t I assume) and this woman was not their chosen representative.
~ Toxic pollution is a major problem for many tribes, from major corporations
~ A young Navajo woman spoke first in her native language: it was one of the most beautiful sounds I have heard. Fascinating how many sounds we humans can make. She leaned towards the crowd and spoke slowly and simply, in a way that went directly to the heart. “O u r g o v e r n m e n t w i l l n o t l i s t e n t o u s.” Somehow that simple statement struck deep.
~ Then a man from Pheonix who works for a non-profit that supports indigenous causes started speaking and after a few moments an elder woman in the second row and said quietly but strongly (in her native language), “he is not native. He should not be allowed to speak here.” People all leaned forward to see what would happen, and the MC-type guy (an older indigenous man) stood up and spoke for a long time. I only caught some of what he said, but the gist of it was that anyone should be allowed to speak for the cause. I noted that Marcos stayed out of it, quietly writing.
~ Mike Flores, from the Tohono O’odham Nation spoke about the Border Forum that they had a few weeks ago, and that they webcasted it and people from all over the world responded in support. He got calls from Costa Rica, Germany, Italy, and was quite moved by this.
~ A chicano student from the U.S. said, “we are indigenous to a land north of here but we are strangers in that land,” noting another aspect of migration, acclimitization, etc.
~ “the Zapatistas remind us that reality is hard and that we have to work to change it for everyone.”

And then I started thinking about things, as I was listening. Things like:

* I noted that the Zapas and Marcos inspire people to fight, to struggle. Yes, this is quite an obvious and mundane thing to note, but I share it to remember the feeling of inspiration… what this actually means.

* I felt proud of City Repair and TLC Farm and our work for local power.

* A woman from Oakland talked about her group having a sister community in Chiapas, and at that moment it sunk it that this could be a really profound concept. I could see CR or TLC Farm having a sister community to learn from, exchange goods (like, coffee), visit, and generally keep connected. Hmmm, how do we set this up?

* I noted that so many activists in Tucson speak spanish. Interesting. That’s what living on a border does… and it has its effects. Knowing another language means knowing another way of seeing the world.

REFLECTION: an info center radiating outward

The Dry River Collective is an info center for “the revolution”—many avenues of people reflecting on the existing world-systems of colonialism and dominance, and seeking to share information and create action to regenerate systems of earth and social harmony (in my words… theirs might use more language of radical anarchism).

My experience at Dry River is a reveals some obstacles in the “movement” – we may not be fulfilling our potential!! Note: I fully respect and support what Dry River is doing; I’m using only Dry River as one example that we can learn from.

Three lessons:

1. I think it’s human nature to be attracted to places and people that feel/look like ourselves… and that’s ok. But it limits us! Dry River seeks to be a resource center for activists, yet even I was nervous to go there since the crowd seemed “different” than me… but when I got over this and walked in, I found a great community space, interesting conversations and an amazing library! This just gets me thinking…
2. Another tidbit: I had an interesting conversation with one DR collective member, Eric. He told me about their bi-weekly political movie night, and that on the off weeks another guy, Lee, hosts political movies in his backyard. Eric then mentioned that Lee should just host the movies at DR each week, since it is such a great space. BUT what Eric didn’t realize is that Lee attracts a totally different crowd, even though they are interested in the same movies (and has a great space, too—outside!). So I suggested to Eric that they make an effort to get DR folks to Lee’s and that I would encourage Lee to get his crowd to DR. What an easy and fun way to connect two different segments of political activists—nourish the diversity, but keep the safety of being with “your own crowd”! Imagine the power if we connect the punks and hippies!
3. Getting involved “outside” of our bubble: While DR activists are working on many issues globally, regionally and locally, it seems that many DR folks don’t even realize the resources they have right in their backyard. The Dry River Collective is located in a very active neighborhood, two blocks from Brad’s superpermaculture house. Brad (et al.) hosts an annual tree planting, and many open houses/workshops about regenerating earth systems, at home and throughout the city. So, I invited the DR folks to join in the tree planting (that just happened to be in a few days) and I encouraged Brad to bring one of his Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands books over to the DR library, and consider offering work shops in their space. Again, I think this is an example of a simple disconnect that with just a little effort, could deepen all of these movements… a little intentional cross-pollinating and magic happens!

STRATEGY: permaculture eden

Brad, Rodd and Chi Lancaster are my heroes. They have planted themselves firmly into the Dunbar-Springs Neighborhood and are creating ripples of inspiration, education and demonstration in myriad forms. First and foremost, they have transformed their urban home into a lively demonstration of simple ways that anyone can live in abundance and in harmony with nature’s cycles. And, their deep friendliness and affection for sharing wisdom has created a warmth around their house that attracts numerous visitors daily, thus increasing the local connections among Tucson’s sustainability-makers.

Click here for photos of their house.

A desert eden, watered by the rain!


The secret: basins to catch water, mulch to keep it in, and a dash of intention

Easy for anyone: greywater harvesting… the washing machine pipes water directly to the fruit trees nearby


Yum













Outdoor shower, and the three drains that lead to three garden beds. Notice the white covers that can be used to direct water one way or another.

Above: Garden beds with sunken clay pots… fill these with water and ya have slow drip irrigation!
Below: Clay pots can also be used as water filters.


Nuclear energy: the sun!! Solar electricity, solar water heaters and solar oven… shouldn’t all of Arizona be off the grid?!

STRATEGY: neighborhood identity

Dunbar Springs exemplifies a community with strong social capital.