Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 12:24:03 -0800
From: EcoPilgrim@juno.com
Subject: Peter Berg In Ecuador
Peter Berg is leading the way and setting up some credible models for use
in Third World Countries. Community Learning Centers could accomplish
results such as these worldwide. For more on Peter Berg and his
organization, Planet Drum see:
marguerite
A Remarkable Week For Pacha Mama
Report #4
February 4, 2001
Hotel Pais Libre, Canoa, Ecuador
Ecuadorian indigenas (native people) revived their
active insurgence in the capitol Quito last month near
the first anniversary of last year's rebellion that
caused the collapse of the previous government.
CONAIE, the native-led political association, had from
the beginning promised a renewal of anti-government
actions if their original demands weren't met by last
summer. Negotiations had been underway but the
government's lack of compliance caused a break-off
followed by demonstrations, blocked highways, and
beginning a few days ago, interruption of food
shipments from farms to city markets. (Indigenas claim
they have enough food stored to last themselves for a
year.)
Leaders have been arrested, thousands tear-gassed and
many beaten. Two nights ago the government declared an
official State of Emergency. Next week something has
to give.
In addition to scalding human social and justice
issues, what is perhaps most notable about this
uprising in small, almost unnoticed to the outside
world Ecuador, is that it involves a direct
repudiation of the International Monetary Fund's
globalist economic policies requiring reduced services
and increased privatization in the public sector by
national governments in order to obtain loans.
Indigenas want to throw out dolarization and restore
welfare, education and health services, among other
things. They are calling the bluff of borderless
capital investment and imposed neoliberal economics.
Aside from some nervousness, Bahia de Caraquez is as
seemingly unaffected by what is happening in Quito as
it was last year when there was scant tangible
reaction.. It took a month for a half-day highway
closing at Fanca following the calamitous events in
the capitol, and not much more can be expected now.
Bahia's contribution to social change is its
home-grown ecological transformation. In January last
year, some non-profit and business groups along with
private citizens were sufficiently united to push
through a municipal by-law mandating an ecological
city. The then-mayor was unenthusiastic, approving the
measure with his signature only a day before it was
scheduled to be announced. When he was replaced by the
present mayor and city council last August, a positive
official attitude began to evolve. Last week was a
crucial period for determining how the new
administration will direct the ecological city effort
over the remaining three and one-half years of Mayor
Leo's term.
It began at an informal meeting on Tuesday night at
Leo's home. Jacob Santos agreed to interpret so that
there was clarity of understanding about details in
Spanish and English. I requested authorization of the
revegetation and recycling plans that were written up
in both languages. The mayor listened to summaries and
read parts of them, agreeing that save for lack of
funds in the city budget they had his backing, which
is essential for approaching potential donors. Then I
brought up the necessity of guiding his term with the
previously prepared ecological plan that now benefits
from Dario Proano's additions (thereby incorporating
the influences of Planet Drum and Bahia's Stuarium
Foundation in the same document). Mayor Leo had been
forming a new Department of Tourism and Environment,
and he put the ecological plan in that perspective,
requesting that I draw up a mission statement for the
new department that included a reference to the plan
He would call an afternoon meeting the next day to
present this statement of purpose to the new
department head and others. A salsa band and dancers
could have paraded through the gate off the night
street at that moment! It was such a completely
satisfying solution that I had to fight back the
feelings of elated relief about the last weeks, and in
truth, the last two years work in Bahia. .A few more
potential projects that need more fleshing out were
discussed before we said "Hasta manana."
Around noon the next day the statement practically
wrote itself.
_________________________________________________________________________
PURPOSE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND ENVIRONMENT:
* Serve to represent ecological interests of the
community in all matters,
* Understand and guide accomplishment of points in the
ecological plan.
* Establish and maintain a directory of all public and
private ecology and eco-tourism projects activities,
* Develop and oversee public education programs
regarding ecological understanding and practices,
* Regularly meet and respond to public agencies and
private groups in order to discuss, assist, and guide
ecological activities,
* Develop volunteerism, volunteer opportunities, and
lists of volunteers for assisting public and private
activities,
* Consult with the city council and legal department
to streamline approval of ecologically oriented
ordinances and their enforcement.
_________________________________________________________________________
I walked quickly to Jacob Santos' Bahia Bed and
Breakfast Inn for a translation at one o'clock and he
carried it to the meeting in the mayor's office an
hour later. Leo glanced at the mission statement,
called everyone in, spoke about the need for immediate
and meaningful action, instructed the new department
head and I to form a working alliance, read the
statement aloud, and invited me to present ideas.
Copies of the proposals for revegetation and recycling
were passed around. An open, public forum to read and
discuss the entire environmental plan with follow-up
discussion, questions and suggestions will be held in
the Municipio (City Hall) February 15th. We will
spread awareness of this event to the general public
through newspaper stories, radio, flyers, and posters,
and issue direct invitations to representatives of all
groups involved. (Amy Jewel has taken over producing
the event.)
We left the mayor's office for the first of what has
become daily meetings with Patricio "Patrick"
Rivandenerra, the new department jefe (chief), his
assistant Marco Acosta, and Gabriela. So far we've
been through all five points of the mission statement
for understanding and development of ideas to
accomplish them. On Thursday, Nicola Mears and I
collaborated to make definitive English and Spanish
versions of the environmental plan with Dario's and my
names no longer cited because the process of
participatively creating a community document has
begun. (see following). The next day Patrick and
Gabriela received copies for their input next Monday.
In different ways for las indigenas in Quito and we in
Bahia, it was a remarkable week for Pacha Mama (Mother
Earth).
______________________________________________________
ECOLOGICAL CITY PLAN FOR BAHIA DE CARAQUEZ, ECUADOR
I. Introduction - The need and purpose of a plan to
create an ecological city.
A) Need
1.Ecological City Declaration
a.Fragility of Bahia, map of risks and environmental
problems
b.The present opportunity: the effect of El Nino disasters
c.Disaster prevention, mitigation plan
2. Understanding, coordination and participation with all
ecological endeavors
a. Projects and activities -government and private
b. Public participation - consult and assist in developing
various activities
and projects
c. Public information - government, schools, media,visitors
B) Purpose
1. Guide activities toward shared purposes (present and proposed)
2. Create timelines
3. Stand as a document of intention
II. Areas of consideration
A) Statement of inclusiveness and invitation for additional activities
1. Request new public and private efforts
2. List needed and potential new activities
3. Regular updating of plan
B) Plan format requirements
1. Geographic scope
2. Listing of existing projects and recognition in appropriate
sections
3. Timelines need to be developed short, medium and long term for
each item
C) Water
1. Supply
2.Testing and treatment
3. Distribution
4. Conservation, reuse, recycling, and waste
D) Food
1. Public garden spaces
2. Private small farm and garden spaces
3. Availability of tools, seed, compost, and instruction
E) Energy (public, industrial, agricultural, and household)
1. Conservation and cost reduction of existing types
2. Renewable forms
a. Determining appropriate types
b. Developing plans for sharing of new production
c. Construction and installation of renewable
forms
F) Transportation
1 Evaluation and suitability of various private means (cars,
bicycles, etc.)
a. Priorities for alternative fuels
b. Restrictions or encouragement of use
2. Evaluation and suitability of public means (buses, taxis,
etc.)
a. Priorities for alternative fuels
b. Restrictions or encouragement of use
3.Re-design of highways and streets for traffic reduction,
traffic
calming, etc.
a.Pedestrian streets in downtown (mall)
b.Bicycle path between Bahia and Leonidas Plaza
c.Small plazas for discussions, culture and music
G) Recycling
1. Zero garbage policy
2. Citywide recycling program
a. Industrial and agricultural
b. Offices, businesses and schools
c. Household compost for gardens, recycle bins
3.Government office and operations recycling system
a.Roadside and beach clean-ups
b.Markets and commercial centers
4. Public uses for reused and recycled materials
a. Evaluation and ordering of municipal stocks
and equipment
(paper, furniture,construction items,
etc.)
b. Encouragement of local remanufacture businesses
c.Compost fertilizer, humus
d.City plant nursery as a base for recycling
organic material.
H) Sewage
1. Public biological treatment facilities, artificial
wetlands
2.Private alternative facilities
3.Redesign of sewage piping system
I) Wild habitat and species (ecosystems)
1. Bioregion and watershed mapping and inventory
2. Habitat and species protection
a.Private, community and municipal nature reserves
b.Research centers, scientific stations
3. Habitat and species restoration
4. Field programs (observation, experience, education, etc.)
J) Human resources
1. Volunteers
2. Skill bank
3. Special mobilization
4. Employment counseling andservice
K) Education
1. Schools and universities
2. Public classes and workshops
3.Government statements and media
4.General education workshops, preparation do study plans
with
environmental emphasis
5.Teachers Ecology Club
6.Scolarships in environmental studies for high school
students and teachers
L) Culture celebrating natural systems and ecological practices
1. Public information and installations (Green Map. murals,
markers, etc.)
2. Arts, culture and crafts workshops,
3. Awards program
4. Events
5.Camps for training ecology leaders
M) Business development
1. Sustainability emphasis and incentives (incubators,
consultation and guidance, etc.)
2. Visitor services (eco-tourism, facilities, etc.)
3. Environmental Interpretation Center
N) Funding
1. External (international, national, foundations,etc.)
2. Internal ("green tax", sales, benefits, donations,
bequests, etc.)
3.City budget for specific items (concrete projects)
O) Municipal environmental planning
1.Legal aspects
a. Creation of use ordinances (permits): transit,
recreation, green areas, pedestrians, nature
reserves.
b. Environmental ordinances: hygiene, health, and
visual contamination noise and garbage
c. Signage for public and tourist information
2.Creation of Municipal Environmental Department.
a.Environmental planning
b.Committees with neighborhood components
c.Environmental study scholarships for municipal
staff
d.Exchange of municipal staff with other green
cities.
3.Environmental Audit
a.Evaluate desirable and undesirable commerce in
terms of an ecocity.
b.Environmental considerations for use permits in
public areas and streets
c.Environmental enforcement
d.Management of environmental complaints
Marguerite Hampton
Executive Director - Turtle Island Institute
EcoPilgrim@juno.com
http://tii-kokopellispirit.org
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