Some suggestions and some needs are mentioned below for your follow-up.
1. The issue no. 29 is loaded with articles of permanent interest. By far to me this issue is the best. Why not a tree-free, recycled paper for FTP newsletter at a much lower cost'?
2. Energy equity
This topic could be developed by FTP newsletter to its logical limits. Fire wood burning was the basic energy use mode, second only to solar energy on which we all depend. Today many are using other technologies and materials to provide our energy needs.
Energy = Power. Knowledge = Power. Obviously knowledge gives energy and vice versa. For it is our bio-energy that stimulates our senses, feeding our brain which in turn converts it into mental, physical and many more forms of energy that we may need. In English it is bio-energy, in Sanscrit prana, and in Chinese kit Instead of conserving and enhancing this big-energy we have succeeded beyond measure to spend it on acquiring the physical energies that we use in an indulgent and consumptive spree.
Conservation of this big-energy implies changes in our life style eating more simply, living c loser to nature. Enhancement of bio-energy means drawing it directly from the five elements of earth, water, sun, air and space (as per the Oriental schema of cosmogenesis). This in turn demands more exposure to nature rather than protection from nature.
It is well known that big-energy accrues to persons who lead a near ascetic life, close to nature. The jet setter of modern times is short on big-energy but captures great amounts of physical energy - perhaps more than 10 000 times that of the ascetic. And his consumption of physical energy is highly subsidized by bio-energy consumers leading to much inequity and exploitation that needs to be reduced.
Do we want more big-energy or more physical energy? Unless we understand that more big-energy can also provide us with the needed protection from the elements, with an added advantage of better health and happiness, we will tend towards increasing physical energy consumption to satisfy our indulgences and provide comfort.
Or perhaps we could decide on a life style that provides us with both big-energy and physical energy in balanced quantities. If this we decide is ideal then its distribution needs to be both just and equitable so that high energy consumers will be compensating low energy users.
This could be done through a negative tax system at both the individual and national level - a surtax above production costs for individuals and nations that consume more than the average and refunds for those who consume less. Such an international arrangement needs to be backed up by a standard for fiscal exchange based on the energy use of nations, as the gold standard was used previously. Thermal value of wood burning could be considered as the main factor in this equation which would automatically encourage more tree planting.
This topic needs further elaboration through dialogue meetings in many parts of the world to arrive at a consensus and define the modalities needed to pursue such an alternative order among nations. Such an exercise is urgent because we are witnessing the power of wealth owners increasing all over the world without any checks. Hopeful of such a transformation this note ends.
3. Could you please send me a copy each of a) David Korten's book "When Corporations Rule the World" for translation into Tamil. We also request permission to republish articles from FTP newsletter in the local press.
Ramanna
Biorama Trust, Ganapath Palayam Post, Udamalpet Taluk, T.N. 642 122, India
Thanks for publishing my letter in the current issue No. 29, November 1995. The first reaction to that letter came simultaneously with the newsletter from a lady in USA.
The day your newsletter came we were seriously discussing with a group of sixty farmers the sustainability of our projects and the article by David Korten on sustainability and the global economy: beyond Bretton Woods generated a lot of discussions.
Why I write now is this. The farmers in this area wish to run their own environmental activities without relying on NGO's who come with "Laboratory Test" ideas. They wish to have friends who would not tie their hands on projects but would be willing to develop together sustainability programmes building on indigenous knowledge we have.
Therefore I am planning to travel to Europe in either April or May for awareness creation, partnership development and fund raising. I have not identified host(s). I'd only have retune air ticket but would wish to have a host or hosts who would accommodate me, offer opportunities for travels and arrange for speaking engagements with individuals, groups or organisations while there. I would like to explain ourselves and areas of cooperation we wish to have.
Please can you help me identify the host(s)? Meanwhile we are addressing integrated farming systems with an aim of strengthening internal economy.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours faithfully,
Pius Aggrey Omondi
P O Box 330, Ugunja, Kenya
First of all I would like to congratulate on the work that you and your team are doing on the FTP Newsletter. It has in my opinion become one of the most important vehicles for exchange among foresters working in the field and people working on theoretical issues, in a digestible and applicable form.
I have been a member of the network for a number of years now; first as a forester working for an NGO in community forestry activities in Nepal. I have since that time finished my studies in Development Sociology at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague. In recent years I have concentrated on gender issues in forestry and in this context just finalised the work on a country strategy for the German GTZ on 'Gender and Resource Management in Morocco'.
In this context I would like to ask for your assistance in the following matter. I will develop a training programme for forest department staff and political stakeholders in Morocco on participatory, gender-sensitive approaches to resource management. I would like to learn more about existing training modules and experience with such 're'-training efforts aimed at foresters working in the field. I believe that there is already considerable experience and would like to connect with people working in this field.
Perhaps you could print this letter in the next newsletter; I think this is an issue that may be of interest to a large number of the newsletter's readers.
Thank you very much for your help.
Sabine Hausler
Van Speykstraat 4, 2518 GC Den Haag, The Netherlands
Greetings from Kunming City,
It gives me great pleasure to receive your FTPP publications which have given me a chance to learn about your perception of community forestry. From the point of view of social scientists, we pay more attention to human being as such. That is because, I think, the key purpose of all such social activities is to serve in the improvement of human welfare. And all these activities will be carried out by the people themselves. For example, with community forestry, not only the benefits are for the people in the community, but also they are the implementers. The activities will not be carried out by outsiders, especially scientists.
In line with this thinking I have during the years done some work on social forestry in order to better understand the community's perspective. This work has been funded by the Ford Foundation. I have recently finished two studies: Introduction of Social Forestry (in Chinese); and Human Ecology of shifting Cultivation: the case of Yunnan, P.R. China (in English) which was funded by UNESCO. Unfortunately I was only able to print a few copies as there was no budget for printing. I hope that I may get your help in future.
Enclosed is the outline of the publication for your critique and comments.
Assc. Professor Zheng Baohua
Institute of Rural Economy, Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, No. 45, Qixiang Road, Kunming 650032, Yunnan, P.R. China
