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1.   SDIA Member News

Anisha and German government support marginalised Indian farmers

A grant from the German government will help fund improvements in agricultural method and food security through the use of organic techniques and the creation of social and economic institutions that will help farmers to compete in the modern Indian economy. These will include:

• Infrastructure for storing and enriching agricultural products,
• The establishment of local seed banks,
• Creating a resource centre and purchasing land for trials and demonstration of new agricultural techniques,
• Better methods of marketing produce such as forming a Farmers Federation, and obtaining organic certification to bring higher prices in urban markets,
• The creation of enterprises that produce cash income.

The grant will go to improving the living conditions and food security of small and marginalised farmers and landless families in a poverty-stricken area about 150 kilometres south of Bangalore. Twenty-one farming villages with a total population of about 13,000 will be the beneficiaries.

The project began formally on Oct. 1, 2008 and will last until Dec. 31, 2011. It has a financing of 163,000 Euros of which the German government will grant 75 percent (122,000 Euros). The remainder will be covered by the Susila Dharma Network together with Anisha.

Anisha has been preparing this project since 2006 with help from SD Germany and the financial support of the SD Network. The proposal itself is the result of about eighteen months of hard work during which it has been reworked at least three times. They applied the Logical Framework approach to analyse the stakeholders, problems and objectives.

To read more about the situation of agriculture in India, click here.

Vietnamese province awards Clear Path Certificate of Merit

Clear Path International (CPI) is a US-based organisation and SD member working mostly in Southeast Asia and Afghanistan. CPI sponsors and manages programs to assist victims of accidental landmine explosions through emergency medical treatment, surgery, long-term health care, nutritional support, special scholarships and other initiatives that support the victims' reintegration into their communities as well as raising awareness of the landmine problem in the world, particularly in Southeast Asia. The Provincial People's Committee of Quang Tri in Vietnam recently awarded CPI with The Certificate of Merit for their work. Imbert Matthee, President of CPI, writes from Vietnam:

I don't often write about ceremonies. Most of the time they are just for looks, photo ops, grip and grins. When you have all hands on deck to get things done, fluff and puff can be kind of a nuisance. But the recent presentation to CPI of the Certificate of Merit from the Provincial People's Committee of Quang Tri was different to me. It was a real milestone in our seven-year history as a humanitarian mine action organization.

The Certificate of Merit recognizes international organizations for their assistance to Vietnamese people in need. In Quang Tri, we've served 3,024 beneficiaries and spent nearly $860,000 on survivor assistance programs. In 2008 we'll serve 1,040 in the province.

You can read more about CPI and the extent of their activities, also in Cambodia, “Burma Border Region” and Afghanistan, at http://www.cpi.org. One of the partners they work with in Afghanistan, The Afghan Landmine Survivor Organization, has been nominated for the U.S. Secretary of State's "Freedom Defenders' Award." Clear Path has been supported by SD Britain, SD USA and SD Netherlands.

Through a Microscope...Myroslava Volunteers in Paraguay

Myroslava Mykytyn, a student from Ottawa Canada, writes about her profound experience with the children of Vida Plena, a Susila Dharma project in Asunción, Paraguay. She submitted this story to Subud Voice...

A year ago I remember I was in awe of visiting South America. I wanted to be a paediatrician, and my dream for a long time has been to work there, even though I had never visited before. So I knew I had to experience it first, and my plan was to work with a children's organization to gain experience in my desired field of work.

After having contacted many organizations throughout South America, I came across Elisabeth Gavilan in Paraguay. She is the director of a small organization called Vida Plena in Asunción. Her efforts are directed to helping impoverished children within the largest market in the city, the Mercado Abasto.

She asked me whether I would be interested in teaching biology to the children. ...I accepted eagerly and began to search for donations of microscopes, various other science equipment, and children's books as well. I arrived in Paraguay with a large suitcase packed tight with scientific lab material. ...The weeks went on and I slowly introduced all the material: binoculars, eye loops, goggles, test tubes, beakers and graduated cylinders, books, coloured markers, crayons and pens, then, finally, I introduced the microscopes.

The microscopes brought about changes I never could have anticipated. Firstly, many children had lice and so of course that was the highlight of things to dissect and investigate through the lens. They began to take initiative in searching for objects they wanted to examine, namely insects, onion peels, leaves and hair. I did not structure a lesson plan for them, but instead let their curiosity drive their learning.

One boy named Jos, ten-years old, became quite the avid photographer over the months as I lent him my camera periodically throughout the day. Another child I found, Shayla, was a phenomenal artist; all she needed was blank paper and a pen. Marcelo (4) never used to smile at me, but when he saw his own lice crawling under the microscope, he couldn't help but laugh.

To my surprise, even the most rebellious of children took such great interest in the microscope that they started to teach the other children. It wasn't until that moment that I realized that all these children needed was opportunity and exposure; they just needed to be given a chance.

Read full story here and comment on our blog!

Yayasan Tambuhak Sinta (YTS) calls for support.

The new Kabar Itah 19 Newsletter of YTS is now on-line. This issue focuses on the training and development in villages in Central Kalimantan, specifically rubber cultivation, organic agriculture and governance. Bardolf Paul, YTS Director writes...

YTS is preparing to begin measuring the results of the work we have done to date. And, in doing so, we will look at both tangible and less than tangible elements. It is quite easy to measure the impact of support for chicken or pig rearing, as we can calculate improvement in reproduction, health, growth, and weight gain. But it is more difficult to calculate the internal learning that grows alongside any technical improvements.

I am reminded of the testimony of a woman in a village who, many years after a gender analysis exercise, stated that from that occasion the women in the village became much more active in decision-making processes, because the event had made them aware of new possibilities. We therefore have to find ways to 'see' and 'measure' these types of results as well.

Appeal: As many of you know, Kalimantan Gold Corporation (KCG) is experiencing economic problems due to the global financial crisis. As a result, KGC is unable to continue to fund YTS activities, and they have been running on their reserve fund, which is quickly disappearing.

YTS therefore is asking for contributions from anyone who would like to support its work. Funds can be channeled through national Susila Dharma organizations, SDIA or directly to their bank account (information in YTS newsletter).

YTS has a fabulous new website you can see at http://www.tambuhaksinta.com.

Read a profile of YTS on the website called The Communications Initiative Network "Where communication and media are central to social and economic development."

Fundraising! Art and Craft Sale

Here is another example of a creative fundraiser for Susila Dharma that also introduces our global work to the larger community. Halima Wolfgang, a Subud artist who operates Laughing Elk Pottery, has organized the third annual Art and Craft sale to benefit Susila Dharma USA. The sale, involving seventeen artists twelve of whom are just learning about Susila Dharma, will be held at the Subud Center in Portland Oregon December 12th and 13th.

View their very catchy web advertising here.

 

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2.   SD in the World: United Nations and Networking with Others

Rebuilding Sustainable Communities

Nov 16-19, Myra Margolin attended a Conference on Rebuilding Sustainable Communities for Children and Their Families after Disasters hosted by the Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Myra is an SDIA representative to the UN. Myra writes:

As I think about Susila Dharma in the context of this conference, a few thoughts come to mind. First, I am curious about how SD projects straddle multiple levels of analysis - the individual, the community and the policy. Second, it seems that if disaster does hit an area in which Subud members are affected or a Susila Dharma project operates, it is useful to be aware that the most marginalized groups before disaster are oftentimes the most marginalized in the aftermath of disaster. As Dr. Schutt noted in his presentation, all disasters are social and, therefore, it would not be surprising to find social inequities replicated in the disaster recovery process. It seems crucial to attend to these communities in the aftermath of disaster. Lastly, while an emphasis on building capacity or find community resilience is admirable, it is the case that recovery efforts often undermine existing capacities. For instance, there is evidence that relocation efforts that separate families or social support networks can have serious individual-level psychological consequences. Finding ways to support existing community strengths and working with communities to acquire necessary (community-identified) resources for rebuilding (e.g., housing) seems to be crucial.

Read Myra's complete reflections on this conference.

Marking Human Rights Day

Around the world people are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights on Dec 13. All our projects — consciously or not — are working to enhance the enjoyment of human rights, and SDIA representatives have been active in attending Human Rights meetings in Geneva and elsewhere for many years in an effort to raise our awareness of the role of human rights in development work. Human Rights relate closely to cultural diversity and we are happy to announce that the Zone 3 Youth Coordinator, Dahliani Drejza from France who is also a member of the SD France board, will attend the EU meeting on Equality of Rights in Cultural Diversity on 13 December 2008. Dahliani writes:

“I work as volunteer in schools in which there are more and more kids from many different countries. I also know some youth who are going to travel around Europe with Erasmus (European student exchange program) for 6 or 12 months. I am interested in understanding more about different aspects of diversity.”

Excellent Health and Environment Resource!

A Community Guide to Environmental Health by Hesperian Foundation is a valuable reference book useful to communities struggling to improve health and protect the environment. Each chapter was written based on field experience of various communities from small rural villages to marginalized inhabitants of the urban population. You can download the entire book or per chapter at http://www.hesperian.org. They will translate it into as many languages as possible.

This book is being translated into Indonesian by Rini Sulaiman with the financial support of the Hesperian Foundation and the Ford Foundation Indonesia. Rini, a Subud member from Seattle USA, is an environmental consultant and has worked with Yayasan Tambuhak Sinta on the Global Mercury Project. Anyone interested in translation of this book to their native language should apply for the grant.

A Practical Guide to Computer Recycling - for the Environment and for Profit

Computers and other telecommunications devices become obsolete at an alarming rate; and when they lose their usefulness, they are tossed in the trash. That often means a landfill. Unfortunately, computers are full of toxic metals that migrate into the environment. Many computers that have outlived their usefulness in high tech settings could still be very useful in low-tech settings. According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the Gartner consultancy, there will be almost four billion mobile telephones in use by the end of this year, and the number of personal computers has already passed the billion mark. The good news behind these figures is that the digital divide is shrinking - 58 percent of computers are in developed countries but, this share is expected to drop to 30 percent by 2014 when the total number of personal computers should reach two billion.

On the occasion of a conference on Digital Solidarity being held in Lyons (France), UNESCO is launching a free, practical guide to computer recycling for entrepreneurs and project sponsors. The publication of this guide comes amidst growing concern over the impact computer equipment waste on health and environment.

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3.   From the Office

Shop and Blog!

At SDIA, our job is to help you express your Susila Dharma as part of your everyday life. Now you can shop on line to support Susila Dharma and Child's Garden of Peace by purchasing Simone Feldman's memoires and wonderful handbags, belts and dog collars made from recycled materials by women in Brazil. More items sold or donated by Subud members to support SDIA and our projects will soon be available, so visit http://shop.susiladharma.org/

Come and blog with us! We want your comments and responses to stories posted on the Blog section of our website at http://blog.susiladharma.org/. You will find instructions on the website. Have you read SD Britain chair Polly Skerratt's account of dancing with young offenders in Bradford? Comment on our SDIA Food Security Network or send us your recent fundraising experiences! (Send your fundraising experiences to info@susiladharma.org.)

Food Security Network

At the SDIA AGM in Amanecer, Colombia members discussed the challenge of food security facing many countries and which has had devastating consequences for the poorest nations. We shared our analyses of then current food crisis which members saw as based on the following causes:

1. Neglect of National Agriculture Policy in Many Developing Countries
2. Donor Retreat from Aid for Agricultural Development
3. Expanding Meat and Dairy Product Consumption
4. Biofuel Development
5. Increased Market Volatility and Speculation

In the SD Network there are several projects working in small and bigger ways on Food Security: these include Asociación Vivir (Ecuador), Child's Garden of Peace (Brazil), Bellingham Community Meals (USA), Anisha, Sradha and CCD (India), Albadi School and Orphanage (DRC), Sun for Life (Madagascar) YTS (Indonesia) and others.

Do you think we need an SD Food Security Network or Discussion Group? What should be its purpose? How should we communicate? What do you think about the Food Security issue and what are you ready to do in your own Subud group or country to help?

Read more here and add your comments to the Blog.

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The SDIA Network eNews is published once a month from information sent in to the office. We welcome news items. Deadline for submissions is the middle of each month. Contact us at info@susiladharma.org

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