"If the people lead, the leaders will follow." That is assuming that they are not completely enslaved in a system that prevents them from cutting across the grain, and their leaders don't continually erode their foundations.
Todd Swearingen ----- Original Message ----- From: Neoteric Biofuels Inc. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Biofuel-JTF <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, August 30, 2002 4:06 PM Subject: [biofuel] Information from WSSD (Johannesburg Summit) Highlights of interest, full article follows: �Nalini Burn, who works in Mali, described a "multi-function energy platform" featuring a diesel engine that communities can use for various daily purposes. Such modern energy services have boosted community income generation and women's health. "Women say I am tired my body feels as though it is breaking. I sent my children to bed hungry because I do not have the energy to pound the grain and prepare their food," she said. "Energy liberates women from back-breaking effort." �Siima Bakengesa from Tanzania described how growing trees on farms in a semi-arid area had increased maize and milk output, and released women from the drudgery of searching for firewood every day. "Fertilizers are too expensive. We have proved the economic feasibility of using trees to enrich the soil," she said, pointing out, however, that the international market and not the people "who dig the soil" set produce prices.� (Note: many plant oils in tropics can come from shrubs and trees � these are windbreaks, living fences, and perennials once established. Once the oil is extracted via a small scale cold press, the press cake makes an excellent fertilizer.) Oil seeds and a source of nearby sticks provide a source for liquid and solid bioenergy. The seeds become part of a self-supply strategy or can be sold for some extra cash. They also prevent the trees from being taken down completely for wood � more value in leaving them, just taking some sticks, and harvesting the seeds. Value can be added prior to sale, by extracting oil and selling as oil and presscake � separately � a job creation strategy � EB.) --------------------- FULL ARTICLE: Community role vital in water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity initiatives Friday, 30 August 2002: UNDP launched a series of strategic partnerships at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg yesterday to promote local community participation in sustainable development. The partnerships aim to mobilize human, institutional and financial resources for initiatives in water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity (WEHAB) - areas UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has outlined as the focus of WSSD. Speaking at the launch, UNDP Associate Administrator Z�phirin Diabr� pointed out that the greatest successes in sustainable development have occurred at the local level. "Over the last decade, UNDP has observed that throughout the world, communities have been courageously and effectively working to eradicate their own poverty while protecting the environment that sustains them," he said. Alvaro Umana, the UNDP Environmentally Sustainable Group leader, introduced five of the new initiatives, including Capacity 2015, which will help countries to build capacities to benefit from globalization and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Other initiatives deal with water, energy, dryland agriculture and biodiversity. Mr. Umana pointed out that rather than processing a plethora of disconnected projects, UNDP has developed an integrated package of initiatives that will create enabling conditions and develop capacities at the local and national levels to reduce poverty, protect the environment and achieve sustainable development. UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Nadine Gordimer gave a presentation on freedom from poverty as an essential human right. It preceded testimonies from four representatives of local communities that are making a real difference in each of the WEHAB areas. Nalini Burn, who works in Mali, described a "multi-function energy platform" featuring a diesel engine that communities can use for various daily purposes. Such modern energy services have boosted community income generation and women's health. "Women say I am tired . my body feels as though it is breaking . I sent my children to bed hungry because I do not have the energy to pound the grain and prepare their food," she said. "Energy liberates women from back-breaking effort." Sunia Delaijagi from Fiji underlined the importance of local community participation in water management. "One of the most important aspects to consider when approaching communities is culture and indigenous knowledge," he said. "Creating local management plans with full community involvement takes a long time." Will Mejia from Belize explained how community involvement in biodiversity conservation has increased income for local residents. "People who used to poach fish from protected areas using gill nets were willing to stop poaching and change to guiding eco-tourists interested in fly fishing. One man who used to earn only $600 per year managed to increase his income ten-fold." Siima Bakengesa from Tanzania described how growing trees on farms in a semi-arid area had increased maize and milk output, and released women from the drudgery of searching for firewood every day. "Fertilizers are too expensive. We have proved the economic feasibility of using trees to enrich the soil," she said, pointing out, however, that the international market and not the people "who dig the soil" set produce prices. For further information, please contact Philip Dobie ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) in Johannesburg or Omar Gharzeddine ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), UNDP Communications Office. SOURCE: UNDP, New York **************************************************************** List Name: SIDSnet energy-newswire Posting address: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: unsubscribe energy-newswire To subscribe, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: subscribe energy-newswire No subjects required for either cases. Brought to you by the Small Island Developing States Network: http://www.sidsnet.org [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. ------------------------ Yahoo! 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