PART 3 - CORTES ISLAND

• The Klahoose First Nation treaty negotiations have been conducted, (albeit far too slowly), in close cooperation with non-aboriginal groups on the island.

Everywhere people are coming together and realizing the need for local community control of our affairs, which are not well served by bureaucrats, corporations and globalization. In the past decade all these activities have grown dramatically; today Cortes is poised to become a model for locally controlled environmental protection, including a Community Forest Licence on Crown and privately-owned forest land.

The new Cortes Ecoforestry Society in partnership with the Klahoose First Nation are planning jointly to manage these lands for long-term restoration and preservation of old-growth forests and the economic and cultural well-being of Cortes islanders. While we are much more closely tied to technology and money than villagers in Nepal or Ladakh, their custom of giving without expecting an equivalent return is also strong and growing on Cortes. With this goes the unquestionable multiplication factor ensuring that we all receive far more than we give; what's more, it makes us all happier.

"Evergreen trees grow rapidly to the age of 70 or 80 years; then they slow down dramatically. We cannot afford to waste valuable land on slow-growing trees. It is therefore our policy to eliminate the old-growth forests in BC." Statement made by the District Manager, Ministry of Forests, 1990.

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COOPERATION FOR SELF-SUFFICIENCY

THE CHALLENGE

Are we prepared for a major natural disaster or the collapse of the corporation / stock market economy? Should either such catastrophe occur, the need to bring control of our affairs back to the local community level is obvious. There is no doubt that the diverse skills of Cortes islanders, together with the resources of sea and land could supply all our basic needs, provided we are well prepared. There can be little doubt that many citizens are concerned about the future, but feel helpless as to their ability to do anything about it. If they could see clearly a way ahead, many would grasp the opportunity to become involved. Here is their chance! Let us all be prepared before disaster strikes.

If we plan ahead, we may avoid the panic and irrational responses which might otherwise lead to suffering and strife. In the short term we could all stock up with a year's supply of basic food staples and other essentials, enabling us to survive while we organize our management of land and sea resources for sustainable self-sufficiency.

MEETING THE CHALLENGE

The challenge was brought into focus by David Korten in his book, "When Corporations Rule The World"(10), A group of Cortes islanders have taken it up and are preparing a project to enable us to bring control of our economy back to community level by establishing local self-sufficiency. The process involves radical changes to our present economy where possessions, advertising, consumerism and security rule our lives. These must give way to cooperation and sharing as we are forced to give up many of our present luxuries. 

As Ghandi put it, "There is plenty for our need, but not for our greed."

The Cortes project is being pursued with little publicity or propaganda. More than 100 people have joined to date. The main publication is the Cortes "Earmark Book", a register of potential guilds plus the names, addresses and skills of the members. Anyone interested in teaching or learning a self-sufficiency skill can contact like-minded members by reference to the Earmark Book which is constantly expanding. The sooner we are prepared, the better we will cope with whatever befalls us!

A page from the Cortes Earmark book.

 

SWEENY, SEDLEY Box 93, Whaletown                 935 6746   GUILDS:	ALBRIGHT-SWEENY, TRUDE Box 93, Whaletown                   935 6746   GUILDS:
1. Farmer & Gardener	1. Food Storage & Preserve
2. Bee-Keeper	2. Public Health
3. Education	3. Artist / Entertainment
4. Marine
5. Harness & Leather Work
6. Forestry / Millworker
FACILITIES / EDUCATION TO OFFER:	FACILITIES / EDUCATION TO OFFER:
Instruction in seamanship	Instruction in first aid
& in self-sufficiency	Industrial & domestic sewing machines
Industrial sewing machine,	Cake making and decorating equipment
woodwork & metalwork tools	Bakery
2 x 18' boats, honey extractor
INTERESTS: Boat building, sail making, seamanship, forestry, human rights.	INTERESTS: Baking, catering, sewing, knitting, sail making, theatre, art.

Sedley writes: "This project was started in 1995 and is now (2003) being revived and extended". 

Here is part of the update:

THE AIM: 

To obtain our basic needs, as far as possible, from local, sustainable resources: 

WHAT IS INVOLVED:

• The study of our basic needs:

• That we become aware of the basic skills required to produce these needed things locally.

• The pinpointing of local craftspeople possessing these skills and making this information available to all concerned.

• The training of Cortes islanders in these skills and in the concept of natural sustainability.

• The setting up of a local trading / gift economy to reduce the need for high wage employment and its resulting stress.

• Local processing of raw materials and keeping value-added at home. NG adds, (because he didn't know what value-added means): In agriculture an example of "value-added" is food processing, drying, canning, juicing, handcrafting, unique packaging, labeling and marketing. The farmer is not only involved in production of a raw commodity, but also takes part in processing and distribution of the product).

• Major reduction in motor vehicle traffic and in the use of fossil fuels. Improvement in public transport.

• Reducing imports of materials from off island and abroad.

• Getting other communities in BC involved in local self-sufficiency, and studying their ideas.

THE METHOD

A database of craft Guilds and of the interests and skills of Cortes islanders has already been prepared in the "Earmark Book".

A website is being prepared, (now at http://www.dwayneedwardrourke.com/Pages/SELFSUFF/1SED.html), with a history of the project as well as the Earmark Book information, (believed correct on 091103 and which you can see here).

Barter is a simple means of trading one's skills or possessions in return for one's needs without exchange of money.

The Gift Economy - giving without expecting repayment, has been practiced successfully in many small communities worldwide, throughout history. If even a small group of people are open to giving freely of their time and resources, everyone wins. A helps B, B helps C and so on; X, Y or Z helps A. The system promotes close community relations and all are happier and less stressed. One asks for help when necessary, and offers help when asked. If one is asked "What do I owe you?" the answer is "Nothing; help someone else when you get the chance." 

"I believe that this system, which I have seen working well in Wales, India, Nepal and on Cortes Island, carries with it a beneficial Multiplication Factor in which all participants are happier, and receive much more than they give."

Sedley Sweeny, founder Cooperation for Cortes SeIf-Sufficiency

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BIBLIOGRAPHY.

I. E.F: Schumacher: Small is Beautiful

2. Sir George Stapledon: Human Ecology

3. Robert Waller: Prophet of the New Age.

4. H.H. the Dalai Lama: Ancient Wisdom, Modern World; Ethics for a New Millennium.

5. Mukat Singh: (Chief Editor ), International Journal of Rural Studies

6. Govt of India: Dept of Education, NDS Secondary Course, Social Sciences, VoI2B, Indian Agriculture, , pp 17-18 (see appendix)

7. Helena Norberg-Hodge: Ancient Futures; Learning from Ladakh

8. Sedley Sweeny: A Visit to Nepal

9. Delores Broten: Editor, Watershed Sentinel

10. David Korten When Corporations Rule the World.

POSTSCRIPT: 

RELIEVING THIRD WORLD POVERTY

Although the effects of globalization and technology have, so far, tended to widen the gap between rich and poor, both within nations and internationally, there is now some good news. The recent G8 Summit in Okinawa has decided to extend computer access to every family in the world. The wealth created by this extraordinary philanthropy will raise the standard of the poorest Third World peasant to that of the affluent West. Or will it?

I have my reservations: Is this splendid idea going far enough? Computer technology, on its own, is in the realm of the "specialist", and may be advancing on too narrow a front. Should we not include other skills such as Monsanto's genetic engineering? We could then transplant a few beneficial genes into computers to make them edible!

APPENDIX

N.D.S. SECONDARY COURSE: SOCIAL SCIENCES VOL. 2B, pp 17-18

INDIAN AGRICULTURE

Sedley's inclusion of this extract puzzled me for a while, but it's clearly an indication of how India thinks, or its government thinks, or has been made to think it should proceed with regard to agriculture and manufacturing. NG

Agricultural productivity depends upon various factors. Bringing more and more land under irrigation is essential. Exploration of both surface and ground water for this purpose is essential. Ground water represents an assured(!) water supply with less investment and quick results. Application of manures and chemical fertilizers is also a must to raise agricultural production. Widespread use of improved seeds is another must fro raising farm productivity. Improved seeds must be heavy yielding. They should mature early, saving time. They should resist pests and drought conditions. For saving time and manual energy, greater use of machines run by mechanical power obtained through electricity and diesel is indispensable. Extremely small size of the bulk of our land holdings is another handicap which needs to be overcome. With increasing size of land holdings, much of the manpower now engaged in agriculture needs to be released so that there could be enough hands in the manufacturing sector. This sector is largely responsible for value addition or raising national wealth.

Don't forget to take a look at the TIBETAN ECO-FORESTRY TRAINING PARTNERSHIP

GREENPEACE CANADA

Next

SS = Sedley Sweeny

SS = Self-Sufficiency!

There isn't a "Next", but it makes you think. 

Doesn't it?

 

Also by Sedley Sweeny The Challenge of Smallholding. Paperback: 234 pages. Publisher: Oxford University Press; (April 1985). ASIN: 0192860186

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