In order to cap off these reflections and my experience in Senegal, it is only appropriate to make connections and write down some of my final reflections. Out of all the classes I took, papers I read, and places I saw, the most important and impressionable part of Senegal was the people. It is these people that took me into their homes and treated me like family; these people who taught me their language and their culture; these people that excepted me as a part of their village and community; these people who taught me more about myself than I ever expected; these people with who I laughed and cried, hugged and fought. I cannot say that I have ever met a more welcoming, fun, and loving people. I ate with them, drank tea with them, slept next to them, and worked with them. I became close with them. I fell in love with them.
Of course there were personal and cultural challenges along the way. But in the end, I came out stronger and closer to all of the people I love. I was having a mentally and emotionally intense time towards the end of my stay in Senegal. It was wonderful how everyone rallied around me, doing all that they could to help me and give me love. I have made lifelong friends and family in Senegal, and I will never, never forget them. Just today I was chatting with Medoune (my host brother) and Namory via facebook. I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing. We were communicating in English, French, and Wolof. It was truly cross-cultural and international. But it was also simply friends to friends, person to person; sharing cultures, sharing ideas, sharing friendship. I never thought that I would experience anything like it. I want to thank everyone for everything that they have done for me. I hope to come back soon.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Bibliography in order to not plagarize
And since I did use sources I think I should put the bibliography.
Bibliography
Zehrer, Wolfram. Integrated Pest Management in the Tropics. “Traditional Agriculture and integrated pest management.”
Sachs, Jeffery. The Guardian. “Traditional agriculture equals poverty.” 2008.
Traditional Agriculture: Overview. http://dp.biology.dal.ca/reports/kazimirstt.html
Mollison, Bill. Introduction to Permaculture. 1991.
Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
Interview with Mr. Sy in Guédé Chantiers. April 19, 2009.
Interview with Ousmane Pame.
Interview with Mr. Fall in Guédé Chantiers.
Bibliography
Zehrer, Wolfram. Integrated Pest Management in the Tropics. “Traditional Agriculture and integrated pest management.”
Sachs, Jeffery. The Guardian. “Traditional agriculture equals poverty.” 2008.
Traditional Agriculture: Overview. http://dp.biology.dal.ca/reports/kazimirstt.html
Mollison, Bill. Introduction to Permaculture. 1991.
Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
Interview with Mr. Sy in Guédé Chantiers. April 19, 2009.
Interview with Ousmane Pame.
Interview with Mr. Fall in Guédé Chantiers.
And finally the SOLUTION to the conflict
(Exert from my independent research paper)
Nonetheless, I do recognize that global patterns are shifting (growing population and growing percentage of urban population) regardless if the changes are beneficial. Thus, traditional agriculture is becoming harder and harder to maintain and justify (its productivity is generally just enough to meet the nutritional needs of the local, rural population) (Sachs). But on the other hand, industrial agriculture takes the completely opposite approach to traditional agriculture and has its multitude of negative consequences (Traditional Agriculture: Overview). There has to be a solution for an agricultural system that can produce very high yields, but at the same time is beneficial for the land and the people. I propose that permaculture principles can be used and applied as the solution to the problem at hand.
Not only is permaculture intensively productive, it gives the land a sort of permanence. This is because permaculture invests in the land for the long term, unlike industrial agriculture. You can grow a lot on a small piece of land in a permaculture system for multiple reasons. These reasons include crop stacking (which create shade and microclimates, thus reducing the need for intensive water use—it also places a large variety of plants in a small area, mimicking nature and thus preventing crop destruction from insects and disease); using local crop varieties for disease/insect resistance and reducing water input, crop rotation, perpetual improvement of the soil with the utilization of cover crops and compost, the strategic planting of productive trees that will not only increase the productivity of the land (stacking), but also add a permanence to the site that only long-living trees can give. With permaculture, you are able to harvest a variety of products throughout the year insuring economic sustainability (if one crop fails you can rely on other crops) (Mollison).
To me, a permaculture is the ideal solution for the problem of our current agricultural paradigm. This permaculture solution is supported by my personal experience with this paradigm in Guédé Chantiers. From what I learned traditional agriculture is more fundamental. It is grown on a subsistence basis and generally has little to no outside inputs. It relies on using the Earth’s natural systems of fertility and productivity without adding intensive human techniques. For example, in Guédé people have traditionally planted their crops on the banks of the river after the flooding of the rainy season. This provides natural fertility for their crops without having to provide outside inputs (Sy). Also, traditionally people in Guédé cultivated wild rice varieties. Therefore, the cultivated rice would perpetually cross with the wild rice, thus producing a high level of species diversity (Pame). On the flipside, industrial agriculture in Guédé is rampant and produces a very high yield of crops. However, farmers have become so dependent upon and exploited by chemical inputs that many of them end up using 9/10th of their profit to pay for the chemicals that they have used (Fall). Additionally, the health of the land and the people is decreased.
And thus, for our project in Guédé we decided to create a permaculture garden to begin to experiment with the possibilities of greatly improving the current agricultural paradigm. And I believe we succeeded. We showed the youth how to improve the fertility and consistency of the soil through the rysosphere method (See Field Research section of paper for an explanation); we demonstrated water conservation through the goutte-á-goutte method (See Field Research section of paper for an explanation); and we gave our plot an increased biological diversity through the creation of niches and microclimates by plant stacking and multi-cropping. And while this was all done on a very small, school garden scale, I believe that the same permaculture principles can be replicated and increased throughout Guédé in order to positively change the current agricultural paradigm. It is a long shot, but with the right sensitization, continuation, local realizations, and luck I believe that this is a real possibility for a brighter future not only for Guédé, but the entire world and its future development.
Nonetheless, I do recognize that global patterns are shifting (growing population and growing percentage of urban population) regardless if the changes are beneficial. Thus, traditional agriculture is becoming harder and harder to maintain and justify (its productivity is generally just enough to meet the nutritional needs of the local, rural population) (Sachs). But on the other hand, industrial agriculture takes the completely opposite approach to traditional agriculture and has its multitude of negative consequences (Traditional Agriculture: Overview). There has to be a solution for an agricultural system that can produce very high yields, but at the same time is beneficial for the land and the people. I propose that permaculture principles can be used and applied as the solution to the problem at hand.
Not only is permaculture intensively productive, it gives the land a sort of permanence. This is because permaculture invests in the land for the long term, unlike industrial agriculture. You can grow a lot on a small piece of land in a permaculture system for multiple reasons. These reasons include crop stacking (which create shade and microclimates, thus reducing the need for intensive water use—it also places a large variety of plants in a small area, mimicking nature and thus preventing crop destruction from insects and disease); using local crop varieties for disease/insect resistance and reducing water input, crop rotation, perpetual improvement of the soil with the utilization of cover crops and compost, the strategic planting of productive trees that will not only increase the productivity of the land (stacking), but also add a permanence to the site that only long-living trees can give. With permaculture, you are able to harvest a variety of products throughout the year insuring economic sustainability (if one crop fails you can rely on other crops) (Mollison).
To me, a permaculture is the ideal solution for the problem of our current agricultural paradigm. This permaculture solution is supported by my personal experience with this paradigm in Guédé Chantiers. From what I learned traditional agriculture is more fundamental. It is grown on a subsistence basis and generally has little to no outside inputs. It relies on using the Earth’s natural systems of fertility and productivity without adding intensive human techniques. For example, in Guédé people have traditionally planted their crops on the banks of the river after the flooding of the rainy season. This provides natural fertility for their crops without having to provide outside inputs (Sy). Also, traditionally people in Guédé cultivated wild rice varieties. Therefore, the cultivated rice would perpetually cross with the wild rice, thus producing a high level of species diversity (Pame). On the flipside, industrial agriculture in Guédé is rampant and produces a very high yield of crops. However, farmers have become so dependent upon and exploited by chemical inputs that many of them end up using 9/10th of their profit to pay for the chemicals that they have used (Fall). Additionally, the health of the land and the people is decreased.
And thus, for our project in Guédé we decided to create a permaculture garden to begin to experiment with the possibilities of greatly improving the current agricultural paradigm. And I believe we succeeded. We showed the youth how to improve the fertility and consistency of the soil through the rysosphere method (See Field Research section of paper for an explanation); we demonstrated water conservation through the goutte-á-goutte method (See Field Research section of paper for an explanation); and we gave our plot an increased biological diversity through the creation of niches and microclimates by plant stacking and multi-cropping. And while this was all done on a very small, school garden scale, I believe that the same permaculture principles can be replicated and increased throughout Guédé in order to positively change the current agricultural paradigm. It is a long shot, but with the right sensitization, continuation, local realizations, and luck I believe that this is a real possibility for a brighter future not only for Guédé, but the entire world and its future development.
Now a short discussion on Industrial Ag.
Once again, an exert from my independent research:
On the other hand, industrial agriculture is as recent as the last century. It uses powerful chemical inputs to replace the knowledge and wisdom that was produced over thousands of years by traditional agricultural systems (Traditional Agriculture: Overview). Industrial agriculture was developed with regard to money and world market systems—while it attempts to take care of the fundamental act of nourishing people (the objective of traditional agriculture), it is disillusioned by the prospects of profits (Pame). Because industrial agriculture has developed with world markets in mind, food has become much more commoditized than ever before (Sachs). When people commoditize food they lose respect for it as a basic need for human survival and exploitation results. Exploitation of the land and of people’s health through the application of chemical pesticides, chemical herbicides, chemical fertilizers, using large amounts of water, and using vast amounts of petroleum and petroleum-based products. Furthermore, while industrial agriculture can produce dramatically higher yields than traditional agriculture, it is also generally not well adapted to local conditions and therefore many problems occur (Traditional Agriculture: Overview). These problems include destruction of the environment, failure of crops, high costs of chemicals for local populations, and a lack of means to continue the buying and maintenance of chemicals and machinery after the group that introduces them leaves.
However, this conflict is by no means a simple issue. As mentioned above, industrial agriculture is the direct result of the development and spread of globalization and the world capitalist system of economics. Globalization is generally seen as something beneficial for developing countries. However, in actuality it is very detrimental and only binds the developing country into a relationship of power and exploitation where the oppressor (developed) always wins over the oppressed (developing) (Freire). In this paper, I argue that while industrial agriculture can rapidly produce high crop yields never before seen in the area of introduction, it is by no means a beneficial long term solution for a transitioning community.
On the other hand, industrial agriculture is as recent as the last century. It uses powerful chemical inputs to replace the knowledge and wisdom that was produced over thousands of years by traditional agricultural systems (Traditional Agriculture: Overview). Industrial agriculture was developed with regard to money and world market systems—while it attempts to take care of the fundamental act of nourishing people (the objective of traditional agriculture), it is disillusioned by the prospects of profits (Pame). Because industrial agriculture has developed with world markets in mind, food has become much more commoditized than ever before (Sachs). When people commoditize food they lose respect for it as a basic need for human survival and exploitation results. Exploitation of the land and of people’s health through the application of chemical pesticides, chemical herbicides, chemical fertilizers, using large amounts of water, and using vast amounts of petroleum and petroleum-based products. Furthermore, while industrial agriculture can produce dramatically higher yields than traditional agriculture, it is also generally not well adapted to local conditions and therefore many problems occur (Traditional Agriculture: Overview). These problems include destruction of the environment, failure of crops, high costs of chemicals for local populations, and a lack of means to continue the buying and maintenance of chemicals and machinery after the group that introduces them leaves.
However, this conflict is by no means a simple issue. As mentioned above, industrial agriculture is the direct result of the development and spread of globalization and the world capitalist system of economics. Globalization is generally seen as something beneficial for developing countries. However, in actuality it is very detrimental and only binds the developing country into a relationship of power and exploitation where the oppressor (developed) always wins over the oppressed (developing) (Freire). In this paper, I argue that while industrial agriculture can rapidly produce high crop yields never before seen in the area of introduction, it is by no means a beneficial long term solution for a transitioning community.
Traditional Ag in West Africa
This is an exert from my independent research. I adding it to give you guys some background on traditional agriculture in West Africa. Enjoy!!
Traditional agriculture in West Africa is comprised of many complicated and intricate systems (contrary to popular western belief), that have developed over millennia to a specific ecosystem. These systems produced a tremendous variety of domesticated crops and livestock and methods of farming. It is these systems of agriculture that have been able to sustain diverse cultures and civilizations for thousands of years up until the present day. Researchers are beginning to appreciate that many traditional farmers in West Africa are still practicing farming methods that are in balance with surrounding ecosystems, stable, sustainable and highly efficient. Farmers, who have been portrayed as ignorant and not adaptive, have actually been using very sophisticated agricultural methods for thousands of years (Traditional Agriculture: Overview).
However, in many countries in West Africa traditional methods are mostly seen as backward. An agricultural extension worker in West Africa, who wants to inform a visitor about his “impact” in the region, will show “model” farmers using fertilizers and pesticides, and planting new varieties in rows. Yet if the visitor goes to the extension worker’s own fields, he will be surprised at what he sees and conclude that the extension worker does not belong to the category of modern “model” farmers. The visitor will see that the extension worker is cultivating the same way as his ancestors and completely differently from what he is telling his farmers (Traditional agriculture and integrated pest management).
Plant protection is a good example of how traditional agriculture methods differ from the modern industrial methods. In traditional fallow systems, plant protection methods were first of all preventive methods. Elements of these preventative methods are: choice of varieties, choice of field, mixed cropping, crop rotation, selection of seed and planting methods, and storage. For example, the storage systems of crops are well adapted to the ecosystems. In the humid climate of southern Togo, traditionally small, open granaries are used for storing corn. This is done to achieve good ventilation for the wet-harvested corn. In northern Togo where the harvest of millet is dried in the field, the granaries are closed and made of loam and straw. Industrial styled projects trying to improve these storage systems have been utter failures because they insisted on using cement (cement turns out to be hygroscopic and does not isolate very well, causing an increase in storage pests and diseases). Furthermore, in place of toxic chemicals, farmers use neem leaves (natural pesticide) to mix with the stored crops. In northern Togo beans in storage are completely surrounded by sand in order to prevent damage from beetles (Traditional agriculture and integrated pest management).
Traditional agriculture in West Africa is comprised of many complicated and intricate systems (contrary to popular western belief), that have developed over millennia to a specific ecosystem. These systems produced a tremendous variety of domesticated crops and livestock and methods of farming. It is these systems of agriculture that have been able to sustain diverse cultures and civilizations for thousands of years up until the present day. Researchers are beginning to appreciate that many traditional farmers in West Africa are still practicing farming methods that are in balance with surrounding ecosystems, stable, sustainable and highly efficient. Farmers, who have been portrayed as ignorant and not adaptive, have actually been using very sophisticated agricultural methods for thousands of years (Traditional Agriculture: Overview).
However, in many countries in West Africa traditional methods are mostly seen as backward. An agricultural extension worker in West Africa, who wants to inform a visitor about his “impact” in the region, will show “model” farmers using fertilizers and pesticides, and planting new varieties in rows. Yet if the visitor goes to the extension worker’s own fields, he will be surprised at what he sees and conclude that the extension worker does not belong to the category of modern “model” farmers. The visitor will see that the extension worker is cultivating the same way as his ancestors and completely differently from what he is telling his farmers (Traditional agriculture and integrated pest management).
Plant protection is a good example of how traditional agriculture methods differ from the modern industrial methods. In traditional fallow systems, plant protection methods were first of all preventive methods. Elements of these preventative methods are: choice of varieties, choice of field, mixed cropping, crop rotation, selection of seed and planting methods, and storage. For example, the storage systems of crops are well adapted to the ecosystems. In the humid climate of southern Togo, traditionally small, open granaries are used for storing corn. This is done to achieve good ventilation for the wet-harvested corn. In northern Togo where the harvest of millet is dried in the field, the granaries are closed and made of loam and straw. Industrial styled projects trying to improve these storage systems have been utter failures because they insisted on using cement (cement turns out to be hygroscopic and does not isolate very well, causing an increase in storage pests and diseases). Furthermore, in place of toxic chemicals, farmers use neem leaves (natural pesticide) to mix with the stored crops. In northern Togo beans in storage are completely surrounded by sand in order to prevent damage from beetles (Traditional agriculture and integrated pest management).
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Lessons from Guede (The Village)
I learned an incredible amount about development, Senegal, people, and myself through our school garden project in Guédé. In life you need to be flexible. In development you need to be like silly putty. Silly putty in multiple ways. Silly putty because nothing is going to go as you originally thought. The direction of our project changed multiple times in unexpected and uncontrollable ways. Decisions were made and things were changed without our groups’ knowledge by village partners and staff within our program. This was a challenge at the time, but was by no means detrimental to the final product. It was beneficial. This is because “our” project was not only our (myself, Sydney, and You) project. It is the project of the people who are living there first and foremost. And in our case it was also the project of the staff, who have much more experience and knew much more about Guédé and its context.
However, from what I have heard, read, and seen, westerner domineerence is where so many development projects fail. And this makes community members where the development projects take place skeptical of the generally domineering outsiders. And I definitely felt this skepticism and mistrust when I first arrived in Guédé. As I mentioned in my first reflection paper, initially I wasn’t looked at as a collaborator. I wasn’t seen as someone who was there to respect the culture, the people, or the village. I was simply seen as a pocketbook; a means for materials that they could not afford.
But I am glad to announce that the initial barriers of mistrust were broken down by the end of our stay in Guédé. And overwhelmingly so. Genuine friendships were born and a mutual respect gained (We received a special heartfelt thank you from the assistant director of the primary school. It was obvious that his attitude had changed and that he now held a respect for us and the work that we had done with his students). A beautiful permaculture garden was produced as a result. The trees planted, the fence built, and the seeds sown have connected the community to the garden in a physical manner. But that is only small part of the newfound connection to that plot of Earth. More importantly, it was the person to person friendships that were formed that will keep people coming to the garden. And even if the garden physically fails, it will never be forgotten because of these friendships that were formed. The sweat, the frustration, the fatigue, the injuries, the laughter, the learning, and the growing that we (two American university students, one Senegalese university student, Guédé students and teachers—all of us people) shared can never be forgotten. It was genuine, it was mutual. I completely lost the feeling that I was coming to help this rural African community. I was there with my friends and family investing myself in my community.
Nonetheless, it was my community for only 5 weeks. This was something that I could not control and was probably the biggest impediment to the overall sustainability of the project (the lack of ability or willingness of people to spend long periods of time in a community is why almost all development projects lack long-term sustainability; this supports the argument that true sustainable development must come from the actual community members, who are invested in the community for the long haul). It is a challenge because the relationships that we had formed have become more removed (they can never completely end). The garden was the medium for the formation of these relationships and therefore its success is challenged. But I am sure lasting friendships will grow between the students in Guédé as the garden grows. And I know that the students have the knowledge and ability to successfully manage the garden. In fact, they had more knowledge about many gardening skills than me and a far better understanding of the local environment than I will ever have (For example, on the last day I was taught by one of the students how to separate flower seed from their shells without losing all of the seeds). I am sure that I learned more than I taught. This was not something that I necessarily expected at the commencement of the project. However, I have realized that you must be open to learning from the vast knowledge of the community members in order to begin to attempt worthwhile and beneficial work.
However, from what I have heard, read, and seen, westerner domineerence is where so many development projects fail. And this makes community members where the development projects take place skeptical of the generally domineering outsiders. And I definitely felt this skepticism and mistrust when I first arrived in Guédé. As I mentioned in my first reflection paper, initially I wasn’t looked at as a collaborator. I wasn’t seen as someone who was there to respect the culture, the people, or the village. I was simply seen as a pocketbook; a means for materials that they could not afford.
But I am glad to announce that the initial barriers of mistrust were broken down by the end of our stay in Guédé. And overwhelmingly so. Genuine friendships were born and a mutual respect gained (We received a special heartfelt thank you from the assistant director of the primary school. It was obvious that his attitude had changed and that he now held a respect for us and the work that we had done with his students). A beautiful permaculture garden was produced as a result. The trees planted, the fence built, and the seeds sown have connected the community to the garden in a physical manner. But that is only small part of the newfound connection to that plot of Earth. More importantly, it was the person to person friendships that were formed that will keep people coming to the garden. And even if the garden physically fails, it will never be forgotten because of these friendships that were formed. The sweat, the frustration, the fatigue, the injuries, the laughter, the learning, and the growing that we (two American university students, one Senegalese university student, Guédé students and teachers—all of us people) shared can never be forgotten. It was genuine, it was mutual. I completely lost the feeling that I was coming to help this rural African community. I was there with my friends and family investing myself in my community.
Nonetheless, it was my community for only 5 weeks. This was something that I could not control and was probably the biggest impediment to the overall sustainability of the project (the lack of ability or willingness of people to spend long periods of time in a community is why almost all development projects lack long-term sustainability; this supports the argument that true sustainable development must come from the actual community members, who are invested in the community for the long haul). It is a challenge because the relationships that we had formed have become more removed (they can never completely end). The garden was the medium for the formation of these relationships and therefore its success is challenged. But I am sure lasting friendships will grow between the students in Guédé as the garden grows. And I know that the students have the knowledge and ability to successfully manage the garden. In fact, they had more knowledge about many gardening skills than me and a far better understanding of the local environment than I will ever have (For example, on the last day I was taught by one of the students how to separate flower seed from their shells without losing all of the seeds). I am sure that I learned more than I taught. This was not something that I necessarily expected at the commencement of the project. However, I have realized that you must be open to learning from the vast knowledge of the community members in order to begin to attempt worthwhile and beneficial work.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Being Human
Ok, so this reflection is going to be a little more “out there” than some of my other writings. I actually wrote this on March 13 (a Friday nonetheless). Of course my thoughts and ideas have morphed and shifted to a certain degree with time, but I will type it up as I wrote it then. I think it is interesting.
“Picture yourself in—try to picture the world and all the places within it. Ok, you see a few countries, places you have been, some familiar looking people, some foreign looking people, some places you have seen on TV. Maybe you are even like me and try to circumnavigate the world in your mind; hitting every continent and trying to touch many countries along the way. But you soon realize that these are mere images; things our brains and minds have constructed based on our dreams, thoughts, ideas, books, pictures, stories, TV, a glimpse that you gained from travelling, etc. The fact of the matter is, no one can see the entire earth. Therefore, from our experiences we extrapolate. This is normal. It is not a bad thing. But here is my point. What I am realizing here in Senegal is that my world view is SO narrow. We can really only know what we have seen. Even then with memory, consciousness, and sub consciousness we further shape our own reality which gradually blurs and becomes less definite over time.
Therefore, if we have such a hard time understanding our OWN reality, how can we expect to understand that of even our loved ones. This makes trying to understand the reality of a man in rural Senegal seem quite impossible. And that is the interesting part. There are so many people on this Earth; So many consciousnesses; Billions of different ways of thinking. And while we can relate to the consciousnesses of our family, friends, neighbors, statesmen, countrymen, and Westerners a little better (if you are a westerner), there are so many people that see the world from truly different eyes. Truly different understandings of the world.
This being said, I also believe that there is a greater world consciousness; That the world is full of some sort of universal principles/forces/energies that connect all people. There have been past, there are present, and there will be future realities that connect all humans (and possibly all earthly things) on an energetic, subconscious level. Something in the spirit; something deep in the brain or in the heart. Have you ever felt that you could understand and empathize with the situation , the reality of another person / group of persons without really knowing or experiencing it? Take a fiction book. All of us have known characters close to our hearts. Why are the so close? Supposedly it is a character made up by a person whom you have never met. How can such a connection be explained? Or how can people like Steven Spielberg direct a movie like Saving Private Ryan, even though he was never in war, let alone storming the beaches of Normandy. Yes research, yes first hand accounts, but there is something even more. It is a consciousness that connects us all. Like the rising and sinking of a tide, it ebbs and flows freely between us; being strongest between the people we are closest connected to. Call it an intrinsic knowledge, morals, belief, spirituality, love; it is there and it shapes the world in which we live. We draw from the consciousness of our forefathers. But this consciousness is constantly shifting and changing.
I feel that the current consciousness (at least speaking from a western perspective) has been shaped by control, power, and selfish want beyond mere survival. And while I believe that this is still strongly the current paradigm, but that this is shifting (as it always is, has, and will be). While it is shifting on many fronts, I would like to draw attention to the biggest, most encompassing which is how we live in, interact with, and treat the world in which we live. There has been the view of take as much, use as much, exploit as much, and pollute as much because not only was nature limitless and infinitely forgiving, we were more important (in my mind, specifically, but not limited too, white westerners who have more recently degraded the planet with a power and speed never before seen). And I think that this is changing. I can see it starting to change. Person by person, action by action, standing up by standing up. The problem is, the other consciousness likes its power and is fighting to hold its power harder than ever. But that’s why every little action (as small as picking up a plastic bottle and discussing with people to as grand as going to Senegal to learn more about sustainability in Senegal, the U.S., and yourself). It is about doing all that you can do to live your life with a new environmental consciousness—every action counts. There is literally nothing too small, because every action eventually becomes repetition, becomes habit, becomes life, and has impacts upon others that stretch far and wide beyond our own comprehension.
And being here in Senegal is one reason that I have so much hope for this shift in consciousness. Here, I am mixed and intermixed within a very different culture, but at the same time there is much that is the same (and I am not just talking about materialistic things, thoughts, and ideas that are a result of globalization and the World Bank). I’m talking about being human. It’s different but it’s the same because we are human! We have fears, hopes, senses of humor, religion, sport, love (it is apparent to me that people here have a sense of a longing for someone or something where they feel that unifying connection called love). And babies. I have spent a lot of time here in Senegal with babies. They cry. They want food, their mom. They laugh. They react and interact. And their eyes…oh their eyes—you see right into their minds: their thoughts, their souls. You see personalities, you see their raw emotions. It’s human. It’s not different cultures. It’s human and it’s something so special.”
“Picture yourself in—try to picture the world and all the places within it. Ok, you see a few countries, places you have been, some familiar looking people, some foreign looking people, some places you have seen on TV. Maybe you are even like me and try to circumnavigate the world in your mind; hitting every continent and trying to touch many countries along the way. But you soon realize that these are mere images; things our brains and minds have constructed based on our dreams, thoughts, ideas, books, pictures, stories, TV, a glimpse that you gained from travelling, etc. The fact of the matter is, no one can see the entire earth. Therefore, from our experiences we extrapolate. This is normal. It is not a bad thing. But here is my point. What I am realizing here in Senegal is that my world view is SO narrow. We can really only know what we have seen. Even then with memory, consciousness, and sub consciousness we further shape our own reality which gradually blurs and becomes less definite over time.
Therefore, if we have such a hard time understanding our OWN reality, how can we expect to understand that of even our loved ones. This makes trying to understand the reality of a man in rural Senegal seem quite impossible. And that is the interesting part. There are so many people on this Earth; So many consciousnesses; Billions of different ways of thinking. And while we can relate to the consciousnesses of our family, friends, neighbors, statesmen, countrymen, and Westerners a little better (if you are a westerner), there are so many people that see the world from truly different eyes. Truly different understandings of the world.
This being said, I also believe that there is a greater world consciousness; That the world is full of some sort of universal principles/forces/energies that connect all people. There have been past, there are present, and there will be future realities that connect all humans (and possibly all earthly things) on an energetic, subconscious level. Something in the spirit; something deep in the brain or in the heart. Have you ever felt that you could understand and empathize with the situation , the reality of another person / group of persons without really knowing or experiencing it? Take a fiction book. All of us have known characters close to our hearts. Why are the so close? Supposedly it is a character made up by a person whom you have never met. How can such a connection be explained? Or how can people like Steven Spielberg direct a movie like Saving Private Ryan, even though he was never in war, let alone storming the beaches of Normandy. Yes research, yes first hand accounts, but there is something even more. It is a consciousness that connects us all. Like the rising and sinking of a tide, it ebbs and flows freely between us; being strongest between the people we are closest connected to. Call it an intrinsic knowledge, morals, belief, spirituality, love; it is there and it shapes the world in which we live. We draw from the consciousness of our forefathers. But this consciousness is constantly shifting and changing.
I feel that the current consciousness (at least speaking from a western perspective) has been shaped by control, power, and selfish want beyond mere survival. And while I believe that this is still strongly the current paradigm, but that this is shifting (as it always is, has, and will be). While it is shifting on many fronts, I would like to draw attention to the biggest, most encompassing which is how we live in, interact with, and treat the world in which we live. There has been the view of take as much, use as much, exploit as much, and pollute as much because not only was nature limitless and infinitely forgiving, we were more important (in my mind, specifically, but not limited too, white westerners who have more recently degraded the planet with a power and speed never before seen). And I think that this is changing. I can see it starting to change. Person by person, action by action, standing up by standing up. The problem is, the other consciousness likes its power and is fighting to hold its power harder than ever. But that’s why every little action (as small as picking up a plastic bottle and discussing with people to as grand as going to Senegal to learn more about sustainability in Senegal, the U.S., and yourself). It is about doing all that you can do to live your life with a new environmental consciousness—every action counts. There is literally nothing too small, because every action eventually becomes repetition, becomes habit, becomes life, and has impacts upon others that stretch far and wide beyond our own comprehension.
And being here in Senegal is one reason that I have so much hope for this shift in consciousness. Here, I am mixed and intermixed within a very different culture, but at the same time there is much that is the same (and I am not just talking about materialistic things, thoughts, and ideas that are a result of globalization and the World Bank). I’m talking about being human. It’s different but it’s the same because we are human! We have fears, hopes, senses of humor, religion, sport, love (it is apparent to me that people here have a sense of a longing for someone or something where they feel that unifying connection called love). And babies. I have spent a lot of time here in Senegal with babies. They cry. They want food, their mom. They laugh. They react and interact. And their eyes…oh their eyes—you see right into their minds: their thoughts, their souls. You see personalities, you see their raw emotions. It’s human. It’s not different cultures. It’s human and it’s something so special.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)