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Welcome to Econnect Communication’s April 2004 newsletter.
The theme for this month’s newsletter is 'Inspiration' – not that any of us are feeling like we have much at the moment!
If you have any feedback or ideas you’d like to add to our newsletter, we’d love to hear from you – especially if you have inspiring things to contribute to our next month’s edition.
Regards, Econnect Communication Jenni Metcalfe, Michelle Riedlinger, Terri Telford
This month – April 2004 Inspiration
1. When inspiration leaves – by Michelle Riedlinger2. Landcare – by Jenni Metcalfe3. Brain Teasers4. Email Media – eco-friendly business5. Subscribe to our free monthly e-newsletter6. Contact Us1. When inspiration leavesBy Michelle Riedlinger
When we sit waiting for inspiration to strike we can be waiting for a very long time. There are many reasons why inspiration leaves us: burnout, too many distractions, or what we are doing is just plain boring.
As the sages say: Thank god for the last minute or nothing would get done. But if the thought of an imposing deadline doesn't inspire you into action, don't despair - there are other ways to get the muse back into your life:
1. Swallow the frog. Do the most difficult or least inspiring task first thing in the morning instead of leaving it to when there is absolutely nothing left to do.
2. Get a change of scene. Go and sit in the park or in a café and work for an hour or two.
3. Misery loves company. Meet up with a friend or colleague and do your most difficult or least inspiring tasks together.
4. Reward yourself. Do something good for yourself when you have finished the job before moving on to the next one.
5. Have a chat. Talk to some of the people that you are doing the job for - they can be the most inspiring reason to write of all.
6. Just write! You can edit crap but you can't edit nothing - get anything down and go from there.
2. LandcareBy Jenni Metcalfe
The last month for me has been all about trying to finish editing stories about landcare in the Philippines for the Australian Centre for Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The book, being produced by ACIAR, is a collection of stories from farmers, researchers, local government representatives, community people and others about their landcare experiences in the Philippines. One of the things motivating me (over Easter and several long weekends) is the inspiration of the stories themselves – especially those from the very poor farmers who are helping to revolutionise farming within their communities. Here’s an excerpt from one farmer – Basilio Decano from the highlands of Lantapan in central Mindanao – that was particularly inspiring (it’s the preface to the book).
Basilio Decano, Sitio Kibulay, Barangay Cawayan, Lantapan, Bukidnon, Mindanao 22 April 2004
In 1986, I did not join any of the projects related to tree planting or putting trees on my farm. I was probably one of the most hard-headed farmers the landcare facilitators had ever encountered. I was approached seven times by the facilitators, but I always hid my face and instead sent my wife along to meetings.
Why? I thought the Landcare program was the same as the government’s reforestation/watershed project, where farmers were encouraged to plant their farms with trees. Farmers were given P1200 for every hectare that they planted for the project. Many of my neighbouring farmers were enticed by the money, but then had problems because they could not plant anything else on that land or harvest the trees for their own use.
However, in 1999 when I went on a field trip to Claveria in Misamis Oriental, I saw there was hope for farmers who are resource poor. After that momentous trip, the first thing I did with two other farmers was to construct a simple nursery and spend a lot of time in managing it. We were laughed at and teased by many of our neighbours, but we persevered and didn’t mind their comments.
Now, we are laughing ourselves, not to insult these people, but knowing that we have won the first battle. Through patience, perseverance and sharing, we have expanded from three farmers to include the entire sitio as members of Kibulay Landcare Group.
With Landcare, ideas are heard, perspectives are respected and decisions are made. The farmers get to be the leaders, in the driver’s seat, and are not just mere beneficiaries of programs. We are partners with the landcare facilitators and with ICRAF and that is something that we cherish.
Before landcare, we were contented with the way we did our farming. We ate a little, sold a little and that’s about it. But with landcare, I was able to dream a little bigger than before. It opened my eyes to a future that could be better and more stable. I know now that I have a legacy to give to my children that will not be stolen or burnt down. I feel more secure, knowing that my family will eat more and live a bit more comfortably than before. My grandchildren have something to look forward to and depend upon when they grow up. Landcare means sustainability in terms of food, income and natural endowments.
With landcare, I have learnt to become more creative in the way I do my farming, not relying on just one crop but having a number of crops to provide continuous food for my family, with a small income every now and then.
Landcare brought some sense of truth and faith to us farmers. I saw the sincerity of the people who have shared with me the skills and knowledge that have made me a better farmer. With facilitators coming here two to three times a month, who would not believe that they are serious about truly helping us.
I used to be a barangay official before landcare, but I was always a shy type of person who seldom spoke or interacted. With Landcare the shyness and the inhibition in me was lost in the clouds. I am pleased about the way I can now face visitors to my farm, both locals and foreigners. The facilitators and the variety of training I have attended with landcare has really prepared me well for the ‘job’ I least expected to have to perform, that is to facilitate visits to my farm. I guess the fear in me is gone.
And I noticed with this change in me, a change in the way my neighbours and other community members saw me. I felt a lot more respect has come and is still coming my way. A lot of people are impressed with what I have accomplished on my farm, the contours, the trees, the livestock, and so on. Many of the more educated community members keep telling me that I have done better than them in terms of sustainable farming, tree propagation and soil and water conservation.
I want to see landcare becoming an integral part of everyone’s life, especially resource poor farmers like me who rely on this most priceless possession, the land. I do hope that landcare will be able to reach out to more people across the Philippines and to people living outside this country, but in similar conditions. I also hope that the national government will take notice of landcare and provide the necessary support mechanisms to sustain this project and help farmers to become partners and not just mere beneficiaries of development projects.
With landcare, I did not expect any funds to support our activities. The facilitators were honest about this. Farmers should not wait for any rewards or funds to come their way to do something that is beneficial for them. All they have to do is look, listen and see if what they are seeing is appropriate for their situation. I am resource poor with no capital for any big projects in my farm. However, I turned completely around once I realised that landcare was something that I could simply do and didn’t require any expense, but was beneficial to me, my family and my community. Not only did Landcare help me improve my farm and conserve my natural resources, it has also made me a changed man, ready to face future challenges.
Love your farm, even if you have a small one. Be creative and imaginative on how you would want your life to become in the future. Last but not least, dream and hope for the better. I long to make Sitio Kibulay a paradise where trees flourish and farms are productive and protected from the elements, with people working together.
3. Brain Teasers
For anyone that's feeling uninspired, the following puzzles might help you think in different ways…
The squares on a board are numbered consecutively from 1 to 99. In total, how many sixes and sevens are there on the board?
What can be seen in the middle of March and April that cannot be seen at the beginning or end of either month?
A man lives in a house where all the windows in all of the rooms on each side of the house face in the same direction. Where does he live?
A building that was constructed in 30BC was destroyed by fire three-quarters of a century later. In which year was it destroyed?
Please email terri@econnect.com.au if you'd like to receive a list of answers.
4. Email Media – eco-friendly business
In December 2000, Email Media pledged to donate $5 from
every paid NRM jobs advert to community environmental groups and
projects. Since then they have donated more than $18,000. See:
http://www.nrmjobs.com.au/enviro_levy.htm for more details.
5. Subscribe to our free monthly e-newsletter
Subscribe/unsubscribe: send email to admin@econnect.com.au with “subscribe” or “unsubscribe” in subject line. View past newsletters: http://www.econnect.com.au/news_newsletter.htm
6. Contact Us
Econnect Communication works with science, environment, ecotourism and natural resource management agencies to:
Contact us: phone 07 3846 7111; email admin@econnect.com.au Website: http://www.econnect.com.au New tips: http://www.econnect.com.au/news_qt.htm
© Econnect Communication Pty Ltd, 2004 Articles in this newsletter can be reproduced if Econnect Communication Pty Ltd is acknowledged as the source
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