(S)PACE
ISSN 1847-6694
NEKTARINA
AUGUST 2013
double issue
Ascending Youth In this issue : International Day of Youth; Education for Sustainability in Cyprus ; Nicaragua—the country of open arms and countless smiles; A sobering, scary State of The Climate and much more .
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A sobering, scary State of the Climate By Emily Saari, Global Call for Climate Action
Every year hundreds of scientists from dozens of countries come together to write an overview of the ‘State of the Climate’. Those of us who work in climate change, worried the results from 2012 would be equal parts sobering and terrifying. Sadly, we were not wrong. The latest State of the Climate report identifies 2012 as one of the 10 warmest years on record worldwide, with unprecedented impacts in the Arctic. The report, which serves as an annual climate ‘scorecard’ that brings together the latest on weather trends and events, was compiled by 384 scientists from 52 countries. The American Meteorological Society released the report, with scientists 3
from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) serving as lead editors . Acting NOAA Administrator Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan said of the findings of the report: “Many of the events that made 2012 such an interesting year are part of the long-term trends we see in a changing and varying climate—carbon levels are climbing, sea levels are rising, Arctic sea ice is melting, and our planet as a whole is becoming a warmer place.” NOAA’s 2012 State of the Climate features updated data on key climate indicators, including greenhouse gas concentrations, land and ocean surface temperatures, polar and glacial ice surface area, ocean heat content, sea level height, cyclone and hurricane season, and extreme weather events. The big-picture of climate data, capped off with updates from 2012, continue to show a cascading set of abnormal trends that are characteristic of rising greenhouse gas emissions. Importantly, the report compiles and examines data not only on physical features of the air and land, but also of the world’s oceans, which are showing warming signs associated with increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. 4
Amongst these indicators, several were at record or near-record levels in 2012: Earth surface temperature :
Four major independent data sets show
2012 was among the 10 warmest years on record, ranking either 8th or 9th, depending upon the dataset used. The United States and Argentina had their warmest year on record. Ocean heat content: Temperatures remained near record high levels in the ocean between depths of zero and 2,300 feet (701 meters). The ocean also warmed overall from 2011, even in the deep ocean below 6,600 feet (2012 meters). Sea level height: Sea levels rose to record heights globally, with an average rate of increase of 3.2 mm (¹ 0.4 mm) per year over the past two decades. Sea ice extent: Arctic sea ice reached a record-breaking low in September 2012, the smallest surface area ever recorded in the satellite era. Snow cover: Northern Hemisphere snow cover was at record low levels in June 2012. Greenhouse gas concentrations: Levels of major greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, continued to rise during 2012, breaking the previous 2011 record. In 2012, global human-made carbon dioxide emissions were 9.7 (¹ 0.5) petagrams of carbon (9.7 gigatonnes), with an average atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration of 392.6ppm — and a first-time observation of 400ppm at several Arctic sites.
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The 2012 State of the Climate report is peer-reviewed and published annually as a special supplement to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. This year marks the 23rd edition of the report. The report is an aggregation of observed data, and does not contain forecasts or projections.
The publication of this report coincides with the release of a revised position statement on climate change by the American Geophysical Union, which is comprised of leading scientists studying the physical systems of the Earth and space. Their statement now declares, “Humanity is the major influence on the global climate change observed over the past 50 years” and that ”rapid societal responses can significantly lessen negative outcomes.”
To find out more about climate change—how it is transforming our world, and what a growing alliance of organizations, trade unions, faith groups and everyday people are doing to stop it—please visit tcktcktck.org.
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August Horizons
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NEKTARINA (S)PACE IS A WEBMAGAZINE PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY NEKTARINA NON PROFIT, A NON PROFIT, NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION. WWW.NEKTARINANONPROFIT.COM
ISSN 1847-6691
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This issue is dedicated to Medo and Bobo. Because it was once broken, it is more beautiful now. I love you endlessly.
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Nektarina (S)pace, Web Magazine Year 2, Double Issue # 13 & # 14, August 2013 Published by Nektarina Non Profit ISSN 1847 - 6694 Under Creative Commons License ENGLISH IS NOT OUR NATIVE TONGUE, BUT WE ARE DOING OUR BEST.
Working together towards a sustainable future. www.nektarinanonprofit.com
Nektarina Non Profit is a non governmental, non profit organization, and most of our projects are based on volunteer work. Our articles are a
compilation of data (where we always provide the source) or
articles / opinion pieces (in which case there is a by-line). We come from different backgrounds, and English is not the first language for any of us, so there might be an occasional flop :). If you are using any of our content, it would be great if you could link it back to us, and if you are using other people’s content (that you found in this magazine) please make sure to copy the source links we provided. Thank you! 12
Founder; Creative Director & Editor-In-Chief: Sandra Antonovic
Photographers: Biljana Ilic Sandra Antonovic Camilla Fellov
Contributing Editors:
Erik Kikkenborg
Rianna Gonzales
Jesper Kikkenborg
Renata Pumarol
Bettina Fellov
Priti Rajagopalan
Katja Bergstein
Livia Minca
Heidi Maxmiling
Kelvin Anthony
Peter Jørgensen
Jean Paul Brice Affana Suresh More
___________________ Copy Editor: Jennifer Black
Email : space@nektarinanonprofit.com ______________________
Editor-at-Large: Bettina Nada Fellov
Twitter: @nektarina ______________________
Design and layout: Sandra Antonovic
Facebook: /nektarinanonprofit _____________________ 13
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Reaching the top A letter from the editor
By Sandra Antonovic
“This is another great difference between
our civilization and yours. You admire the man who pushes his way to the top in any walk of life, while we admire the man who abandons his ego.” Phema Laki Seven Years in Tibet
When I founded Nektarina Non Profit in August 2009 my main idea was to work on projects that focus on youth, tolerance and education. It didn’t surprise me that I saw the environment as a connecting point for all three. We are dependent on our environment, intertwined with air, water, soil and sun, wrapped around by wind. When people ask me what do I think why are there so many environmental issues caused by 15
humans, I usually say : We cause them because we are not tolerant enough. Today I wonder if we are tolerant at all. We may be polite, educated, well informed, but that still does not mean we are tolerant. A great philosopher Jim Morrison once said: “A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself — and especially to feel, or not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at any moment is fine with them. That's what real love amounts to letting a person be what he / she really is.” We all seem to want that, we want to be understood and allowed to be ourselves, but are we willing to grant the same to others, without questioning, without conditioning, without putting them in situations where we limit their choices? Are we ready not just to tolerate, but to accept fully all differences between us and others, however confusing or unnecessary those differences may seem? We, as a global society, have unprecedented innovations and resources at our disposal, all the knowledge of the world is just a few clicks away, yet we still engage in wars, we still waste food while others are starving, we still allow banks to run our lives, and we allow governments to invade our privacy. Why do we do that? Do we really think it’s the way things should work, or are we 16
just too comfortable in our comfort zone? How can we take care of nature and the environment if we don’t take care of ourselves, as a society, first? The path to the answer came from another great philosopher, my friend Nick Adam: “We seem to have forgotten that nature takes care of us ... we should respect it instead of constantly acting as the petulant child, using and abusing it without thought for tomorrow. We are an immature people with still much to learn. “
Nick continues by saying: “Social responsibility cannot excuse planetary rape. It is not enough to cleanse the corporate conscience with financial platitudes, mere sops to the masses. That is just cheap marketing obscuring the road to perdition.
We have to care; really care, and act in respect of the nature on which we ultimately depend. We must recognize this in our culture; remember it from our history, from our very origins. We must put this sentiment back into our core, for without it, we will pass back into dust and scatter our memory across the void of forgotten stars. “ 17
Aspiring to be human We try to Live our ideals Believing As we do Our own myths And legends.
We are not Who we think We are Nor never were.
We could be. We can be.
This potential Our hope Perhaps Our salvation. Written by Nick Adam
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Photo by Sandra Antonovic
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For all queries please email mail@nektarinanonprofit.com 20
This is our 13th issue. Which means that we published one of these every month for the past year. We grew from a 40 page publication to over a 200 page one. We keep bringing you educational and inspiring content and photographs from all over the world, and we have a truly amazing people contributing every month to the magazine. We love doing it, and we hope you like reading it.
We would like to make it better. We would love to cover more stories and we would like to be able to focus on the magazine more, rather than having it as something we love, but that has to fit in between our two or three day jobs.
So far the magazine was a 100% volunteer project. While it will always remain mostly volunteer project, we would still need some basic funding to keep it going.
Oh, did we mention that we have over a million readers? That’s pretty cool, isn’t it?
If you would like to help us by donating, our bank details are on the left. Thank you! 21
Renata Pumarol Perspectives Interviewed by Sandra Antonovic 22
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Renata Pumarol worked and volunteered at Democracy Now! Espa単ol, North American Congress on Latin America, Amnesty International , Association of the United Nations of Spain. Renata volunteer weekly for the Immigrant Workers Justice Group, where I am working with a team of organizers and activists to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform and develop legal clinics for immigrant workers . You can follow her on Twitter @RenataPumarol.
Nektarina (S)pace: You studied citizenship and human rights. When following the developments regarding Edward Snowden, media often debates whether he is a responsible citizen or did he put country's national security at jeopardy. They also debated should he be imprisoned and prosecuted or not, and what are his human rights (in seeking asylum, and having in mind that the US revoked his passport). Could you talk about how you see this situation, from when Snowden first came out, to him now being stuck at Moscow airport, even though he was offered asylum by several countries? Renata Pumarol: During my graduate program it was often discussed what is the role of government and our role as citizens. I believe in democracy, but in a broader sense, meaning I believe in a democracy that is transparent and participatory. The information that Snowden leaked is 24
crucial information that all citizens deserve to know. We deserve to know if the government has access to our phone calls and emails and if so, why? The coverage of the Snowden case in the United States has been very polarizing, with many outlets (especially on the mainstream media) vilifying Snowden and calling him a traitor. But a traitor to whom? To the American Government? Yes perhaps, but not to its citizens. What he did was release information that he believed American citizens deserved to know. I do not believe that this information is a threat to national security, it has certainly not benefited US foreign relations with Brazil and the EU, given the recent leaks that confirm that the US had been spying on their governments. The US has charged Snowden with two counts of espionage and one count of theft, this means that he can definitely be prosecuted. I think it is Snowden's right to seek asylum, which he has, but the US has proven that they will make it extremely hard for him to leave the Moscow airport.
Nektarina (S)pace: At one point the airplane with the Bolivian president was rerouted to Vienna, amid suspicions that Edward Snowden might be on board. Even though President Morales handled the entire detour gracefully, the official Bolivia expressed its outrage with the European 25
countries (like Austria, Spain, Italy etc) bowing down to the requests from the US. The independent media and the public agreed, and some argued that had the plane been carrying the President of Russia, China or the US something like this would be unimaginable. What did you think about that situation, Bolivia's reaction, and the very different way of how the entire event was covered by "main stream" media vs independent media and/or social networks (people commenting and discussing)? Renata Pumarol: I believe this episode was extremely shameful and a huge violation of diplomatic codes. No country has the right to hold a president hostage over un-confirmed suspicions. The response in Latin America was of outraged and very rightfully so. To be honest, during that period I was focused mainly on Latin American news. I would like to know how the European outlets covered this incident since it is a very shameful episode for the governments of Austria, Spain and Portugal.
Nektarina (S)pace: Both Wikileaks and Anonymous publicly declared they are supporting Snowden. Could you talk about the importance of organizations like Wikileaks and Anonymous in today's world. Renata Pumarol: I think we could write a thesis on this topic. Both 26
organizations have been extremely important in communicating government's abuse of power. In the case of Anonymous, they have been more militant and aggressive by performing cyber attacks. Wikileaks, however,
has simply been an outlet for disseminating
information and for advocating transparent governments. Wikileaks has been and is extremely important in today’s current affairs. It has disseminated the war crimes of the US government, the political manipulation done by many of the US embassies and has also shed light on the abuses of power of heads of states and dictators across the world. Wikileaks is in part responsible for igniting the Arab spring and other civil movements.
Nektarina (S)pace: Mr Stefan Svallfors, professor of sociology at Umea University, sent a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee nominating Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize. Svallfors compares Snowden's act to the rulings in the Nuremberg trials of 1945 because 'I was just following orders' was not held as a viable excuse for the Nazis who carried out human rights atrocities. Svallfors also believes this will help the Peace Prize regain some of respect it lost after prematurely awarding Barack Obama the award in 2009. Could you please comment on this? 27
Renata Pumarol: I agree with Svallfors in that “I was just following orders� is not a viable excuse. Snowden, like Bradley Manning, acted in good conscience and decided that the public had the right to know the abuses that were being done by the government. I am not sure if we can argue that Snowden’s actions have promoted peace, but they have certainly promoted truth and transparency.
Nektarina (S)pace: President Obama recently gave two speeches and both were considered by many as "game changers". One was his speech on climate change, and the other one on Treyvon Martin case and Zimmerman acquittal. At the same time, there is a manhunt on both Snowden and Assange (who is still in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London), the Bradley Manning case, the Guantanamo bay, the (yet) unclear position on the XL pipeline and the rather ambivalent position when it comes to big banks and corporations, taxes and Wall Street. Are these two sides of Obama (and his administration) politics lack of determination, choosing the battles or something else? More often than not it seems difficult to reconcile the "good" and the "bad" of both Obama's administrations. What are your views on this? Renata Pumarol: As Wikileaks and the NSA leaks have taught us, our government is not transparent and the citizens are not getting all the information. What we are getting are fancy, heartfelt speeches to make 28
The citizens need to remember that we need to keep holding our government accountable. Democracy is not only about voting every 4 years. We should constantly be wary of our rights, and hold our elected official accountable.
us feel better and keep us content. I was glad that Obama addressed the Trayvon case, but I think it came too late and left us hopeless as he re-iterated we have to respect sovereignty of the state and Florida's decision. Indeed Obama has not only become the drone president, he has deported more immigrants than the Bush administration, has launched an attack on whistleblowers (such as Manning and Snowden), and has not closed Guantanamo despite the constant promises and the current hunger strikes. I believe the government needs to be more honest on the intentions of its policies. The citizens also need to remember that we need to keep holding our government accountable. Democracy is not only about voting every 4 years. We should constantly be wary of our rights, and hold our elected official accountable. 29
Mr. Obama said he would approve the remaining portion of the 1,700mile pipeline from Alberta to Gulf Coast refineries only if it would not “significantly exacerbate� the problem of carbon pollution. Yes, this statement has given hope to many people. However, the most recent assessment by the State Department concluded that the pipeline will not result in a major increase in carbon emissions. Environmentalists and Scientist disagree. I think the work of organizers and activists here is not done, we need to keep asking for un-biased reports and a halt to projects that endanger our environment.
Nektarina (S)pace:
The Trayvon Martin case and the acquital of
Zimmerman sparked (or brought back) a debate (and not only in the US) about racial profiling and racial prejudice. Another case that caused similar debate was the case of Troy Davis. As advanced as we are as a society, we (as a society) are still struggling with tolerance, acceptance, equal rights for all...and we (as a society) still approve (or go along) with things like the death penalty. Could you talk about this issues and your views on them? Renata Pumarol: I am 100% against death penalty. I think that the Trayvon Martin case, as well as Troy Davis case, demonstrated (as many people knew already) that the United States has not overcome race. In New York thousands of African Americans and Latinos are 'stopped and 30
frisked', they are being racially profiled on a daily basis. An exuberant percentage of African American males are incarcerated, many are victims of the Drug War and an unfair Criminal Justice System. The acquittal of Zimmerman has shown us that we still have a lot to overcome in terms of equal rights.
Nektarina (S)pace: The Trayvon Martin case and the acquital of Zimmerman sparked (or brought back) a debate (and not only in the US) about racial profiling and racial prejudice. Another case that caused similar debate was the case of Troy Davis. As advanced as we are as a society, we (as a society) are still struggling with tolerance, acceptance, equal rights for all...and we (as a society) still approve (or go along) with things like the death penalty. Could you talk about this issues and your views on them? Renata Pumarol: I am 100% against death penalty. I think that the Trayvon Martin case, as well as Troy Davis case, demonstrated (as many people knew already) that the United States has not overcome race. In New York thousands of African Americans and Latinos are 'stopped and frisked', they are being racially profiled on a daily basis. An exuberant percentage of African American males are incarcerated, many are victims of the Drug War and an unfair Criminal Justice System. The acquittal of 31
Zimmerman has shown us that we still have a lot to overcome in terms of equal rights.
Nektarina (S)pace: One of the things citizens movements like Occupy stand for is balancing out the inequalities in the society. To what extent is that possible, if at all? Renata Pumarol: I think one of the biggest accomplishments of the Occupy movement was to shed light on the inequality in the US. This has been known for decades but for the first time the debate was brought to cities and neighborhoods across the nation. All the sudden we were all the 99%, we recognized that despite all our differences the majority of us were together in the struggle. Is it possible to balance out inequalities in our society? Absolutely, thru fair policies, bank regulations, access to healthcare and investment in youth and education. However, I do think that these are very hard struggles. We live in a very complicated society and people have many different ideas on how to achieve equality. I think the first step is to have an educated and politicized youth that can get organize and make demands for a more equal society. 32
Nektarina (S)pace: For the past two and a half months demonstrators gather each Monday at the North Carolina Legislative Building to protest the Republican agenda. These #MoralMonday demonstrators focus on voter rights and protest cuts to public education. Could you talk about the current situation in the US when it comes to voter rights and public education, discrepancies between states, and if this should be more of a focus for the federal government. Renata Pumarol: I am not too informed on this subject, but I do know that there has been major cutbacks on education on several states, including Chicago and New York. Both Chicago and New York have favored Charter Schools (privately administered schools but funded with public and private funds) over investment in public education. The state vs. federal argument is very controversial, because technically each state has the autonomy to make decisions with regards to their public schools. This does create discrepancies in the Educational system, but this is how the United States is organized to work, and frankly it is the most democratic. However it does create a lot of inequalities, Schools are funded with the tax dollars from the community, therefore you have rich communities with really good and well funded schools, and on the other hand poor communities that precarious and get the worse teachers and facilities. I believe we are in need of a national debate on how to fix and the inequalities of the educational system. 33
Nektarina (S)pace: Media that is often referred to as "main stream" has a lot of noise (covering the irrelevant topics, and things that are not news) and more and more people are turning to independent media or social networks for "real" or "trustworthy" information. Were media outlets like CNN always "questionable" or did we just perceive them as "dependable" at one point in time (a decade ago?) because we didn't know any better (as we didn't have Twitter or Facebook where someone from Turkey or Egypt would post a photo of the protests and have a different view on events than the one presented by big media companies). Renata Pumarol: Cornel West, an American Philosopher, has called mainstream media “weapons of mass distraction�, and Noam Chomsky has also been very critical of it. One has to be very skeptical when watching mainstream media. But the good news is that although many people still rely on outlets such as CNN, we have way more options than we had a decade ago. Not only because of independent news outlets and internet sources, but because platforms such as Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook which have given a voice to average citizens. These platforms have made it harder for mainstream outlets to hide the truth or paint a pretty picture of current events.
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Nektarina (S)pace: Gloria Steinem once said “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.� Does the same apply for today's (global) society? Renata Pumarol: I am not sure if it will set you free, but yes it can definitely piss you off. We can tell that the American government was not happy when the NSA files leaked, and the citizens were very disappointed and angry. I believe truth will make us more capable to make smart decisions, and that is precisely why transparency and access to information is so important for citizenship and human rights.
Follow @RenataPumarol on Twitter for more of her views on these topics. Renata Pumarol currently tweets a lot about transparency and will be tweeting more about environment and sustainable development.
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Socializing the Values Interview with Douglas F. Williamson Interactive and Social Media Coordinator Earth Charter International
Interviewed by Sandra Antonovic
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Nektarina (S)pace: More and more NGOs, civil society organizations, community groups and movements are using social media to promote their values and efforts, and more often than not they are using it in a much better and more meaningful way than most governmental agencies, mainstream media or profit companies. What would you say is the reason for that, and what are your views on this? Douglas F. Williamson: Social media and internet communication technologies have been a great democratizer of mass communications. Previously, mass communications were limited to those that could afford it. Now, almost anyone can be a publisher, documentarian, journalist, writer, photographer and have their work consumed by anyone with access to the internet. With the democratization and affordability of mass media tools, those that couldn’t afford it before are using those tools in many creative ways, ways that previous exclusive users from larger organizations and bureaucracies didn’t come up with. Also, with the affordability and access to communications tools, there has also been a proliferation of new platforms that didn’t exist before. The smaller the beast, the more flexibility and adaptability it has, and this is reflected in the uses of social media by civil society groups, activists, and communities.
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Social media and internet communication technologies have been a great democratizer of mass communications.
Nektarina (S)pace: There seems to be a huge discrepancy between a way of life people strive towards (if we take social networks and online comments as a base for this assumption) and what (most) mainstream media and politicians seem to be focused on. Would you agree with this statement, and why? Douglas F. Williamson: I don’t know if I agree with this entirely, but certainly a case can be made for the assumption above. The social media platforms are without a doubt a place where alternative opinions and perspectives proliferate. We also have more access to more perspectives than at any other time in human history and so it may add to the perception that there’s a massive discrepancy between the mainstream and the alternative. I’d like to believe in the assumption above and the perspectives that attract me online are definitely ones that are progressive and push society in the direction that I hope it goes. 39
People power will always be the driving force behind progressive or regressive change.
Nektarina (S)pace: Many might argue that the essential change in a society comes once the government makes a shift in its politics, or a significant change in its approach. Nowadays, though, we see more or more movements causing a shift in people's behavior. In the past the power of people has changed the course of history, for example abolishing the Apartheid, civil rights movements in the US. With a shift in power away from national governments towards banks and global corporations focused solely on profit, can the power of people still change the course of history and help reestablish the lost balance? Douglas F. Williamson: People power will always be the driving force behind progressive or regressive change. Most of the change we hope to see will be towards a more sustainable planet, although we’re still headed in the wrong direction. Without a doubt, personal choices towards sustainable lifestyles, with or without government policies, is a good thing and puts pressure on other members of society and governments to adopt similar ideas and policies. I think that many years in the future, if we succeed in surviving and thriving, we will look back at 40
this era and see that it was as dramatic a shift in human society and behavior as some of the examples you mention above in the question. We are in the midst of a great transition, but it won’t happen overnight and it won’t happen without setbacks, defeats, frustration, and losses. I hope that in 30 years, we’ll be able to look back at this time in history and see that we were pushing history forwards, that we were the change the world desperately needed, that we helped humankind define its identity and find its place in the community of life.
Nektarina (S)pace: Could social networks and social media help reconnect people with the basic values like tolerance, respect of nature, transparency, simplicity? Douglas F. Williamson: Social media can do all of these things. It is a great connector of people and I’ve seen it be used to promote tolerance. Depending on how it is used, social networks and media have amazing transformative power. The intention of the users will always be the determining factor, so people who are willing to promote these values need to interact through social media and specifically foster those values.
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Nektarina (S)pace: Would it be fair to say that different movements, from the environmental movement to Occupy movement changed things not just in the sphere that was their main field of activity (for example, the environmental movement brought together people from different continents, the color of their skin never mattered, their economic status, religion or ethnic background never mattered...) Could you talk about your views on this? Douglas F. Williamson: I think in the world right now, especially among young people who are online, there is a clear idea that we’re all the same. The social movements of the past years, the Arab Spring, Occupy, the sustainability movement, the recent protests in Brazil and Turkey, all have significant crossover and members can plainly see that humans and animals around the world are all suffering from certain aspects of one global system that does not benefit many people or animals. The differences among people around the world are a lot less important now than our similarities and that awakening is being pushed by local and global social movements. Recently, during the Brazilian protests I was invited by Brazilian friends to attend protests in Brazil via facebook. I saw pictures, updated regularly, heard from friends there about the reasons for the protests, and heard about the reaction of the state trying to keep business as usual running. Was I not a part of it? I identify with my Brazilian friends and that makes it easy for me to identify with protestors 42
in Tahrir or Taksim or Liberty Plaza in my home city, all part of a global struggle to level the playing field, to force the powerful to help the powerless, to promote intergenerational justice, and help humanity to live up to its most noble values. These aspirations are clearly stated in the Earth Charter and so whenever I hear about popular struggle my heart quickens with the hope that those values will prevail.
I think in the world right now, especially among young people who are online, there is a clear idea that we’re all the same.
Nektarina (S)pace: Would you say that the fact that more and more people are accepting the sustainable way of life and thinking might help balance out huge discrepancies we have in the world today (economic ones, power-play ones etc). Douglas F. Williamson: I think sustainable lifestyles and thinking are inevitable and are the beginning of the next stage of human society. We have to become sustainable or we will suffer terribly and cause awful suffering for the billions of poor and disadvantaged people and for the millions of species that share our planet. We have to share and promote more justice and equity across nations, species, and generations. 43
Nektarina (S)pace: The future of society - how do you see it? Douglas F. Williamson: Eventually I hope we achieve a peaceful and sustainable society. The Earth Charter expresses my hope of how it can be. If we don’t manage to get our act together, I fear we will have to deal with some real dystopian and post-apocalyptic scenarios, which, while fun for watching in the movies or reading in science fiction books, will be a nightmare in reality. I think we can get to a society beyond hatred, beyond greed, beyond disregard, to one of compassion, respect, care, community, and a sense of awe and privilege we have to be a part of the magnificent and diverse community of life.
The ECI Secretariat, which is based at the United Nations-mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica, endeavours to promote the mission, vision, strategies and policies adopted by the ECI Council. It supports the work of the Council, assists with strategic planning and coordinates many Earth Charter activities. The Secretariat guides and liaises with efforts to bring the Earth Charter to the fields of education, youth, business and religion, manages communications with the larger Earth Charter network, and promotes the use of the Earth Charter as an international soft law document.
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Douglas f. Williamson is a linguist, entertainer, filmmaker, and environmental sustainability professional, specializing in communications. He is the Coordinator for Interactivity and Social Media for the Earth Charter International Secretariat. A native New Yorker, he holds Master degrees in International Affairs and in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, the former from American University's School of International Service and the latter from UPEACE, has worked for several international environmental NGOs, the United Nations University, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Change Division. As a filmmaker, Douglas has produced many short films and documentaries, several of which have won awards and selections to film festivals.
Earth Charter International Secretariat and Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development at UPEACE P.O. Box 138-6100 - San JosĂŠ, Costa Rica Tel. (506) 2205 9000 Fax: (506) 2249 1929 Email: info[@]earthcharter.org http://www.earthcharterinaction.org
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Nica open
countl
By Re
Pho
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aragua arms and
less smiles
enata Pumarol
otos Renata Pumarol
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When we think of Nicaragua, what comes to mind? Revolutions? Sandinistas? Contras? Perhaps the great poet Rubén Darío. These were some of the things that will pop into my head when I thought of Nicaragua, but now calling it Nica, as the locals do, what comes to mind is amazing people, Gallo Pinto (rice and beans), countless volcanoes, and endless conversations on the ‘chicken buses’ (battered 1960’s American school buses that are currently used as public transportation). I left with many ideas about what Nica is or was, and I came back with some glimpse of what the realities are. But more important than what Nica is today, is what will Nicaragua become? Just about before my trip, I found out about the future Interoceanic Canal that is planned thru Nicaragua. What does this means for the Nicaraguan economy? What does it mean for the environment? I arrived in Managua on June 1st, on a humid summer day. The plan was to stay with my friend Caroline, who is currently working for UNICEF, and use Managua as a base. I quickly realized that there was not much to do in Managua, as Caroline had rightfully warned me. Managua is one of those cities that grew sporadically and without permission. It lacks parks and open spaces, it is not walkable, let alone bike-able. But Managua, is not only a victim of bad urban planning, it is also the victim of a civil war and an earthquake in 1972, of which it has not fully recover. 48
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Thankfully, my friend Caroline had already planned for us to visit San Juan del Sur, a small beach town on the Pacific south west. San Juan was a beautiful small town, with cobble-stone streets, and yellow street lights that gave it a nostalgic look. While walking around the town looking for a hostel, I was impressed at the amount of hostels that were owned by locals. Even though San Juan del Sur is a pretty touristy town, and it has developed exponentially over the last years, it has not been exploited by corporations and foreign investment and you could still get a very local feel. The next morning we had a typical Nica breakfast, which consists of Gallo Pinto (rice and red beans), eggs, tortilla and cheese; of course we had to have a batido (a fruit shake) and a fruit salad. I was impressed by how flavorful the fruits were, especially the bananas, I guess I had forgotten how they are supposed to taste. Globalization has made the most exotic fruits available anywhere, but nothing compares to a locally produced fruit. The next day we visited Playa Hermosa, a few kilometers from San Juan, and only accessible by going in a truck thru the forest. We arrived on a very cloudy beach, where you did not know where the sea started, the sand ended and the sky began. The day was rainy, but that did not stop us from taking some beautiful pictures of the scenery and the crabs on the beach.
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It was time to get back to Managua, but only for one night. Caroline had to go back to work and I decided to head out to Granada on my own. I took a bus from the UCA (Universidad Centroamericana) station. At the bus I started a conversing with Magela, a 25 year old single mom. She was coming back from the University and heading to her house in Masaya. She said she did this one hour trip every morning, in order to study, get a better job and offer a better life to her son. She had separated from the child’s father, who offered her no financial support. It was my impression during this trip, that in Nicaragua, like many other Latin American countries, there are many families where the woman is the head of the household. When I arrived in Granada I was impressed by the architecture, the cobblestone streets and red brick ceilings. I could not wait to walk the streets so I dropped my bags at the Hostel and quickly headed out aimlessly. The heat was intense so I made several stops for a ‘granizado de guayaba’ (frozen guava drink). After walking almost the whole city, I headed back to the hostel, where I met with my wonderful friend Den. Den had just finished a graduate program at the UN University for Peace in Costa Rica and was on a Central America backpacking trip. The next day Den stayed at the Hostel to work on her thesis, while I decided to go to Laguna de Apoyo, which is about 30 minutes from Granada. I had heard great things about this Laguna but no description 66
made justice to this amazing accident of nature. A lake that was formed on top of a volcanic crater that went extinct some three thousand years ago, it reaches 200 meters in depth, and its surrounded by a thick green forest. The crater/lake features some species that formed on this lake and are found nowhere else in the world; if you are into hiking, there’s a few hiking trails where you can see toucans, more than 200 species of butterflies and white-faced capuchin monkeys. The forest is protected from further development by law, and the few houses and hostels that I saw seemed to be of natural building, containing local materials. The tour guide brought us to a hostel and community project called The Peace Project, this hostel/ volunteer hub it’s a paradisiacal house, build from wood
and
other
natural
materials.
Besides
promoting
conservation, composting and recycling, The Peace Project offers afterschool programs for local children, English and Computer classes for adults. Once I got over the intensity and depth of this lake I went for the most refreshing and scenic swim of my life. Given its beauty, I was surprised how un-touristic and peaceful it was. I arrived in Granada and still had time to visit la Iglesia de la Merced and see the sunset from its bell tower. The next day, Den and I parted to the Mercado de Masaya; after 20 minutes of walking we finally found the 67
right ‘chicken bus’ to take us to the market. We arrived at a chaotic market and we soon realized we were not at the artisanal market that was described to us. After asking many questions, we confirmed that the more artisanal and touristy market was a few kilometers away but that we could find the same items here and at a much cheaper price. So we decided to get lost in the chaotic hallways of the Masaya Market, and browsed thru handmade hammocks, souvenirs, butchers, and fruit shops. I enjoy wandering thru markets like these and getting the day to day feel of the local working class. Me and Den headed back to Managua in the late afternoon, and even though we arrived at Caroline’s place exhausted. We decided to go get some dinner and get a glimpse of the Managua nightlife. We arrived at a street with lines of restaurants and posh shops that were trying too hard to be like Miami. We decided on a Lebanese restaurant, where I had the most amazing tabouleh and hummus I’ve ever had. Who knew? A few Google searches later, I learned that Nicaragua has a fair amount of Lebanese immigrants. I just love those unexpected details when travelling. The next day the three of us went to the beautiful city of León. None of us had ever been so we were excited. León is a colonial city Northwest of Managua, on top of its beautiful architecture; it has plenty of Cont’d on page 88 68
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museums and cathedrals to visit. Many tourists visit León, so they can go volcano boarding on Cerro Negro. Unfortunately, this was out of the question for us since the volcano, which is active, was in warning of eruption and therefore closed for visitors. León is also the city of one of Latin America’s most important poets, Rubén Darío; therefore visiting the Casa Rubén Darío was on top of my list. But first things first, we had to find our hostel, and then go get a taste of León’s nightlife. We picked a hostel called Lazy Bones, despite its creepy name, since we were enchanted by the fact that they had a pool (we were warned León is the most scorching zone in the country), and was set in a traditional colonial house with a patio Español. León is the city of the ‘rocking chairs’, there are many artisans that make them from scratch and there are in about every house we encountered. Our hotel was no exception; it was full of ‘rocking chairs’ and hammocks, which are two of my favorite things in the world. We were captivated by León’s vibrancy right away, the university students hanging out in the plazas, the street vendors, the murals of the revolution, the skaters and the open-top-music-blasting buses. I visited the numerous churches, the Casa Rubén Darío, the beautiful University of León, but my favorite part of León was all the conversations we had with local people, who invited us to their houses or shared an 86
open conversation with us about their daily lives. On our second night, for example, we stumbled upon “La Cancha”, a football /basketball field filled with young skaters and bikers. We were first drawn to this place, because of the many things that were happening at the same time: children playing fútbol, teenagers skating, and a few others on BMX bikes. We watched these kids do stunts for about two hours, until we finally started to talk to some of them. We learned that many of them were in college or high school. For them skating was their lifestyle, and they worked really hard to be able to buy a skate and the “right” skating shoes. Because of the high cost of the skates, $85, which is plenty for a Nicaraguan, they often split the cost between friends, and take turns on using the skate. Now that’s what I call ‘third-world’ resourcefulness. On our last day, we decided to walk towards the Barrio Sutiava, which is an indigenous neighborhood that still retains traces of its cultural identity and political autonomy. Sutiava means “land of the big men” in Maribio. On our way to the Catedral de Sutiava, we encountered many people who were either curious about who we were or we were curious to learn about them. First we met Alejandro Benito Cabrera, who was painting in his tiny living room, turned studio, while his wife was selling fruits and vegetables on the sidewalk. We were drawn to this house because we thought it was curious how he had set up his 87
studio and we were also impressed with his colorful paintings. You can take a look and purchase Alejandro’s paintings at Indigo Arts. We then met a very talkative older man, whom I will refer to as Don. He was sitting by the sidewalk when he invited us to his home and introduced us to his two daughters and grandson. Caroline wanted to take a picture of him but he told us to wait because he wanted to have his picture taken with his ‘outfit’. We were not sure what he meant by this, but a minute later he walked out in a beautiful traditional shirt, hand-woven by women of Sutiava. It turns out that Don, is an indigenous leader in Sutiava, he talked to us about an upcoming conference he was attending, where indigenous leaders from different parts of Latin America will meet in Nicaragua to discuss their situation and environmental concerns. We finally reached the Cathedral of Sutiava, and to our dismay, the church was closed. I was terribly disappointed since I had read that this Cathedral was special due to its carved wooden image of the sun representing the local god, which the Spanish installed during colonial times in an effort to get the locals into the church. Despite this, we decided to continue exploring the surrounding neighborhoods. There was no longer asphalt on the streets, and the houses were smaller and made of wood, which gave it a small town feel. Here we ran into a woman, who was standing on her doorway looking out from her bright 88
pink and green wood house. Despite its bright happy colors, we could tell that this house was not in livable conditions. She spoke to us about the fact that her house was made out of cardboard just a couple of months before, the water will get in whenever it would rain. Thankfully, her son, who immigrated to Costa Rica, sent her money so that she could install a zinc roof. She also shared with us her concerns over her granddaughter, who was disabled and needed medication. The government had come to her home, during the census, took the family’s data and promised assistance. But the help never came. Despite all her burdens, she spoke with a positive tone, not looking for pity or money, all she wanted was somebody to listen to her, to understand her problems and her aspirations. After the pleasant experience of meeting so many incredible souls, it was time to head back to Managua; by the time we arrived at Caroline’s place we were starving. To our dismay restaurants, and most street vendors, are closed on Sunday nights. Thankfully, Caroline’s friend Miguel came to the rescue and took us to the only ‘fritanga’ open at the time. Fritangas are street food vendors of typical Nicaraguan food. What a perfect way to say goodbye to Nica than with a plate of Gallo Pinto, tajadas, pollo a la brasa and avocado. On my way to the airport, the next morning, I had an interesting conversation with the taxi driver; he spoke about how the environment 89
had been affected in Nicaragua. He was from a small town in the Matagalpa region and was disheartened that the river he used to bathe as a kid had dried out. He argued that the government protects the environment and has laws against deforestation, however there is still trafficking of Nicaragua’s precious woods, some of which are in extinction. I started thinking about the future of Nicaragua, how the ‘Interoceanic Canal’ will impact its economy and its environment. It is a dilemma that haunts us all, both in developed and developing countries: economic growth vs. the environment. However, in developing countries the stakes are higher. Nicaragua is in need of investment and jobs for its people. But at what expense will it come? Will Nicaragua, like most other developing countries, risk its environment over the short term solution of creating jobs? At the moment the environmental impact of the canal is being studied, yet they have announced that the project will start next year. Already, some environmental groups, such as the Humboldt Center, have warned that the canal will threaten the ecosystems, wetlands and tropical forests in the region. The species that live in these environments could also be at risk. There is also the concern that the canal, which will pass at least four rivers, could put at risk the water supply for millions of impoverished people in the region. 90
Wang Jing, the Chinese developer who is financing this project, assured that the protection of the environment will be the priority of this project; he also guaranteed Nicaragua that he will take responsibility for any environmental damage committed. Without a doubt, Nicaragua is a beautiful country with amazing people ready to open the doors to their home. It is a country that has been shaped by its revolution. Will this revolution challenge the way development is encouraged? Will it challenge the very concept of economic growth? And most importantly will the revolution protect its most valuable components: the environment and its people?
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Inspiring India Photo Essay By Suresh More
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Youth as a cata
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alyst for change
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UN Secretary-General's Message for 2013
This year’s observance of International Youth Day focuses on the issue of youth migration. Of the annual total of some 214 million international migrants, young people constitute more than 10 per cent, yet too little is known about their struggles and experiences. The reasons young people migrate are many. Some are fleeing persecution, others are escaping economic hardship. Some are alone, others part of a family – with parents, siblings and even children of their own.
Some have
communities to go to, others must make new connections. In transit and at their final destinations, many young migrants face equal or greater struggles, including racism, xenophobia, discrimination and human rights violations. Young women, in particular, face the risk of sexual exploitation and abuse. Poverty, crowded and unsanitary living conditions and the challenges of 126
finding decent employment are regular features of the migrant experience. These challenges are exacerbated by the current global economic and financial crisis.
Migrants are also often accused by
communities and politicians of taking jobs from local people, exposing them to further risk of discrimination. In other cases, young people left behind by migrating parents face psychological and social challenges and greater vulnerability.
It is important to emphasize the positive
contribution young migrants make to societies of origin, transit and destination – economically and by enriching the social and cultural fabric.
Most work hard to earn a living and improve their
circumstances. The remittances they send to support families in their home
countries
are
a
major
contributor
to
economies
worldwide. When they return home, young migrants often enhance development by applying skills and ideas acquired abroad. And, in many cases, women are empowered through migration as they gain financial and social independence.
In October, the United Nations
General Assembly will host the second High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. I urge Member States to consider youth migration. Working with and for young people is one of my top priorities. On this International Youth Day, I encourage Member States, youth-led organizations and other stakeholders to act to promote the rights of all young migrants and maximize the development potential of youth migration. 127
Environmental Education in Cyprus Prepared by Livia Minca
Cyprus introduced the first elements of sustainable development education with particular focus on “environmental education� in the 1990s. However, the absence of a structured educational plan related to environmental education and education for sustainable development has relegated these ideas to the margins of the educational system for almost a decade. During this time environmental education and sustainable development have had a more limited presence in formal and informal education than in many other countries. Education stakeholders in Cyprus have only recently begun to integrate ideas of sustainable development into a more holistic framework linked to goals for a better society in a healthier environment. A major advance in this 128
direction took place in March 2005, when all member countries of the European Union pledged that by 2015 they will design and implement National Strategic Action Plans, based on suggestions and general guidelines of the newly ratified Strategy for Education and Sustainable Development in Europe. To this end, Cyprus prepared a National Strategic Plan for the “Environmental Education with Focus on Sustainable Development� in 2007. This plan placed special emphasis on: linking formal and nonformal education, the utilization of the external environment as a basic 129
educational tool and learning space, the opening of school to society and its problems and the acquiring by students, tomorrow's citizens, of analytical skills, critical thinking and synthesis capacity, through the personal, experiential involvement with the same problems. However, despite these efforts, the country’s educational system still pursued a narrow vision on the issue. Vigorous efforts to apply the 2007 National Action Plan began only in 2009, when the Ministry of Education and Culture published a new Study Programme for Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development. As the document itself declares, this is the most comprehensive effort the Government has made to introduce sustainable development into the educational system, focusing especially on the transformation of school units into “sustainable schools.” The new curriculum indicates that the Ministry of Education and Culture now understands the importance of sustainable development not just as another school subject but as a “philosophy” that should be applied at all levels of education. One important aspect of this programme is its strong emphasis on the social elements of development, including concepts such as participation, inclusion and multiculturalism, along with respect for the environment. Underlying this approach is the assumption that, beyond any interdisciplinary strategy for imparting knowledge that may be required, sustainable development has to 130
become embedded in the values of society. One consequence is that the curriculum places strong emphasis on the establishment of close relations between “sustainable schools” and the local community.
Part of the infrastructure for the core activity of the National Strategic Plan for the “Environmental Education with Focus on Sustainable Development” was created by the establishment of Centres for Environmental Education. A total of 7 such centres in selected regions of high environmental value in the country formed the Network of Centres for Environmental Education.
The Network targets on the upgrading of the educational system through inter alia the improvement of the efficiency and quality of education on issues relating to the environment. Its main objective is greater awareness of students and teachers about environmental issues and awareness of their role, individually and collectively, to protect the environment. Furthermore, it aims to demonstrate that scientific knowledge is not isolated from society; on the contrary, if appropriately used it can have significant application in the everyday life of citizens, contributing at the same time to the improvement of its quality. 131
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Introducing Education for Sustainability project in India: Our partner Zest Youth Movement organised a very successful Environmental awareness programme and WED celebration. Awareness rally was organised in Pune and was flagged off by MR S.B. Shelke Deputy Director of Forest Department ,Government Of Maharashtra. Students from different colleges , schools ,elderly people, girls—all took part in rally .
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Education for Sustainability
is an initiative to put
sustainability on the curriculum of every school. It brings together communities and individuals, governments, organizations,
businesses
and
the
educational
community itself to ensure children have the skills to become citizens of a sustainable world.
Find out more about the project by visiting www.education4sustainability.org _______________________________________
Connect with us on Facebook Facebook.com/Edu4Sustainability and Follow us on Twitter Twitter.com/edu4sustain
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MY WORLD, MY SIDS’ AIMS YOUTH REGIONAL MEETING OUTCOME DOCUMENT 11-16 July at Victoria, Seychelles Have the future we want? Y.E.S. we can!
“...When I managed to fix the man, I turned the page and saw that the world had been repaired.” (from the story “How to fix the world”, in the Cape Verdean presentation, Author unknown)
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The world we live in is increasingly uncertain, especially for young people. As we embrace post-modernity and advance towards development, progress and new forms of technology, the threats of social and climate change leading towards social, environmental and economic degradation loom as an all-too bleak reality. Add to that complacent attitudes and a lack of political will. It is undeniable that the case of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) is special, atypical and unique. The nexus of SIDS and Sustainable Development is a matter of survival and resilience for the younger generation.
While we were not in Barbados for the first Global Conference on Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States in 1994, we acknowledge that it was a transformative process and a major first step in advancing the cause of sustainable development. But our islands’ survival remains in peril. The SIDS 2014 meeting represents a crucial and decisive process to strategize and consolidate our voice, as SIDS, within the international community.
The AIMS youth should be at the forefront of decision-making in relation to challenges which SIDS from the AIMS region face. Their energy, drive, passion, creativity, experience, openness and ability to view things from a different perspective make them a key partner in achieving a sustainable future. 139
This outcome document represents our collective response to the problems faced by youth in the region. The consultation process enabled us to identify the issues, challenges, weaknesses and stumbling blocks faced by the youth in the SIDS AIMS region. Throughout the process, we have also put forward concrete recommendations and formulated practical projects which we, as youth, would like to see being implemented at national, regional and international levels in the short and long terms.
OUR VISION In our vision, we are living in a world where we can walk together, tall and proud of a peaceful and thriving society. The living environment is our greatest ally, while our spiritual, cultural and intellectual riches are shared without bounds. For
now,
we
recognise
our
role
as
decision-makers
and
policy-implementers of tomorrow. We also realise that the outcomes of any decision made or not made today will be inherited by the future generations. As such, our vision is that of a socially and environmentally conscious generation of future leaders. We picture a self-sustaining, climate and economically resilient SIDS that have a strong place in global politics – where SIDS youth have a visibly strong representation and voice, and where the rights of SIDS children, youth and the future generations are held high. 140
WHAT GOOD GOVERNANCE MEANS TO US
We believe that good governance at the global, regional and national level should: → Coordinate and focus on implementing existing agreements and plans of action; → Strive for peace and cooperation amongst different nations; → Equal representation of women at policy and decision-making levels within the AIMS region; → Secure public access to information and environmental justice; → Actively fight corruption; and → Be open to equal partnerships with non-governmental stakeholders, including youth.
Find out more about SIDS (Small Island Developing States) and AIMS (Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and South China Sea) by visiting: www.sidsnet.org
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Celebration of the World Environment Day in Cameroon By Jean Paul Brice Affana / Photos Jean Paul Brice Affana
On the World Environment Day 2013 celebrated on Wednesday 5 June under the theme ‘’Think – Eat – Save’’, around 100 students from the north region of Cameroon including children and youth aged 10 t0 25, have joined the youth-led NGO Vital Actions for Sustainable Development (AVD) during a trees planting campaign. Called ‘’Plant-for-the-Planet’’ the activity was held in the city of Garoua and was jointly organized by AVD and Jeunesse Conciliatrice Active et Ambitieuse with support from the regional delegations of the Ministries of Basic Education; Secondary Education, and Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development. The Governor of the region, Mr Joseph Otto Wilson, has also shown his support to the campaign as well as the French Institute of Cameroon in Garoua. Local media also reported on the activity and the local authorities included it as part of the official program of the WED 2013 in the region. 144
On Tuesday 4 June, the campaign started with an educative talk held at the French Institute and attended by over 50 children and youth coming from local schools. They first watched the movies ‘’Desertification’’ and ‘’Forests’’ by the GoodPlanet foundation, then exchanged ideas on possible solutions to save the forests and fight against desertification in their region by planting more trees. Group discussions were held and students presented the results to everyone to receive feedback. The educative talk was facilitated by representatives of the Ministry of Environment and members of AVD. At the end, the regional delegate of the Ministry of Environment delivered a speech and this was followed by a group picture with everyone. The campaign continued on Wednesday 5 June when the children who attended the day before an educative talk joined another group of students in a public school to plant there one hundred trees. The trees planters were joined by the Governor of the north region of Cameroon, Mr Joseph Otto Wilson, who planted the first tree as a symbolic and encouraging act towards the goals of the campaign. After his act over 50 children and youth also planet at least one tree each within the school. At the same time two other groups of students and young environmentalists were planning 50 trees in two other schools of the city. The 100 trees were planted in region to fight against desertification and mitigate the effects of climate change there. 145
The campaign ended during a public closing ceremony organised at the Red Cross office of Garoua were over 200 people were invited. The children and youth who participated in the campaign all received certificates and gifts from the organisers and the local authorities who thanked them for their valuable contribution to a noble cause. A closing reception followed and the members of the youth-led NGO, AVD, travelled back the day after to another city for planning other educational activities on environmental sustainability and youth empowerment.
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Fighting for a sustainable world and celebrating peace in Egypt By Jean Paul Brice Affana / Photos Jean Paul Brice Affana
From 4 to 20 May, 2013 I had the opportunity to do my first travel to Egypt and without any surprise the choice of the city was Cairo. Staying three weeks in Cairo was like a dream that became true and this was the first time I travelled there as I never did before. I didn’t know that much about Egypt before, despite that when I was in secondary school we have learned a lot about the civilization and the fact that this started in Egypt. More recently I was aware like billion of other people around the world about the ‘’Arab Spring’’ that also touched Egypt and of course I followed this situation very closely. Like other billion of people around the world I was also connecting Egypt to democracy 168
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changes and the fight for better governance by citizens of a country where they sometimes felt oppressed by their government and decided later to fight for their freedom. The freedom of expression and freedom to access a better and more sustainable world. And I had the opportunity to travel there and meet with such people. Egyptians! Why Egypt? Why Cairo? On a more honest note this was not my personal choices at all. I was in Egypt and in Cairo to attend as a trainer and facilitator to a youth seminar on Climate change and YOUth organised by Young Friends of the Earth – Germany from 4 to 10 May, and later from 14 to 20 I attended the annual booth camp of MasterPeace, a meeting where all National Coordinators of MasterPeace are convening to discuss about peace, mutual understanding and respect as well as expansion of a project that connect peace-builders and communities in conflicts. The meeting enables us to connect with local people and meet with their cultures, their daily life as well as learn more about how they are feeling about the ‘’Arab Spring’’ in Egypt and the future of the country after that. As we may all know a sustainable world is also possible when there is peace and mutual respect and understanding among people. So MasterPeace seems to be the right project at the right location. However the project is not only Egypt based but also and mainly international. I may getting you confused you now with my story. So let me tell you... 171
What is MasterPeace? MasterPeace is an international grassroots movement that inspires everyone around the world to use his or her talent and energy for building peace and togetherness. The project’s vision is to inspire everyone to use his or her talent and energy for building peace and togetherness so that this leads to a more sustainable world with less armed conflict. The vision is reflected in what MasterPeace founders call the Passion Statement: “We are dedicated to put, Music above fighting, Dialogue above judgment, Bread above bombs and Creation above Destruction. That’s MasterPeace". As an innovative, bottom-up global peace movement, as a result of East-West cooperation, supported by NGOs, companies, cities, artists, media and social entrepreneurs from all over the world, MasterPeace is inviting movement in which everyone is encouraged to use his or her talents and energy for peace building, either by starting your own initiative, supporting other`s initiatives or taking part in one or more of MasterPeace initiatives. MasterPeace develops several attractive global peace-building initiatives such as ‘MasterPeace Clubs’, ‘MasterPeace Alchemist alive’, ‘MasterPeace in Concert’ and many other local initiatives using innovative campaigning, this platform, social media, local and global events and especially art and music to promote dialogue, development and disarmament as an engaging sustainable way to prevent armed conflict. MasterPeace global and local initiatives will organize the most heart warming peace concert on 21 September 2014, 172
the International Day of Peace where artists from all over the world will perform to fuel dialogue, celebrate diversity and at the same time focus the world’s attention on what we all share: the longing for a sustainable world with less armed conflicts. The concert will be an exclusive reward for people who actively supported peace-building activities in the years before the International Day of Peace 2014. The aim here is to mobilize millions of people worldwide to take actions for peace in the broadest sense. The project is currently present in more than forty countries including many (former) conflict areas. That is why MasterPeace is international and engages thousands of volunteers.
My Cairo experience has been about peace and also about discoveries. Cairo is beautiful, old and warm. The people are open to discuss with you and to learn from you. You just need to know how to find them and how to exchange the right ideas with them. That is Cairo! And don’t hesitate to travel there when you can. Of course make sure it is the right time, but do it if you can and do it with others. Because peace is a verb and peace could really lead to sustainability.
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GFDD & FUNGLODE present III DR Environmental Film Festival The third edition of the DR Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) will be held on September 4-8 in eight cities: Santo Domingo, Santiago de los Caballeros, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, San Francisco de Macorís, Baní, San Juan de la Maguana and Sosúa and a total of 19 venues and an inviting lineup for schools, universities and communities. This year’s 5 themes - oceans, biodiversity, green economy, sustainable agriculture and climate change, will be covered in a selection of 28 films: 4 Dominican films: (Valle Nuevo: Mother of the Waters; Cordillera Central: Oasis del Caribe;Reserva de la Biosfera: Jaragua, Bahoruco, Enriquillo; Between Islands: A Lifeline of Survival; Death by a Thousand Cuts) 15 feature films: (Pad Yatra: A Green Odyssey; Planet Ocean; Sacred Science; Mother: Caring for 7 Billion; Trashed; Voices of Transition; A Thirsty World; Money and Life; Otter 501; The Lorax; Harmony; Uranium Drive In; Minds in the Water; Sharkwater; Keep on Rolling: The Dream of the Automobile) 5 short films: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom; What Would Darwin Think? Man vs. Nature in the Galapagos; The Windmill Farmer; A Sea Turtle Story; Hanging Around; Papiroflexia) 3 retrospective films: (Terra and Bag it!)
All 55+ screenings are free of charge and open to the public; foreign films have Spanish subtitles. Talks, panels, workshops and activities will give audiences the opportunity to
interact with filmmakers, scientists, and
experts. 203
INAUGURATION OF THE FESTIVAL Mother: Caring for 7 Billion, a revealing film about the earth’s exploding population, will open the Festival on Sept. 4 in Santo Domingo at Palacio del Cine in Agora Mall at 5:00 pm. Get your tickets early – theater capacity is 318. World renowned, award-winning director Chris Fauchere and producer Joyce Johnson will be there to discuss this compelling film. September 5th inaugurations held in the other venues around the country.
WHAT TO EXPECT A sneak preview of four films…
Mother: Caring for 7 Billion -- Why are some critics calling this film a “controversial topic”? Isn’t it just a documentary on the long-term effects of human population growth on humanity’s ability to sustain itself on the Earth’s rapidly depleting natural resources? Ah yes…but the scope delves into family planning, feminism, agriculture, religion, international development and empowering women. Not just your average population growth film. Get ready to debate some hard issues. A Thirsty World -- Leonardo da Vinci said, “Water is the driving force of all nature,” believing that water is to the world what blood is to our bodies. A Thirsty World shows the most extraordinary and rarely seen 204
water sources on the planet. Aerial views of 20 different countries, from Southern Sudan and Northern Congo to farms in Cambodia or Western USA, are as dramatic and gripping as the stories told by the people who desperately struggle to confront issues of water quality and quantity. From water scarcity to watery cataclysms – this film opens your eyes to both and everything in between. Trashed -- Academy award winning Jeremy Irons is no stranger to center stage, but his role in Trashed could be his most important. Jeremy travels the world to beautiful places tainted by horrible trash: landscapes in China covered in tons of rubbish; a river in Indonesia barely visible under a tide of plastic; children swimming in filthy lakes; mothers doing laundry in sewage-filled rivers. Yearly, we produce billions of tons of plastic, household waste, toxic waste and more. This film will open your eyes – we cannot hide from our trash any longer. Between Islands: A Lifeline of Survival -- “Some end up in wheelchairs, some end up like me,” says a Dominican fisherman who drags his legs between two sticks that serve as crutches in this documentary about the dangers facing fishermen who use tubes from compressors to breathe underwater. The divers can go down as deep as 30 meters though risking the lethal bends that can cause serious decompression diseases, permanent physical damage or even death. Exquisite shots of the Dominican Republic’s marine life beg the audience to preserve and conserve a natural heritage like none other. 205
ACTIVITIES, WORKSHOPS, PANELS Festivalgoers meet and speak with invited participants - producers, directors, researchers and explorers through series of 15 panels, 4 workshops and 3 network development events. The more than 50 national and international environmental panelists include:
Jon Bowermaster- Writer, filmmaker, adventurer with National Geographic. Has sea kayaked around the world to all 7 continents and dogsledded in Antarctica! Chris Fauchere looks at over-population as a symptom of a domination system - move beyond domination of women and humanity can move beyond the domination of nature. Jaume Gil il LLopart- director for 19 years of International Environmental Film Festival in Barcelona. Collaborators include Daryl Hannah, Martin Sheen, Cousteau Foundation. Stuart Sender- Oscar nominated (Prisoner of Paradise) director of Harmony; produced first exclusive interview with Nelson Mandela after prison release. Media consultant for outside-the-box messaging; documentaries on Stevie Wonder, Helen Hunt and more. Casey Nay- Producer Uranium Drive In. A proposed uranium mill in a poor Colorado town pits environmentalists against pro-mill advocates in this dramatic documentary. 206
Nils Aguilar- director of Voices in Transition, looks at Mayan-based agriculture to promote agro-ecology as response to climate change, fossil fuel depletion, etc.
SCHOOL PROGRAM The Festival is offering a school program in collaboration with Listín Diario’s Plan Lea, the Children and Youth Library of the Dominican Republic, the Perelló Cultural Center, Siempre Mas Foundation and Tourism Cluster of Puerto Plata. Seventeen screenings for children; 3 community
activities
(beach
cleanup,
cleaning
marathon,
reforestation day); 2 workshops on making art from recycled material with Bertha Santana.
SECOND EDITION OF THE GLOBO VERDE DOMINICANO AWARD This Short Film and Public Service Announcement Competition provides an opportunity for filmmakers, students and professionals to take part in a relatively unexplored discipline in the DR: production of audiovisual material on environment issues. Winners of the Second Edition will be announced during special shorts program celebrated at FUNGLODE
on
Saturday,
September
8th.
Visit
us
at
www.globoverdedominicano.org .
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ABOUT DREFF
The DR Environmental Film Festival is an initiative of the Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) and its sister organization in the United States, the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), in collaboration with the: Ágora Mall; Alianza ONG; The American School of Santo Domingo; Banco de Reservas; Bepensa; Children and Youth Library of the Dominican Republic; Centro Cuesta Nacional; Centro Cultural Monina Campora; Centro Cultural Narciso González; Centro Cultural Perelló; Centro Cultural León Jiménez; Children International; ECORED; Propagas Foundation; FUNDAZURZA; Siempre Mas Foundation; Impulsar ORG; INSAPROMA; Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources; Odebrecht; OH! Magazine; Plan Lea; Puerto Plata Tourism Cluster; Listín Diario; PUNTACANA RESORT & CLUB; UNAPEC; UNPHU; Vida Azul Foundation and Ztadium Studios.
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The DR Environmental Film Festival is an initiative of the Fundaci贸n Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) and its sister organization in the United States, the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD). DREFF
has
sought
to
raise
Since 2011, the
awareness
and
deepen
comprehension of environmental issues while serving as a catalyst for projects and programs that promote responsible environmental practices as the result of interaction between young people, the general public, teachers, experts, activists, filmmakers and leaders in the public & private sector.
Follow us on Facebook: facebook/muestraCin
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Green Fest Call For Entries
Short and amateur environmental film authors from around the world can apply from June 24th until October 11th for screening on 4th International Green Culture Festival "GREEN FEST". Festival is being held under the slogan "Four colours of Green" from November 13th - 15th 2013 in Dom
omladine Beograd, Serbia. The list of the selected films
will be announced on official web page of the festival www.greenfest.rs, where all the necessary information regarding the Call can be found. Organizer - Environment
Improvement Centre
conducts the festival with the support of City of Belgrade Environmental Protection Secretariat and Vip mobile company and in cooperation with Dom omladine Beograd.
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Call for amateur film is opened for all participants, with no age limits, and all applications will be considered if the shooting technique is totally amateur. The best films in this programme will be awarded in three age categories: Best film up 18 years, 18 - 27, and over 27 years. City of Belgrade Special Award will be delivered by Environmental Protection Secretariat
representative. Awards within amateur
programme are provided by Vip mobile. Call for short film is dedicated to all film professionals who shoot films on nature, environment and ecology. Two best short films will be awarded. International Green Culture Festival "GREEN FEST" is the biggest annual "green" event in Serbia. Over 250 films from more than 35 countries have been screened, over 60 workshops for students were held, over 30 artists and exhibitors were presented in the previous three year's reaching the total of over 15 000 visitors.
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Household trash: garbage, waste or a resource? By Bettina Fellov
Leftovers from households have many names no matter if it is food, cardboard, paper, plastics, furniture, cans, flossed cords or whatever. It is left over when we have been using what we want from products or products have been worn out or damaged to a degree that they have lost the ability to function in order of their original purpose. The perception of what leftovers are is very different, though, no matter where on the globe we live. Many people see the leftovers as trash, garbage or waste meaning unusable stuff and ready to be thrown in a dumpster or burned. Though every leftover is, in my opinion, a new resource and should be treated with respect in regards to be reused, recycled and to be transformed to become a new product, maybe the same as before or a totally new product. 218
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Having in mind that every kilo of recycled aluminium cans will reduce production costs and emission of CO2 by 90%, meaning that one kilo of recycled cans will reduce CO2 emission by 9 kilos, it makes good sense to do the effort of sorting garbage. Knowing that it might be difficult to find a place to deliver your recycled cans in some countries, it would make a huge impact on the world’s resources and climate if systems were built up all over in order to recycle resources. In Denmark we have recycling stations to which we can deliver almost all leftovers from our households and by visiting my local recycling station around once a week delivering my garbage I can see that our local recycle station is well visited. Having been sorting my garbage for several decades, I have the habit of thinking about every piece of my garbage as resources - knowing that during this Spring I threw out two cans as I was lazy, and every time I open a can of peeled tomatoes or something else, those two cans show up in my mind as I deliberately added 18 kilos of CO2 emission in reproduction of two new cans instead of recycling the two I threw out. Recycling one kilo of plastic will reduce CO2 emission by 1,5 kilo. A way to reduce consumption of plastics is to drink water from the tap in countries where tap water is potable. Knowing a lot of foreign people in Denmark, who come from countries without potable tap water, I realized that the habit of buying water in bottles is often brought to 220
Denmark even though the tap water is potable. Having seen several domestic systems for decalcification of tap water in Denmark, as calcium is seen as health damaging, I realized that a lot of people do not get the recommended daily dose of calcium and thereby suffer from calcium deficiency with the result being weak teeth and nails and deficiency of calcium building up skeletal bones. Drinking potable water instead of water from bottles in Denmark will reduce emission of CO2 by 1,5 kilo per kilo of plastic and at the same time you will have calcium for strengthening your teeth, nails and skeletal bones. Using reusable shopping bags made of other things than plastic will not only reduce CO2 emission but also reduce impacts from production of plastic bags on the environment, and if left in the nature, impacts on soil, groundwater and air. Plastic left in the nature can last between 151000 years. Another way of reducing CO2 when it comes to plastic, is to think about the amount of packaging every product is wrapped in. Recycling bottles and jars will reduce CO2 emission in production by 300 grams per kilo. When sorting jars and bottles one should think logically and empty those for jam, herrings and other stuff as it is impossible to produce new jars of e.g. herrings. Bottles are often washed in the recycle industry and emptied for dressings, chocolate milk or other stuff. You could reduce the risk that other bottles get filthy in the containers as some of your bottles might break when putting them in 221
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the container. Besides that somebody will receive your bottles and sort them by hand, and having been in a plant dealing with recycled bottles, I have seen how filthy bottles arrive and in respect for those people working with recycled bottles and jars I always empty my bottles. When recycling in every fraction one could think about the quality of the recycled item and think about if it is usable for recycling. Items should be as clean as possible meaning for instance that pizza trays can´t be recycled for new productions of cardboard as the recycle plants still do not know how to make cardboard of tomato sauce and cheese. Recycling of paper will reduce CO2 emission with 900 grams per recycled kilo. Besides recycling paper one could reduce consumption of paper by not printing, by printing on both sides of the paper, use dish cloths instead of paper towels and use the backside of papers already written on. Changing habits is always a challenge as old habits are ingrown and not having recycled before it will take some time to adjust to new habits. My advice is to start recycling one fraction at a time and build up your system recycling that fraction. It is a good idea to memorize how many grams or kilos of CO2 emission you can reduce sorting that single fraction of your garbage so you will know your contribution to reduce climate change and be proud of it. 224
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Sustainability and the Roskilde Festival By Bettina Fellov
Now having introduced the Roskilde Festival for you in the last issue of Nektarina (S)pace it is time to dig more into how to manage a huge festival in accordance to sustainability and with a special focus on waste production and waste management. Being a woman living nearby the Roskilde Festival I never visited the festival as I always thought it was too big and to scary with so many people at one spot and following the Roskilde Festival on the television I have built up a solid set of prejudices about how it would be to go to the festival. Keywords of my prejudices have been: filth, urine, garbage, smell, drugs etc. Having visited Roskilde this year I must admit, I should have done that many years ago. What an atmosphere there’s created by small camps, interaction from camp to camp, cross networking, creativity and the most surprising was the feeling that everybody was happy and everybody was taking care of each other. 228
More Sustainable facts about Roskilde Festival´s environmental program 2013 To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or http://roskilde-festival.dk/about_roskilde/environment/ quote from the story here.
FOOD – more organic and local ingredients, less food waste. Read more about food TRANSPORT – we got our own train station in 1996, use 32 electric cars at Roskilde Festival in 2013, arranged coach travel from Norway, Sweden and Germany. We have also started Roskilde Rideshare (a carpooling initiative). Read more about transport. GARBAGE – we collect garbage together with the festivalgoers, we sort it in 12 fractions in the back areas, the stalls use biodegradable tableware, and through our extensive deposit system on cans and cups, we collect more than 3,500,000 bottles and cans during one festival. Read more about garbage. LED lighting – we went from 0-100% in three years on Sustainable Stage (Odeon) and save 70% electricity on the stage lighting. Now we have LED lighting on all stages. INVOLVING THE FESTIVALGOERS – Following the Green Footsteps campaigns in 2009 and 2010 we still focus on green initiatives in a lot of event, and the festivalgoers make Green Camps and garbage events themselves SUSTAINABLE LAB – a laboratory by Odeon in collaboration with DTU (Danish Technological University) about innovation of sustainable solutions Which areas do you focus on this year?
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The interaction between people was really a piece of art in itself and it would be worthy to study for the whole week the Roskilde Festival is going on.
Arriving at Roskilde we were welcomed by Lena Asthildur Bredlund, responsible for waste campaigns at the Roskilde Festival. Lena has been volunteering for many years in Roskilde and she works specifically with waste management. Waste is quite a big issue having around 100,000 people gathered in tent camps. According to the Roskilde Festival’s website, people at the Roskilde Festival produce much less waste compared to the amount they produce at home, meaning that in average the production of waste is 1,600 tonnes though it varies from year to year depending on the weather, because if it has been raining, the waste weighs more - being wet. Calculating the average amount of waste per person counting guests and volunteers it is only 14,5 kilo per person for the hole week. The Roskilde Festival addresses the challenge with waste in different ways. The Roskilde Festival has different camp areas. In all camps 11 trucks are constantly driving around to pick up waste for the camps and every camp can have free bags in order to collect their own garbage.
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The Roskilde Festival makes a huge effort to combine the boring daily task of collecting trash with creativity, activity and events. As an example there is a competition on building trash towers and the gain for the participants is to get a warm shower, which normally costs DKK 25. The slogan of the event is “Clean Roskilde – Clean ass”. Engaging people in building trash towers is a win-win situation as people get creative building the highest og most fancy trash tower gathering trash which is later picked up by garbage trucks. People building the highest trash tower will win an intimate concert performed by one of the Roskilde rising bands – up and coming bands on the Danish rock scene. Being at Roskilde we met three enthusiastic tower entrepreneurs, Maja Bugge, Maja Buhr and Helene Thorsen, they worked on building a white trash tower associating to a melting iceberg referring to awareness of the climate change. Digging deeper into waste at Roskilde, Lena took us to camp area H – Dream City, where we visited Trash´n Camp. In Dream City people can actually start building their camps 100 days before the Roskilde Festival occurs and we visited the camp “Trash´n Camp” - a group of 10 young people who started building up their camp in April. Building material is of course trash that has been found in dumpsters, containers etc. 231
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Most of the camp consists of wooden pallets, wooden plates and other materials. Everything is carpentered together and all sprinkles and holes are filled up with assembly foam and silicone sealant. Meeting Jonas Christian Bager, who explained the importance of sealing all sprinkles and holes it makes sense. In order to reduce fire risk, constructions at Roskilde should not have sprinkles and holes where cigarettes can find their way to start a fire under the constructions. As we were visiting the Roskilde Festival and Trash´n Camp, that makes sense. Moving on at the Roskilde Festival we met a group of artists from Spain, Basurama. They work along with Cllean Out Loud – a cooperation of different camps. Basurama made a silo-like construction for waste and nearby the construction they placed a catapult. Guests at Roskilde could then collect their waste in bags and go to the catapult in order to try to shoot the waste into the silo. As several people were doing that as we were there, it seemed to be a good activity to get focus on waste as people applauded when the sacks of trash hit the silo. Basurama even had a workshop making instruments out of waste and we met a bunch of guys working on a bass created from tins and wood and some guys were actually working on inventing a flute based on downspouts. Mia StignÌs, responsible for Clean out Loud and Basurama introduced 234
us to Alberto Nonclares da Veiga - he is one of the constructors of the silo and catapult and he told us that Basurama is a group of 14 artists and 6 of them are presently at the Roskilde Festival to focus on waste as everybody is surrounded by waste in Roskilde. Working our way through Roskilde we stumbled into Orange Camp, a camp with a common area in a tent as a mini orange scene. The camp was inhabited by 25 aircraft mechanics. Looking into the camp, our attention was immediately caught by 6 huge solar panels and digging into that, Ivan Rame, one of the mechanics told us that the Orange Camp was driven on solar energy only and that they have 12 panels, bringing 6 this year and he took us into the machinery room, a huge tent with truck batteries, inverter to invert DC to AC and their charger controller. Amazing that those 25 men every year packs all that gear to have a camp based on solar energy and in the orange tent, that is a mini copy of the Orange Scene, they produced enough solar energy to have a concert in their mini Orange Scene being a CO2 free camp in Roskilde. It seems geeky seeing the operational tent, though fantastic. Those 25 aircraft mechanics spliced for the equipment and it cost them around DKK 30,000 to have a CO2 free camp. Where the will is present, there is a way to be CO2 free. Camp Camel Toe is the camp that collects cans without container deposit charge, and when people handle in collected cans they can choose to have a song played on the jukebox. 235
When the guests leave Roskilde When 100,000 leave the fields of the Roskilde Festival, the area looks like a disaster happened: You see waste, tents, leftovers of food, shoes, underwear, socks, sleeping bags and a lot of other thing in a total mess. So many resources left at the scene and visiting Roskilde after the festival, the huge amount of resources slowly crawls into our consciousness. Though the resources or the left overs are not yet waste, as 18 different humanitarian organizations have volunteers on the spot separating everything to valuable resources of products that can be reused. Amazingly they work for weeks to gather functional tents, camping chairs, sleeping bags etc. to send those items to needing countries or refugee camps in Africa. Knowing that Roskilde Festival provides equipment for amongst other countries Senegal, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Gambia, Somalia, Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania, it seems that even Roskilde Festival looks like a dumpster the day after a hurricane, there is a good and solid system to recycle and reuse usable equipment.
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The Sh
Dragør
Photography by Riccardo Massino
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hipping News
r, Denmark
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Gallery Art Fellov | August 2013 Events August 13th | 7-9 pm | Conceptualizing. Bettina Fellov has developed several different tools conceptualizing her projects through various projects. These tools can be used to invent an event, a project or even to write a book. This evening Bettina Fellov will show you her tools and there will be an open debate where you can share your own concepts and the methods to accomplishing your very own
concepts. Maximum number of participants is 20
people.
August 18th | 5:30-7:30 pm | Self-esteem: How to enter a room. This evening will give you new tools on how to enter a room in order to perform for an interview, a lesson, a sale, an exam, a football match or even if you want to score when going out. Bettina Fellov has been coaching people in entering a room for all of the above. This evening will include practical exercises and will focus on managing your tics when being nervous and on your appearance when meeting new people. Maximum number of participants is 15 people.
August 22nd | 7-9 pm | To set a goal and perform to reach the goal. Jette Dam is, amongst other things, an educated master coach and she coaches people to set their goals and keep focus on the process
achieving the goals. Jette
Dam will show you different tools to work with your goals that will keep you persistent to succeeding in achieving these goals. 240
Gallery Art Fellov | August 2013 Events August 27th | 7-9 pm | Katarinas Angel Susanne Michaelsen published her first novel recently and it has been received well by readers and libraries. The novel is a fate novel and takes place at the beginning of the last century in Prague. In the novel, we follow the main character Katarina, who is a ballet dancer. She grows up with a mentally unstable mother and the novel follows Katarina through her childhood and adulthood.
August 29th | 7-9 pm | “One Woman Three Men” and “One Man Three Women”. Pouline Middleton and Peter Jørgensen are the authors behind these two novels. Pouline Middleton first wrote her novel about Elizabeth, who, after several failed relationships, realized that perhaps one man cannot cover all the needs of a woman. She set herself on a mission: She needed three men; one to talk to, one for sex and one as a handyman. She set up a profile on an online dating site and started dating three different men, and each of them knew what their role was in her life. Peter Jørgensen subsequently wrote the book "One Man Three Women", where we follow Christian, who ends up living with three different women at the same time. You can find a review of Peter Jørgensen’s book in this magazine and both of the books are available in English at Amazon.com
To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from the story here. 241
Artists exhibiting in August in Gallery ART Fellov Jesper Kikkenborg works as a film/tv photographer and as a professional diver, he is an artist and he is a trained biologist. Jesper Kikkenborg´s paintings are inspired by his work under the surface of the ocean. In July Jesper has been having an underwater gallery and studio in collaboration with Galleri Art Fellov, where he has been painting four paintings with foil pastel colors. The technique when painting under water is very different than painting on dry land as the colors have to be rubbed on to the canvas or marine plywood. Rubbing the colors on to the painting is done with his fingers or sometimes with a spatula. Working as an underwater artist means that even though Jesper Kikkenborg might have an idea of how he wants his painting, the idea might not stick exactly as the result depends on the waves, the flow in the water and the refraction of light through the water column. Having made four paintings one of them was on canvas and the other three was on plywood.
Working
underwater with canvas is difficult in windy locations and with high flow it is quite difficult as the canvas moves with the flow and the artist has to move with the flow too in order to process the colors on . 242
to the canvas. It is easier having water plywood as a surface as it does move in the water column as it is attached to a heavy iron easel.
During July we in the Galleri Art Fellov have been broadcasting the underwater painting and you can see the recorded videos at our website www.galleriartfellov.com or you can see photos and small video shots at our facebook page www.facebook.com/GalleriARTFellov In addition to the four paintings made under water, Jesper Kikkenborg will exhibit some of his works made in his atelier on dry land.
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Katja Bergstein is a trained thai masseuse, yoga instructor and reiki healer. At a very young age Katja Bergstein had courses at Thorsminde Art Folk School where she was taught techniques and to add special light effects to her paintings. Inspired by her work as a yoga instructor, Katja´s paintings often focus on the human body illustrated in warm colors and with a special spiritual light added to the paintings. Katja paints mostly on canvas using acrylic colors and her studio is in her home or if possible outside in the nature or in her garden. Katja does commissioned work too.
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Camilla Fellov, one of the owners of Galleri Art Fellov, will be exhibiting too in August. Camilla works with pop art and she has been painting since November last year. Camilla´s paintings are performed with acrylic colors. Camilla´s inspiration comes from inside and she generates so many ideas and motifs that she only needs the time to realize those ideas and motifs. Camilla has had one exhibition in the gallery in May and sold out almost all her paintings. The paintings on display in the gallery in August are all new paintings and the colors have hardly dried up.
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Following the footprints of Peter Jørgensen By Bettina Fellov
Peter Jørgensen is one of the men who often show up in the gallery and at the underwater gallery. As he has helped us out by designing our website we often speak with Peter, meaning that the person behind our website starts to unfold. It is always interesting starting to know a bit about people as often you will be surprised about what is hidden behind the eyes you look into. Peter arrives to the gallery riding his
motorcycle, and even though he has a huge
motorcycle with loads of cubic, Peter is a very patient man, always calming his surroundings with his easy temper. One of the secrets that have been revealed is that Peter Jørgensen is actually an author having written his debut novel “One Man Three Women” and of course we would like to have an event in the gallery with Peter Jørgensen telling about his book . 249
Peter wrote his book as a pendant to “One Woman Three Men”, written by Pouline Middleton. Pouline’s book is about the character Elizabeth who, after another failure in her love life, decides to seek satisfaction of her needs by making a profile on an online dating site looking for three men, one to talk with, one to have sex with and a handyman, who works fixing her house. The conditions for the men to apply on Elizabeth’s dating profile is that sex is only going to happen with the one man she wants to have sex with and not with all three of them. Through the book readers experience her thoughts and the struggle having three men and keeping the men in her life. Elizabeth ends up having all three men around her and one of the most interesting points in the book, according to my point of view, is that the men were educated by another woman having all three of them when they were young. Besides that, the man who is her handyman is exchanged a few times and she ends up with Anton, who is married and has a pregnant wife. In the end of the book Anton ends up having sex with one of Elizabeth´s friends, making me wonder if he has three women. Peter Jørgensen wrote his pendant to Pouline’s book and titled it “One Man Three Women”. This book is about a man, Christian, who tries the same concept creating a profile on an online dating site and his wish is to have three different women, one as a soul mate, one Latino beauty and one young and wild. Through this book we follow Christian as he 250
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meets the young and wild woman, Sabine, who actually could be his daughter and following his passion for this woman as she moves into his penthouse, readers are soon introduced to the next woman, Liva. Liva appears to be his former wife and soul mate. His former wife needs a place to stay for her and her daughter, so she moves into Christian´s penthouse apartment too, and the two women become friends. The third woman gets introduced as Sabine, earlier in her life, travelled in South America and got a Brazilian friend Judy, who now visits Europe and her friend Sabine. Judy is invited to live in the penthouse too. Following Christian’s thoughts and morals convincing himself that there is no harm having sex with all three of them even though they do not know all of them, it is a contradiction that Christian himself never would accept his love, the young and wild woman, Sabine to have affairs with other men. Having wanted three different women to cover three different needs it is interesting to see that Christian himself offers them the same from him, and even through his actions he uniforms them as he gives Sabine the same perfume as his wife uses. The book has a surprising ending, not that the action in the ending is surprising, though the argumentation for the actions leading to the ending are surprising.
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Both books are worth reading as they turn conventional relationships upside down and they make you reflect about which of your needs are covered and which lacks to be covered and at the same time the books make you reflect about if and how you cover needs of other people or partners. Do you really know about the needs of your partner and do you really take them seriously? The books are available in English at Amazon.com Both Peter Jørgensen and Pouline Middleton will be speaking about their books in Gallery ART Fellov 29th of August.
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A book review Katarina’s Angel By Bettina Fellov
Katarina´s Angel is a faith novel written by Susanne Michaelsen. We follow Katarina from childhood and into adulthood in the period 19001943, the scene is Central Europa and the city is Prague. Katarina dances ballet in almost all novel and we follow her career and lack of same at the ballet school and theatre.
Katarina grew up with a mother, who was mentally unstable and her childhood was characterized by neglect from her mother though she had support, care and love from the housekeeper. Following Katarina into adulthood where she gets married with her storming love, she gets her own child though unable to break the pattern of neglect in her own childhood. 254
Katarina has an adulthood beginning by having everything: health, wealth and love and slowly everything crumbles in between her hands as readers follow Katarina in a changing society in Prague according to politics, economics and culture. Katarina does not handle or act in live circumstances and as a reader I got really irritated following her extreme kind of laissez faire in regards to all important issues of her life. Being annoyed with Katarina might be exactly what the author wants readers to be in order to evaluate own life and faith and act on it. Being a ballet dancer and having the opportunity to marry her love, who, as her mother, was better off in society, Katarina started her adulthood with all opportunities to go through life on top, readers can follow her “deroute� caused by lack of action.
The novel is easy readable and gives readers insight in the better life in Prague and the ever changing economic and political situation in the first half of the 20th century, situations that very much effects Katarina´s life and her neglect to act very much defines or decides her destiny. Having visited Prague, the graphic descriptions of the city make readers sense
the
atmosphere
walking
in
the
streets
of
Prague.
The book is at this point available in Danish
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