Internet notebook about my work: deep listening to facilitate positive change

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Wednesday 27 June 2007

Maya nut case

CEPA and poverty 3. In reaction to my posting on Nuts for people and Wildlife, Erika Vohman, Executive Director of the Equilibrium Fund, was so kind to help me describe the case in the format I introduced in my last posting on the Spirathis spiralis. My aim is to collect these cases that demonstrate the Art of Positive Change, with less than 300 words in the same format, illustrating the tipping point and the role and modalities of communication, education and public awareness. Click on the matrix and you can read it.

This case illustrates that marketing, education and awareness are important tools to trigger a paradigm shift from export crops to subsistence crops. It also illustrates the impact of the underused and undervalued potential of women as drivers for positive change, triggered by motives of health, nutrition, income generation, education and personal growth.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dear Frits
I finally got to look at the document again, it looks great.

They did not (and still do not) involve women in ANY WAY in conservation, education, economic or other activities; they did not capitalize on maya nut, though it is an abundant and nutritious rainforest food; they have not created ANY opportunities for sustainable buffer zone management, which has led to massive deforestation of the buffer zone and even to the point where campesinos are trying to get cattle ranching permitted in the buffer zone. It is not currently permitted though it is widely practiced, due to massive lack of policy enforcement. this is not due to financial constraints, just poor management and lack of creative solutions to problems

I hope this comment helps. I didn't change anything in the document you sent, it looks fine. please highlight the fact that we work to value SUBSISTENCE RATHER THAN EXPORT CROPS.
for cultural, economic and ecological sustainability, export crop paradigm is not the answer.
we have proven that over and over with coffee, sugar, bananas....
Thanks again,
Erika