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Scottish Highlands Shodh Yatra- Anyone?
Shodhyatra, Bristol, U.K
The U.K shodhyatra in Bristol was experimental but the first Honey Bee Network U.K (HBNUK) shodhyatra. Mark Davis spent it in Bristol (west of England) and in the surrounding rural district of Avon.
On the first day Mark visited a centre in Bristol, Creative Centre. A large number of active formal and informal groups are working in the U.K to preserve nature and the environment. The centre’s building itself was inspirational. For it had been converted from a former warehouse (once used for storing and exporting tobacco products), thus exemplifying the preservation of the environment.
The visit to the centre gave Mark a focus to begin work in areas where resources and efforts were lacking. Mark next visited the John Wesley’s Chapel. John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist Christian church in UK. His life was inspirational for he took Christianity to the people of all classes. Most of them were barred from attending church. Wesley travelled great distances to preach the gospel to the people, often in the face of extreme opposition.
Camping two nights in the cold reminded Mark of the conditions some people have to endure. This is generally not an issue for people in the UK (apart from the homeless in large cities) but is for people living in most parts of the world.
Mark saw many new attempts and established methods for preserving traditional ways of living, arts and crafts and local customs. One was roof thatching (using the old method of straw for roofs). This method is becoming popular because of the use of local materials, craftsmen and good insulation properties. There has been an increase in local cottage industries as farmers were not able to sustain themselves from fall in price of milk, disease, regulations and so on. Another method was traditional arable or livestock farming. Thus means a return of old paper mills, beer making, pottery, conversion of farms into educational facilities.
There are many examples (seen in local bookshops) of attempts to preserve local history, dialects, use of herbs and plants. It is relatively easy to find a local group that organises walks in the area to tell you about these things.
In the tradition of the shodhyatras in India and based on Mark’s experiences, he believes that the next shodhyatra should be in an area of the UK where things aren’t so developed, a harsher environment, where innovation might be flourishing. It may be more appealing to the group if the next shodhyatra were on a remote Scottish Island.
Dutch learn Farming Alternatives
Dutch civil servants visited the Design Council two weeks ago. They were in the UK looking for innovative and entrepreneurial (commercial or non-commercial) practices in farming, nature conservation, recreation or a combination of those around London. Holland (and the UK) are facing problems with the downfall of rural areas. Farming is expensive and intense, farmers go bankrupt, landscape degrades, people suffer, etc. The Dutch team wanted to learn from examples of creative alternatives - Honey Bee was next on the list after DEFRA and NFU. They were informed about some examples from Mike Donovan and were told briefly about the Honey Bee network.
Chance for Designers
A meeting between Mark Davies and Emily Campbell, Head of Design, Art and Design dept., British Council, had on the agenda the possibility of Honey Bee network being involved at the 100% Design Exhibition next year. It will be a great opportunity to engage young designers, challenge and inspire them.
Mark Davies can be contacted at Honey Bee Network UK Co-ordinator T. +44 (0) 20 7420 5210 M. 07968 009389 hbnuk@hotmail.com www.honeybee-uk.org & http://www.honeybee-uk.org/
Pesticide Affects the Young
In a report on December 2003 in The Telegraph by John Mary, school boys exposed to aerial spraying of a pesticide in Kerala showed delayed sexual maturity and interference with hormone synthesis. In a study conducted by the health and family ministry the Endosulfan pesticide interfered with the sex hormone synthesis of boys and adolescents in a village on the Kerala and Karnataka district. In this village the pesticide Endosulfan has been aerial sprayed over cashew plantations since the last two decades .According to a report the plantation is owned by the state-run Plantation Corporation of Kerala. Dr. Y.S Mohan Kumar was the first to campaign against the high incidence of respiratory, skin and neurological ailments, besides various cancers. His campaign led to the freeze on the use of the pesticide by the corporation.
The study group comprised of 117 boys of age 10-19 of a village situated among cashew plantation and 90 other children as the control group with no history of exposure to the pesticide. The average serum and endosulfan levels in the study group were significantly higher than the control group. The exposure delays sexual maturity and interferes with hormone synthesis. |
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| Volume No. |
Honey Bee, 14(3): 19, 2003 |
