SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2005

“Let the Rivers Run!” Tour Visits Seven States: A Better World is Possible

"Let the Rivers Run!" Tour Visits Seven States:
A Better World is Possible

By Barbara Larcom

[Barbara Larcom is a member of the Nicaragua Network Executive Committee and coordinator of Casa Baltimore Limay.]

One million two hundred thousand trees. Wow! That's the number of trees planted in one northern Nicaragua region in two years, by a federation of local farmer groups. In late April, I was privileged to accompany Elvin Castellon on a Nicaragua Network national speaking tour as he described the work of his organization, FEDICAMP (Federation for Integral Development of Peasant Farmers). They're doing important work that deserves our ongoing solidarity.

Castellon spoke about more than trees and rivers during his national tour. I grew to appreciate the integrated approach of his organization, including agriculture, forestry, family self-sufficiency, and empowerment and mutual support in local communities.

In 2002-2004, as noted, FEDICAMP planted 1.2 million trees in three departments (Nueva Segovia, Madriz, and Esteli). They have also enabled the natural regeneration of forests on more than 1,500 acres of land. Since 2002, they have instructed over 2,000 families in building improved cook stoves, which reduce by 60% the amount of firewood used by traditional stoves. FEDICAMP also provides training in gardening, community empowerment, and environmental awareness.

Now FEDICAMP is beginning to build cistern systems which will allow families to have potable water during four or five months of the dry season. These cisterns will be crucial for future community survival, as more and more large land owners deny families permission to obtain water from their land.

Here's how the cistern system works: Rainwater runs down the family's sloping roof into gutters at the roof edges. From there it is piped down through a large cement-enclosed filter containing sand, gravel, chlorine, and charcoal. The purified water is then piped to a large underground self-contained cistern. The family uses a simple pump, made from PVC pipes and a ball bearing, to bring up pure water for their use. The water may also be pumped to an elevated container, for later gravity feed as needed.

Whenever possible, FEDICAMP uses locally available materials as well as the volunteer labor of its project beneficiaries. They plant only trees which are native to the community. Thus, the costs of its programs are kept low, covering only technical assistance and other skilled labor, as well as transport of the few materials brought into the community. It costs them a little over $35 to plant 15 trees, and likewise it costs $35 to build their efficient cook stove. The entire cistern system costs between $200 and $350, depending on the community.

The positive results of all this work are already notable, and they can be huge if FEDICAMP garners more support from friends in the U.S. They are not only working to heal their environment; they are creating the possibility that Nicaraguans can become self-sufficient on their own land and in their own homes. Participants are much less tied to corporate globalization; for example, they are less dependent on fertilizer and on external food and water sources. Through self-sufficiency, they also have less necessity to emigrate. Women are freed from hours of daily gathering of wood and water; consequently, many of them are now spending time planting vegetable gardens and enjoying their families.

FEDICAMP, itself a federation of twelve community associations, is a member of a Nicaragua-wide network called GEPAE (Grupo para la Agricultura Ecologica), composed of 40 federations and other groups. GEPAE, whose director is Roberto Abaunza, advocates on behalf of rural communities, pushing the central Nicaraguan government to enforce existing laws on agriculture and the environment.

During the tour, Castellon explained that advancing deforestation in Nicaragua has created water scarcity in rivers and streams, especially during the dry season. Deforestation has also resulted in a hotter climate, degradation of the soil and reduced harvests, as well as destruction of ecosystems and loss of wildlife. He provided some horrific figures: Over the years 1983 to 2000, deforestation averaged more than 175,000 acres, or 1.17% of the total forest area per year. Since 2000, deforestation has increased to an average of 360,000 acres annually.

Consequently, one question which often arose from audiences was, "Why is Nicaragua becoming so deforested?" Castellon explained that much deforestation occurred about 40 years ago, before his statistics even began, when many large owners cleared their land in order to plant cotton as an export crop, or to raise cattle. In more recent years, he contended that the principal cause of deforestation is the advancing "agricultural frontier." Some of this advance is from agro-industrial sources; some, from an increase of poor rural families who need to grow food for themselves. Other key factors, he said, include expansion of cattle ranching; lack of help from the Nicaraguan government - in technical assistance to farmers and in enforcement of environmental laws; and forest fires, many resulting from the traditional "slash and burn" agriculture which FEDICAMP cautions against. Firewood consumption, while a factor, is not a major cause of deforestation.

Without exception, our tour hosts were gracious, and we met many wonderful and interesting people everywhere. This was Castellon's first visit to the U.S., and he later revealed that he had arrived here with some misgivings about U.S. people, based on experiences with those few he had met in Nicaragua. Until now, FEDICAMP's collaborative work had been with European NGOs, mostly from Germany, Denmark, Norway, England, Belgium, and Switzerland. Castellon said he realized now that there were many good people in the U.S., and he was eager to continue the work he had begun with them.

The response to the tour by local audiences was positive and provided opportunities for future collaboration. Here are a few highlights:

* A number of college professors and/or students expressed interest in continuing contact with FEDICAMP (for example, Yale, Central Connecticut State, Ferrum College, Loyola of Chicago, Willamette, Whitman College, Evergreen College). Several mentioned the possibility of planting trees during an alternative spring break in 2006 or 2007.
* We did a one-hour live interview on a Chicago community radio station, with a very politically savvy host. We did a shorter taped interview for another Chicago station, WHPK 88.5 FM, and the reporter, Mitchell Szczepanczyk, gave FEDICAMP a donation afterwards
* We did a taped hour-length interview on a Fort Wayne, IN, community access cable TV station, which is later to be aired in its entirety. In addition, one of our hosts, Howard Traxmor of Nonviolence TV, plans to re-mix the interview with other materials for video distribution oriented toward their local audience. He also promised to provide a copy to Nicanet, with permission to re-mix it further for a national U.S. audience.
* Curt Brown, a student at Whitman College and member of Whitman Direct Action, invited Castellon and other relevant Nicaraguans to attend a biodiesel conference and expo in Honduras in mid- July. At this conference, they'll share information about low-cost technology which can be produced locally, for generating biodiesel energy from certain trees such as African palm and jatropha. Castellon became very excited about this possibility and definitely plans to attend.
* Paul Pickett of Olympia, WA, arranged tours of a multi-million-dollar project to reclaim waste water, as well as a program to restore and replant local watersheds. He and another water engineer expressed interest in getting involved with FEDICAMP. I'm also planning to put them in touch with some water experts who attended the tour presentation in Baltimore, MD.

Personal highlights also included our May 1 march around the state Capitol in Salem, Oregon, in the pro-immigrants' rally; and connecting with the wonderful people of Thurston-Santo Tomas Sister City, including their visiting Nicaraguan delegation.

If you would like to support FEDICAMP by sending money to help plant trees or build cisterns or if you would like to go on a reforestation brigade, please contact Kathy Hoyt at the Nicaragua Network at nicanet@afgj.org or call (202) 544-9355.

Click here to read more about how you can participate in the campaign!

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