Earth Deeds' online tools to enable all of us to acknowledge our environmental impacts and support meaningful projects that build local community resilience. We call this new system onsetting. Rather than “neutralizing” our environmental “sins” through carbon offsetting, Earth Deeds says, “Let’s be grateful for all that fossil fuels have enabled; let’s also recognize the environmental costs of burning these fuels; and let’s ‘pay it forward’ in ways that can help heal our world.” … Read more
Guerrilla Gardening Make your own Seed-Balls/Seed-Bombs
Guerrilla gardening is an act of activism and focuses on gardening on land that we do not have legal rights to garden in, for example: abandoned, neglected or unused private or public spaces. By doing so, we are taking direct action for reclaiming land that is underutilized or neglected and promoting food security and sustainability education. One effective strategy for Guerrilla Gardening is the use of the Seed-Balls (aka Seed-Bombs). These are made by mixing earth with a high percentage of … Read more
Learn About Aquaponics Training Courses in Bristol UK
The Bristol Fish Project is a community-supported aquaponics farm in Bristol established to explore and promote the commercial viability of community-supported aquaponics. They have set up training courses with the expressed aims: 1) To make aquaponics accessible 2) To enable participants to overcome specific production issues through access to specific information and expert guidance 3) To enable participants to realise true product value, by taking a systems approach focusing on the … Read more
Swap Markets! A community exchange market to share our abundance
A Swap Market, or Swap Party is a community event, where people can freely exchange stuff that they no longer need, and receive stuff that others don't need. Instead of throwing things to the garbage, we give them away to others. Instead of buying something new, we can receive from others. Whereas consumerist culture pushes us to buy more and more things because we 'don't have enough', the Swap Market poses a joyful, sustainable alternative - there IS enough. There is abundance to share and … Read more
Bank for children, by children Helping impoverished children save money for crises
Sarjan Bank bank at Sankalit Nagar in the neglected western neighbourhood of Juhapura, India, is proving highly popular with local pre-teens - who are also helping to run it. Operated by a non-profit organisation, the bank has provided families that have fallen on hard financial times, a beacon to rely on. As it allows children to save money, and also has teens that help run the bank, it sparks the economic intelligence of children, while they learn how money can be used to create a better … Read more
Attracting children to EcoCenter Designing a playground at the entrance of the EcoCenter
Ecological activities are not always a popular choice in the rural areas of Palestine. It is a challenge to attract children to come and participate in the activities and to appreciate the value of a more sustainable life. This EcoCenter created a playground at its entrance, in order to attract children that come every day, after school, and in the weekends. While they are coming to play, they become familiar with the Center's different projects, they have a chance to use the ecological … Read more
The Natural Step Framework For Sustainable Development A science based, holistic approach to defining and understanding sustainability
The Natural Step framework is * Based on a scientific consensus of the 4 basic principle ways in which humanity is destroying the biosphere. *Uses these principles as a lens to gain a clear understanding of how a project (business, product,community) is contributing to unsustainability. * Generates a future vision of how the project would look if it was complying with these 4 principles and was 'sustainable' * Allows for cross disciplinary communication using a common language that brings the … Read more
Daydreaming for problem-solving Scientific research shows benefits of day-dreaming
One study by Cornell University (Ithaca, US) found that employing brain areas linked to 'off-task' mental states - including daydreaming or reminiscing - enhances performance on certain complicated mental tasks (See first link). Other studies have shown more benefits of daydreaming, such as the enhancement of creative problem-solving and increased memory function (See second and third link). … Read more
Traditional African education for peace building An argument for holistic African education to foster peace
Traditional African had an inbuilt mechanism to controlling violence. This instrument was education. Notably, African education aimed at developing the total man and making him or her responsible member of the community. The curricular includes physical, mental, spiritual and moral development of the citizens. The thrust of the moral education was solidarity. This link directs you to a paper by Okoro Kingsle of the Ebonyi State University on this argument. … Read more
Good education fosters ethical leaders Argument: Ethical leadership starts with good education
Patrick Awuah from Ghana pleads for an education system in African countries which stresses independent thinking rather than repetition, a sense of responsibility rather than entitlement, and ethics and engagement with their society. … Read more
