At age 27 I left my homeland, USA, and moved to Switzerland. Since then I have been reflecting on the origin of human values, I believe that social values arise out of a community’s evolution within its natural landscape. For centuries Swiss communities lived isolated from each other, and so had to become self reliant. From valley to valley diverse dialects developed. Swiss communities were also often divided by being at the border of opposing empires. Swiss diplomacy is a result of centuries of service and cunning communication exercise. Besides water, and rocks, Switzerland has no natural resources. They have only their people, and so they invest in schooling.
So if social attitudes and values are reflections of natural landscape, then it seems that to regenerate healthy economic perspectives in disadvantaged communities a holisitic approach to community development is necessary. In addition to the ecovillage design steps that GEN promotes, I am experimenting with the pursuit of syntropic farming. I believe the combination of the GEN ecovillage design steps and the inclusion of syntropic, contour farming are a most vitalizing form of economic development. I am delighted to use them to encourage community evolution through social media, but also with the Dagomba African community in Tampion, Ghana.
Primary interests: Promoting Whole Systems Design in Tampione,Ghana, and with The Economist Community
