Dear Friends (PALS),
I, (Gaurav) recently joined the Campus Development Committee.
My Introduction
I live in Delhi, Lakhimpur (UP), Rishikesh and a few other places. After College I spend sometime in the field of Adventure Sports, Experiential & Outdoor Education. Recently I experienced a deep inclination towards Sustainable Living as the way forward.
As now you understand why I chose to join the CDC (Campus Development Committee), I would like to take this forward to what CDC is thinking currently ---
In the 1st BILIGHT Event, we chalked down a few Guidelines.
The purpose to create these Guidelines is -- At any given period in time, certain challenges will be faced by the Campus. To keep everyone focused on the core issues, some guidelines could be kept in mind. You may or may not have a guideline at all.
The nature of these Guidelines is – They can be revisited every 6 months for additions, updates or removal.
PRESENT GUDELINES CHALKED DOWN
- Ø Any inspiration for developing the campus should be towards honoring humanity and not towards any boundary as mentioned in the core philosophy of the Boundaryless Initiative
- Ø Sustainable Development keeping future generation in mind
TECHNOLOGIES WE ARE LOOKING AT IN CDC MEETS
1. Solar – We have identified a few PALS who can throw some light on how to reach self sustainability on energy development through harnessing the sun’s energy. We will trouble you soon. J
2. Understanding Monkey Behavior – At Sabka Ghar, mainly 2 species of monkeys are found. They are ‘Rhesus Cacaque ‘& ‘Gray Langoor’. Their presence in the area has stopped almost 80% of farming as they destroy all possible crops. Fencing, simple or electric, in many parts of India is only partially successful, & mainly not a permanent solution.
3. Earthships – Popularly known as Architecture that breathes. They are a little higher budgeted if 100% setup is made, but once they come to life they take care of their Heating & Cooling bills, Electricity bills, Water bills, Food bills. They also recycle 70% of their waste. The good news is that there is lot of experimentation going on by using locally made material to bring its cost down. For reference - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnkv_qj1xUc
4. Permaculture -- "Permanent agriculture" methods inspired by Masanobu Fukuoka's natural farming philosophy.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture
5. Landscaping – Even before any development takes place we need a Macro & Micro Analysis done on the whole area so that effective planning can take place with all brains on the same page, literally. Engineers and interested PALS are invited.
We are also working on designs and would love guidance on
“A Good Design will save the world”. Some interesting websites to keep oneself inspired --
http://inhabitat.com/
http://www.treehugger.com/
http://freshome.com/
http://www.jetsongreen.com/
WHAT WE ARE STARTING SOON
LIFE SKILLS WORKSHOPS
We are talking to everyone under the sun about offering some of their time to the kids living at BAALM Campus. A few hours of sharing any skill that you have can become a joyous experience for many. Music, Dance, Outdoors, Masonry, Craftsmanship, Art etc etc etc. Just tell us and we will arrange whatever you want – Video Conference, Visit & or stay…..
NOTE – We at CDC humbly request everyone to introduce yourselves about where you are based, what takes up your work time, and how can you help us move forward if you may choose to. Even your suggestions are highly appreciated.
Also we invite you to our many life skills workshops whenever they happen at Sabka Ghar. We will keep you posted about them.
JJJ