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<TITLE>Re: [GSBN] nomination and update (and informal settlements, Israel-Palestine)</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>Dear Alex,<BR>
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The is a remarkable building built in very challenging (and unjust) circumstances serving a vital (and just) purpose. Though constructed 9 years ago, I was not aware of this building, nor the plight of the Bedouin people as described on the page in your link. This is straw bale and natural building at its highest service.<BR>
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The webpage mentions how Israel is not the only country “experiencing land conflicts between formal communities and unplanned settlements”. I’ve seen it first hand in Haiti where the ‘bidonvilles’ densely pack the hillsides surrounding Port-au-Prince, and the sprawling coastal areas near the port. Squatter settlements exist throughout the world, from the well-known favelas in Brazil to the countless settlements in Turkey, India, Kenya and <U>many</U> other countries, especially in urban areas. There is an excellent book on this subject entitled Shadow Cities (R. Neuwirth).<BR>
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These settlements occur on both public and private land and speak of age-old disparities between the haves and have-nots, raising profound questions of who has what, and why. The settlements are also a remarkable testament to the ingenuity, resourcefulness, and survival instincts of individuals, families and communities. In Haiti I’ve seen informal settlements to be some of the country’s highest functioning communities. Although “unplanned”, they have strengths of organic growth and necessary cooperation from their residents. At the same time they are often challenged by insufficient resources and infrastructure. And for all of the cooperation that occurs, sometimes so does internal conflict, or external conflict from land owners (understandable, but so is the act of squatting when society leaves no other option).<BR>
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This is a global problem that is deeply troubling but also inspiring, and demands short and long-term solutions at many levels. I think the kinds of building solutions commonly discussed by this group are often well-suited for use in informal settlement situations (as the Bustan Medwed Clinic demonstrates). <BR>
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Returning from this important tangent, I’d like to second Michal Vital (not that it’s necessary any more). I was sorry I missed her presentation at the ISBC, but I’m happy to see her good work through the links Alex provided.<BR>
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I also want to commend Alex for her handling of Tom Wooley’s raising the charged but exceedingly important issue of Palestine, Derek for his concerned and constructive comments on the matter, and Tom for his constructive rebuttal. <BR>
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I began this response before I saw those e-mails. I couldn’t help but think of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict when viewing the the Bustan Medwed Clinic, and its description of conflicts of land ownership in that part of Israel. I thought about if and how I would bring it up. As Derek said, we are all doing constructive work and keeping charged or potentially devisive issues out (or private) is a good idea. But I wouldn’t want to see us bury our heads in the sand on a thorny issue that is relevant to what we do. Not saying this one is or isn’t, just saying we shouldn’t shy from difficult but constructive discourse. <BR>
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As I’ve debated the Israeli-Palestinian issue over the years, with others and within my own head, it’s hard for me to know where to stop. It goes to what I questioned earlier about who has what, and why. And not to exclude myself from the question, one could easily ask, how is it that I in California “own” a piece of Native American land? No easy answers. Food for thought. Keep sharing and doing good work.<BR>
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Martin<BR>
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On 11/14/12 5:22 AM, "Alex Cicelsky (Kibbutz Lotan)" <<a href="alex@klotan.co.il">alex@klotan.co.il</a>> wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT COLOR="#1F497D"><FONT SIZE="4"><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'>Dear Balefolk,<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT SIZE="4"><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'>Two weeks ago we had a convergence of the core group of Israeli straw bale builders and designers, earth and lime plasterers and educators. While it’s a challenge to share knowledge in a limited marketplace, there is a process of development from competition to cooperation and quality control. We spoke a lot about connecting with colleagues who are experts - in particular in the area of lime plastering which is being reborn in this country where 2000+ years ago everyone had a lime slaking pit in their backyard. About 60 folk attended with an equal proportion of men and women. I assume you met Michal Vital at the ISBC. She presented an overview of your event and the tour.<BR>
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I would like to take this opportunity to nominate Michal Vital [website <a href="http://www.vital-baron.com/">http://www.vital-baron.com/</a> email <a href="mvital63@gmail.com">mvital63@gmail.com</a> ] to the GSBN. We first met working together on the Medwed-Bustan-Wadi El Naam Bedouin Clinic project <a href="http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/391">http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/391</a>. Since then she’s become a prominent and highly regarded Green Architect in the country specializing in natural building, strawbale houses and energy efficiency design. She works wonderfully with clients, engineers and builders. <BR>
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One more item: four of our students have started their own natural building construction company specializing in strawbales. The name of the company is Bottz www.bottz.co.il <<a href="http://www.bottz.co.il">http://www.bottz.co.il</a>> which is Mud in Hebrew. The website is in Hebrew (y’all know how to use the Chrome translate option) - the images speak for themselves. Together with Bottz we have completed an earth plastered ‘light straw’ fire test wall <<a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=412523248808887&set=pb.121279601266588.-2207520000.1352894815&type=3&theater">http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=412523248808887&set=pb.121279601266588.-2207520000.1352894815&type=3&theater</a>> (photo <a href="http://on.fb.me/T30Fyi">http://on.fb.me/T30Fyi</a> before plastering. For technical reasons they made blocks instead of the normative form-in-place method) and we're waiting for the Standards Institute of Israel to give us a date for the fire test, hopefully within two weeks.<BR>
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B’shalom, Alex<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="4"><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'>Alex Cicelsky | Director of Research and Development<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#1F497D">Center for Creative Ecology <<a href="http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/creativeEcology">http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/creativeEcology</a>> </FONT> | <FONT COLOR="#1F497D">Kibbutz Lotan <<a href="http://">http://</a>www.kibbutzlotan.com/> </FONT> 88855 Israel <BR>
+972-54-979-9009 | <FONT COLOR="#1F497D"><a href="alex@klotan.co.il">alex@klotan.co.il</a></FONT> <BR>
<FONT COLOR="#1F497D">College, Training & Design Programs <<a href="http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/ga">http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/ga</a>> | Eco-Network <<a href="http://www.facebook.com/lotan.ga">http://www.facebook.com/lotan.ga</a>> | YouTube Channel <<a href="http://www.youtube.com/kibbutzlotan">http://www.youtube.com/kibbutzlotan</a>> | Free EcoGuide App <<a href="http://www.tinyurl.com/ecoguideapp">http://www.tinyurl.com/ecoguideapp</a>> | BirdingIsrael <<a href="http://">http://</a>www.birdingisrael.com/> <BR>
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