[GSBN] nomination and update

Wed Nov 14 18:27:47 UTC 2012

Tom,
Great to hear that you're an ICSA person.
As a peace and coexistence activist I think Israel/Palestine is critical issue: let's continue it privately (and anyone else who wants to be included please let me know).
Here are the links you may have been looking for:
www.kibbutzlotan.com/marda<http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/marda> - assisting Palestinian Permaculture famer
www.tinyurl.com/Lotan-FoEME-BBC<http://www.tinyurl.com/Lotan-FoEME-BBC> - BBC report on coexistence & Eco-education
http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/creativeEcology/articles/Kibbutz_Lotan.pdf Building bridges of clay, mud & straw.  Communities Magazine, Summer 2006, #131

Salaam - Shalom, Alex

Alex Cicelsky | Director of Research and Development
Center for Creative Ecology<http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/creativeEcology> | Kibbutz Lotan<http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/> 88855 Israel
+972-54-979-9009 |  alex at klotan.co.il<mailto:alex at klotan.co.il>
College, Training & Design Programs<http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/ga> | Eco-Network<http://www.facebook.com/lotan.ga> |  YouTube Channel<http://www.youtube.com/kibbutzlotan> | Free EcoGuide App<http://www.tinyurl.com/ecoguideapp> | BirdingIsrael<http://www.birdingisrael.com/>

From: GSBN-bounces at sustainablesources.com [mailto:GSBN-bounces at sustainablesources.com] On Behalf Of Tom Woolley
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 15:57
To: Global Straw Building Network
Subject: Re: [GSBN] nomination and update

Dear Alex
Can you clarify your position on Palestine?
I was asked to speak at a conference of the International Communal Studies Association at Findhorn,
however it emerged that  ICSA, which is based in Israel, could not provide satisfactory answers to our questions about kibbutz that have been built on occupied palestinian land
What I saw of the building stuff on your webs sites looks great but I couldn't find much about involving Palestinians (though it was mentioned on one site and I got the impression that Palestinians were involved) .
thanks

Tom
PS I can send you the discussion document that was issued by ARC-PEACE on the issue of ICSA which led to a decision to boycott the ICSA conference if you are interested.
I am not sure myself that boycotts are always the right thing to do as it can be important to support progressive people in israel

On 14 Nov 2012, at 12:22, Alex Cicelsky (Kibbutz Lotan) wrote:

Dear Balefolk,

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.

I would like to take this opportunity to nominate Michal Vital [website http://www.vital-baron.com/   email mvital63 at gmail.com<mailto:mvital63 at gmail.com> ] to the GSBN.  We first met working together on the Medwed-Bustan-Wadi El Naam Bedouin Clinic project http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/391.  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.

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<http://www.bottz.co.il>  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<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=412523248808887&set=pb.121279601266588.-2207520000.1352894815&type=3&theater> (photohttp://on.fb.me/T30Fyi  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.

B'shalom, Alex

Alex Cicelsky | Director of Research and Development
Center for Creative Ecology<http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/creativeEcology> | Kibbutz Lotan<http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/> 88855 Israel
+972-54-979-9009 |  alex at klotan.co.il<mailto:alex at klotan.co.il>
College, Training & Design Programs<http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/ga> | Eco-Network<http://www.facebook.com/lotan.ga> |  YouTube Channel<http://www.youtube.com/kibbutzlotan> | Free EcoGuide App<http://www.tinyurl.com/ecoguideapp> | BirdingIsrael<http://www.birdingisrael.com/>

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Tom Woolley

Rachel Bevan Architects
80 Church Road
Crossgar
Downpatrick
BT30 9HR
tom.woolley at btconnect.com<mailto:tom.woolley at btconnect.com>
028 44 831164
028 44 830988
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