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www.sure-tec.com
G.
K. Hartmann, H-G. Flepp K.
C. Hsieh, E. Schircks, M. G. Ritter, et al.
Abstract
Problem:
As the
technologically advanced nations are lifted by the tide of mercantile
globalisation, there remain large pockets of populations, which do not benefit
from the generation and flow of material wealth. In these desolate areas, while
the population in their more productive years are struggling to make a living,
the young and the old on the two ends of the age spectrum are often left with
insufficient material and spiritual care. Often the technology introduced to
these desolate areas as a solution turns out to demand for resources beyond the
means of the community and/or damage their physical environment. Specifically
life threatening is the increasing desertification and famine in arid regions.
Goal:
To revitalise some communities in
desolate areas, especially in desert or arid areas by providing technologies and
introducing living arrangements with a production/trade structure that are
appropriate to each community's geographic, ecological, cultural and economic
setting and to reduce migration from the country to the cities.
Approach:
We offer a triad - SEC
- as the means to achieve our goal:
Sure-tec: Low-cost and low-risk technologies that are appropriate for specific
geographical, cultural and economical settings supporting the “subsidiarity”
principle.
Eco-bridge: A production and trade structure that is environmentally not harmful,
but just and economically viable.
Caring-circle: A living arrangement that enables the two ends of the
age spectrum to meet each other's needs and the needs of those in the middle of
the age spectrum.
Main message
“Creating Self-sustaining, Cross-generational
Communities in Desert Regions: Pilot Project Proposals”.
1.
ECOVILLAGE (ECOVILLA 1988, Mendoza, Argentina)
2.
DEREMOTOX (Russia, 1999).
3.
SURE-TEC.COM (March, 2000)
Details can be found in the
files chronicle1.pdf
and 33months.pdf
1. The first component of
the triad is Sure-tec. It takes
advantage of the desert environment, which is richly endowed with sunshine. Sure-tec
harnesses this solar energy to provide the basic needs of clean water and
electricity with low risk technology that can operate within the local
environmental demand and the human and material resources with high resource
efficiency (sustainability; conserving utilisation). Sure-tec also strongly
supports “subsidiarity”. The term means more than help for self-help, namely
also the shift of democratic decision authority to local, small communities.
Subsidiarity is constitutive for the European Community.
2.
The second component of the triad is Eco-bridge.
It is based on the social setting provided by Caring-circle
and supplies useable energy, water, soil, and air by means of Sure-tec
as a livelihood the community, including the design of living space and the
development of an economy. In both fields, indigenous ingenuity and
entrepreneurial creativity are essential. Benefiting from Sure-tec,
integrated planning and the resource-efficient (sustainable) use of regional
materials and methods provide suitable housing and infrastructure. With
the aid of information and management skills, the communal effort can give rise to the production of
goods and services to meet the needs of the community. Basic bartering with
other communities can lay the basis for future more developed commerce. Eco-bridge
provides a test of the new concept of „moderate,
just and entrepreneurial house keeping“ (optimal sustainable economy), a
synergistic combination of the following socio-economic-ecologic concepts and
activities:
a)
The
entrepreneurial knowledge society (M. Miegel;
iwg.bonn@t-online.de )
b)
The
knowledge based political economy (F. Lehner & F. Schmidt-Bleek; biofsb@wanadoo.fr ; mail@factor10-institute.org ) ; http://www.factor10.de )
c)
The
principles of natural capitalism (P. Hawken et al.; http://www.rmi.org
)
d)
Defensible
spaces ( O.Newman; http://www.defensiblespace.com/start.htm
)
e)
A village project (M. G. Ritter; http://www.a-7.de )
f)
Solar cooking (K.-H.
Weiler, W. Dissinger) http://spot.fho-emden.de/hp/weiler/solar.html
; further development for: Solar Reflector Water Destillation (SRWD) in
the Sonora Desert for the seven indigenous tribes.A pilot project proposal. See
new projects.
g)
Climax greenhouse (G. Reisinger; G.Reisinger@t-online.de
)
h)
Soil conditioning (J. U. Kügler; ib.kuegler@t-online.de)
i)
Phytotoxicological monitoring ( L. Weissflog; lw@san.ufz.de
)
3.
The third component of the triad is the Caring-circle.
It is a social setting that provides and nourishes human resources. It lets the
young who need parental care and supervision, often orphans, live within or near
senior citizen homes. This living arrangement energises the two ends of the age
spectrum when they meet one another’s need in health, education and social
interactions. Cultural values and skills can be transmitted in this congenial
setting. Simultaneously, Caring-circle
frees the most productive segment of the age spectrum to engage more fully in
the management of the community and the production of goods and thus to
counteract migration from the country to the cities.
The pilot project proposals were
influenced by the successful activities of the August Hermann Francke Foundation
founded in the 17th century and that of the present “Albert
Schweitzer Familienwerk” (http://www.albert-schweitzer.de
).
Invitation
The SURE-TEC.COM Team right now consists of the
authors and some further sure-tec partners. The team likes to invite other
interested persons, groups, and institutions to participate in this project
which has to be adapted to the local needs under the motto:
Global thinking and local acting with an
intercultural, interdisciplinary and intergenerational dialogue
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