" a little matchbox" - how big are we talking - as a little match box to me is about 2cm X 3cm X 1cm - it won't hold much food. It also sounds like the feeding of the 5 000!
"It is clear that Sarvodaya, a Buddhist-based movement, is part of a lineage of the “Ancient Blueprint,” which I have followed from Jesus to Gandhi and Dr. Ari."
This made me wonder about Buddhism and if there had been similar aspects in other societies with a strong element of spirituality connected with Buddhism. Particularly Thailand and Bhutan. Thailand I asked Michel Bauwens who Michael Commons. Their email chain was as follows:
I have just watched the youtube video link on Sarvodaya, which I understand is the model from Sri Lanka to which you are referring.
You are correct that there are some strong ties between Thailand and Sri Lanka, both our countries have in our history about the exchange of monks and the Dharma- at least a couple times. One can find these images in Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. I know from the history of the South of Thailand that voyages were made to Sri Lanka when this area was a strong kingdom- around 800- 1100 AD.
I have also had the fortune to spend a fair amount of time in Sri Lanka working with different partners there on organic agriculture, agroforestry, and some related areas.
As I think is true everywhere, each place has its own culture, history, and situation. I think thus rare to directly apply the same social development methodology in a new context, but normally there is always something of value and this may be brought in and adapted and applied in a new local context.
Watching the video on Sarvodaya, this seems like a fairly comprehensive community/ social development process. It also seems to be at least initially rather strongly led by the mother organization.
The movement we have that I think is most analogous are the Asoke communities.
I don't know the best resource, but found this from a web search
There are a number of Asoke communities as well as members of this movement who are not in communities. We are not members of the Asoke community, but we have a good relationship and they purchase some of the natural products we make for sales in their markets. They have visited our home/ farm/ processing a few times.
We have been many times to their center in Bangkok and I have been to other communities as well.
--
Then we have a lot of other social / community development- that may be supported (or was in the past) by local NGOs and by networks. Savings groups- as in the substack article- are one key intervention/ development. As are the principles and practices of self-reliance- normally starting from a small-scale farmer perspective. (like growing food and more for your needs, making your own organic fertilizer, saving seeds, developing skill in Thai traditional medicine for home use, and can go to value addition).
In the later evolution- which has been key over the last 15 years- there is much more on community enterprise (following social-eco-enterprise ideas).
Our extended family business is a community enterprise. There are also local farmer cooperatives another core part of this movement.
In my quick review of the video, it looks more like initiatives that were going on here in Thailand over 20 years ago, when there was more external development funding and more rural population. (Core period was really the 1990s)
Now for almost all groups/ communities I know that have such a focus, they are now leading this process themselves and taking it in directions they find appropriate. Funding can come and help from different sources- including government funding- but the basic working model is a community enterprise model- and not really dependent upon external funding. But if we look at the history, there was a lot of development before to get to this point.
There are also still many and evolving challenges- such as aging farmer population- changes in government regulation- impacts of development/ tourism, etc.
The strongest groups are able to use these changes in positive ways while maintaining community and culture- such as with community based tourism- selling produce and products directly to consumers/ buyers, new generation skill and knowledge helps develop and adapt the community for changing times.
Hope this may be of some value and happy to help answer direct you as I may further.
" a little matchbox" - how big are we talking - as a little match box to me is about 2cm X 3cm X 1cm - it won't hold much food. It also sounds like the feeding of the 5 000!
Exactly!
Richard, you are an inspiration for a new world. Keep shining.
"It is clear that Sarvodaya, a Buddhist-based movement, is part of a lineage of the “Ancient Blueprint,” which I have followed from Jesus to Gandhi and Dr. Ari."
This made me wonder about Buddhism and if there had been similar aspects in other societies with a strong element of spirituality connected with Buddhism. Particularly Thailand and Bhutan. Thailand I asked Michel Bauwens who Michael Commons. Their email chain was as follows:
MB:
Michael wrote this: https://4thgenerationcivilization.substack.com/p/commons-based-savings-groups-in-thailand
My refs on Thailand in the wiki are rather poor, https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Category:Thailand
MC:
Dear Marcus Petz, Michel,
I have just watched the youtube video link on Sarvodaya, which I understand is the model from Sri Lanka to which you are referring.
You are correct that there are some strong ties between Thailand and Sri Lanka, both our countries have in our history about the exchange of monks and the Dharma- at least a couple times. One can find these images in Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. I know from the history of the South of Thailand that voyages were made to Sri Lanka when this area was a strong kingdom- around 800- 1100 AD.
I have also had the fortune to spend a fair amount of time in Sri Lanka working with different partners there on organic agriculture, agroforestry, and some related areas.
As I think is true everywhere, each place has its own culture, history, and situation. I think thus rare to directly apply the same social development methodology in a new context, but normally there is always something of value and this may be brought in and adapted and applied in a new local context.
Watching the video on Sarvodaya, this seems like a fairly comprehensive community/ social development process. It also seems to be at least initially rather strongly led by the mother organization.
The movement we have that I think is most analogous are the Asoke communities.
I don't know the best resource, but found this from a web search
https://www.asoke.info/bunniyom/insight-santi_mobi2.html
There are a number of Asoke communities as well as members of this movement who are not in communities. We are not members of the Asoke community, but we have a good relationship and they purchase some of the natural products we make for sales in their markets. They have visited our home/ farm/ processing a few times.
We have been many times to their center in Bangkok and I have been to other communities as well.
--
Then we have a lot of other social / community development- that may be supported (or was in the past) by local NGOs and by networks. Savings groups- as in the substack article- are one key intervention/ development. As are the principles and practices of self-reliance- normally starting from a small-scale farmer perspective. (like growing food and more for your needs, making your own organic fertilizer, saving seeds, developing skill in Thai traditional medicine for home use, and can go to value addition).
In the later evolution- which has been key over the last 15 years- there is much more on community enterprise (following social-eco-enterprise ideas).
Our extended family business is a community enterprise. There are also local farmer cooperatives another core part of this movement.
In my quick review of the video, it looks more like initiatives that were going on here in Thailand over 20 years ago, when there was more external development funding and more rural population. (Core period was really the 1990s)
Now for almost all groups/ communities I know that have such a focus, they are now leading this process themselves and taking it in directions they find appropriate. Funding can come and help from different sources- including government funding- but the basic working model is a community enterprise model- and not really dependent upon external funding. But if we look at the history, there was a lot of development before to get to this point.
There are also still many and evolving challenges- such as aging farmer population- changes in government regulation- impacts of development/ tourism, etc.
The strongest groups are able to use these changes in positive ways while maintaining community and culture- such as with community based tourism- selling produce and products directly to consumers/ buyers, new generation skill and knowledge helps develop and adapt the community for changing times.
Hope this may be of some value and happy to help answer direct you as I may further.
Kind Regards,
Michael