Annual News letter From the Hoffice of
ZERI Southern Africa
This is the first newsletter coming out since the launch of ZERI Southern Africa that took place at the National Botanical gardens on the 26th of January 2004. This is also a way of closing off the year thanking all those who have contributed enormously to efforts to make ZERI Southern Africa (ZERI-SA) become a reality.
Exactly 11 months later, we can all be very pleased how the energies and synergies have led to the blossoming of this much needed initiative in this part of the world..
Even though ZERI has had some projects running in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal and Namibia, this is the first time that ZERI international is creating an integrated ZERI office through ZERI SA, currently operating from my home.
It was decided that the operations of ZERI-SA will be very low key initially just to enable the fledgling organization to be able to operate with minimum resources. This has helped in concentrating fully on networking and really getting the message across in the most effective manner.
We are extremely grateful to Gunter Pauli, the founder director of ZERI international who extended his full support to us in establishing an officially accredited ZERI regional office in this part of the world. He came in January to officially launch ZERI Southern Africa. Again in October he was here to launch his first publication in Africa, ‘Out of the Box; ZERI management stories’.
Many meetings, have taken place this year, some beginning to fruition, some withered along the way. There is a hope that most of these seeds are lying low, just to sprout at the right time, when the synergies happen…
In March, 2004 I qualified as a fully accredited ZERI practitioner and was awarded the ZERI Practitioner’s certificate by Gunter Pauli at the graduation ceremony held in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I am proud to be one of the 67 qualified ZERI practitioners around the world. This encouraged me to translate my newly gained insights and experiences into an action agenda for Southern Africa.
A brief description of activities since the official launch of ZERI Southern Africa follows.
ZERI Southern Africa launch January 2004
ZERI-SA launch workshopThe launch at National Botanical Gardens, Kirstenbosch was attended by about 45 people from various sectors including national government, provincial, NGOs and advocacy groups.
Special Thanks to all those who made the launch a possibility –
IUCN was the first to come forward appreciating as well as creating a way forward for further networking. South African Airways helped in covering Gunter’s travel costs. Friends and other contacts came forward contributing towards many logistical issues and expenses.
While Gunter was here, he was also invited by the Prince of Wales Business Leadership Symposium organized by Peter Willis of Cambridge Universities Industries Programme.
ZERI educational initiative meeting with Western Cape Education Department January 2004
As a result of many meetings held with many supportive officials from the Western Cape Department of Education, a joint workshop was organized by ZERI Southern Africa and the Western Cape chapter of National Environmental Education Programme.
The meeting was attended by more than 20 educators, curriculum advisors, NGOs who are key service providers to the department. The idea was to explore the possibilities of close collaboration with the education department in bringing some of ZERI experience working with teachers in Brazil, Colombia. It was hoped that this meeting would be a springboard to test out many ideas working in these countries, including the adaptation and translation of the 36 ZERI fairy tales teaching science through simple fairy tale format.
The ideas are still waiting to be manifested as reality. There is a great scope and a great need to tap into this already existing resource network to inject some new energy into the educational sector. In our context, the Education sector, especially, could do with some creative, ‘out of the box’ thinking to uplift the teachers as well as the learners, making learning an enabling and empowering experience.
Link – ZERI educational initiative
ZERI discussion with Global Ocean, February 2004
An informal contact through friends in Abalone farming ended up in a very detailed discussion with Global Ocean involved in abalone hatcheries as to how to transform the abalone operations into a more sustainable development initiative. Nothing concrete has emerged for ZERI-SA from this contact, though it is understand they are using some of the insights from ZERI already in their current operations.
Check out article on
ZERI one day workshop with small farmers and Goedgedacht Trust January 2004
Farmers workshopGoedgedacht Trust with the assistance and support of Peter Templeton organized one day workshop at Malmesbury attended by 35 to 40 small farmers and activists from around the region. There was immense excitement at taking on some of the ZERI designs to their current farming practices. I have subsequently had many meetings with Goedgedacht officials and Trust members; it is poised to take some ZERI principles forward in the near future. There is a discussion to create a ZERI demonstration farm in the area.
Visit to Namibia, February 2004
A visit to Namibia took place in February. The Hilde List family was kind and generous enough to host us in Namibia together with the Udo Stritter family, we would not have been able to carry out this visit without their hospitality. The Tsumeb, Tunweni project spearheaded by Namibian Breweries has become the classic ZERI story and an inspiration for many projects world wide. Unfortunately the Tsumeb brewery is closed down but the community around has taken over the mushroom production, the venue of the brewery now operating ingeniously as a mushroom production centre by the local community. Two young South Africans Mlodlosi Kosi and Vusumzi Mema also got trained in the mushroom project here supported by the generous offer of Wendy Luhabe.
University of Namibia currently has a UNDP funded ZERI programme directed by Dr. Keto Mshigeni. This programme was made possible with the support of Thelma Awori, then Africa Bureau Chief for UNDP and the Rt.Hon.Anders Wijkman, then the Policy Director of UNDP who supported Gunter’s drive to secure an academic backbone
This visit proved of immense importance to me personally. The learning and insights from Namibian experience will certainly help me shape the ZERI Southern Africa differently especially in the design of socially integrated systems and technologies challenging the dominance of current monopolies while being able to initiate and partner cutting edge research in multiple forums at times not explored by conventional bodies.
Many other meetings took place in February when we visited Johannesburg. These meetings included IDC, Land Bank, Standard Bank, Toyota South Africa, Independent News Papers, Anglo Coal, CIDA, and Gordon Institute of Business Science. Amongst the many seeds sown, the one that did bear important fruit was the meeting with Prof. Nick Binnedale of GIBS, who created the opportunity to take our discussion further into organizing a seminar on Creativity, Innovation and Leadership.
I was back in Santa Fe, New Mexico in March 2004 to complete the last module of the practitioners course and attend the graduates meeting. As I write this, I cannot believe the accelerated pace of activities that have unfolded since then.
South African Women In Dialogue (SAWID) Pretoria July 2004
I was invited to attend SAWID’s second annual conference in Pretoria. This was a very critical conference that enabled me to think creatively how to blend the energies of ZERI and SAWID. As someone who moved away after working all my life in the area of gender and development out of sheer frustration, I suddenly began to see the light; how ZERI can beautifully offer to those seeking real solutions a way forward. I began to see the power of working with something that is truly enabling going beyond the many traps of sustainable development and gender politics.
It was the SAWID forum that gave me the incredible opportunity to present ZERI Southern Africa to Mrs. Zanele Mbeki, our First Lady as well as to Wendy Lucas Bull, both of whom responded very supportively and encouragingly. This special networking has subsequently opened doors for ZERI Southern Africa to be received very warmly in many other official forums including the Presidency.
Out of the Box ZERI management stories, September 2004
Working with Future managers to bring out Gunter’s first publication in Africa was a great challenge. Future Managers team accommodated many demands and continuous changes made to the draft and layout. It was an experience to be involved in bringing out a publication with none of the usual resources and having to really tap into the ‘out of the box’ resources to get help with editing, lay out etc. Once again this experience has confirmed my belief that when an idea is aligned and ready to be born, no conventional resource scarcity can stop its birthing.
Ordering details: www.futuremanagers.net
+2 Johannesburg Conference September 2004
IUCN Southern Africa director Saliem Fakir invited me to speak at the Learning Centre on Personal belief systems, values and ethos necessary to implement sustainable development in Africa at the +2 Johannesburg Conference. Sustainable development being a very charged and emotional subject for me, my most important contribution to the panel was a poem that I penned down the previous evening in frustration at the way sustainable development is happening. Check the articles section to read the poem
10th anniversary ZERI Congress in Japan, September 2004
Click on the photo to view more picturesThis was a great honour, indeed - meeting all the extended ZERI families. It was a privilege to meet former UN rector, mentor and great supporter of ZERI, Heitor Gurgulino de Souza. It was a great pleasure to meet people like Carlos Bernal and Fransisco Fleck from Colombia and Brazil. Since most of the solid stories of ZERI come from Colombia and Brazil, this was a rare occasion to meet people who are directly responsible for making ZERI a reality in these places. The lego designed bottled water from Las Gaviotas gave me a sensation of being blessed by the waters of life and inspiring leaders like Paolo Lugari who has made Las Gaviotas a reality.
ZERI Gotland and the carrot story was another case study we had to learn in our training, so it was a really exciting to meet with Håkan Ahlsten from Gotland, the famous Banker turned ZERI fan. I can still taste the soft carrot cake flown in all the way from Gotland for the congress. What an ingenious story – how a real out of the box thinking of a creative thinking banker turned around the whole economy of a small island like Gotland.
It was a privilege to meet with great souls like Carl Goran Heden, the Swedish scientist and a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences who mentored Gunter, shaping ZERI, and Jorgere Reynolds, who inspired Gunter to write the the whale story - the inventor of pace maker who is still working in the Colombian coast studying the whales.
I spent many hours late into the night discussing with Janine Benyus the future of the world and the ingenious artistry of nature deeply rooted in impeccable science that we humans seem to continuously ignore. Janine’s profound study of natures design systems and her deep commitment to live by what she believes makes her an incredibly special person in the world of sustainable development. Janine’s seminal work Biomimicry has become my new bible. She coined the phrase biomimicry long before the word became fashionable imbued with business potential.
I cannot conclude writing about my Japan trip without thanking my Japanese hosts. The team of ZERI Education, Japan went out of their way to make the delegates feel at home. Hosting many delegates in their own homes and with other Japanese families, the delegates were privileged to get an authentic feel of Japan. The conference would not have had the feel and texture their dedicated inputs.
Workshop with Premier Fisheries, October 2004
A meeting organized through Peter Willis with the CEO of Sekunjalo investments led to a fruitful workshop with one of their holding companies, Premier Fisheries. Premier Fisheries is exploring some key options of how to`upsize’ their operations with a clear focus on diversification both in terms of optimizing natural resources untapped as well as sustainable livelihood opportunities for coastal fisher folks along ZERI designs..
Gordon Institute of Science, October 2004
Gunter and Gill Marcus Click on the photo to view more picturesA one day seminar on “Creativity, leadership and Innovation” was organised by GIBS on the 20th of October. This seminar attracted about 35 to 40 business personnel, government and entrepreneurs. Prof. Gill Marcus, until recently the Deputy Governor of South Africa’s Central Bank, opened the seminar. Gunter’s latest book, Out of the Box, ZERI management stories published by Future managers was launched on this occasion. I am extremely proud to have the first of Gunter’s publication appearing in this part of the world. This also gave us an opportunity to create some energy in the Gauteng area.
Mrs. Mbeki attended the seminar and very kindly agreed to stay back for a short caucus meeting attended by Gill Marcus and Wendy Lucas Bull. The idea was to discuss how ZERI can be used in the most constructive manner to take some of SAWID issues forward. But it was decided that President’s Policy Unit must get an opportunity to hear about ZERI.
Gunter was also invited to be one of the key note speakers for the Sasol 2020 conference taking place at GIBS on the 21st of October 2004
While in Johannesburg, we also met with Steve Kekane to discuss the plans to put music to all the 36 fairy tales. Steve Kekane, South African musician and Gunter has been planning on this project for a while – to really put African rhythms to ZERI fairy tales.
Visit to Zimbabwe, September 2004 ( Kafunda and Mutare)
Click on the photo to view more pictures My first visit to Zimbabwe. Living in South Africa, one can’t help noticing the Zim-bash efforts everywhere, especially the media. So it was with a great sense of ambivalence that I decided to travel with Gunter to visit Kafunda, an exciting learning organization started by an equally exciting and vibrant young person by the name of Marianne Knuth. This was also the first time for me to visit Margarette Tagwira who had gone through intensive training with ZERI scientists like S.T. Chang on mushroom cultivation. A scientist of great integrity and commitment to the poor communities, I was very keen to meet with her, since we had learnt so much about the Mutare experiments growing mushrooms using Water hyacinth.
I was completely taken aback by the warm welcome we received by the whole Kafunda team. The ride back to Kafunda almost reminded me of the rides back home in Rajasthan, familiar dusty roads, with the deep earthy smell of the night mingled with warm cow dung smell, hearty and welcoming - a world so different from the impersonal and aloof life style of the city slicks of the Cape that I blissfully left behind for a short while.
We are extremely grateful for the Knuth family and the Kafunda members to have shared their space and spirit nurturing us so generously while we were there.
Zimbabwe houses one of the biggest shopping malls that was built in the 80s with no air-conditioning, completely designed on the natural cooling systems. Sunce one of the ZERI stories on termites and Zebra is all about natural air-conditioning, I was really intrigued to see this building and we spent many hours dodging the guards who would not permit us to take the pictures of this exquisite architectural piece that should become the norm of the day – given the fact that property dealers, architects, planners and energy dealers probably would not want to see something like this in exisitence,
We drove to Mutare to meet with Margarette and Fanuel Tagwira.
Margarett’s passion in seeking sustainable solutions to hunger and poverty in Zimbabwe has led her to continue her research into the area public health at the Africa University Mutare. She and her husband Fanuel have done some pioneering work expanding the research on food security issues to explore crops like Amaranth and Muringa. Margarett produces Moringa and Amaranth based porridge that can literally solve the problems of nutritional and food security issues crippling Africa, especially amongst the AIDS orphans. I cam back inspired from my Zimbabwe trip determined to work closely with people who are committed and passionate about making change happen in Africa.
Workshop with the President’s Policy Unit, September 2004
We were very privileged to have been asked by the president’s Policy Unit to give a short presentation on ZERI and the prospects for using ZERI systems and designs in the most appropriate manner. It was decided to have a consultative meeting with concerned departments to develop a plan of action which will include visits to the provinces designing ZERI strategies that can be used to optimize the current programmes using the available resources.
DEAT and Cleaner production consultations, November 2004
Workshop with Cleaner production strategy regional consultation. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism invited ZERI Southern Africa to contribute to the national consultation on developing a cleaner production strategy. A short discussion paper was contributed laying out the difference between ZERI perspectives on CP. ZERI –SA will be invited to the final consultation early 2005.
Environmental managers Short course, UCT, December 2004
UCT organizes a short course for Environmental Managers offered through the Environmental Evaluation Unit. This year Dr. Merle Sowman of EEU invited ZERI-SA to take one session for the course.
DST meeting December 2004
As a follow up to the President’s Policy Unit workshop, Department of Science and technology has invited ZERI-SA to make a presentation and to develop a joint action plan
To conclude on a personal note…
I feel like a midwife holding ZERI Southern Africa’s energies, making sure that it finds the right kind of environment to thrive and nurture true to ZERI philosophy of harmonious co-evolution with nature meeting basic needs of all.
My husband Philip Van Ryneveld continues to be the main supporter of ZERI-SA bearing the major costs involved in setting up this initiative. Hope is that this will change in due course. However, it has been an enormous learning experience to realize what can be achieved through sheer determination, clear focus and commitment.
I thank all those who have been with me on this journey. I sincerely hope that they will continue their support and that many will join us as the journey continues ever expanding, exploring seamless possibilities while working in co-evolution with nature and with each other…
