Connecting the North with the South

The vastness of our world seems to be getting smaller with the help of Technology. Just last week I was on a conference call with people from over 100 countries. Never before have we been so connect and yet still so disconnected. We can know people from all around the world, but still not know about them. North America and South America are still so distant in understanding one another. Through education and partnership, we can start connecting the North with the South.

For us, that started with our Co-Creator Wolf. Let me tell you his story, which is also the beginning of our story.


Eric Wolf Bravo, is Peruvian born, and migrated to the United States in the early 1990's.
Bravo describes himself as an “economy refugee”, after the Peruvian government declared a 35% monthly inflation that brought most businesses to bankruptcy, including his own. Determined not to be a victim of the economy, he started a new life in the States. Working as a blue-collar employee, his personal drive helped him to become a manufacturing specialist. For 15 years he improved the production systems for all the companies that he worked for. At the same time he helped impliment practices that reduce the companies impact on our environment. In all this time he got acquainted with the mentality of North America , one based in consumption and wastefulness.

After 15 years Wolf returned to his country, to say goodbye and close that bitter chapter of his life. While he was there he realized, that while he had the opportunity to migrate, others could not. He saw that so many remain trapped in an economic and political environment that favored corruption and environmental destruction. So what started as a closure ended up becoming the birth of a movement. Ever since his trip, he has committed himself to find ways to help those in his home country.
With an unwavering determination, he trained himself in environmental sustainability, with an emphasis in sustainable food systems and community creation. He joined the Pachamama Alliance and is now a trained facilitator. He has also been trained in Transition Towns , United Global Shift and The Landmark Forum, just to mention a few.
Armed with all this knowledge he started to network and connect with other individuals from different countries, who are all involved in the same goal, which is creating a sustainable American Continent from the South to the North.
Currently:

• He is working in creating sustainability awareness within a Fortune 500 company.
  
• Connecting with Permaculture designers in New York State , to create a network of support for Latin American Countries, and
  
• His most ambitious project: Sustainable Ventanilla, in Lima Peru .
  

This low-income city surrounded by other small extremely poor hamlets. Over a year ago, in partnership with a teacher, they started an environmental awareness program. In a school with over 2000 students, bio diversity is now being taught in all high school levels, while other programs running at the Grammar school level, such as recycling programs and healthy food. These are all now the norm and the student engagement is raising weekly. The next logical step is a film festival, that will entice parents, community members and other schools in the same district to get involved.

The Teacher that Wolf Partnered with, is none other than his cousin and our Co-Creator Mery Gutierrez.


Mery is a biologist by training, and has lived in Ventanilla her whole life.
Having always been interested in biology and nature Mery and Wolf had much to talk about during his visit to Peru. About two years ago Wolf found out that there would be a big Awakening the Dreamer (ATD) symposium in Ecuador. When he asked her if she would like for him to sponsor her to go, she jumped at the opportunity.

Not only did she enjoy the Symposium, but she came back with a renewed desire to share what she learned, so she studied the materials and delivered the first ATD symposium to seven of her colleagues at a post graduate course.
Then she held a Symposium for 100 teachers at the school she teaches at.
Later she delivered it to thirty-five other teachers from schools in her school district.

So far the direct results of these efforts are:

• The school started a recycling campaign, where there was none.

• The school has changed to more healthy foods in the food kiosks.

• They have also ended the usage of disposables cups (an average of about 1000 a day).
  
• The increase of Environmental awareness: through a series of events like Earth Day theater, native dances, the declaration of Peru as a mega bio diverse country.
• The school added to the curricula for the 7Th and 8Th grades featured animals and plants native to Peru.

Mery was the first ATD facilitator in Peru, now there are three others and one more on her way.
Wolf still sponsors Mery so that she can take more classes and specialized trainings. As the true teacher that she is, she shares all of her knowledge with others.

In the weeks and months to come, I will have Wolf and Mery share more about what they are doing. This is my part, to report and inform.
Until then, this is Carol Lee saying "Be Green!" :o)