Mexico - Letter Home
March 16 – May 11, 2007

Composed by IHP Trustees Fellow Heather Crawford, with input from Kelly Mercer, Patrick Rourke, Lauren Wells, Danielle Gagnon and Cordelia Hall

After two days of March 16 (since we had crossed the International Date Line), we arrived in Mexico City where we were met by Mojdeh Hojjati, our energetic local facilitator who also took on the role of official translator! There were feelings of excitement towards experiencing the vibrant culture of a country so close to home. During our first weekend, we were lucky enough to be around for a free spring concert which was comprised of 5 different stages in the historic town center, showcasing the various aspects of Mexican culture.

After having a bit of time to explore and re-adjust our bodies to the colossal time difference, we moved into homestays in the neighborhood of Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo wasn’t just any neighborhood though. It was formed during a “land invasion” in 1971 in which droves of Mexicans set up their own home plots in an extremely inhospitable environment on hard, jagged lava rock, with the nearest water source being several kilometers away by foot. The stories of these first settlers inspired and awed us, and it was our first hint of the resilience and perseverance of the Mexican people.

Most of our classes were held in La Escuelita, a vibrant community center built by the people’s own hard work and dedication. Yet, we learned just as much within our homestays as in class. The topics covered during that first week of introductory week ranged from pre-hispanic belief systems to the country’s environmental problems, from exploring popular culture through grassroots art to USAID’s program in Mexico. Here we were also introduced to Gustavo Esteva, the Coordinator for our Mexico Program, who taught us about the divide between the “real” Mexico and the “imagined” Mexico. We even got to try out dry toilet technology, which enables the creation of both liquid and solid fertilizer, thus putting the management of something so basic as our own waste into our hands. Some students opted to participate in a silk-screening class, which led to the production of our own line of RG ‘06-‘07 clothing designs!

All too soon, we bade farewell to our first friends in Mexico, and made the long bus journey to Oaxaca City, where we would spend the remaining seven weeks of our time. We were welcomed at the Center for Intercultural Meetings and Dialogues (CEDI) which also houses the University of the Land (UniTierra), an institution dedicated to facilitating student-directed learning without professors. This unique place was the base for our classes in Oaxaca. Our learning focused on the indigenous -- traditional systems of governance, worldviews, agricultural lifestyles, struggles, and dignity.

We also focused quite a bit on the recent social movement in Oaxaca, out of which was formed the Association of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO). What had started out as the demands of the teachers’ union, ended up as a state-wide movement against the current governor. The governmental repression of this largely peaceful movement led to many human rights abuses, which we explored in depth with various activists. We questioned the meaning of democracy, what it means to form a social movement, and how its organization can perpetuate the very thing it is fighting against if we are not careful.
In addition, we looked at the evolvement of zapatismo, a social movement which had begun in the neighboring state of Chiapas in the 90s, and the idea of embracing many different worlds. We talked about character of the women’s movement in Oaxaca, as well as migration, both rural-urban, and across the US border, questioning the mindset behind building a huge wall. Our eyes were opened to the important role community radio can play in such movements, and how these were being set up in the state of Oaxaca. We happened to be around in Oaxaca during the May Day processions which happen every May 1st. Although we were supposed to stay far, we brought the discussion of such activity into the classroom, and explored the history of these now-traditional political protests.

During semana santa (holy week), we had the opportunity to experience rural Oaxacan life first hand through village stays, for which we were divided into three different groups. No matter which trip you went on, the pace of life slowed right down till one began to lose a sense of time, and yet gained an awareness for the natural rhythm of the day. One group went to Yagavila, a remote Zapotec-speaking village in the Sierra Juarez, which is still governed by usos y costumbres, i.e. the non-politically aligned indigenous system of obligatory, unpaid service. As an area where coffee was introduced as a cash crop, we learned the various steps in the production process first-hand, from picking on steep slopes to sorting beans on the living room floor. We saw how the changes in the industry over time had affected their livelihoods, and yet how the continued practice of subsistence agriculture has enabled their survival on the fringe of the market economy.

Another group of students visited Yavesía, a high mountain village where we explored the idea of living in community. We learned about self-government, alternative education, grassroots initiatives to regenerate culture and environment, and the function of an independent radio station. We were also part of the religious festivities of semana santa, such as the procession for the re-enactment of the crucifixion. Tortillas here, as in other some other villages, were bigger than one’s head, and some of us got to try our hand at making them – not an easy task.

The final group visited the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, where we alternately studied examples of community activism and rested in hammocks from the intense heat. In Jalapa de Marques, a town previously displaced by an artificial lake, we heard from an activist who, along with her community, is protesting the development of a hydro-electric project under Plan Puebla Panama that would lead to further displacement. Afterwards we spent some days in a community center on a mango farm in Zanatepec (unfortunately the mangos were out of season). Here we explored alternatives to development such as food self-sufficiency, and power generation through a bicycle machine with blender attached!

After coming back together in Oaxaca and sharing our stories, we launched into a week of delving further into Latin American social movements, and the central role of corn in social and cultural life. This included talking about the impact of genetically-modified crops. An interesting field trip was made to the city dump, where we saw how informal workers had organized themselves to recover various resources from the waste stream. After this dump closes, the new planned sanitary landfill will not allow for this kind of activity. We swung by Zaachila, the last Zapotec capital, on their main market day, where you could find everything from deserts to chiles, from hardware goods to CDs, sprawling under a maze of tents. A visit was paid to the land of Oliver Fröhling, our IIDE (Issues in International Development and Economics) professor, where we got a glimpse of agriculture on the dry flats and saw first-hand the problem of water scarcity, with wells for irrigation being dug deeper all the time.

Before we knew it, our vacations were upon us! Some got to know Oaxaca better, others explored waterfalls and ruins in the neighboring state of Chiapas, some chilled on the beaches of the far away coast, while others even crossed borders. After returning from our vacations, we got the feeling that we were really on the last leg of our journey together, with only a few weeks left! Nonetheless, Oaxaca was the place where we would spend the longest in one homestay, getting to know the area and the cuisine (grasshoppers, beans, avocados, tomatoes, locally processed chocolate…..mmm). With the added benefit of having free afternoons, we were able to take advantage of opportunities such as art, bellydance, music, salsa or spanish classes, getting fit at the gym during spinning classes or just taking a siesta!

During some hands-on activity at the Casa Rasta, we learned how make growing your own food in the city a reality, by making gardens out of used tires, plastic sheeting, leaves, compost, and yes, urine! Our seedlings sprouted in no time! We also witnessed the building of a passive solar water heater using materials as simple as a tire, black plastic tubing, and a sheet each of glass and metal. Some participated in a workshop to make bicimaquinas, i.e. the blender running bicycle machines. We really appreciated this concrete transfer of skills and knowledge through hands-on work.

During a field trip to a women’s cooperative in Teotitlán del Valle, we saw the entire rug making process, from carding and spinning the wool, to dying using natural materials (even a cactus bug from which 65 different shades of red are produced!) and weaving on the loom. We also received a special spiritual group cleansing there from the local curandera or healer.

After turning in the final chapter of our yearlong projects, we spent the day at Gustavo and Nicole Esteva’s house in San Pablo Etla, where we saw the work they had done to regenerate the land and grow their own food, but also had a long conversation about alternatives to education, and a delicious lunch!

After bidding farewell to our homestays in Oaxaca City, we head for a village high in the mountains called Benito Juarez for our final retreat, where we began the process of group closure, synthesis of the year and preparing for re-entry into the US. Here we were joined by the coordinators of past countries visited, which meant a lot to us (especially since we could have them all debate against each other in a panel)! As a last hoorah, some of us took on the adventure of dangling from a zipline across a valley, part of a community ecotourism project.

Our final presentations and good-bye party took place at CEDI/UniTierra. It was a mix of both individual and group projects with elements of heartfelt emotions, deep questioning, light-hearted humor and lots of creativity! The grand finale being………..IHP: The Musical!

This has been a year of overcoming challenges, having adventures, learning and growing together. We could have never known what to expect from this crazy thing called IHP, but maybe that’s how it should be...

Below are lyrics from a few of the songs from IHP: The Musical!



Economics (to the tune of Desperado)
Contributors: Keaty Gross, Alyson Sheppard, Alexandra Penny, Patrick Rourke, Alanna Coby

Eh-conomics,
Why don’t you come to your senses?
You’re raising expenses for so long now.

Oh, you’re a hard one, I know that you got your reasons.
Capitalism is pleasin’, but it hurts us somehow.
Don’t you try to say trading’s free, when you got restrictive monopolies,
You know the WTO says “free” trade but not “fair”.
Now it seems to me that the WB was set up in a fantasy,
That it would facilitate but not rule………

Eh-conomics,
Oh, you just keep on dictating.
Your rules and statistics keep extending your reign.

And freedom, oh freedom, well that’s just some people talkin’.
Your promise of success has created disparity.
Don’t you think that there’s another way,
To support ourselves in the day to day,
Without joining a system based on greed?
And first world wide hegemony,
Is bringing countries to their knees,
With debt caused by those endless SAP’s. (structural adjustment programs)

Eh-conomics,
Why don’t you come to your senses?
Lower expenses, there’s more than one way.

It may a revolution, and we hope that it’s not violent.
Can’t keep us silent,
Can’t keep us silent, (x2)
On our plural pathways!



Save the World (to the tune of Kiss the Girl from the Little Mermaid)
Contributors: Lillian Siegel, Kelly Mercer, Vera Pfieffer, Lauren Wells, Melissa deJesus, Carin Hoffman, Annie Thomas, Jackie Douglas, Laura Reed

Now you’re dreaming,
Trying still to find a way.
You’re mind has got a lot to say,
But you just need to listen.
And you don’t know why,
But you’re dying to try,
You want to save the world.

Remember England,
You heard from men of such prestige.
They said to live sustainably,
But they’re import dependent.
But then look at you,
You think you’re so smart too,
You want to save the world.

Tan-zan-ia,
Land of broken promises.
Development has changed their lives,
But has it made them better?
You’re trying to be wise,
But to decolonize,
You must un-learn your world.

Chorus:
Sha la la la, it’s okay to cry,
Because you don’t know why,
Or how to save the world.
Sha la la, sometimes it’s good to sit,
And let yourself reflect,
Don’t try to save the world.

Questions overseas investment,
That builds roads and cures disease,
Though they’re only trying to please,
Africa stays dependent.
Acknowledge your privilege,
You really want to give,
Though the answer’s still unclear.

Sometimes meditation,
Allows more opportunities,
To rethink what used to be,
And how you want to improve.
That’s why in India,
Gandhi’s philosophies,
Promote plurality.

In Aotearoa/New Zealand,
There’s one person to every 10 sheep,
Lots of farms and natural space,
To reflect, think and breathe deep.
Think they’re so clean and green,
And the Organic Queen,
But their food has to travel half way around the world!

Chorus

Your last country was Mexico,
The land of people of the corn.
Indigenous pueblos believe,
From Mother Earth they are born.
Zapatistas say “Nothing for us,
Everything for everyone”,
Is how to save the world.

Chorus



Synthesis Song
By Alanna Coby

How am I going to synthesize,
A year that has made me wiser
Now my inside’s like a geyser,
When I think of going home.

Oh synthesize,
There are too many days now.
It seems hard to believe,
238 have gone by,
And now I must leave,
Back to the people I used to know.
I hope they still like me,
If they don’t, that’ll blow!
Cuz all my new friends,
Are spread out cross the world,
With them, this my new self,
Has finally unfurled.

I’m scared of their judgement,
And of not feeling real,
Buying things at the mall,
And microwaving my meals.
I wonder if there will be time to return,
To all of the countries,
I’ve gone through and learned,
About sisal and coffee,
Cotton and hope,
About organics and carbon,
And the traffic of dope.

And some things I fear,
That I’ll just forget:
The discomfort of backpacks,
The smell of regret,
Of not buying chocolate,
In the town that we left,
Now that we’re somewhere in nowhere,
And I’m feeling bereft.

But to synthesize,
How am I gonna synthesize,
This year that has made me wiser,
With my insides now a geyser.
I guess I’ll just have to see,
What going home will be,
And hope that I’ll find me……
Synthesized!





New Zealand - Letter Home
January 27-March 16, 2007

Composed by IHP Trustees Fellow Heather Crawford

Dear IHP Family and Friends,

Although we arrived in New Zealand frazzled and bedazzled late at night, with some of us getting a free shoe wash at the airport (protection against invasive species), we were relieved to be in a place which we imagined might seem a bit closer to home. Many of us knew comparatively little about Aotearoa (Maori name for NZ meaning “land of the long white cloud”), and yet something beckoned us to come closer. No, it wasn’t the shockingly drunk teenagers running around town on that Saturday night, nor the rows of cute little shops with inflated prices (well, maybe at first). Rather it was something deeper: the vibrant energy of an ancient land mass constantly in flux, which has been altered only relatively recently by human influence. Kiwis, be they nocturnal flightless birds, a modified Chinese gooseberry, or people – the Maori (the first settlers, descendants of Pacific islanders) and pakeha (descendants of European settlers) – are in turn influenced by this dynamic landscape and climate, and constantly renew themselves as well.

We were met upon arrival by Peter Horsley, our coordinator, Karine Chagné, our facilitator, and Oliver Froehling, our economic professor who was with us in D.C. and will now be with us until the end of the program. Our first week in Wellington, the small capital city, was spent in a “backpackers” (synonymous with hostel) and later in homestays with members of the Green Party. Although having a minority of votes, the Green Party is able to influence NZ politics through mixed-member-proportional representation (MMP), a system adopted since 1996 through a popular vote for electoral reform. Our classes on the premises of Massey University introduced us not only to the politics of New Zealand (including the theme of global climate change which we have not discussed much since England), but also to NZ’s unique ecology, which developed in the absence of land mammals (except bats), and issues surrounding the conservation of this fragile ecosystem now plagued by invasive exotic species. It was refreshing that many of our speakers also addressed the next step of what to do with all of the knowledge we’ve gained on IHP and beyond, i.e. the ins and outs of activism and how to affect social change at home.

We transitioned into life on a marae (Maori meeting place) via a visit to Kapiti Island Nature Reserve. Kapiti is an example of island conservation which has successfully eliminated introduced mammals such as rats and possums, and re-introduced threatened endemic bird species which are really taking off.

Once outside the wood-engraved entrance to the Tainui marae, we were welcomed with a powhiri, a traditional ceremony which involves a procession onto the marae using call and response. The powhiri was followed by speeches and then everybody did the hongi (pressed noses) to complete the bringing together of the visitors and the local people (tangata whenua or “people of the land”). Following our “cultural guide” Nerissa for cues, we sang a few songs for our hosts, including one she had taught us in the Maori language! We in turn heard about some of the challenges facing the Maori culture, including settling claims from breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. We also took some side trips to learn how to weave flax, to see the local initiative to restore an important lake fouled by sewage, as well as to visit a huge wind farm and talk to a community activist about the local impacts of such developments.

It was our privilege to stay on another marae, Tirorangi, for an even more in depth look at Maori connection to place and the sacred. Through our reflections and our experiences in nature guided with a Maori perspective, we learned as much about ourselves as the places we were in. Our leaving was a time filled with the truest of emotion, our hearts laid bare. We also said good-bye to our bus driver/tour guide/guitar player, Rawiri, who had to leave unexpectedly, but left us in the tender care of his cousin Dicky.

The small village of Whakapapa was then used as a base to explore the Tongariro National Park, including a 17km “tramp” (hike) across the Tongariro Crossing, which boasts the volcanic landscape of Mt. Doom from Lord of the Rings! As if that wasn’t enough, most of the students decided to throw in a little extra excitement by going skydiving!

Before we knew it, it was time for vacation. With 10 days to explore the north and south islands, you can imagine the variety of experiences which were had – multiple day tramps, glacier-walking, touring by bicycle, white water rafting, relaxing on gorgeous beaches and even family reunions for some!

Renewed and refreshed, we rejoined the program by delving into some hands-on activities during a 5 day stay at an intentional community called Tui in Golden Bay. Making compost heaps, planting vegetables, and learning when to pick fruit, how to harvest mussels and recognize edible wild weeds were just some of the skills we garnered. We slept in tents of various shapes and sizes (including a teepee!) in the “tree field” and spent most of our time outdoors. There were lots of questions raised about the intentions of such communities versus the actual outcomes, which led to good healthy debate – which is what IHP’s all about!

Our group divided in two, creating a more personal dynamic for our next set of field trips. One group stayed in the Golden Bay area further investigating issues of organic lifestyles, community living, alternative economic systems (HANDS – How bout A No Dollar System) and permaculture. The other whizzed through the Mt. Arthur tablelands, Golden Downs, Nelson Lakes and Kaikoura regions learning about current conservation methods and their contradictions; the timber industry and all its local implications; carbon zero wine making; and innovative district council programs including waste recovery. Whew!

Our final retreat at the Maitai River Cabins and Camp really helped us bring together all we had experienced during this fabulous program. The students came up with some very creative (and entertaining!) final presentations that made an impact on us all. We had delved beneath the surface of New Zealand’s clean and green image to uncover both contradictions and radical avenues for change, as well as wrestled with the applicability of ideas implemented on a small scale to a country like the US. In true IHP style, we didn’t get answers, only questions to lead us in the right direction.



Below is the rap from one of the final presentations.

New Zealand Rap

Composed by IHP students Carin Hoffman, Patrick Rourke, Lillian Siegel, Laura Reed, Vera Pfieffer, Annie Thomas, Jackie Douglas and Alanna Coby (italic word translations by Heather Crawford)

So here's the story from A to Z,
You want to get with IHP you gotta listen carefully,
We arrived in Wellington blown away by all the wind,
Shocked by rugby sevens, clean air and bare skin,
We splurged on cheese, apples, muesli and beer,
Things we haven't had quite enough of this year.

We traveled to the island of Kapiti,
Where we felt the Maori ancestry.
We were met by the sounds of ancient Aotearoa,
Which had an effect like the trance in Goa.
Fantails, wekas, and tuis accompanied our ascent,
While the voice of the cicadas was omni-present.
Rick, the ranger passed on facts of ecology,
And enlightened us to the unfortunate reality.
Life was traded for life to create a bird sanctuary,
Mammals eradicated, birds perpetuated.

We visited a Maori marae, flag waving in the sky,
They greeted us with powhiri, we didn't know what we'd see,
Should we shake their hand or give them a hongi?
We wanna be respectful but we ain´t sure how to act,
Learnin' bout Treaty of Waitangi, the repercussions of this pact.
Papatuanuku is priceless, you can't give her numbered worth.
They gotta fight court to keep their resources,
They want justice for the iwi, don't wanna use violent forces.
Otaki's got a wananga teaching how to read and speak.
We listened to the mountain, the forest and the river,
These treasured taongas and the wisdom they deliver.
Keith said "Don't go in the lake if you're menstruating,"
But no he ain´t patriarchal, and no I ain´t hatin´.

Every night we'd sit on mattresses and have a korero,
Each person had to stand up and say how she did grow.
Overall we learned so much, ´bout reconciliation and such.
The Maori take pride in their traditions and ways,
Their spirit we will remember for the rest of our days.

We paid a lot of money to fall from the sky,
All strapped into jumpsuits we feared we would die.
A minute´s scenic freefall until we pulled our chute,
Wishin´ our adventures did not pollute.
We landed on the ground,
With all our friends around,
Adrenaline a pumpin´ and our hearts all a thumpin´.
It soon became apparent that danger was our theme,
We crossed Tongariro and became "Team Extreme"!
Like Gollam with the Ring, we just couldn't say no to Mt. DOOM…

Doomacahale, doomachale, doomachale…

(Hey aren’t we in New Zealand?)
(Yeah)

The tourist industry and its hypocrisy,
Makes money tramping on tapu territory.
It turns the altars of the Maori into a place of exploitation,
And puts dollars in the banks all over this nation.
They emit green house gas like they gotta free pass.
They live delusions of sustainability like the export economy.
They depend on rivers, mountains, lakes, and forest,
Yet they beat the land like Chuck Norris.

We drove up to Tui and as we were looking,
We met a guy named Paul and asked "What's cookin´?"
Washanui showers in the early morning frost,
Mixing nitrogen and carbon for some good compost.
We learned pruning and planting,
Growing crops through good planning,
Working hard, yummy fruties,
Then we went swimming in the nudie!

And now for a dramatic interpretation of a short poem by Jen Jones:
“Sandfly, oh Sandfly
You bite me I bleed,
Sandfly, oh sandfly,
You bite me I itch,
Sandfly, oh sandfly
I hate you...”

Then our group split into two,
We didn't know what to do!
Golden Bay and Nelson Lakes,
So many heartbreaks.
But Nelson Lakes was real cool,
At Golden Bay we played pool.
We went hiking and camping,
Seeing wood ducks while trampin´,
Willy said "Hey, we need a revolution!
Here's a thought guys, consider evolution.”
Conservation man said, “Listen here, I work for DOC,
Spray is the solution to didymo.” What!

Permaculture, organics, economies of scale,
Sol Morgan told us that it´s easy to fail.
When converting the masses to the "right way" of life,
You're gonna meet adversity, arguments and strife.
So we drank mochaccinos and talked to lots of farmers,
We learned about HANDS and the seed saving martyrs.

Solutions or illusions,
Carbon Zero wine?
Intrusion and confusion,
Is 1080 fine?
Trophic collapse,
Are we destined for demise?
We got too many invasives,
Is eradication wise?

It seems like we show our world so much hate.
Destroying our environment at such a high rate.
Can we still save it? Or is it too late?
Oh please tell me, what is this world´s fate?
To deal with these big questions we put treats on our plates,
We drink and we laugh with those we call "mates",
And we stay up discussin´ excessively late.
And as a result, we've all gained weight!

Now we're on retreat,
Always ready to eat.
Memories of Zanzibar,
No water for hours,
What we gonna do?
We can´t take showers!
Might as well use the river,
For our drinking water.
Hope I don't get giardia,
Wait, I've already caught 'er!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the revenge of Montezuma.
We've already had Delhi Belly,
But we've gotta sense of humor!
We've been gone for so long and our consumed by our travel,
Sometimes the questions seem so hard that our emotions unravel.
But just remember that when the going gets tough,
We've got ourselves and one another and hey, we know our stuff!
In foundation week, we heard Nicky Hager speak.
He filled us with inspiration,
For our generation.
He said we can't help the time we're born in,
So we gotta work with positive people to mitigate Global warmin'.
Now the time has come to peace out like the moa,
We say thanks to you - AOTEAROA!



Aotearoa - Land of the Long White Cloud (Maori name for New Zealand)
marae- Maori meeting place
powhiri – ceremony of receiving visitors onto the marae
hongi – Maori greeting with noses pressed together; means shared breath
papatuanuku – Mother Earth
iwi – Maori tribe
taonga- inherited/natural “treasure”
korero - speech
tapu – sacred/taboo
Tui – intentional community (also name of local bird)
Washanui – made-up name of shower building at Tui
DOC – Dept. of Conservation
didymo – invasive alga
moa – largeextinct land bird
doomachale – popular Hindi song from India



India - Letter Home
2006-2007

Composed by IHP Trustees Fellow Heather Crawford with help from
Antoinette Klatzky and Jenny Tanphanich

Dear IHP Friends and Family,

Our time in India has been a whirlwind and it will probably take a while for many things to sink in, but this intense country program, halfway through our entire year together, has impacted us in many ways.

Our group first arrived in Delhi, the capital city, which was our first glimpse of the craziness of a big city in the world’s second most populous country. Rickshaws, bicycles, scooters, trucks, cows, dogs, beggars - all competing for space on the congested roads, none following official road rules, yet all possessing an implicit understanding of the ordered chaos. Sweet scents of incense mingled with the stench of sewage or the exhaust from tailpipes. We were welcomed with wreaths of marigolds placed around our necks and red powder dabbed on our foreheads. Here we met Saachi, the newest addition to our traveling faculty team, who will be teaching the anthropology course for the rest of the year. We were also introduced to George, our helpful country facilitator, and re-joined by Smitu, the coordinator for the India program, whom we had met in Zanzibar.

We stayed with host families for a week, traveling to and from class at the Indian Social Institute in rickshaws and trying not to get ripped off for being foreigners. The days were packed, but included regular “chai” (tea) breaks, and the lecturers were of great quality. We began to get a sense of India’s diversity, its plurality and its dissenting voices. We were introduced to Gandhian philosophy, learned about the huge effect of India’s many big dams, child labor, and explored manifestations of patriarchy as it relates to India’s women. A well-known classical Indian dancer and her student performed for us, which was a special treat, as was our visit to a Sufi temple, where live devotional music was being played. Many students shopped at colorful craft markets whenever they could squeeze it in, as the variety of Indian handicrafts is amazing and affordable.

En route to our next destination, we had an optional field trip to the Taj Mahal, where being an overwhelmingly female group came in handy, as there were separate entrance “lines” (including a good deal of cutting and shoving) for men and women, the line for men being 5 times longer. This quickly turned into a disadvantage for the women’s bathroom line, however.

We took our first long overnight train ride that evening (about 16 hours) to a place called Sewagram, where Gandhi’s ashram is located. Here we delved deeper into Gandhi’s principles and saw firsthand the workings of “swadeshi”, village-scale local production processes, including “khadi”, homespun cotton, the significance of which is so great that it is featured on India’s national flag as the spinning wheel. Some of us tried our hand at it, and one student (Nora, who can whip out woven creations overnight) even bought her own portable spinning wheel.

Many were awed as they toured the exact premises of where Gandhi and his wife used to live, or participated in the multi-religion evening prayer in his front yard. During our stay at the ashram some of us began practicing yoga, taught to us by our professor Saachi. It has been a real benefit to have the option of this early morning exercise/meditation on a regular basis for those who have been feeling out of touch with their bodies due to the demands of constant travel.

A few days later we were on our way to Mangurda, a farm in rural Maharashtra. Our wonderful hosts, Ajay and Yogini, had special tents set up for us, which looked like a princess’ caravan - white canvas tents with pointed tops and yellow-pink interiors on platforms with moats dug around. The open space, and peace and quiet of this area was refreshing to our souls. Here we learned about the challenges of cotton farming in a globalized economy, and were struck by the high rates of farmer suicide. We visited two small farms in the area, one of which belongs to a tribal family, and discussed what it means in India to be considered “tribal”. The highlight of our exposure to the cotton production process had to be our visit to the ginning factory, where we got to jump around on top of a mountain of cotton! It was like a childhood dream of jumping on a cloud come true.

We were also able to pay a quick visit to 2 tribal villages – one group discussed health and women’s issues with keen interest, while the other learned about an initiative for tribal people to document their surrounding biodiversity. Most of us wished we could have had more time to interact with such a fascinating set of people.

Mangurda farm made a lovely setting for our Christmas celebrations, as there was even a pine tree in the courtyard which we decorated mostly with homemade ornaments. In fact, there were decorations and strings of homemade snowflakes adorning the whole building! We sang carols, had gift exchanges and made a labor-intensive feast including: homemade eggnog, latkes and apple sauce (in honor of Chanukah), despite limited ingredients! Brownies came as a special surprise from our ecology professor, Jen Jones. We also had a surprise visit from Santa and elf (Patrick and Annie), who came riding up on a jingling bullock cart with our Secret Santa gifts in tow. Even the cows were dressed up! What was really nice about the whole affair was the feeling of family among our group, with our hosts (whose children were highly entertaining), their friends and co-workers who we came to know, and our fake family tree comprised of wacky characters (developed by our resident writer, Melissa) who we acted out at a Christmas meal.

Our next farm stay was at a place called Rawala, where owners Vasant and Karuna had rehabilitated the land into an organic farm. There we got to get our hands dirty with some real farm work, including the clearing of our own class area in a bamboo patch. We appreciated eating foods which were produced on the farm itself, thus creating minimal environmental impact. Our houses were constructed from plastered cow dung, and nothing named detergent was consumed on this farm, e.g. dishes washed with ash. It was an inspiration to see people truly living what they believed in.

Before we knew it, it was time for vacation! We went our separate ways for New Year’s and a little over a week. Some explored the backwaters of Kerala or celebrated on Goa’s beaches, while others pursued individual interests and a few reconnected with family.

We came back together in the city of Pune, where the program focus was on biodiversity, conservation and communities. The city had a lot to offer and our host families were so wonderful that nobody wanted to leave! The time juggling was stressful at this point in the program as a large assignment was due during a period of intense programming. This segment of the program also included a 3-day field visit to the Amba Valley at the foot of the Western Ghats, where we learned about rural communes and got our legs moving with lots of walking, including a medicinal plant hike. Some of us tried traditional medicines for cracked heels or joint pain, which were prepared before our very eyes. We got an “authentic” tribal experience one night by sleeping out under the stars and roasting different types of tubers over a fire as our dinner.

By the time the final week of the program rolled around, we were ready for some de-stressing. We spent this time on the Tamarind Tree Farm in a rural area inhabited by the Warli tribe, who welcomed us with music from a very unique musical instrument and dancing upon our arrival. We used the time on the farm for completing assignments, learning about the Warli, doing farm work or just having personal time to write letters or journals, take a swim in the river, or a jog through the village. In addition, small discussion groups were made to tease out the issues on our minds, such as extreme urban poverty, human trafficking, nuclear power, population growth, and the Indian media. Our hosts, Michelle and Hemant, were cool and their support staff really took care of us. We took a stab at processing the complex issues we were exposed to through a role-playing debate on economic globalization, which ended up being quite entertaining! Our going-away party took the form of a Beatles barbeque-dance-karaoke jam in honor of Smitu’s taste in music. Some of us also attended a Warli wedding night for one of the farm workers, which was a fascinating event! Although we were not ready to say good-bye, we are looking forward to the next stage in our journey – New Zealand!

“So, be it the dairy farms of rural Cornwall, cotton cultivation at Nagpur, to issues of bio-piracy – like the long drawn fight undertaken by the government of India to revoke the patent on the medical properties of haldi, the group is understandably loathe to encapsulate the multitude of experiences in a couple of sentences.” Quote from a Pune newspaper article done on IHP, entitled “Students from US feel their way through cultural, environmental diversity”


Tanzania- Letter Home
2006-2007

Composed by IHP Trustees Fellow Heather Crawford with help from:
Angela Angel, Alanna Coby, Alexandra Penny, Carin Hoffman and Alyse Takaye

Hamjambo!
Our time in Tanzania is drawing to an end and by now some of us can actually have a short conversation in Swahili! Luckily for those less inclined, many Tanzanians we’ve run into know at least a little bit of English. Nonetheless, the language barrier was felt by those who were seeking deeper interactions. Coming to Africa was fraught with excitement, apprehension and pre-conceived notions of the continent. We were made to realize just how strong an influence the African images portrayed by media had skewed our perspectives in different ways.

Although we were told Zanzibar was supposed to be our “soft landing” in Tanzania, it was about as different as could be from any of the group’s previous experiences. While it is a beautiful tropical island, with a fairly developed tourist industry and associated services, we were entranced by the maze of “narrows” lined by deteriorating historic buildings in Stone Town, together with Zanzibar’s unique history and predominantly Muslim culture. Some found it difficult to deal with feeling like tourists and being the constant center of attention, while others struggled with gender issues and felt stifled by the culture. Some questioned the different concepts of tourism (eco-, cultural-, responsible-) and had difficulty reconciling the education and aspects of IHP. Students also had to get used to dealing with power outages, cold bucket baths and Persian (squat) toilets!

Our course in Social Movements was launched by Smitu Kothari, IHP India Country Coordinator and co-faculty, who flew over from India, where the course will be continued. Our Tanzania coordinator and co-faculty, Fatma Alloo, co-taught the Tanzania portion of the Social Movements course. With our traveling faculty and guest speakers, we also continued our other courses in cultural anthropology, ecology/conservation, economics/development, and environmental policy. We learned about the history of “ujamaa”, Tanzanian socialism, and the ravaging effects of the transition to allow the global market free reign - such as plummeting education and health care, and growing class disparities.

We were joined by a group of about 12 local students for our entire Zanzibar program, which created an interesting dynamic and made the program that much more enriching.
Another interesting aspect of our study in Zanzibar was our visit to three parts of the island in a rotation of three small groups of students. We got to see first hand to what degree various community development projects had made a difference in the lives of people and their environment. We debated to what extent conservation and development can work together. Some of the highlights included looking for dolphins in Kizimkazi, seaweed farming in Jambiani, and getting up close and personal with endemic red colobus monkeys in Jozani. By this time in the trip, many students were dealing with the reality of economic poverty and the associated feelings of guilt or shock. If there is one thing that has been impressed upon us in Tanzania, it has been to use the IHP experience to bring about change in our own countries, especially when a country like the USA has such a strong global influence.

After 2 weeks in Zanzibar, we made the transition from island to mainland via an over-night ferry, where every nook and cranny of the VIP lounge was filled with slumbering IHPers! We then traveled all day by bus, getting a sense of the vastness of Tanzania, until we reached Moshi in the north. During our time there we focused on agriculture, using coffee and sisal production as case studies, and visiting farms and processing factories of both. We realized that farming is done on a relatively small scale compared to the US and UK, and because of this, cooperatives are quite popular. We received unexpected gifts of handmade sisal products (bags, rugs) from the farmers themselves, which reflects the sort of warmth we have felt from our Tanzanian hosts wherever we go.

Next, we were ready for safari! We visited the Oldupai Gorge, where some of the earliest human remains and fossilized footprints have been found, and the Ngorongoro Crater, which is a marvel of nature as a diverse array of wildlife can be found within a huge natural enclosure, making it seem like a zoo! We even had class in the crater, with elephants sauntering by and hawks threatening to rip food out of our hands! Many of us felt conflicted, however, due to the impact of the safari industry with its consumption of the scarce water resources and feeling that we were invading the animals’ space, or because of the history of the park, which involved forcing Maasai off the land they had already helped to conserve for centuries.

In Mto Wa Mbu, close to Lake Manyara, we experienced a bit of cultural tourism on a guided walk through the village. It took us to various artisans abodes (ebony carving, painting using a knife, banana beer making) and gave us a glimpse into both the village history and modern life.

By this point in the program we were feeling the effects of being constantly on the go. We were about to move into the Maasai village of Arkaria, where we would stay for a whole week! We were welcomed by traditional dances and individual hand shaking. For the first 3 days we slept in tents at the main camp in the boma (cluster of family houses) of Alais Morindat, the coordinator for our Maasai program. He is a product of two worlds, as he grew up as a traditional Maasai but received a western education, even traveling to Ireland for further study. It was therefore interesting to discuss the contradictions that one faces living between both cultures. We were all received by our Maasai homestay families for the second 3 nights, where we got a taste of what real life is like in the bomas, and walked through the rolling steppe to our classes at camp in the afternoons. This was both a rewarding and difficult time, not just because of the physical reality of staying in a smoke-filled hut on hard surfaces with crawling bugs, but also because we were grappling with the aspects of this rich culture which subjugated women, including female genital mutilation. Coincidentally, we had the chance to experience a girl’s intitation ceremony during our time in the area. We tried to maintain an open-mind and not judge too harshly; but for many, their own values rose to the forefront and it was an emotionally tense period for the group as a whole. Discussions ensued about cultural relativism vs. universal human rights. We also learned about the central land issues facing the Maasai, such as land being taken away for national parks and game reserves, and the government-enforced “villagisation” process, all of which has critically reduced their mobility as a pastoralist society.

After a special good-bye ceremony involving singing, dancing and blessings, we left exhausted but ready for our vacations! We also said good-bye to David Robertson, our environmental policy traveling co-faculty, who was leaving the program to return to his job in the US.

The vacation was a chance for students to relax, reflect and be independent in Tanzania. Some did safaris in the Serengeti and other national parks, while others returned to Zanzibar, hiked portions of Mt. Kilimanjaro, spent time at swanky resorts or pursued their own individual interests. During her one week internship, Elisa Kreisinger (IHP student) managed to be a contributing writer and do the entire layout for a publication of TAMWA (Tanzania Media Women’s Association), a few copies of which were distributed amongst the students.

We all reunited in Bagamoyo on the coast of Tanzania for our final days of group processing, reflecting upon the Tanzania program and our individual experiences. There is the feeling of family among the group members as we have become more comfortable with each other and have been able to support each other in difficult times. We have also really appreciated Fatma and her assistant Munira for running a well-organized and engaging program!

“I am because you are; you are because I am.” African proverb




England - Letter Home

Composed by IHP Trustees Fellow Heather Crawford with help from Lillian Siegel and Annie Thomas.

September 29 - October 27, 2006

We had a fairly smooth journey across the Atlantic, arriving in London only to be whisked off to Cambridge. After a bit of a chaotic start to the weekend, most of us rented bicycles for our two week stay in the bustling intellectual hub. Although so crammed with bicycles that you could barely find a place to park, sharing the narrow lanes with buses and other vehicles (on the left!) meant we had to keep our wits about us at all times, not to mention when locking them up!

An impromptu field trip by train to the historic Ely Cathedral and surrounding town, guided by our England Coordinator Peter Bunyard, was enjoyed by all on our first full day. The following two weeks were quite intensely academic and theoretical in order to provide some background to the global issues under scrutiny within the local context. Many of our guest speakers were themselves Cambridge University lecturers, and we were honored to have heard from a variety of experts in their fields.

Ideas introduced included: the concept of Gaia - our self-regulating earth, especially in relation to global climate change, a hot topic here in the UK; the impacts of European Union policies under the global free market regime; the British relationship to landscape -aesthetics and values different from our own; biodiversity conservation, and a look into “green” economics. If everyone on the planet consumed the same amount of resources as an average American, we would need about 5 planets. This sobering fact got us thinking about “one planet living”. Are we headed towards a system in which every household’s consumption of resources is limited by a carbon budget in order to halt global warming? Might there even be a personal carbon trading scheme and with the swipe of a card, an amount of carbon is deducted from our yearly allotment?

In addition to learning during our classroom time, an effort was made to get us out and about to soak up some of what Cambridge has to offer – visit to the botanical garden, historical figure scavenger hunt, developing ethnographic interviewing skills, and an investigation of green spaces around town.

Some of the highlights of our free time included punting on the River Cam, buying fresh figs in Market Square, visiting historic pubs, museums and other buildings, sporting events such as rugby, Evensong at King’s College Chapel and getting a glimpse of life in the colleges of Cambridge University. A few even journeyed to London or neighboring towns on the weekend.

Saying good-bye to Cambridge also meant saying good-bye to Corrine, our anthropology professor, who departed for the US at the end of her segment with IHP. A little surprise party was held to let her know she will be missed!

For the second half of our time in England, we journeyed to the county of Cornwall, via an educational stop in Woking, a town which has managed to voluntarily reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40%! In rural Cornwall, amongst the rolling hills and hedgerows, we learned about the distinct Cornish identity, felt the deep sense of history there, and experienced the warmth of our host families - many of them either artists or somehow making their living off the land.

Our education was more experience-based here, with trips to a local dairy farm, a waterfall of spiritual importance, a coppiced woodland and associated sawmill, and the rugged Cornish coastline preserved by the National Land Trust. Our lecturers at the Withiel Village Hall included host families imbuing us with their practical (and spiritual) knowledge of relating to the land, as well as presenters from organizations espousing localization, renewable energies and conservation of culturally-valued landscapes. We even heard from an IHP past student who talked to us about his current ecological studies at Schumacher College.

Many of us did activities with our community hosts in our free time (barn and belly dancing, surfing in freezing cold water, cycling the Camel Trail) or on the weekends, with some interesting trips including Bodmin Moor (with its curious “tors”), Tintagel ruins (of King Arthur fame), the coastal town of St. Ives (increasingly colonized by artists), The Eden Project (huge “biodomes” of exotic ecosystems), and Schumacher College (involving some physical labor clearing out brambles!).

One of the main messages we took from Cornwall is that we are not only part of nature, we are nature, and not separate from it. We also put some serious thought into our individual yearlong projects, churning out the first chapter of four. Lastly, we questioned the very purpose of IHP and its objectives, in order to help us put our lectures into perspective.

This program has already got us thinking, and we challenge you to share this questioning in your own lives in order to be cognizant of your own local actions which affect this global community.



Washington, DC - Letter Home
2006-2007

Composed by IHP Trustees Fellow Heather Crawford with help from the DC team: Alanna Coby, Vera Pfeiffer, Laura Reed, Patrick Rourke, Alyson Sheppard, and Lillian Siegel.

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from IHP: Rethinking Globalization – we made it through the first two weeks!

Our program kicked off with a parent-student reception and slide show “teaser” of the diversity of places the students will be experiencing this year. After some group photographs with the parents, came the heart-wrenching time of good-byes and letting go for the next 8 months.

From then on, we were caught up in a whirlwind of activities to set the stage for our comparative study of the many-sided die of globalization.

First off, the focus was on the group – group building and dynamics, responsibilities of the members of the learning community (students, faculty, coordinators), developing a set of norms to guide our actions. We even created a group “crest” to symbolize our shared values and ideals. Students began to realize that traveling to different countries was not going to be the only culture shock - they had to get used to being part of an inter-dependent traveling community! As people got to know each other, we realized that many of us were connected even before we knew it, with quite a few bizarre coincidences of having mutual friends (even outside the US) and other such connections.

We got a sense of what was ahead from a panel of IHP alumni, and even got to interact with some of them on a more casual basis, such as chatting in a coffee shop, walking around The Mall (federal buildings and museums) and even dancing in a drum circle at a park!

The Adam’s Inn, located in the diverse and “happening” neighborhood of Adam’s Morgan, was a joy to stay at, with good breakfasts, a cozy feel, and nice common areas for doing assignments, eating together or just hanging out. The teachers were a short walk away at the quaint Kalorama Guest House.

The days were packed with classes from faculty, dynamic guest speaker presentations and even field trips to various NGO head offices, The World Bank and its counterpart – The Institute for Policy Studies, and an ethnographic assignment on Capitol Hill, whereby pairs of students got to roam around to find out about some aspect of life on “The Hill”. This assignment led to the fortuitous invitation of our group to the Constituent Tea of Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama. We were able to introduce our group, ask questions, hear their platforms, and even take a group picture at the end.

Throughout the first two weeks, students had to get used to hand-writing papers, and worked in small groups for various presentations -- one of which follows at the end, as it gives a pretty good “flava” of the group’s time in Washington DC! Aside from hard work, we also took advantage of the recreation opportunities around – some of us went to yoga classes, a few played ultimate Frisbee or jogged along Rock Creek Park, and some even did a half day bike ride to Alexandria, Virginia! Some went to hear live music and/or poetry at a few cafés in town, and all of us watched wide-eyed as our economics professor Oliver Froehling showed a documentary on the civil unrest in Oaxaca, Mexico. We hope there will be resolution soon.

Our Washington DC Program Coordinator and anthropology professor, Corrine Glesne, ended our program on a sentimental note with a transition ceremony much appreciated by the students and faculty alike. We all received little decorative bags of a handful of beads from around the world, each with its own story, each a part of Corrine herself and each with a special symbolic meaning – inspiration, hope, love/compassion, intuition and our individual dreams.

Till next time,

Heather Crawford

IHP Trustees Fellow

DC Rap

by Alanna Coby, Vera Pfeiffer, Laura Reed, Patrick Rourke, Alyson Sheppard, Lillian Siegel

So we're on IHP, welcome to DC
We already got a schedule hotta than wasabi
But we're at Adams Inn with country beds and free bread
And we know if we do drugs, Jen Jones will chop off our heads
Went to NGOs, some of us got free clothes
But we gotta find out from where the money flows (yeah)
Mac Chapin says making maps is the key
To indigenous people's sovereignty

Thornhill says reject economic fallacy
To ensure the world's carrying capacity
Conservation biology challenges anthropocentric ideology
James Early said at the Smithsonian
It's a privileged thing to be a global citizen (holla)
All knowledge ends up being relative
And globalization is the reality that we live

Went to Capitol Hill
----It was closed--
But we learned a lot anyway
With our super galactic ethnographic survey
The alums came by to deconstruct paradigms
And tell us all about the great friends that we'll find (yeah)
Oliver's lectures gave us some clues:
Is Scarcity normal or is it produced?
Perhaps a construct of society's use?

We don't know so we go to the World Bank yo
(dubba dubba dubbbyou B)

People all around us dressed up in suits
Look at us suspiciously like we're in cahoots
They say that poverty is the cause of all our pain
But we had a lot of questions that they couldn't explain

They're sticking to the book on each Millennium Goal
But for the farmers and the fisher folk it's swallowin' them whole!

We're talking about accountability at the WB
In order to alleviate disparity
They think poverty is eased by their laws
But Cavanagh says the problem's roots in the cause!
(DEBT- DROP IT LIKE IT'S HOT!)

We're talkin' 'bout problems
We're lookin' for solutions
But all the people want is a GLOBAL REVOLUTION! (Yeah)

--On a local community based grassroots organic sustainable level, of course.