https://climatenewsnetwork.net/water-man-of-india-makes-rivers-flow-again/
Celebrating Rajendra Singh
Our water hero is from India who planned to bring education to poor communities. As he traveled he was told that it was water that was needed. He devised a way using very small, mud dams, constructed with the people and any debris they could find. Trial and perseverance paid off when after 360 of these little waterways were built (picture a pin ball machine!) they managed to direct the one deluge (which is all some areas get each year_, back into the aquifers.
Mile-wide river beds that had been dry for more than 60 years were returned to a perennial flow and of course the fertility of the banks and land around was restored too. His claim is: As long as we find water in our eyes at the suffering of another, we will be able to solve the water problems of the planet. Also at Harmony Hall, we believe that there is power in compassion and that we just have to care to be effective in our climate actions.
Maybe we don't need education now as much as we need credit, to do the things that need to be done. People can't make changes if they're worrying about survival, we have to get as far back up the Maslov's pyramid of needs as possible. So, although we are educators and farmers and pioneers...what we need are are community banks. Full banks, with the fractional reserve mechanism, with a conservation lending criteria, where earnings, profits and produce sticking around - not flying off to be stashed in an off-shore bank account or sold on a dodgy market.
Spare a thought for the passengers on the Sarah, too. 2000 young bulls sailed to Libya to be slaughtered. The last lot were at sea for 3 months as no one would let them land. The few still alive were shot in the port. None of my heroes or guides would condone that, would yours?
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