Global Swadeshi and Dadamac June 20, 2010
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Hi Vinay
I'm attracted to Global Swadeshi because it's your site and it's about sustainability. therefore I feel it's a kind of possible stepping off point for some of the ideas we discussed, soon after our first meeting, about trying things out in rural Nigeria, especially at Attachab eco-village http://www.dadamac.net/projects/attachab. I remain convinced that rural Nigeria is an excellent place to try things out for the reasons I outlined in a related blog post on street lighting http://www.dadamac.net/blog/20091015/pam-we-want-street-lights .
I have to admit that I don't actually make much use of Swadeshi in its present form, but would be sorry to see its community cease to exist. I think online communities of genuine shared interest are precious and not to be abandoned lightly. Having said that then I feel I should make a practical suggestion.
I agree with the people who don't like Nings very much, and I don't like Facebook much either. That's why I'm trying to build something more to my liking for the Dadamac community (using Drupal) something that really fits our human network and our information flows. What I'm building is still in its infancy - because resources are limited and I'm not a techie - but when it is done it will work comfortably for our community.
Andy Broomfield is helping me and has a good idea of the direction I am hoping to go. You might like to have a conversation with him about it, to see if it is of any interest to you. . I am making an online space for various Dadamac groups, and that space could perhaps serve other groups freely as well (as long as they are not too active and thus adding to our costs). Maybe Global Swadeshi would like to come over and join us at some point.
At the moment, all you will see at dadamac.net is the start of a website, but much more is going on behind the scenes (regarding both the dadamac community and dadamac.net). All will become visible in due course. Please ask Andy about it.
I love the clarity of your ideas, the "six ways to die" etc. I think there is scope for useful practical explorations of some of those ideas in the context of Attachab and Dadamac, (and I believe that lessons learned there could well feed back home into local sustainability ideas and actions here in UK and elsewhere). I would welcome any ways of working in closer collaboration.
Pam