The residents of Cuba provided the world with a wonderful
demonstration of how people can rise to a challenge and win. The film “The
Power of Community” tells their story, of how they went from an oil dependent nation
to a community that grew food in every possible location, using innovation to
substitute for imported oil.
Residents of the SW of England achieved protection for their
culture, and their environment by insisting on very strict planning regulations,
coupled with sensible public and environmental health rules that continued to
ensure safety in food production but unleashed a previously untapped resource
in the micro-businesses that create local food and farm gate sales.
But even careful councils can come unstuck, especially if
they try to do anything in secret;
To exercise our power we need to harness our problem solving
skills, together.
In his TED talk on cognitive surplus Clay Shirky first gives
us an example of real world computer supported cooperative working, and then
explains why the old fashioned method of trying to shape behavioural change by
merely slapping a charge on everything has been shown to be ineffective.
The often unwanted side effects of a “user pays” mentality is
a very important message for us, here in this shire, at this time. With a
greater number of visitors and absentee owners we have to face some tough
questions. As regards the issue of waste charges the rural land owner must
anticipate how they might be affected. In other countries high costs of waste
disposal have resulted in serious problems for farmers. We cannot lock up our
land, and if we did the rural road verges would suffer. We already have a huge
problem of visitors dumping bags of waste alongside the roads in Karridale, it
can only get worse if transfer stations are closed, or costs increase.
Another relatively recent charge is the ESL. Does paying the ESL break a social contract that used to
exist in this high risk area? There was an unwritten rule of rural life that said
we all have a duty to behave responsibly and take care of the group. The
professionalization of the emergency services saw the banning of community
support, in the form of food and drinks delivered to the brigade members as
they were actively fighting the fires. This was supposed to protect people but
did this actually damage our capacity to feel involved, to be a cohesive group, even if
we could only fill flasks and cut sandwiches? Did it place us at a psychological
distance from the bush fire risk?
I think it did.
We are a now multi-cultural society.
The traditional culture here was rural, a sustainable,
self-sufficient style of living that many residents have enjoyed, here or
somewhere very similar, for the whole of their lives. They have understood the
rural culture of reciprocity; they have lived at a distance from any support in
times of trouble or emergency and know the importance of neighbours. They know
that physically there are jobs that need more hands, more heft, than one family
can manage. They know, inherently, that although we may not all like each other
we will help each other.
Today we have another metro-centric culture imposing its
views on the traditional. The conflict may not always be recognised as a clash
of cultures but that is fundamentally what is occurring. Additional friction comes from
the overlay of minor influences that straddle the two, such as the greenies who can sometimes fail to recognise that the farmers have created a wonderful landscape here,
but overall the major clash is between the two main cultures.
One culture based on reciprocity the other based on cash.
Even if you disagree with everything I observe please do give Clay Shirky a few minutes
of your time. He also touches on the difference between communal and civic which
is a message worth pondering as you potter through the day.
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