3/28

Everyday life goes on for me, looking after visitors and my kids and projects - but Japan is always in my mind. I would like to be as useful as possible, please don't hesitate to ask/request things of me.

I'm not sure if this is the right kind of tone to take, but I have been thinking about the role that the Sloth Club may be able to play. As I mentioned, I had a good meeting with Helena recently and I like her movie and look forward to promoting it. The tricky part is putting these ideas into political action (which is mostly what Helena seems to be encouraging). I am willing to try to my capacity.

My thoughts are with you and all members of the Sloth Club.

Love, For Life,
anja





*What the Sloth Club Can Do*

The Sloth Club has for over ten years studied, networked and promoted a sustainable culture; now is the time where the Sloth Club and all its members can step forward and offer its ideas, wisdom, encouragement and practical support in response to the ongoing disaster, relief effort and re-building challenge that Japan now faces. Here are a few ideas about the ways I think the Sloth Club may be able to help in the months and years ahead:


1) Provide leadership in empowering democracy. Decision making on behalf of the people of Japan has been full of danger and risk (un-needed nuclear power) with little foresight of long-term consequences. This disaster has shown just how poor communication channels are between corporations, the government and everyday people in Japan. It is time to unplug the nuclear cycle.

2) Encourage a rebuilding effort that models a truly sustainable future; housing that follows ecological design principles, non electric technologies, utilizes domestic plantation timber sources and supports dynamic, resilient and inter-related communities able to set up and manage their own decentralized systems of food, energy and water, promoting a way of life that values connections, not things.


3) Foster and disseminate information about networks that have been studying sustainable lifestyle information for decades; exchanging ideas and practical solutions whether it be Japanese traditional small farming systems permaculture, seedsavers networks, local economy exchange systems, etc.

4) Nurture a meaningful mourning of loss while also encouraging a renewed celebration and commitment to life. Candlenight.

5) This disaster has raised the question of ‘survival’. How much hope, faith and enthusiasm do we have to continue on in the face of suffering and continuing challenges ahead. For those who have survived and who were able to respond immediately to the threat and danger (even by moving away from the burning nuclear reactor while the information given was limited), what is the next step? Let’s provide the supporting network to be able to ask the difficult questions of ourselves and others.