If you were to get up and walk to the sink and turn on the faucet, there is a pretty damn good chance that water will come out. And if it didn’t you’d be surprised to say the least, more likely pissed off and annoyed at the inconvenience. You’d then wonder who is to blame for this unacceptable turn of events. I mean it is your god given right as a human being to expect water to come out of the tap when you need it….right?
Well…..Salaam Alaykum. Welcome to Jordan.
It doesn’t work like that here.
Not where I am anyway, sitting in a former Palestinian Refugee camp 400 meters below sea level. In the Jordan Valley, the lowest place on earth. Yep that’s right the ocean is 400 meters above my head. I’m currently working on the Jordan Valley Permaculture Project started by Geoff and Nadia Lawton. The intention of the project is to create a Permaculture demonstration site/education center that will enable local residents to replicate the techniques in their homes and add a layer of security that no arsenal of modern weaponry can touch.
The city water turns on maybe twice a week. So everyone has tanks on the roof they fill when it does. And if you run out then you either buy in a truckload or do without. Yeah do without in an area with average yearly rainfall of 200 mm, and temperatures in the summer of 50 degrees celsius (122 Fahrenheit) lets see the residents of Los Angeles or New York City deal with that.
I’ve been here for 3 weeks now and perspective shift is an extreme understatement. It is quite literally another world here. Just like southeast asia is another world, the middle east is another world. Another culture, another language, another way of life. There are different ways one must conduct themselves, especially when it comes to male and female interactions. You can save your women’s lib comments, the women here don’t want to hear it. On the outside it seems that the women are repressed and forced to cover up. In reality its all done for their protection, the hijab (or covering up) is a personal choice for a woman and serves to protect their modesty and dignity. You see, when a woman is covered, even in male company she can be perceived for her spiritual qualities and her personality, over her physical appearance. the hijab is also for for the men’s benefit. As they say, a man cannot resist looking at a pretty women so the women cover up to save the men bad credit. Oh and a respectful man would never approach a strange woman, you get one look for free and that’s it, if she wants to approach you then you can talk to her. Basically to be safe you spend a lot of time staring at the ground.
Its a far cry from the demonized portrayal we get on the local news back in the states and in most of the western world. Speaking of which a prime example is the War on Gaza. I can only imagine the tired attempt at reporting the news stations back home are doing. Watching the news here you get a bit of a different story. First off on the BBC they say 1000 Palestinians DIED, and 13 Israelis KILLED. on Aljazeera they say 1000 Palestinians KILLED, 13 Israelis KILLED. So what does the BBC think those thousand Palestinians died of? Cancer?!
On tv you hear “Israel is not targeting civilians” on tv I see Schools and UN buildings, yes thats right United Nations Buildings used as safe houses for women and children destroyed by Israeli air-strikes.
We could go on all day, but sitting here, eating dinner, made to feel like part of the family. Then watching these atrocities on the tv and thinking, jesus christ, this house, these people, these smiling kids are the same ones losing limbs, losing family members, losing any hope at a dignified existence.
So this project here in Jordan, whose population is one half displaced Palestinian refugees, is a real, practical, on the ground attempt at basic human security. Clean water, healthy food, appropriate energy technology, and proper waste management. Something no political leadership can provide.
And a special note for all those change-aholics ga ga for Obama. I’m glad to have a president that doesn’t speak like a moron now, but sorry to burst your bubble, REAL change starts from the bottom up not the top down. That day has long since passed. So if you want to participate in REAL change then please feel free to donate to the project, click here for a break down of items needed. Its tax deductible, so do something positive with those tax dollars before Uncle Sam gets them. We know what that sponsors.
wanna see more pictures now? Ok just one more thing before we go….
Check your over-sanitized, toilet paper wiping, isn’t it dangerous, what about Al Qaeda?, bullshit at the door and come along for a ride. I promise its an experience you never knew you needed.
cheers, Masalama
Eric Seider
for more pics click here
Can you please explain the soaking of plastic manure bags (in your picasa image gallery)? That plastic desintegrates eventually?
Its just a way of temporarily containing the moisture and nutrients of the soaked manure for the tree to use as it grows. To help prevent it from just leeching away into the ground.
“Check your over-sanitized, toilet paper wiping, isn’t it dangerous, what about Al Queda?, bullshit at the door and come along for a ride.”
you sound like a real delight, i’ll be right over.
Hey Greg,
Sorry if my candor is to much for your delicate sensibilities. If you want candy coating, sprinkles and a cherry on top maybe you better try an ice cream sundae instead.
cheers, thanks for reading.
Hi Eric, good post. I didn’t realise you waxed so poetic online. It’s a harsh environment after the Channon. Completely different problems to solve outside of the obvious environmental ones. I look forward to seeing more posts. Take care.
What in the world could be more reasonable, humanitarian, merciful, stable, secured, spiritual, profitable… than a project like this one!! I can’t really think of any similar complete package. Really, what could be better than an opportunity to saving humanity and healing life!!
I do really wish it goes the way it’s meant to be.
I’m about to book in a couple of days for the PDC course held in Al Jawfa, Dead Sea Valley area in western Jordan next October ISA. I’m excited and looking forward to joining the good work there.
Tanks Eric and God bless,,,
Salaam,
Tarek
That is great!! This is really where the work is needed. Keep it up!
I wonder — what do locals think about the Greening the Desert project that’s so famous worldwide?
Dear Eric,
“You can save your women’s lib comments, the women here don’t want to hear it.” Perhaps you can save your chauvinistic comments for yourself. Women here don’t want to hear it.
“On the outside it seems that the women are repressed and forced to cover up. In reality its all done for their protection…”
Really, who exactly is it you think they need protection from? American and Israeli bombs and bullets aren’t stopped by fabric.
“the hijab (or covering up) is a personal choice for a woman…”
Are you suggesting that a hijab is like a magical artifact that prevents harassment and rape? Maybe it seems that way because women who CHOOSE not to wear one are targeted for rape and it is socially accepted because by not covering up ‘she was asking for it’.
“…and serves to protect their modesty and dignity.”
Why is a woman’s skin undignified? Is their hair offensive to God who made them in His own image? Modesty, is a way of living that is not ostentatious, not hidding under a cloth.
“You see, when a woman is covered, even in male company she can be perceived for her spiritual qualities and her personality, over her physical appearance.”
This one is great. Are men so enslaved by their penises that they can’t see the woman for the tits? I find it interesting that the very men who require the women in their family to go about in a hijab are the same who invented courtly love and poems about the fabled beauty of their intended.
“the hijab is also for for the men’s benefit. As they say, a man cannot resist looking at a pretty women so the women cover up to save the men bad credit.”
Maybe the men should be wearing the head gear then. More victim blaming, pure and simple.
“Oh and a respectful man would never approach a strange woman, you get one look for free and that’s it, if she wants to approach you then you can talk to her. Basically to be safe you spend a lot of time staring at the ground.”
Maybe you should bring this attitude back home with you. You will find most western women don’t appreciate being harassed by strangers in the street. Check out the everyday sexism project for an idea of what that feels like.
Finally, let me just add how disappointed to see such a bullshit post associated with the wonderful project initiated by the lawtons in yemen. Expected more from you moderator.
Can only agree with Suzana. Reality check needed indeed….
Wow you opened a can of worms there. It seems that the feminists are determined to destroy all sense of traditional roles which leaves many men castrated in this society… feminism was created as social engineering to destroy the family and strong male roles to enable the schools to raise our children. more strong words I guess… I don’t want to live in a genderless society myself… I want to have strong traditional women and men both.Without strong women respecting strong men our real enemy the patriarchy wins and the children lose…… our not too distant future holds the promise of sexless worker bees serving the elite… It would be good to find ways within all cultures to more deeply respect and honor both men and women and their unique differences.. sorry if my views are unpopular.
Dear Sam,
your views are not unpopular, just bigoted. That why feminism is necessary because, sooooo many chauvinists exist and are currently exercising a huge backlash against all our hard won equalities. Women make up more than half of the population of the Earth and being a feminist just means I believe this part of humanity has just as much right to self affirmation as the other.
If women demanding to be free and equal in all things makes you feel like you are being castrated, maybe you should revisit what it is that makes you a man. Do you need to feel superior and in control of someone else’s life to feel manly? I am so sorry for your very weak self esteem that allows you to feel good about yourself only when you a make a woman feel like she is less than you.
Feminism was not “created”, it is a movement of people, mostly women, who are not willing to take abuse from people who seem to think they have the right to define what the role of a woman should be. I have children and a husband too. My husband is the most supportive person in my life and he thinks strong women who can think and do for themselves are very attractive. He is also completely disgusted with the idea that our daughter is a second class person! Go figure, my husband is a man who is a feminist, and I am a feminist who doesn’t hate men! I only hate injustice, repression and the opression ‘traditionalists’ justify under the guise of ‘family values’. Do you have a family? Do you teach the women in it to ‘know their place’?
Do you know what the word patriarchy means? The Oxford Dictionary Online defines it as “a system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is reckoned through the male line; a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it.” You are confused I’m sure when you say that women need to take on traditional roles or the patriarchy wins.
The most probable future doesn’t hold sexless worker bees! Where do you get this from? It holds masses of hungry people that could be greatly reduced in number by the feminist goal of equality and education for all. Statistical evidence shows that the more emancipated the woman the least children she is likely to have. The future is also filled with toxic waste because in the capitalist view the famility unit where the wife stays at home is the ideal spending unit. He works, she spends. Maslow argues that when people self actualise they become healthier on all fronts and make for a happier and more productive society. If rich western women were allowed self actualisation by means other than consumption or vicarious living through celebraties, etc they would buy a lot less shit.
Finally I agree that it would be good to find respect for both men and women and their differences in all cultures. Men don’t need to feel disrespected, only to understand that respect is not owed to you. YOU MUST EARN IT by respecting women first, since we are the ones on the receiving end. Also men must rethink what respect is because some of the things you may find disrespectful are from our point of view our right as sentient living creatures to exercise. My husband is like a permaculture farmer, he doesn’t impose his will on the wife/land. But listens carefully and quietly in order to understand what she needs so that it may bear a bountiful harvest of happy family and balanced children (who, by the way, love going to school).