IMPACT OF LOCAL ALTERNATIVE SOCIETY (LAS) ON THE NEIHGHBOURHOOD

1981- Polish trade Union SolidarityMarshal Law

Emigration to the ”inside”

• The commune of Kamionka• Ten families from the city• Music and drums• Simple life

How many of us is here ?

• 1983 : around 15 members• 1995 : around 100 members• 2009 : around 60 members• 2012 : around 80 members• 2013: 92 members in 9 villages,• 37 houses. 3 small kids , 18 children , 2

retireds, 19 young went away to study or work. Now 6 of the young came back, some of them with their own families and they are building or plan to build their houses.• Most dynamic increase is in villages Bratnik and

Dąbrówka.

Where are we?Two Polands

• Countryside and cities• Huge jump into modern life• Fading away of the traditional culture

Which kind of community are we?

• From inside From outside

1995-Association for The Earth• Integration of LAS families • 15 LAS members at the beginning, at the

moment 9 active and some other people from the region

• Ewa Kozdraj

18 years of being active• Tractor , cb radio network• Youth programs: Social Chronicle, Near To The Stars,

exchanges and many others • Being a GEN member and WAS network• Ecological programs: recykling and composting

programs, anti GMO actions• Cultural initiatives• Human rights programs• Helping to Tibet and Chechen refugies

• www.dlaziemi.org

Justyna Otwinowska• Global cultural flow and presence of new

settlers in Polish countryside 2008”

VALUES• Common values• „agrarist” movement precursor of ecologist• Slow, pacific,optimistic, balanced, simple, conservative life

style • Critic of the quick, materialistic, cosmopolitan city life

Protest against planned toxic waste dumping ground

Opening to the EU• Twin partneship between Kamionka and

Gourin in France 2009

TECHNOLOGIES

• Alternative technologies• Alternative energy sources• Perrmaculture gardens

• EM Technology• Organic waste „Life after life”• Cleaning Lubartów city pond

CULTURE

• High and low culture• Being on television• Music as a bridge

Peace One (or two) Day in Dąbrówka

• Buckwheat Festival

ECONOMICS

• Is work a value by itself ?

• 11 people have a job in town• 6 people are running business• 1 association• 48 freelancers, artists, builders, teachers,

jewelers, designers and many other• 0 farmers

The creation of jobs especially for young

• Association• Village shop• Drum manufacture• EM company

POLITICS• A very stable establishment (concrete)• No involvement in local politics• Recognition for the association

Dąbrówka's specific case• 1989 The Berlin Wall has fallen. Eleven families decided to

build an ecological settlement in Dąbrówka• After 3 years the first house was ready, but from the 11

families there was only 2 left.

Consultation with the villagers about creating a zone for ecological settlement in Dąbrówka 1989

• „Mohicans” are not bad

Same time better same time worse• 2013 Now there is around 10 LAS families, no ecological

settlement, 3 companies, one festival, a strong presence.• New conflicts Peace is a state you have to work for.

New trends • Cooperation with local NGO• The next generation of• settlers works together

SOWASchool of rural settlement