Earth Rights Institute - Odi Green City Project

Odi Green City Project
(Model for sustainable development )
Odi Ecovillage Brochure (371K PDF file)

Clearing the Site for Odi Ecovillage Center, March 24, 2004

Odi Ecovillage Living And Learning Center
Introduction Odi Ecovillage Living and Learning Center is the beginning phase of the Odi Green City Project. The Center is an affiliate of Earth Rights Institute, a US-based member of the EcoEarth Alliance, a worldwide UN NGO Partnership Initiative, and the Henry George Institute of New York, USA. While institutionally based in Odi, Bayelsa State of Nigeria, the Center will seek to 'twine' with as many universities around the world as possible. The Center will aim to promote and assist holistic sustainable community development programs while serving as a point of attraction for the wider society. The Center will partner with GEN and other ecovillages around the world to achieve its objectives.
The Odi Ecovillage Movement at the moment is composed of 13 local based environmentalistS - all based in Odi supported by a group of high level personalities which form the Internatioal Advisory Council (See appendix for the full membership list/profile). The Odi L and L Centre welcomes technical/financial support from well meaing corporate organizations as well as from members of the Global Ecovillge Network.

Vision Statement For The L & L Center

The goal is to create an intentional sustainable community by reversing the gradual disintegration of our supportive socio-cultural structures and the upsurge of destructive environmental practices that threaten to drown us and to uplift our living standard to create a harmonious synthesis between tradition and modernism without endangering nature.

Strategy And Work Plan

This proposal requests three years of support for the pilot activities to translate the noble vision above into reality. There will be training sessions for the local heads of the various commissions highlighted below which will take place at the Living and Learning Centre in Odi.

First Year Work Plan

The first phase of the L and L Centre in the first year will be site preparation/landscaping, design and construction of the Ecocentre/ecobuilding.

Second Year

The second year which will be for consolidation will see the various commissions being fully operational while focussing on training/capacity building.

Third Year

Third year will be for total project evaluation and possible replication in other communities around the state and the country.

Landscaping/ Ecohouse Design And Construction

The land measuring approximately one hectare will have the following features that will reflect true eco-design. Building materials will be sourced locally as much as possible. Mud briicks wwould be used in the construction while the roof will be tiles made from coconut fibres,mud and a mixture of mortar for cohesiveness. The construction will be community driven rather than being contractor-driven. This will greatly reduce the overall cost of construction.

Structure 1 - This structure will house the main office, the internet centre, lecture room, library, and quiet/meditation room.

Structure 2 - This structure will house up to 10 private living units, shared living spaces, laundry room, toilets and shower rooms.

Structure 3 - Here will be the kitchen, restaurant/dining room, the pantry and the work centre (capentry,engineering works etc).

Project 4 - This will form more of the landscape. We have the fish pond measuring approximately 100 x 80 metre, an open air cafe under the trees,demonstration permaculture garden, animal (chickens,goats,ducks etc) field, paved walkways and park benches and woodland glade. These will give visitors the much needed ecovillage ambience.

SITUATION REPORT

Site of approximately one hectare have already been secured in Odi for the Ecocentre and the Odi Ecolillage members have begun clearing the site on volunteer basis.

COMMISSIONS

The following commissions will form the platform upon which the Center intends to operate to achieve its objectives.

ENERGY

PERMACULTURE (Organic Agriculture)

WATER MANAGEMENT

MICRO-ENTERPRISE / EMPLOYMENT CREATION

AQUACULTURE

ECOTOURISM

INFORMATION-TECHNOLOGY(Internet-connectivity/Tele-Centre)

EDUCATIONAL DIMENSIONS

HOLISTIC HEALTH

RESTORATION/CONSERVATION

Strategy And Work Plan

Energy

With the availability of ample sun, the main energy component for the ecobuilding/ecocentre will be solar power. Being a tropical region, solar cells can provide for all electricity needs. However, the possibility of generating wind energy would be explored which may result in co-generation. Surplus electricity can be sold to interested neighbors outside the Center. This would be a good income generating facility as the area lacks dependable electricity supply as is not connected to the national grid which gets its energy source by thermal hydro-production.

Permaculture (organic agriculture)

The Center will produce organic and naturally produced food crops, fish and animals as opposed to the current government support of biotechnology (genetically modified crops) and other environmentally risky, job-destroying technology and promote organic food production. The Center will not just be content with self-sufficiency in organic food production but will seek to supply local market as well. There will be research on how to grow major food crops and fish locally to the region to increase output, embark on conservation of scarce crop varieties in other to create a resource bank.

Orchards Planting disease resistant varieties (oranges, pear, mango, guava, etc.), proper site selection, and establishing plant guilds of certain bulbs spike root plants, insectary and nitrogen fixing plants and interplanting of leguminous trees all contribute to a successful organic orchard. Poultry have several functions in organic orchards in that they scavenge most soft fruits that drop (any larvae or pupae of pests), help control ground covers, provide natural manorial turnover for trees, and self forage seed and greens. They also reduce the incidence of orchard pests such as codling moth and fruit fly.

Vegetable, Herb & Flower Gardens These will be found in carefully selected areas throughout the L & L. Center landscape. All will be grown by organic methods.

Sylvaculture The wood land of the Center is much ideal for small ecovillage sylvaculture. Tree species that are present on the site include African nutmeg, African breadfruit, star apple, palm trees, raffia palms, etc., which will supply material for crafts and other uses.

Water Management

This is a wetland region noted for its abundant fresh water resource all the year round free from any biological contamination. A simple shallow well will be enough to guarantee adequate water supply for all uses at the Center. The toilet facilities will therefore be the water system.

Micro-Enterprise / Employment Creation

As the Center will be greatly involved in promoting ecotourism, the economy will be broad based and regional. For example, the center will run a commercial restaurant, operate chalets for visitors, take gate fees for its fishing festival that will be integrated with several cultural activities, run a food establishment and craft Shops, operate an Internet café, sell organic foods, produce natural fruit juices for sale and possibly operate a small bakery. All these are income and employment generating enterprises. There will also be a micro-credit facilities in form of small loan services to place loans at the disposal of community members in order to support growing companies. These would be services and activities which have ethical and social goals linked to the ideals of eco-redevelopment.

Aquaculture

There will one very large and several smaller fish ponds at the ecocentre. This will serve multi-purposes. The large pond will have fishes of different species stocked and nurtured and would be harvested once a year as part of the ecotourism program tagged "Odi Ecovillage Fishing Festival." Both tourists and those who would do the actual fishing would be required to pay gate fees. The festival would be widely publicized to invite people from far and near just like the Argungu Fishing Festival in Kebbi, northern Nigeria that nets in over N70 million annually. The other ponds would serve as a water source for bees and birds and the production of edible fish for the center. Park benches would be positioned strategically round the ponds to act as points for visitors to recline and to have quiet time.

Ecotourism

The town of Odi is noted for its vibrant cultural ceremonies. The annual Ogori Ba Uge festival during the month of July lasting a period of seven days, records over 100,000 thousand visitors annually from across the state, Nigeria and abroad. This attractive prospect would be harnessed to better advantage of the center by attracting and inviting visitors there to enjoy ecovillage hospitalities and traditional cooked food in the restaurants and gift shops. In addition, the proposed Odi ecovillage fishing festival to be organized between the months of February and March will no doubt help to spread the concept of ecovillage development widely and to become a veritable source of revenues and incomes for the sustainability of the Living and Learning Center, the community and state.

Information-Technology (Internet connectivity/Tele-Centre)

Ecovillage cannot afford to be isolated from today's information society in order to resist globalization. Communication is key to the success or failure of any organization. The Center will therefore be connected to the Internet to be used freely interns at the center while a commercial cybercafe will serve non members. There will also be a telecenter that would provide both local and short international telephone services to customers for a nominal fees for sustainability of the center. The Center will use printed material (flyers, brochures, newsletters, magazines, books) video tapes, slides/pictures and folders as part of its communications tools to create enlightenment and awareness.

Educational Dimensions

Construction Phase Workshop Opportunities The Center will provide educational opportunities on several levels. Initially, the building of the Ecohouse can offer training and workshops for owner/builders, officials, and local apprenticeship programs in the area of alternative building practices and materials and use of recycled environmentally sensitive materials to create healthy, nontoxic housing. Permaculture design workshops can also be held on site as part of the planning process for the center.

Local Language The center will strongly advocate that the local native ijaw language be taught in both primary and secondary schools in the state to preserve and maintain its purity. For now it is sad to note that the language is slipping away at an alarming rate. Needless, to say that the ijaw language is almost extinct. Many locals find if hard to fluently speak the language. Vitally important!!!

Geoclassical Economics - There will be classes on Geoclassical Economics in line with the Georgist paradigm in collaboration with the Henry George Institute of New York for students who decide to enroll (in courses such as) Fundamental Economics, Applied Economics, Land Value Recapture, and use of GIS (Geographic Indicator Systems) technology.

Adult Education Training The Center will seek to encourage adults, who desire to be literate to enroll for classes. l A strong focus will be the promotion of women and girl child literacy and education.

Ecovillage Training As the center develops and the Ecohouse, basic-permacultureal-landscaping components and the human ecology enable creative and cohesive community interactions, the Ecovillage Training Center aspect will come into play.

The center's Ecovillage Training Director will consult with such organizations as the Living Routes and other members of the Global Ecovillage Network to a diverse and integrated set of ecovillage based educational programs that empower participants to help build a sustainable future. Living Routes is working closely with a consortium of ecovillages, academic institutions, and other organizations to create these globally connected yet regionally developed programs.

It is anticipated that the Center will develop its Ecovillage Training Program in association with neighboring colleges and universities so that students can receive educational credits and certificates. The program at the center could be closely integrated with ongoing, related course works that students are taking at these centers of learning. By linking the developmental priorities of the Ecocentre, and partnering schools, these programs will help students and their sponsoring colleges become significant players in developing societal models that help restore a healthy relationships to our planet and to each other. This educational approach can be augmented with distance learning courses and through Internet linkages among students and ecovillage around the world.

Skills Acquisition The Living and Learning Center will provide numerous other oopportunities for skill development., such as programs on computer literacy and repairs especially for techno-savy youths and training for environmentally safe and healthy smoked fish drying methods for sale in the communities and for potential fair trade exports to Africans in Diaspora around the world.

Research, Development and Demonstration An integral part of Living Routes vision is to develop a network of research, development and demonstration (RD&D). Site focusing on appropriate technologies and permaculture designs (a whole systems approach to developing sustainable habitats) in the context of sustainable social systems. Research projects that compare technologies and practices across participating ecovillage and campuses will provide outstanding educational opportunities for students, vital inputs for ecovillage and campus development, and excellent venues for educating the broader public.

Initially, the RD&D program will focus on assessing sustainable developments in current ecovillages through "ecological foot printing," carbon indexing, and other methods that measure our impact on the earth. It would also assist ecovillage in developing strategic plans for optimizing their future development as living and learning centers.

Later, students and ecovillage will participate in the design, implementation, monitoring and comparative analysis of numerous technologies and practices such as solar green houses, passive refrigeration systems, super efficient stoves and ovens, ecological waste water treatments, hydrogen energy systems, solar hot water systems, organic food production and watershed restoration.

Students will apply this same spirit of research, experimentation and innovation to the more "social" technologies such as consensus decision making, voluntary simplicity, educational modules, and conflict resolution. This complimentary balance between social strategies and physical infrastructure will be one of the foundations of all the educational programs. Apprenticeship programs could include organic food production, natural building, the fundamentals of permaculture, ecovillage design, energy and resource conservation, social and community skills, and the economics of sustainability. This vision will be embraced by the center.

Holistic Health

The multidimensional nature of the human being requires an equally multidimensional approach to health and healing. Holistic health practices are an integral aspect of the emerging ecovillage culture. Living in the Ecohouse and in daily contact with the natural world would support the soundness and stability of body, mind and spirit. Some of the inhabitants of the center will likely take an interest in developing their capacities and abilities in various holistic health modalities such as reflexology, herbology, massage therapy, nutrition, jogging and psycho synthesis. The center will also promote research and enlightenment on such issues as traditional birth practices and malnutrition especially among children.

Restoration / Conservation

The center will also be actively involved in restoration projects with other organizations such as Trees For Tomorrow, and Wetlands International. The conservation of our endangered animal wildlife species like the African elephant, fishes and bird species such as the Africa Gray parrots found in the aqua fauna and jungles contiguous to the site of the center would be advocated for.

Budget Narrative And Budget Summary

ThIs budget narrative and the budget will first detail the separate operating and projected annual activities costs of Odi Ecovillage and specifically of the Ecocentre (L and L Centre) in summary form. The various commission projects will then be described and costed as separate modules, combining funds for raw materials, infrastucture and equpment. Full costing details will only be made available upon request. The aim of this presentation SYSTEM is to encourage donors to sponsor these activities/projects according to their own development priorities. The costings are done in both the Nigerian currency and the UD dollar.

First Year Required Funding

Budget For Landscaping/ Ecohouse Design And Construction

* Cost of Building and design of the ecostructures/materials/furniture
N4,538,500.00 ------ US$31,300.00

It is hoped that this project will be completed and put to use in the first year.

Second / Third Year Funding Requirement

This second funding installment is to cover the remaining two years that will jump-start to functioning of the different commissions at the ecocentre and which will place the project solidly on the path of absolute self sustainability.

BUDGET NARRATIVE AND BUDGET FOR EACH COMMISSION

Fixed Operating and Annual Activities Costs
BUDGET -- N60,000.00 per month x 24 -- N1,440,000.00 - $ 9,932.00

This include administative costs as well as honoraria for resource specialists and other expenses asociated with holding training programmes.

RENEWABLE ENERGY --Solar energy instalaton/application -- N2,537,500.00 -$17,500.00

PERMACULTURE -- Training and seeds procurement - N1,667,500.00 --$11,500.00

AQUACULTURE -- Development of the Centre's fish pond - N1,160,000.00 ------ $8,000.00

INFO. TECHNOLOGY (Internet Connectivity/equipment)- -- N2,700.000.00 --- $18,620.69

WATER MANAGEMENT ------------ N2,900,000.00 --- $20,000.00

EDUCATIONAL DIMENSIONS ------- N1,400,000.00 --- $9,655.17

ECOTOURISM ------------- N870.000.00 --- $6,000.00

MICRO-ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT --- N 5,075,000.00 --- $35,000.00

HOLISTIC HEALTH ----------- N 2,175.000.00 ---- $ 15,000.00

RESTORATION/CONSERVATION ---- N5,075,000.00 -- $35,000.00

TOTAL - NIGERIAN CURRENCY - BUDGET FOR NEXT TWO YEARS - N27,000,000.00 (TWENTY - SEVEN MILLION NAIRA ONLY )
US DOLARS EQUIVALENT - $186,206.89 ( ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SIX THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED AND SIX DOLLARS, EIGHTY-NINE CENTS

BUDGET SUMMARY ;

FIRST YEAR FUNDING INSTALLMENT

N4,538.500.00 ------ US$31,300.00

SECOND AND THIRD YEAR FUNDING INSTALLMENT

N27,000,000.00 - $186,206.89

GRAND TOTAL N31,538.500.00 --$217,506,89 ( FOR THREE YEARS FUNDING)

PROJECT EVALUATION - Evaluation method will take the format of the strategy and work plan outlined above. The overall success of the project will be indicated by how sustainable the ecocentre becomes three years, as well as its impact on the host community and contigiuous towns. Experienced researchers will be invited to partake in the evaluation process.

APPENDIX - PROJECT TEAM

ODI ECOVILLAGE MOVEMENT MEMBERS

Mr. Gordon Abiama ( Director and leader in environmental justice)

Mr. Sambo Cookie ( Environmental rights advocate)

Mrs Rose Ebiere Abiama ( Accountant and Environmentalist)

Mr. Clement Kereme ( Odi Community Development Council Chairman)

Mrs Erebi Koripamo Eson(Odi Women leader and secondary school teacher in Odi)

Ms Juliana Collins( Odi Local Government Council staff)

Ms Ayibapreye Pele-ebimo ( Odi Local Govt Council staff and environmentalist)

Mr Truman Abiama, ( Principal, Government Secondary School, Odi)

Ms Doris Udisi ( Primary School teacher in Odi)

Mr Power Erazer ( A good hubter and security man)

Mrs Imomotimi Gopregha ( Odi Local Govt Council Staff)

Ms Victoria Imbazi ( Odi Local Government worker)

Chief Asiapere Troy Odom (Agriculturist and Community Leader)

Below Are Members Of The International Advisory Council (Iac) For Odi Ecovillage Project:

Mr. Francis Udisi (Project Coordinator, USA)

Ms. Alanna Hartzok ( USA - Director, Earth Rights Institute and UN NGO Representative and Environmentalist)

Dr Sami Ebiye ( Educationist - Dean, College of Education, Ph, Nigeria and Odi Community Leader )

Dr. H. Zibokere ( Odi Community Leader and Educationist)

Ms. Annie Goeke ( International Environmentalist, Co-Director, Earth Rights Institute, USA)

Mr. Gordon Abiama ( Director, Africa Centre for Geoclassical Economics - Facilitating Organization in Bayelsa State, Nigeria)

Mr. Jonathan Dawson (Executive Secretary - Global Ecovillage Network and Findhorn, Scotland Community Leader and Community Based Businesses Specialist)

Dr. Osita Udisi (Odi Community Leader / Farmer)

Mrs. Christy Adokiye (International Educationist and Gender Rights Activist)

Mr. Solomon Apreala (Commissiner for Finance, Bayelsa State Government)

Prof. Heather Remoff (Author, Educationist and Anthropogist - USA)

Dr. Lindy Davies - (Economist, Teacher and Green Business Advocate)

Prof. Marian Zeitlin (Director, CRESP, Senegal And Ecovillage Specialist)

Mr. Paul Metz (International Environmental and Appropriate Technology Consultant, UK-based)

Prof. John Cecil Buseri (Vice Chancellor, Niger Delta University, Nigeria)

Dr. (Rev.) Prosper Ayawei (Senior Adviser to Bayelsa State Executive Governor on NGOs and Donor Agencies)

http://www.earthrights.net/ecovillages/odi/greencityplan.html