Expected Outcomes

Vision

Take part in developing an example of a (local) sustainable lifestyle or community where people live in peace and harmony with themselves, each other, and their environment.

This vision seems more valid now than any time ever, as the current crisis is showing us what the other way looks like. I rephrased this vision to be centered around the practice not the place. I’m not sure whether achieving this would be possible in Syria sometime in the future or it will force me to seek it elsewhere. I’m also not sure if it will take radical changes at some point or will come smoothly and graduall. Nothing is clear right now, but hopefully the road will reveal itslef along the way.

 Mission

• Spreading knowledge on permaculture
• promoting sustainable solutions to real-life issues using local examples.
• Patrix busting

 Strategic objectives:

•  Building my technical and personal capacities as permaculture teacher and designer
• Apply changes into my life to better reflect my vision
• Building ties (relationships, partnerships) with like-minded people to work together as group
• Prototyping permaculture in local context
• Give help to others in breaking free from the patrix system

Urban Agriculture:

Achieved:

Growing plants in small containers in my house over around 1.5 years  has so far provided me with valuable experiences on plants types and needs. This is great achievement compared to the baseline level I started from which is 0.

Planned:

• documenting the experiences that I have collected so far,
• receiving  more profound knowledge from experts and developing a plan for my learning path accordingly,

• starting activities for promoting urban agriculture in my city. Options include: a small-scale initiative with a group of activists including myself on providing UA training and establishing networks for exchanging knowledge, and a full scale project to be launched and funded by international organizations.

Composting:

Achieved:

The finished parts of the research paper  contain in-depth knowledge on aerobic composting fundamentals and various techniques. Challenging this knowledge when explaining composting to others or discussing it with experts is the indicator on my progress here.  

On the practical level my experiments were poorly organized and lacked proper follow up and documentation. Yet they provided me with a clear sense on how to work and what potential issues might face me, for example: amount and type of kitchen waste and how quickly they accumulate,  insect  and odor issues, finding proper place for the bins, what not to add to pile.. after attending a one-day training on organic agriculture and composting, I think I am ready now to start new experiments

Planned:

• Improving my understanding of anaerobic composting especially on comparison between aerobic and anaerobic composting
• Better designed experiments with proper documentation and presentation of results.
• Sharing this knowledge by using various tools including: presentation, online and paper publishing, giving training sessions, and facebook networks.
• Completing the research paper  

 Starting from September 2013, I started attending a training programme funded by my organization GEF SGP, and targeting active NGOs in Damascus.

https://sgp.undp.org/index.php?option=com_sgpprojects&view=projectdetail&id=18287&Itemid=205

The aim of this programme was to build capacities of the trainee NGOs to a professional level to be able to receive and utilize international aid money which is starting to pour into Syria. Training modules included: strategic planning, project management, social marketing, reporting, archiving, human resources management, and risk management among others. The training was a great opportunity for me not only for improving my own knowledge on the training subjects, but also to become in direct contact with active NGOs on the ground, understand the incredible amount of work they do for providing aid to people, and the challenges they face, and build new relationships and ties that will be beneficial on both work and personal levels.

From September 2013 till now I have attended 8 out of the 11 modules. Attendance was heavy during the first three months . currently I am only attending what I missed during the first round.

My career life is meeting a huge crossroads this year. The organization GEF SGP I work with is considering closing their offices in Syria by June and my current work contract will expire then. I appealed for reversing this decision, but all I got from the management was a promise that they will re-assess the decision by March based on developments of the situation in Syria.

Meanwhile I received an informal offer from our hosting organization, UNDP, to work closely with their early recovery and livelihoods programme, especially on contacting NGOs and developing project ideas, which is the type of work I do in my current position.

Losing my current job would be painful for me. I like it very much because it’s so relevant to the vision I stated above, because it’s all about supporting local communities to protect their environment. Working under this programme also is highly flexible, although intensive. It’s more of field rather than office work. the potentials would be great if the programme continues. If I receive more authority I would be able to direct grant making toward mainstreaming permaculture techniques and provide good examples for others to follow.

Otherwise, I will have to start looking for another job, hoping that I will be able to find an opportunity that will not distract me off my course and force me to compromise my permaculture path.