We have had steady growth amidst some surprises and set-backs thanks to the support of our students, members and friends and our determination to move forward! We’re so glad we did!

This Nov. 11, 2011 we will be unveiling our most exciting program yet!   In our new AVENTURAS Preschool Alternative, young children will learn Spanish through eco-cultural field trips, experiences and opportunities for creative expression! Stay tuned!

The film, Carbon Nation, by Peter Byrk, not only educates on this important issue, but it motivates and inspires cooperative action.  It is focused on positive case-studies already in place in the U.S.A. and the small solutions everyday people can be a part of.  Those outside of the U.S. can glean many ideas for their own countries from this showcase of solutions.  We like that it doesn´t go into politics, doesn´t point fingers and is based on real solutions that make sense not just for the environment, but for social justice and economic development too.

Of course, there are always hidden social/ecological/economic nuances to consider in any ¨solution¨(i.e. using food crops for biofuel = food shortages and increased deforestation), but this film is a very good start and should be in the toolkit of any educator or advocate working in the fields of sustainability, renewable energy, and climate change.

Watch the trailer and visit the Carbon Nation film website to learn more by clicking here

Spread the word!

This short film, produced by Producciones 7Filos and Directed by Carmina Valiente is eye-opening and a must-watch for those who love to travel, especially to Baja California, Mexico.  The reality this video portrays is very similar to what is happening throughout Latin America.  Watch it, share it, spread it!

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For more information on responsible ways of traveling to Latin America and beyond, visit the following links:

Sustainable Travel International

Center for Responsible Travel

Responsible-Travel.org 

Ethical Traveler

Volunteer Travel

Por: Manuel Arias

El  teatro del  Centro Cultural   de la Misión para el Arte Latinoamericano (MCCLA) en San Francisco por sus siglas en ingles,  lucio  abarrotado el pasado  3, 4 y 5 de diciembre,  por cientos de personas  que atendieron el llamado  a presenciar  el Primer Festival de Cine Salvadoreño.

Por primera vez, la  incipiente  cinematografía salvadoreña  ocupo  una de las salas más importantes de esta Ciudad, para presentar  16  audiovisuales  dirigidos por artistas visuales salvadoreños  y producidos en  su mayoría en  el territorio  Cuscatleco.

Durante  dos años , el Colectivo Cultural Ana Gómez  conformado por un grupo de salvadoreños amantes de su cultura,  organizaron  este primer festival,   respaldado por  la Coordinación  de Cine y Audiovisuales de la Secretaria  de Cultura  del Gobierno  de El Salvador y por el Centro Cultural de la Mision.

La muestra fue representativa  según dijeron sus organizadores,   puesto que estuvo compuesta por  una variedad de temas, desde locales hasta  universales, entre los  locales podemos mencionar  “La última ofensiva” de José Luis Sanz, “Entre los  Muertos” de Jorge Dalton, “Cuentos de Cipotes” del Museo  de la Palabra,  “Colima” de Audiovisuales de la UCA entre  otros.

El esfuerzo fue sumamente grande, “ya que  durante dos años  trabajamos  voluntariamente en organizar la muestra, sacrificamos a nuestras  familias, nuestros  fines  de semana, vacaciones etc, sin embargo lo hicimos con todo nuestro corazón y amor por nuestro país y nuestra cultura” Aseguro  Dagoberto Argueta, miembro del Colectivo  en mención.

José Luis Sanz, productor  de la película “La Última  Ofensiva” con la que se abrió la muestra cinematográfica  y quien vino  de  El Salvador  para formar parte del  evento, aseguro que la mayoría de los cineastas salvadoreños  se mostraron  muy entusiasmado en participar, al tiempo  que  expreso  sobre los grandes esfuerzos  que estos hacen  para producir  sus historias y sobre todo  en  lograr  que sus trabajos  participen en  festivales internacionales.

Sanz de de origen español pero que reside en El Salvador desde hace 12 anos, participo  en  varios cines fórum, en donde intercambio  opiniones, ideas, información de producción de su película  e inquietudes respecto a su propuesta, en la que analiza la trayectoria de la izquierda salvadoreña  desde el conflicto armado hasta   conseguir llegar a la poder ejecutivo  en las   elecciones  del 2009.

Este director  mantiene una postura bastante critica  sobre  el desempeño que  el Presidente de la Republica Mauricio Funes y  el partido Frente Farabundo Martí FMLN realizan  en lo que va de su gestión, especialmente en aquellos  problemas estructurales  que les heredo  el partido ARENA, quienes gobernaron  el país por más de 20 anos.  Los temores, las esperanzas y las expectativas de los salvadoreños y salvadoreñas   es lo que recoge  Sanz  en su película en donde además  plantea la eterna   polarización entre  la derecha y la izquierda, en la que  el pueblo salvadoreño  está inmerso.

Por otro lado, las  películas   fueron seleccionadas  y adquiridas  por la Coordinación de Cine y Audiovisuales de la Secretaria de Cultura, dirigida  por el cineasta salvadoreño-cubano  Jorge Dalton. El proceso  tomo alrededor de un ano, incluyendo el envío de cada uno de ellas con sus respectivas fichas técnicas  y demás información visual.

The film, Baja All Exclusive – The Other Face of Residential Tourism Developments in Baja California Sur is an important film that showcases the perspective of the laborers, fishing families and local residents of Baja California Sur in relation to the real estate and tourism boom their communities have been experiencing over the last few decades, especially around Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, Mexico.

It joins the growing voices of concern about the economic, social and environmental future of these ¨slices of paradise.¨  It raises important questions and perspectives that must be addressed in order to assure long-term  peace and sustainability for this region.   And at Conexiones, we are finding that the questions raised in Cabo San Lucas, are the same ones that are being raised in Cancún, Costa Rica, Río de Janeiro and other tourism ¨hot spots.¨*

Is mass tourism, and the influx of large resorts & international real estate investments sustainable avenues of economic development for Baja California Sur?

Foto by 7FilosProducciones

How are the local people being affected by the rapid changes occurring in their homeland as their communities receive a large influx of foreign visitors and international real estate investors?

How are the marine and coastal ecosystems holding up in the face of construction of new marinas and golf courses, an increased rate of sports fishing, and other tourism-related activities?

Baja All Exclusive, The Other Face of Residential Tourism Developments in Baja California Sur is an investigative documentary film by Carmina Valiente which attempts to answer these questions. It clearly exposes some of the ecological and social impacts of this type of projects in this area.

Although the economic development provided by the large influx of foreign real estate investors and tourists is significant to the local economy, upon deeper investigation, it is clear that the benefits have not been equal for everyone.  The blue collar employment opportunities provided are cyclical and transitory, contributing to a migratory workforce.  Meanwhile, the sedentary income-generating activities that have historically sustained the local people are increasingly threatened as local fishermen lose public access to the beaches and local ranchers lose their land to armed squatters hired by developers to invade desirable coastal lands.

On the ecological side of things, dozens of large-scale resort-residential developments are built over thousands of acres of coastline, and there is no statewide or region-wide plan or vision to assure that this massive growth is environmentally sustainable.  The Gulf of California or The Sea of Cortez is known for being one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world and there is increasing concern over what the building of marinas and the massification of the tourism sector will do to these fragile ecosystems.

There is also a very important chapter in this film about the lack of natural resources available in this arid land to support a large number of visitors and new residents, especially when it comes to fresh water.  Many Baja Californians lack access to potable water due to its scarcity, yet dozens of exclusive-use golf courses are continuously watered and many more are planned to be built in the next 5-10 years.

The developers and investors who build these huge residential-resort developments are able to receive a large return on their investment within a few years of building it and researchers have found that they then move on to the next ¨undiscovered¨ destination.  They have no incentive to worry about what the long-term impacts of their actions will have on the society or ecology of the area.  The ones that will end up holding the ball will be those who purchase the condos along with the local people.   Thus, this film provides very important information to seasonal visitors to Baja California and particularly, for buyers of real estate, who are predominantly baby boomers and sailors from the U.S. purchasing seasonal homes next to the ocean.

7Filos Producciones, in partnership with Instituto Conexiones, has a fundraising goal of $7000 to finish production of the English version ($1750), and to recruit its U.S. publicity team & develop a solid diffusion strategy for U.S. demographic groups that should see this film ($5250).

There are many ways to support this work and get involved:

• CONTRIBUTE WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT TODAY!
• Donate your time and expertise, especially in the areas of marketing and communications.
• Come to our upcoming fundraising event in San Francisco at Nectar Lounge on Oct. 21, 2010

7Filos Producciones and Instituto Conexiones wish to follow up this film with a sequel that showcases positive case studies from throughout Latin America of how tourism and residential-resort developments can happen in a responsible and sustainable way, as there is no denying that it is a vital and important source of economic growth with much potential for sustainability if done with a triple bottom line economic model in place  - we are especially looking for cases of foreigners and locals working and thriving together – equitably, peacefully and sustainably.

*  See the film, Quebrando los Huevos de Oro, funded by the Center for Responsible Travel, which is a similar film about the impacts of foreign-controlled tourism developments on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.  Also, read their study, Impact of Tourism Related Development on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica – click here.

Related link of interest:

U.S. Retirement Trends in Mexico´s Coastal Communities

Residential Tourism:  (De) Constructing Paradise by Mason R. McWatters

Education Nation: To be Globally Competitive, We Must be Globally Competent
Justin van Fleet and Rebecca Winthrop
September 29, 2010
This week, NBC News launched “Education Nation” in an attempt to engage the public in thoughtful dialogue about how to provide every American with the “best education in the world.” Rebecca Winthrop and Justin van Fleet argue that if the United States aspires to have a world-class education system, then we must educate young people to be global citizens. Global competency skills are necessary so that young people can invent a future that appropriately addresses global challenges.

To view the full page, Click Here

BROOKINGS
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20036
» Visit the new Brookings.edu

San Francisco Green Drinks
October 5th
“Fall Forward Into Action”

Hello Green Drinkers!

Check out the Bay Area Green Calendar for local, green events!

Please join us next Tuesday, October 5th for San Francisco Green Drinks!

In a year of ups and downs in the struggle to protect our planet, we come into the Fall season with the need to fall forward. Fall is a season of change, of preparation, and a season to embrace what’s to come. Recently there has been a renewed commitment toward organizing and taking action around the planet’s environmental crisis. Those actions can include: going green, volunteering, making decisions about purchases and partnerships, education and sharing with others, living by example, and voting. With just weeks to go in a critical election, we are given another great opportunity to effect change. At this month’s Green Drinks we encourage you to discuss with others what’s environmentally important to you and what you are doing to take action this Fall.

October Sponsor: Earth Island Institute

Earth Island Institute established the Brower Youth Awards to honor founder and legendary activist David R. Brower. The Brower Youth Awards recognizes six young people in North America annually for their outstanding activism and achievements in the fields of environmental and environmental justice advocacy. The winners of the award receive a $3,000 cash prize, a trip to California for the award ceremony and wilderness camping trip, and ongoing access to resources and opportunities to further their work at Earth Island Institute. Please join us in honoring six bold young environmental leaders on Tuesday October 19, 2010 at the historic Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, CA. VIP Tickets to the Opening Reception in the Green Room (5:30-7:15pm) are available here: eii.org/bya/VIPtix Reserve your spot today for the Free Awards Ceremony in the Herbst Theatre (7pm doors. 7:30-9pm ceremony). eii.org/bya/ceremonyregistration

October Partners: Herbs America and Bioneers

Herbs America works directly with botanists, tribal leaders, universities, and laboratories to cultivate and research traditional medicines which are found to be beneficial for both humans and the land. Our goal is to bring equitability to small farming operations in developing countries and support indigenous populations in their efforts of preserving culture and environment while at the same time supporting agrarian economies. See also our line Amazon Therapeutic Laboratories, which works for the preservation of rainforest and to uphold the intellectual property rights of native healers and their traditional medicines. www.herbs-america.com

Bioneers, a global nonprofit educational organization that highlights breakthrough solutions for restoring people and the planet, will hold its 21st annual conference at the Marin Center in San Rafael, California on October 15-17, 2010. The Bioneers Conference features experts and innovators in areas including conservation, climate change, food and farming, technology, and social justice, who work to solve the world’s most urgent social and environmental challenges. Speakers include Jane Goodall, Ph.D., DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace; Dr. James Hansen, head of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies; and Gary Hirshberg, co-founder and CEO of Stonyfield Farm. From how mushrooms can save the world to how Google Earth is protecting tropical forests, the solutions that come from the Bioneers Conference are fostering positive change and building local communities. Register today! www.bioneers.org/conference

Event Details

Date: Tuesday, October 5th
Location: 111 Minna Gallery
Time: 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Bring: Please bring your green flyers, announcements, job postings, etc for the Community Board. And of course, bring your business cards!
Safety: Please be safe when coming to/from SFGD. If you would like someone to walk you to your bus/train stop or car, please let a greeter know. As always, please designate a driver if driving.
Cost: FREE!

ENTERTAINMENT

5:30 – 7:30pm
DJ Signe Bray (Caltech DJ Club) Crafting up smooth and delicious downtempo beats.

7:30 – 9:30pm
DJ Bodhi (Caltech DJ Club) Spinning glitchy downtempo, dub, house, and indie-dance.

DRINK SPECIALS BY HERBS AMERICA

Vitali-C – $7
Amazonian Camu Camu juice (world’s highest source Vitamin C) w/ immune and energy support herbs. Mixed with Peruvian Pisco.

Brain Juice – $7
Hawaiian Noni juice (exceptional antioxidant) w/ herbs promoting brain cognition and mental clarity. Mixed with Peruvian Pisco.

Community

* Post your green event on the Bay Area Green Calendar for free!

* SF Green Drinks is on LinkedIn. Connect with other environmental professionals.

* SF Green Drinks is on Facebook. Please join the group ‘San Francisco Green Drinks’ for additional resources and information.

* SF Green Drinks is booking out Sponsors and Community Partners for 2011. If you or someone you know is interested in connecting with our community, please get in touch!

See you on the 5th!

- The Green Drinks Team
Aaron, Bryan, Kailani, Lori and Missi