Art of Peace Radio Program : Wednesday Evening  at 7-8 pm PST on KCSB 91.9 FM in Santa Barbara, California and streaming live on www.kcsb.org. Program will be posted later on   http://artofpeaceradio.podomatic.com/


Join Philip Le Vasseur of Art of Peace Radio Program on Wed Oct 22, 7-8pm , for an interview  Michel Vital is a nationally renowned architect and green building consultant and volunteer with BUSTAN www.bustan.org   since its inception in 1998.  Michal was one of the team leaders that built BUSTAN's strawbale medical clinic. The Negev is a rocky desert region and fragile environment, it hosts Israel's largest toxic waste dump Romat Hovav, a nuclear power plant, petro-chemical factories, a waste incinerator and other environmental hazards. Local populations already marginalized are particularly vulnerable to health hazards caused by these. Bustan views sustainability in both political and environmental terms and works for common Jewish and Bedouin interests.



MORE INFO ON MICHEL VITAL AND FUNDRAISING TOUR FOR BUSTAN

~Permaculture Around the World Series~
Bustan Sustainable Community Action for Land & People
Working at the Nexus of Social and Environmental Justice in the Negev Region of Israel
 with
Michal Vital

 Michal Vital, Israeli Architect and Eco-builder, speaking about her involvement with the non-profit BUSTAN, in the Negev Desert of Israel. 

        The word "bustan" refers to a fruit-yielding orchard in both Hebrew and Arabic and symbolizes the work of Bustan (www.bustan.org ).  It is a partnership of Jewish and Arab eco-builders, architects, academics, and farmers promoting social and environmental justice in Israel/Palestine with a focus on the Bedouin villages of the Negev Desert.  BUSTAN utilizes the principles of permaculture and non-violent direct action across ethnic divides. 
 
        Founded in 1999, Bustan's first project was a two day festival in the "unrecognized" village of Dreijatt, bringing together hundreds of Bedouin and Jewish Israelis, celebrating cultural diversity, mutual education on history and environmental issues, and collecting signatures for a petition to recognize the village with legal status.  Two months later the village was formerly recognized.  In 2003 Bustan organized five hundred Jewish and Bedouin volunteers to build an entirely sustainable medical clinic in the village of Wadi el Na'am.  This strawbale solar powered structure is featured in the book, "Build Like You Give A Damn", and was nominated for the Aga Khan Award, one of the most prestigious architecture prizes in the world.  At another village a school dump was transformed into a water conserving orchard, while teaching children about local ecology  In 2007 Bustan moved to Beersheva and opened the Green Center and began teaching ongoing permaculture workshops and trainings. Bustan views sustainability in both political and environmental terms and works for common Jewish and Bedouin interests.

        The Negev is a rocky desert region with dusty mountain ranges, dry riverbeds (wadis) and unique deep craters imprinted on the landscape.  It is the  largest, yet most peripheral region of the country, located in southern Israel, and makes up 60% of Israel's land, but only 8% of Israel's population live there.  A fragile environment, it hosts Israel's largest toxic waste dump Romat Hovav, a nuclear power plant, petro-chemical factories, a waste incinerator and other environmental hazards. Local populations already marginalized are particularly vulnerable to health hazards caused by these. Romat Hovav is located near Beersheva, the main city of Negev, and since its opening has had a history of leakages, overflows, and failures.

        Michal Vital is a nationally renowned planner and green building consultant and volunteer with BUSTAN since its inception.  Michal was one of the team leaders that built BUSTAN's strawbale medical clinic, and has planned numerous ecologically friendly buildings throughout the country.  She was the lead teacher of BUSTAN'S first permaculture course. She will be speaking in Santa Monica, Santa Barbara and San Francisco area as part of her Bustan Speaking Tour titled "Permaculture for Justice".


Permaculture (PERMAnent agriCULTURE) is a design system based on ecological principles for creating sustainable human environments.

-end-

Bustan Speaking Tour "Permaculture for Justice". Santa Monica, Santa Barbara  and Walnut Creek  Oct 27-Oct 29 2008

Oct 27, 7pm Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica , on Monday, October 27, 7-9pm, 2008.  No reservations are required, fundraiser donation for BUSTAN $10. For more information please call (323) 667-1330, or email  David Kahn <info@sustainablehabitats.org> Sponsored by Sustainable Habitats. www.sustainablehabitats.org and the Santa Barbara Permaculture Network www.sbpermaculture.org


Oct 28 , 7pm Santa Barbara Public Library, Faulkner Gallery, 40 East Anapamu St, in downtown Santa Barbara, on Tuesday, October 28, 7-9pm, 2008.  No reservations are required, fundraiser donation for BUSTAN $10. For more information please call (805) 962-2571, or email margie@sbpermaculture.org; www.sbpermaculture.org. Sponsored by the Santa Barbara Permaculture Network and Sustainable Habitats.

 October 29th, 6 PM , Walnut Creek.  CA (near San Francisco)  The home of Sergio Lub,  Please email Sergio (sergio@sergiolub.com ) to RSVP and for specific directions$20 and an item for a potluck meal, all proceeds benefit BUSTAN.


Santa Barbara Permaculture Network
   an educational non-profit since 2000
(805) 962-2571
P.O. Box 92156, Santa Barbara, CA 93190
margie@sbpermaculture.org
www.sbpermaculture.org