Towards Aims and Objectives

On 15.July we (Brian, Helen, Lee, myself) had a meeting in Brian's house to focus on aims and objectives.

Here is a summary:

Since we were meeting on 15 July Helen, Reinhold, Lee and Brian discussed the principles of the River's Project and Reinhold typed in notes. What follows are not definitive conclusions. Brian benefitted fom seeing Lee and Helen's notes they worked in isolation and sent these by early next morning.

My Rivers Project Notes (Brainstorming)

The rivers project is dedicated to creating awareness of climate change.

The people who are part in the rivers project are very concerned with climate change and its causes.

Integral community involvement

Who: Individuals that can be defined by roles, occupations, what they like to offer

Committed Supportive organisation:
Pontefract Press
Leeds Metropolitan University
Barnsley Northern College

We are an international federation of groups and individuals who correspond and support each other using email and come together for major projects … collaboration …

Main rationale: climate change awareness

Type of projects: Writing, Painting, Photography, Videa, Power Point Crafts, Creative Technology, Science of Climate, Water Technology and so on, and on

We are about Artistic and social Cultures and sharing models of practise. We are a Vehicle for exchanges

Global perspectives: rivers in different places

Disadvantage and inequality

Rather than concentrating on places and issues, we have concentrated on rivers, for we believe that many of the social whatevers.. can be looked-at from the rivers’ perspective

We are not concentrating on specific places but on rivers for they contain a variety of settlements and geo-physical….

We are seeking Harmony, not domination, Harmony and unity

The process is the core and the process can be located in art, creative technology, science but also in poetry, storytelling, gossip.

Rivers projects need not reference any central organisation
Organisations do not need to register with any central organisation
Relies on email, blog
Autonomous for individuals who choose to collaborate

A rivers project exists when individuals choose to collaborate.

This is for people who are concerned about climate change and wish to create environmental and social harmony by taking action using creative arts, technology, and science

We are international, although in the initial stages we saw the benefits of linking Gujarat with Yorkshire. Since the, other countries and rivers from other parts of the country have come into the program.

In 2009 the Rivers Project won an Award in the category "Climate Change" as judged the Yorkshire Post.
Environmental Agency ... for a joint project between groups …

The project started out linking organisations in Gujarat and Yorkshire.

Jean-Paul Sartre: 'In the case of absence of certainty action should take the place of speculative thought.'

HELEN'S RESPONSE

Thank you Reinhold for this and also to Lee and Brian for our discussions. It is lovely to read all those thoughts, that we expressed individually and as a group. There is something intangible about the ‘spirit’ of the project that becomes more tangible though no less poetic when reading this collection of statements and thoughts.

I particularly like the process part – and this is what makes it tangible and intangible at once isn’t it?

‘Rather than concentrating on places and issues, we have concentrated on rivers, for we believe that many of the social whatevers.. can be looked-at from the rivers’ perspective’.

This reminds me of something Falguni said about listening to rivers. I think she was right about some of the answers to local and global problems - they can be found through sharing information ideas approaches skills and knowledge, and for that we need to learn how to listen and maybe listening to rivers is a good place to start

Best wishes

HELEN

LEE'S RESPONSE

The Rivers Projects exist when autonomous individuals choose to collaborate and take action in the united concern over climate change. This goal is facilitated by the desire to create environmental and social harmony through using the arts, creative technology and science.

Rather than concentrating on places and issues, the focus is on the theme of rivers. For those participating in The Rivers Projects, the adopted basic principal would be that the river of any given locality could transcend fragile social boundaries through the unifying ideology of environmental concern and education.

The core of The Rivers Projects is in the processes and actions undertaken by its members, and so there is no central organisation, and there is also no need for The Rivers Projects to register with any central organisation. Its members are a networked group that support and collaborate through their projects.

The Rivers Projects started out linking organisations in Gujarat and Yorkshire, and in 2009 received a climate change award (sponsored by the Environment Agency) from the Yorkshire Post. Since then, projects have become international as well as expanding to more rivers in the UK.