About CFAWSA
Aims
Community Food and Water Security Australia (CFAWSA)
is an initiative to encourage grassroots community participation in food and water security issues, debates and projects.
The aim is to encourage people to spend at least one hour a month doing research or participating in group meetings to build our understanding of these issues.
The Foodwater.org.au website is a tool to open up this process of
"active community collaboration research."
Launch
CFAWSA was launched with a 13-page submission
to the Victorian Government on the "Draft Northern Region Water
Strategy" on 12 December 2008. This submission acts as a "primer" on
the major Food and Water issues facing Victoria and Australia. The
often alarming set of major issues requires ongoing investigation and monitoring by community groups and private citizens.
Founder/Convener
The CFAWSA "concept" was developed by Chris Poynton (Environmental Researcher cp.org.au).
Chris has lived in Central Victoria since 2006 and found there
was no readily available organisation or policy framework in place to
tackle the true depth of the Food and Water crisis unfolding in the
north of Victoria and across the Murray Darling Basin.
Legalities
"CFAWSA" exists as a Registered
Business Name in the state of Victoria. Both it, and the domain name
"foodwater.org.au" are registered to Chris Poynton as a sole trader.
This intellectual property may be transferred to a "not-for-profit"
legal structure at some point in the future.
Finances
The projects and goals identified by CFAWSA can be tackled in
partnership with individuals, groups and existing organisations. Partnerships with
tax-deductible not-for-profit organisations and businesses will be established as
necessary. Enquiries are welcomed.
The future
Chris hopes that the CFAWSA documents and "Foodwater" website may
encourage others who would seriously like to tackle to the issues of
food
and water security in Australia. Co-ordination and "working from the
same page" can be a remarkable thing.
An emergency ... or ... emerge and see ?
May this be a period of audacious and
creative collaboration ...
Secure access to food and water
underpins a stable society.
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Part of the reason why CFAWSA came into being ...
I sat
at a round table with a senior opposition member of the Victorian
Parliament. It was late at night, after a community drought conference
... a small handful of people he knew, chatting casually. Some had had
a few drinks. It was late 2006.
A fellow who worked in a
government department asked the MP ... "so what policies do you have
ready if there is no rain and we have a total failure of agriculture in
the north of the state?"
The MP said "we don't have any policies for that ... there is nothing you can do in a situation like that".
I can only hope that something has changed in the years since these words were spoken!
- Chris |
I tend to favour
talking in small groups ...
using a talking stick.
This sets a new groove
of respect and calm.
An example of
such a process is
"The Jellyfish Protocol"
ONE PAGE SUMMARY
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