REACHING OUT FOR AUTONOMY
L'article en version française
We already talked about Carsten and Aline in the last article about low-tech. We stayed 5 weeks in the north-east of Belgium with this generous couple. We like their way of life and we want to share this with you.
- BIKE FOR MOVING -
Five years ago, following an accident that seriously damaged their car, Aline and Carsten decided not to repair it or buy a new one. That's when cycling became an important part of their lives. [We would like to point out that they were already sensitive to reducing their use of car before this event]
Bikes ? Ok, but not any of them. They got themselves two 'velos couchés' for strolling and traveling through long distances. Also, Carsten bought a velomobile to go to work every day. (He travels 20 km in 30 minutes 🚀).
Both types of bikes are known for their aerodynamic designs. Indeed, in a lying position, the cyclist has less air resistance. The average velocity of a velomobile is between 30 and 40 km/h, with maximums around 60 km/h. In addition, their ergonomics are designed to make their use as comfortable as possible. They are equipped with a seat with backrest permitting a better sitting position, which make possible to develop more legs strength. Our guests choose bikes with three wheels for more stability.
Likewise, they have a quite large trailer that can be hitched to a bike and has electric assistance. This installation is useful for Aline to carry tools or plants. She has a passion and a job : gardening.
Valuable benefits flow from this way of life. They are not only economical and environmental sides but also a permanent feeling of freedom. Moreover, without a car, the pace of life is slowed, which encourages you to take more time.
This joins the movement of Slow Life which consists of living in full consciousness. We discovered this philosophy as we go and it is exciting. We recommend you to listen this very nice podcast that talk about simplicity in a modern life (in French).
Aline and Carsten choose other means of transport when a difficult situation requires to. They rent a car at an agency, but most of the time, a neighbour, colleague or friend lends one to them, in exchange of money, a tank of fuel or simply for free.
- AN HELPING NETWORK -
After their relocation (with bicycles 🙃) to the city of Baelen, Aline and Carsten registred to a SEL (Local Exchange System) in order to meet new people. This system makes possible the exchange of products and services between people from the same area. The currency used to value things or help is a unit of time. For example, you can help someone with his computer for one hour and you will get 60 LETS, which you can spend on your turn.
With this web platform, Aline exchanges plants and asks help for her garden. Carsten proposes his bicycle repair skills. Our two hosts also offer lessons to learn Esperanto [an international language which is easy to learn, presented as a neutral bridge between cultures].
Next year, Aline will become a referent in this network to support integration of new registrants.
Today, 665 SEL are referenced just in France, I recommend you this link if this system interests you 😏.
- A DESIGNER IN PERMACULTURE -
Aline learned gardening from her grandmother, from experience and from many books that her curiosity crossed
She practices her profession with a network of several gardeners who also practice permaculture. With this organization, they can accept larger projects, think about their design together and implement them quickly.
You can discover some of these achievements on this website.
Behind the passion of Aline, lives the desire to promote biodiversity, to explore all kinds of tastes, colours and uses of different plants, to inspire others to discover all those potential "treasures" and to empower people to a more autonomous life. 💪
- AUTONOMY & CONVIVIALITY-
The subject of autonomy is very important to us. So we will develop it with a little of philosophy. We like to link this idea with the concept of conviviality because, in our opinion, it completes and puts into perspective this subject. We already introduced it in a previous article and here we will detail this concept.
First of all, it should be noted that it has an hispanic origin (con-vivir, live with) used by Ivan Illich in his book "Tools for Conviviality" published in 1973. He apply the term "convivial" for tools of any kind. For example, a bike is a tool, but also school or hospital.
According to Illich, we can talk about a convivial tool when it increases the autonomy of the user and widens his personal action scope. However, it must not create dependence or alienation towards itself, as much for the user or for the society around him.
We can take two classical examples to illustrate these principles: the car and the bike.
The car is categorised as a non-convivial tool. It's quite counterintuitive because, in fact, we think first that it greatly enhances our ability to move. But if we look at the history of its development, we realize a lot of things. It created the distances we are forced to travel every day. By allowing velocity and distance, it has made them unavoidable. It has made itself indispensable compared to other means of transport. Thus it has shaped cities to the detriment of pedestrians and cyclists. We can mention others of its flaws, that overcomes its qualities: it pollutes and kills, it forces us to earn a lot of money to provide fuel and repeair it ... Finally, the reason we must use a car is imposed by the fact that everyone has a car: our society is alienated by the car.
The bicycle, on the other hand, can be described as a convivial tool: it increases the power of action of the user and does not cause any damage to society.
To finish, this concept of conviviality let us see our tools from a new angle so we can measure their abilities to contribute to an independent life.
With Aline and Carsten, we learned a lot of possibilities to evolve our way of life, to live more independently and in accordance with our principles. We thank them again!
------------------------------------
/SOURCE/
Ivan Illich, Tools for Conviality, 1973
------------------------------------
We already talked about Carsten and Aline in the last article about low-tech. We stayed 5 weeks in the north-east of Belgium with this generous couple. We like their way of life and we want to share this with you.
- BIKE FOR MOVING -
Bikes ? Ok, but not any of them. They got themselves two 'velos couchés' for strolling and traveling through long distances. Also, Carsten bought a velomobile to go to work every day. (He travels 20 km in 30 minutes 🚀).
Both types of bikes are known for their aerodynamic designs. Indeed, in a lying position, the cyclist has less air resistance. The average velocity of a velomobile is between 30 and 40 km/h, with maximums around 60 km/h. In addition, their ergonomics are designed to make their use as comfortable as possible. They are equipped with a seat with backrest permitting a better sitting position, which make possible to develop more legs strength. Our guests choose bikes with three wheels for more stability.
Valuable benefits flow from this way of life. They are not only economical and environmental sides but also a permanent feeling of freedom. Moreover, without a car, the pace of life is slowed, which encourages you to take more time.
This joins the movement of Slow Life which consists of living in full consciousness. We discovered this philosophy as we go and it is exciting. We recommend you to listen this very nice podcast that talk about simplicity in a modern life (in French).
Aline and Carsten choose other means of transport when a difficult situation requires to. They rent a car at an agency, but most of the time, a neighbour, colleague or friend lends one to them, in exchange of money, a tank of fuel or simply for free.
- AN HELPING NETWORK -
After their relocation (with bicycles 🙃) to the city of Baelen, Aline and Carsten registred to a SEL (Local Exchange System) in order to meet new people. This system makes possible the exchange of products and services between people from the same area. The currency used to value things or help is a unit of time. For example, you can help someone with his computer for one hour and you will get 60 LETS, which you can spend on your turn.
With this web platform, Aline exchanges plants and asks help for her garden. Carsten proposes his bicycle repair skills. Our two hosts also offer lessons to learn Esperanto [an international language which is easy to learn, presented as a neutral bridge between cultures].
Next year, Aline will become a referent in this network to support integration of new registrants.
Today, 665 SEL are referenced just in France, I recommend you this link if this system interests you 😏.
- A DESIGNER IN PERMACULTURE -
She practices her profession with a network of several gardeners who also practice permaculture. With this organization, they can accept larger projects, think about their design together and implement them quickly.
You can discover some of these achievements on this website.
Behind the passion of Aline, lives the desire to promote biodiversity, to explore all kinds of tastes, colours and uses of different plants, to inspire others to discover all those potential "treasures" and to empower people to a more autonomous life. 💪
- AUTONOMY & CONVIVIALITY-
The subject of autonomy is very important to us. So we will develop it with a little of philosophy. We like to link this idea with the concept of conviviality because, in our opinion, it completes and puts into perspective this subject. We already introduced it in a previous article and here we will detail this concept.
First of all, it should be noted that it has an hispanic origin (con-vivir, live with) used by Ivan Illich in his book "Tools for Conviviality" published in 1973. He apply the term "convivial" for tools of any kind. For example, a bike is a tool, but also school or hospital.
According to Illich, we can talk about a convivial tool when it increases the autonomy of the user and widens his personal action scope. However, it must not create dependence or alienation towards itself, as much for the user or for the society around him.
We can take two classical examples to illustrate these principles: the car and the bike.
The car is categorised as a non-convivial tool. It's quite counterintuitive because, in fact, we think first that it greatly enhances our ability to move. But if we look at the history of its development, we realize a lot of things. It created the distances we are forced to travel every day. By allowing velocity and distance, it has made them unavoidable. It has made itself indispensable compared to other means of transport. Thus it has shaped cities to the detriment of pedestrians and cyclists. We can mention others of its flaws, that overcomes its qualities: it pollutes and kills, it forces us to earn a lot of money to provide fuel and repeair it ... Finally, the reason we must use a car is imposed by the fact that everyone has a car: our society is alienated by the car.
The bicycle, on the other hand, can be described as a convivial tool: it increases the power of action of the user and does not cause any damage to society.
To finish, this concept of conviviality let us see our tools from a new angle so we can measure their abilities to contribute to an independent life.
With Aline and Carsten, we learned a lot of possibilities to evolve our way of life, to live more independently and in accordance with our principles. We thank them again!
Laetitia & Léo
------------------------------------
/SOURCE/
Ivan Illich, Tools for Conviality, 1973
------------------------------------
- BONUS -
 |
| Making a mosquito net for a window |
 |
| The board game "Mysterious" and it's ghost 👻 |
 |
| Harvesting manure with human traction |
 |
| Preparing a kale lactofermentation |
 |
| Claim the climate, Brussels, December 2018 |
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