- INTRODUCTION:
There is a saying that learning process has no ending, as learning is an essential process for everyone. The basic philosophy of the 4-element Agricultural Learning Center is when everybody keeps learning and shares what they know to other people, without wanting to compete with one another, the societies may be peaceful and everyone can live in harmony.
The 4-element agriculture is a natural practice that everyone can simply use in their daily life. As the basic elements of earth, water, air and fire are crucial for the existence of all living beings on earth. Misuse of the elements or inability to put it into practice, it would cause to lose the full value.
Definition of the 4-element agriculture
All the living beings; humans, animals, plants has at least one of these four elements; earth, water, air and fire varying in uncertain proposition. To work with this type of agriculture, we must have knowledge of the 4 elements and be able to classify the main element of each plant and how to grow them in the same pit, while we also have to live our life according to religious principles.
Philosophy of the 4-element agriculture
We grow our own food in a sufficient amount which will be enough for family consumption. There should be happiness also during the process and do it slowly. There is no rush in this agriculture; however, the work should be progressing as time passes. And more importantly, there is no need to think about the investment, fertilizer, or hiring extra labors as we have to make sure that it suits our lifestyle and financial capacity. We don’t need to think about money as long as we are happy with it.
Basic classification of plants’ elements
There are many ways to identify the plants’ element. And a few simple ways are to observe its taste, and where each of the plant grows and its characteristic, for instance.
- Project background:
The 4-Element Agricultural Learning Center or known in Thai as Kraset Tad Si is located in Khao Phra sub-district, Rattapoom district in Songkhla province, Southern Thailand. This small Muslim community has been living there and relying on natural resources from the watershed area of Khao Phra Mountain. For the community, villagers have created their own principles and commitment between humans and nature that every villager has equal right to share and use what exists in the forest in order to support their families, and in the meantime, they must maintain the richness of the natural resources.
Regards to this learning center, right now, there are about 45 team members involved in the center’s activities. Their roles are various from local wisdom teachers to activist assistants. The local folk wisdom has been created since many generations ago. It has been sustained and adapted based on relations between community and nature or among humans. The methods of doing this kind of harmonious agriculture, nature-friendly preservation, taking benefits from the natural resources in a non-harmful way , or even establishing a group of villagers for natural resources management have been the results from their long-term relations with the nature. The community members realized the importance of the nature and that it should be well-preserved and taken care of, in order to maintain the community’s survival.
First collaboration with Kraset Tad Si Learning Center
In 2013, with hospitality of the team members in the 4-Element Agricultural Learning Center, we had the opportunity to hold a seminar for our long-term volunteers at their place. We got a deeper understanding of their aims and activities as well as how the center functions. We exchanged our aims and ideas of how we could support each other. As a result, a decision was made that we agreed to collaborate in order to support their community and their aims to preserve and educate on precious local folk wisdom. In turns, international volunteers who have interest in self-reliant agriculture and nature preservation can also learn a lot during their participation.
Aims of Kraset Tad Si Learning Center
To learn and support the inheritance of the 4-element agriculture methods and other local folk wisdom from this community
To support this place to be a learning space for the community members and outsiders
To acknowledge the community youths about various existing local folk wisdom and knowledge in their own community
- Volunteers’ Activities:
As formerly discussed with the learning center’s responsible people, there are these activities volunteers can contribute to this Learning Center as follows:
Construction/renovation work, to build a residence for future DaLaa long-term volunteers and help repair other buildings at the Learning Center.
Learning by doing, to learn methods of the 4-element agriculture as well as assist to take care of all flora grown in the Learning Center.
Non-formal Educational activities, to give knowledge in all various aspects where volunteers can contribute with the community kids and youths. For example, volunteer can organize activities relating to educational support such as mind enhancement, nature protection topics and non-formal English language classes at the community school and/or in the evenings at the Learning Center.
- ACCOMMODATION:
Volunteers will stay in the Center’s Thai-style residences.
- PARTICIPATION FEE:
7,500 Baht (approx. 190 Euro) to be paid upon arrival.
- LOCATION:
Rattopoom district, Songkhla province, Southern Thailand.
- MEETING POINT:
Thursday 14th of August, 2014 at 10 o'clock in the morning at Hat Yai train station.