Earth
Friendly Energy for Women
Coordinators
Dianne Dyke Coapman & Jae Haggard
In addition
to the obvious wind, solar, and hydro systems, we want to explore other options
ranging from parabolic mirrors to Tesla’s principles.
We will
provide an ever growing physical and online collection of articles,
illustrations and other information.
And, we will
seek out or tailor information so it is more woman-friendly. As we know, everything from seat belts to hand
tools to construction methods (like Earthships) is designed to reflect men’s
perspective, size, proclivity for brute strength, etc. There is no right/ wrong, yet what works for
men is often not at all how women would do it.
We are excited at the possibilities.
Women’s
Affordable & Accessible
Housing Project
Coordinators
Jae Haggard & jody jewdyke
http://outland.pbwiki.com/FrontPage
this is link
to Workshops and Philosophy
(password is YES!)
WE&S is
really excited about the dimensions of this Project and the potential impact on
so many lives. We as women, an overall
low-income group, must have options that are both Affordable and Accessible. We need Healthy housing. We need a supportive environment. The need becomes more pressing as we lose job
security or physical ability and as we age.
In part this
Project was inspired by Jae’s cousin Cindy Froeschle Duehring who succumbed in
her 30ies to organ failure caused by overexposure to dursban and her resulting
Environmental Illness (EI also sometimes called MCS or Multiple Chemical
Sensitivities). Among many amazing
accomplishments and despite total confinement to her sealed home, Cindy was
awarded the Alternate Nobel Prize by the Swedish Parliament for her work on
behalf of the EI community and in publicizing and providing education about the
causes of EI.
Clearly, a
woman cannot fully expand in other areas of her life until she has dependable
food and shelter and a nourishing environment. Just the fear of losing access to shelter and
food can be immobilizing. Housing must
be affordable and accessible to a range of abilities/ disabilities.
It is our
mission to provide Workshops and other experiences so as many women as possible
can hands-on or by example gain the confidence that no matter what happens in
their lives they have the ability to build a simple shelter and provide basic
food.
Just seeing
the woman-built beautiful GuestHouses at Outland can inspire belief in her own
capability in almost any woman. Most
women who helped build our adobe casitas had no previous experience. Our structures and our lives reflect our
Simple Living philosophy.
We believe
that what women lack most is self-confidence and Confidence in Self. Encouraging this Big Self is at the heart of
every WE&S sponsored Workshop and Event. We also consider it important that women
realize they do have the option of living on land if they ever want or need to.
Knowing lands exist that would welcome
new women and believing in the option of access to land living, or living
anywhere it is permissible to erect a simple structure or cabin without interference,
is part of inspiring that I-can-do-it confidence.
Our Workshops
are consciously designed to equally focus on Learning Skills, Personal
Development, Connection, Creativity & Wholeness/ Healing. It is this multi-faceted and broad-spectrum blend
that creates the perfect workshop experience and the most profound opportunity
for changes in attitude, possibilities and dreams.
Core to our
21 Outlandish Women’s Adobe Building
Weeks in 2008 and our 42 total Workshops is a focus on Women Build Our Own Houses. Within that confidence-building total
experience, women learn how to build a cabin through both instruction and
hands-on experience-- basic Construction Principles, Tool Use & Safety
Considerations. Yes, even after one week
and obviously preferably after a longer stay, a woman can return home able to
start her own cabin or other building project. And, the same principles carry over to any
activity or Project that each woman is involved with— assess the need, gather
basic info and then just do it. Smile,
that’s what we call Outlandish thinking.
Accessibility,
both physical and financial, is fundamental to our approach to building. We focus on practices fitting to a woman’s
body. Plus, we stress nontoxic, green
and renewable, at harmony with the Earth. We prioritize affordable materials,
owner-built, methods that women without training can use, and easily
maintained. We encourage mutuality and cooperation, building together rather
than alone.
Other workshops will focus on raising food and other self-sufficiency skills.
