It’s been a long hot and very dry summer in South Dakota. Despite temperatures reaching over 100 degrees F and no rain, we grew some wonderful produce in our garden. Onions, parsley, collard greens and eggplants were bountiful while other choice veggies have been in sufficient supply but could have been better. Our main focus however, has been our light straw clay, home/office project. Construction began on June 15 and has been going non stop since then. A number of short visits from large groups made the project possible. While at times we have struggled just to keep things going with one to three of us, the days when we had groups of 5,10 and even up to 35 people (for 4 days) kept the pace manageable. One of the hard things about a project like this is to match up labor with critical points in construction. One phase is dependent on the next being completed. This week for example we are pressed to finish packing the walls with straw and clay so that when help arrives on Monday (Sept 17) we can start installing the roof!
Spring II Session
GSLL 1517 – Community-Based Organizing
Taking a practical “hands-on” perspective, this course will explore the theories, tools, styles and challenges of community-based organizing. It will discuss practical strategies for developing community leadership and working with marginalized communities, exploring the ideas and examples from Evo Morales, Paulo Freire, Saul Alinsky, Sub-Comandante Marcos, the Bridge Immigrant Rights experiment and Martin Heidegger.
