Life in Lock Down at CICD
In this time of the Covid 19 pandemic, we feel privileged here at CICD.
We live as a small community in a safe and rural place with lots of space, indoors as well as outdoors.
The park surrounding the school is big enough for all to spread out in.
To minimize infection risk, we have organised ourselves into 3 separate groups that don't interact with each other and always keep the social distance:
1) The DI group (Volunteers in training + teachers)
2) The Gaia group (the scholarship team + teacher) and
3) The Others (us who are not in a team).
Sticking together apart
We stick together in our groups. We have daily life and meals together, and each group has separate facilities for almost everything (and a schedule for the few things like the gym that all groups need access to).
The students continue with their programme after modifications: studies, practical actions, workshops, gardening, emptying our clothing banks, taking care of their house, etc. We have cancelled all investigations, study trips, visits and Open Days for visitors for the time being - unitl it is again deemed safe to travel and meet people outside your own household. It is unsure when it again will be possible to go to volunteer at Humana People to People's projects in Africa and India – but the teams are pushing on, continuing their training to get ready.
Last weekend one of the groups had organised a common bonfire night in a space big enough to have 3 areas to sit separately in our groups, with the correct social distance …. and we sang together and had a really nice time!
For a sustainable future: organic farming
This spring it has become ever more clear that our society is organised in an unsustainable way.
Our globalised world is completely out of balance.
We depend on all kinds of goods, including our food, constantly being transported between all corners of the world. This system is very destructive for our environment, it is worsening the climate crisis. It also makes people very vulnerable if the trade and transport cannot continue. Then the shelves in the supermarket become empty.
Here at CICD we study and debate these topics, and we take action here at our place. Luckily we have a big garden farm and park to practice in! To learn how to grow your food is one very important skill we need for the future!
One thing is certain: local & small scale food production is the best food production. Here in England it could be possible to feed the population without importing much at all – with plenty of space, and rich soil and water available.
To grow food is to believe in the future!
