Try to translate the news from Pamela

Thank you very much Pamela. It's really good to know that they are okay. I really appreciate it!

Let me try to translate the main information to English (do correct me if I do it wrongly):

The whole area in Alishan is without electricity and tap-water. Many base-stations (for telephone) have down, so it's difficult to get connection to the inside. Thank you very much for all your concern.

• Mr. Tang Councilor and his son: all family members are fine, but his son's field was destroyed by landslide.
• The principle and his wife: all family members are fine. The roads in Le-ye are badly destroyed. Now the road to Shi-zuo can fairly be used.
• Li-jia Mr. An and Mr. Yang: the whole family stay in the community centre. Mr. An unable check on his tea fields due to the bad roads. Mr. Yang's field is destroyed by the landslide.
• People in Da-bang and Shin-Mei is still unable to be contacted.
  
  

still crossing my finger,

M.E.

莫拉克颱風，看見無力的部落

莫拉克颱風，看見無力的部落


作者：浦忠勇(茶山國小校長 )

8月8日這一天，鄒族特富野社一年一度的小米祭還在進行（今年祭儀時間是7到9日），莫拉克就重創部落，鄒族頭目汪念月還在準備最後的祝神儀式，就聽到他回家的路中斷了，部落頭目和其他人一樣，有家歸不得，許多來自別村，還有來自外地特別趕回家參加小米收穫祭的族人，外地友人和遊客，研究生，至今已被迫留在部落第5天，大家戲稱，這樣的留客天很難得，很無奈，也很誇張。

更慘的是，頭目的家就在儀式結束的當晚發生地層滑動，野溪暴漲，進而發生土石流，把頭目的家沖走了一大半，隔壁有3戶族人，房子全毀，就在風雨之夜，帶著家人大小，半夜匆忙撤離家園，徒步走了4、5個小時，回到部落親人家，暫時安住，經過鄉長的家，我聽到有位族人哽咽地說：「鄉長，我們的家全完了！」。

頭目之前動過手術，行動不便，如果他當天也回到家，結果也許更慘，很難想像在風雨之夜這位老人如何能安然度過。

這樣一夜之間失去家園的族人據說是幾十戶人家（資訊很亂，統計持續進行中），損失難以估計，這些暫時被安置的族人認為，莫拉克颱風，讓他們的財產一切歸零，面對這樣的災害，無助，無奈也無力，他們最希望明天就能天晴，可以開始重建家園，但大雨仍然持續。

每條道路柔腸寸斷，阿里山部落水泥橋可能毀了一半以上，來吉部落7座水泥橋全被沖毀，知名的達娜伊谷自然生態公園山美大橋和景觀吊橋，也無法倖免，各村各鄰之間無法聯繫，也很難無法相互支援，有人自嘲，不只是村村變成孤島，是鄰鄰都成了孤島。

自己身為國小校長（特富野部落，阿里山鄉茶山國小），要回到學校之路，40公里長的山路，路基沖毀的不算，斷橋就有7座，水勢大，路難行，上班之路變得遙遠，而且至今仍然無法預期何時可以到達校園，在山下也無法回校的主任問我，何時到學校處理校務，我說，等路搶通再說，只期待開學前希望能把重要校務處理好。

部落停電，電話系統繁忙不穩定，許多同樣被風雨困在部落的族人，包括那些無家可歸的族人，總會聚集在部落的某個角落，想法子多聽到一些災情消息，也希望知道聯絡道路何時搶通，自己的部落族人會流連在稱為「八卦街」的村落小徑上，這裏有雜貨店，小吃店，也有剛開幕的走廊咖啡和庫巴咖啡，大家在這裏可以互通部落八卦，相互取暖，喝喝小酒，吃愛玉，或者點一杯咖啡，聊聊部落是非，八卦街，成了風雨期間族人暫時安頓身心、忘卻煩惱的地方。

部落族人最常提起的，甚至感到氣憤難平的話題，是曾文溪整治工程、攔沙霸、野溪整治、土地超限利用、生態永續、氣象預報準確度以及這次怎麼也聯絡不上的阿里山鄉防災中心，提到這些，族人總是義憤填膺，似乎想要揪出這回環境災難的元凶。

生態工法，特富野部落溪流剛完成的整治工程，施工設計強調景觀和生態工法，如利用景觀護坡、階梯式河道、梳子霸等工法，把曾文溪支流整理得美侖美奐，類似親水公園，這樣的整治工程，相信花了不少納稅人的錢，但這回颱風全被土石淹埋，沒有留下任何整治遺蹟。部落族人怨，「這裏的河川整治進行了三四十年，從小看到大，結果是愈整愈爛，錢花了不計其數，整治效果也歸零，「環境工程為什麼都不會考慮環境變遷的因素？我們的工程施作單位、設計人員到底出了什麼問題？！」

阿里山鄒族人沿著曾文溪建立部落，河川和部落是生命共同體，但攔沙霸將大量土石攔下，讓河床升高、加寬，破壞原有的水流水脈，也破壞河川的生物多樣性，更阻斷了部落和河川的親蜜關係，原本是好山好水，今天卻成了窮山惡水，每年颱風一來，山洪跟進，就在寬廣的河床間，像是猛獸一般亂竄亂咬，結果河床每年更高更寬，造成更多的土石流，也沖毀部落的聯外道路，甚至把族人的家園良田帶走。

部落族人怨，「為了保護曾文水庫的蓄水，也為了維持曾文風景區的明媚風光，「住在集水區的部落族人，卻要年年忍受窮山惡水的威脅，「社會公平何在？生態永續何在？工程施作單位和設計人員的專業和良知又何在？！」

每到大風雨一來，部落/外界都會檢討水土保持、土地利用等等生態永續的議題，但風雨一過，土地的超限利用型態，仍然持續進行，部落族人和工程人員，幾乎都成了環境生態的殺手共犯。

11日，已經是災害的第5天，村長邀集部落年輕人共同修築水管，搭便橋，送物質給缺糧的災民，安置受災戶，聯絡外界支援，包括需要搭直升機的病患、嬰兒、遊客、學生以及需要回公司機關上班的人，雨仍然在下，但看到部落又一次的集結，協力動工，完成部落救災第一現場工作，這樣的部落協力，也許在無助與無力之中，燃起新的希望火苗。

本人也困在部落，也回不了離部落不遠的家，利用發電機的有限電力發送這些災地的第一手資料。

早上孩子們的救援物資早上在大家的協助下，完成補給任務。孩子們的同學共11位，已經讓他們的家長擔心不已，道路無法通行，也許要安排這些學生搭直升機下山。

文章出處:環境資訊電子報‧

Campers reunion

Dear all,

Before Eric goes back to the US in Aug 23, I would like to invite all of you to have dinner in Taipei. Eric and me, we are available in the evening of 8/18-8/20. Hope to get your reply asap.

Miracle

more Videos and Pictures

Dear all,

I have got some videos and pictures linkage from the members of the first ‘youth travel around Taiwan’ group, 7/28 - 7/30.

http://photo.pchome.com.tw/chiangleyi/0172/ (The password is 1234)

2009寒假遊學台灣拉拉巫雅第一梯次實錄
遊學台灣拉拉巫雅樂野部落巡禮第一梯次1
遊學台灣拉拉巫雅樂野部落巡禮第一梯次2
遊學台灣拉拉巫雅樂野部落巡禮第一梯次3
遊學台灣拉拉巫雅樂野部落巡禮第一梯次4
遊學台灣拉拉巫雅樂野部落巡禮第一梯次5
遊學台灣拉拉巫雅樂野部落巡禮第一梯次6

Hope you will enjoy it!

Miracle

Hey, I used Picasa too!

Hi guys and gals,

Here're my URLs. The difference with the one Miracle post on is, I have plenty of time to write down description on each pictures ^.^

http://picasaweb.google.com/MariaE.Yang/MANNAWorkcampJuly173109PartI#
http://picasaweb.google.com/MariaE.Yang/MANNAWorkcampJuly173109PartII#

And ... I didn't have the chance to thank you all for he wonderful momentS. Especially Miracle for working so hard to make us comfortable and happy ^.^


cheers,
M.E.

Pictures

The pictures for the days we shared together are as follows.
http://picasaweb.google.com/vyataiwan

I will update all the pictures according to different topics like works, local life, local friends...ect.
And you will get a DVD with pictures inside before the end of this week.

Hope to see you soon!!

Miracle

Alishan workcamp since 2009

This workcamp is organized by VYA together with Manna Organic Life Association (Manna) in 2009. The goal of the camp is to promote organic agriculture in the Tsou aboriginal community in Mt. Ali (Alishan), a very popular scenic spot in the center of Taiwan.

There are more than 400 thousand aboriginals, around 2% of the total population, living in the remote areas in Taiwan. Most of them earn their living through farming and fishing. Since the rural-urban divide, industries transformation, and Taiwan’s accession to WTO, the tribe economy has faced a lot of challenge, which raises further difficulties such as population migrations, grandparents rearing grandchildren, and the discontinuity of local traditional culture.

According to Manna’s six-year service experience in the aboriginal community in Mt. Ali, Manna concluded that organic agriculture industry development is the best way to fundamentally solve all the problems Tsou aboriginal community currently faces. Because it takes laborious human efforts to take care of the organic agriculture, and organic agriculture products can be sold at higher prices, it provides more job opportunities for local people. At present, Manna has established a platform for local peasants to conduct organic agriculture. Until now, 21 households have already participated in the organic peasant's production schedule.

This is the first time that Tsou aboriginal community hosts the international WorkCamp with Vision YouthAction and Manna Organic Life Association. We hope to co-operate with the local peasants to extend the organic agriculture project and bring more youths into this work.

Participants will have the opportunities to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Mt. Alishan National Scenic Area and the unique culture of Tsou aboriginal tribes.

Our Aims
1) To cooperate with local peasants in farm operations.
2) To allow international volunteers to know the difference between organic and traditional agriculture by help with farm management.
3) To promote the concept of organic agriculture in the Tsou aboriginal community.
4) To promote friendship/understanding/solidarity among local people and global volunteers.
5) To provide a chance to live with a cross-culture group, and learn from each culture.