Sustainche™ leaves Macedonia

Polar Bear Sustainche™ leaves Macedonia. Some of Sustainche’s Blog readers might have noticed already that he packed a small parcel in his post on The Grapes of Wrath. Yes, Sustainche now lines up with those young people who leave Macedonia for ever. We know that Sustainche doesn’t need any travel document to go anywhere he likes on Planet Earth. Starting from 1^st January 2010 also Macedonian youngsters won’t need a Schengen visa … . 

Sustainche™ did in Macedonia what he had to do: His mission was to create the climate for change towards a better quality of life; Sustainche’s mission is and always will be Sustainable Development ! 

Somehow Sustainche has the strange feeling that Macedonians only like those people whom they lost; also Tose was not appreciated by all who mourned after his short lifetime. Never mind, now it is time to leave the territory. Macedonia has had its chance. Sustainche kindly asks pardon for his great passion in promoting Sustainable Development in Macedonia. Sustainche would have been glad if HE, who can only speak with his BIG RED HEART, could pardon many others for the same passion in favour of Sustainable Development as well. 

Wishing ‘Golden Macedonia’ all the best,
Sustainche

Sustainche™ sees progress

Sustainche sometimes sees progress where EU auditors are blind. The EU Progress Report for the Republic of Macedonia as of 14 October 2009 for example in 4.15. Chapter 15: Energy, concludes: ‘The promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources needs to be prioritised.’ On the other hand and while only looking around in his neighbourhood in Ho Shi Min street, Sustainche indeed can identify 10 locations with solar panels on the roofs which are installed for heating warm water. This is 30% more than on the beginning of the year 2009 ! It seems that citizens are a more ahead compared to what politicians and so-called experts in Skopje are thinking, doing and can imagine …  

There can be no doubt: Electricity is a tremendous threat to the citizens’ family budget every month. Thus, it is logic that families invest in solar energy in order to become independent from the foreign investor electricity monopoly supplier. So, we see that market economy is working properly …

Who is not working properly are indeed the politicians who never had time to listen and to read anything, as well as the National Experts who were responsible for promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. Both simply didn’t do their job. Everything was written down already in the National Strategy for Sustainable Development as of 14 February 2008. “Hello National Experts … do you sleep good … or do you continue pretending to work hard during workshop weekends … and just put some moneyski in your own pocket … ?”

Sustainche has the pleasure to give some recommendations to the EU auditors:
“Dear EU auditors. Thank you very much for preparing the latest Progress Report for the Republic of Macedonia. I DO appreciate your efforts. However, from my humble experience in Macedonia I would like to recommend that for drafting the next EU progress report you should travel a bit around in Macedonia and speak to very normal citizens. Come to the rural regions of Macedonia. It is not enough to put the nose too deep in thousands of pages paper documents and ask public administration to work on alignment with the acquis. Normal life is more than any acquis … and very practical. Please also feel invited to read Sustainche’s Blog from time to time. Thank you very much for your attention. 

With kind regards,
Sustainche ”

Sustainche™ comments the EU Progress Report for Macedonia 2009

Sustainche is a bit irritated ! After the latest EU Progress Report for the Republic of Macedonia as of 14 October 2009 was published, various Macedonian politicians as well as hand-selected citizens were immediately shown jubilating on the TV news. Well, Sustainche is not sure whether these people had enough time to carefully read the report. It might be that the enthusiasm is the result of only reading the first sentence of certain chapters. Something like …
“Good progress has been made in strengthening and implementing the anti-corruption framework, which is a key priority of the Accession Partnership.”
Sustainche knows that EU bureaucrats write their reports in a very special manner. Thus, it is always good to continue until the end, which reads for example …
“Nevertheless, corruption remains prevalent and continues to be a serious problem in many areas. Continued efforts are needed, in particular as regards implementation of the legal framework.”

Hmmm … Sustainche understands this to be good progress on low level …

Never mind, the EU assessment system phrasing is highly sophisticated. In all chapters there is a similar structure:
Good progress / Progress / Some progress / Uneven progress / Little progress / No progress has been achieved …
… capacity … has been strengthened …
… although in other areas administrative capacity remains weak …
Alignment with the acquis requires further sustained efforts, in particular on thorough implementation of the legislation adopted. 

It goes on and on like this, chapter by chapter … .

Sustainche doesn’t want to spoil Macedonians’ happiness, but he feels that at the end of the day it is always a matter of implementation and enforcement what is the REAL and prevailing problem in this territory ! However, as The Architect of the Matrix already recognized: ‘Denial is the most predictable of all human responses.’

Apropos ‘sustained’ efforts: Progress concerning the ‘National Strategy for Sustainable Development in the Republic of Macedonia’ is not reported AT ALL …

Enjoy your day !
Sustainche

Sustainche™ remembers Tose Proeski

Sustainche™ remembers Tose Proeski and his BIG HEART !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_zK6mfGReY

Thank you Tose for all the lovely moments you gave us !

You’ve made small Polar Bear Sustainche happy too !

Sustainche

Sustainche™ remembers 9/11

Sustainche recognized during his time on Planet Earth that human mammals have a special way of memorizing unique historical events. Human mammals even after decades still can remember where they have been when for example US President John F. Kennedy in 1963 was assassinated, or when Neil Armstrong in 1969 was the first man to leave his foot print on the Moon. And, yes, 9/11 is such a historical event as well and engraved in the collective memory of mankind.

* On Tuesday, 11^th September in 1973, Salvador Allende, the – in contrast to US President George W. Bush in 2000 – democratically elected President of Chile with the help an US terror organization called CIA was removed from office during a coup d’état and was found shot in his head in his President’s Palace. It was reported later that about 3,000 Chilean Democrats were murdered around this day of 9/11 1973. The order to kill was given by that’s time Osama Bin Laden: Henry Kissinger, US Secretary of State and later Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Salvador Allende was replaced with an America-friendly, fascistic military dictatorship under Augusto Pinochet, who later became a well-known and proven expert for human rights.

On Tuesday, 11^th September in 2001, Osama Bin Laden gave order to four al-Qaida groups with 19 murderers to attack the World Trade Centre in New York – the symbol of the western capitalistic World –, the Pentagon and the White House in Washington D.C. with high jacked civil aircrafts that were used in a suicide bombing manner. Around 3,000 civilians died during the attacks of 9/11 2001.

As a consequence of this day, US President George W. Bush declared worldwide War on Terrorism. Two wars, both in Afghanistan and Iraq were fought. Osama Bin Laden obviously changed his wild mass murder strategy and now he sends everybody he can recruit to study Economy and to become an Investment Banker.

Sustainche feels sorry for ALL victims of human mammals’ stupidity, extremism and fundamentalism ALL around the World …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4H_E8b-qmo

* inspired by and thanks to German political cabaret artist, Volker Pispers.

Sustainche™ needs to call attention !

Sustainche is far away from scaring any human mammal. However, and referring to the climate change scenario as presented in his post on Climate Change III and IV, he found ample evidence that something is happening … right now: Cold water anomalies in the Northern Atlantic !

Sustainche carefully observed the ocean surface temperatures monitored by the NOAA satellite throughout the year. Now in September 2009 there is nothing to ignore any more that the said temperatures in the Northern Atlantic between Newfoundland, the Azores Islands and Ireland are 1-3°C below average (in the picture indicated in blue colours). At the same time it is reported from the eastern North American coast that the ocean level there is higher than normal. From both evidences independent scientists conclude that the Mexican Gulf Current weakens which provides Europe with warmth as far as to the North Cape in Norway. This was – of course – never foreseen by the mainstream specialists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Well, once again … Sustainche wants neither to scare nor to create panic … he just needs to create awareness that climatic change for Europe can go in a very different direction than expected in the public in large. You remember: Abrupt Climate Change … Younger Dryas time … Polar Bears in London and New York … . For Sustainche this information is for sure nothing to worry … . Sustainche is a Polar Bear …

Sustainche™ wants HIS Banja Kosel

Sustainche™ mourns the victims of the Ilinden tragedy on Lake Ohrid  

Sustainche has heard inspiring rumours from Ohrid that some smart local politician promotes the idea of ‘Banja Kosel’. Honestly, Sustainche is quite happy that some politician in ‘Golden Macedonia’ woke up … However, and like always, the vision of Banja Kosel is not at all originating from a politician’s brain, but was discussed among the Sustains™ a long time ago. Sustainche has clear evidence that M-Sustain™ wrote a motivation document for the preparation of a Feasibility Study as early as November 2002 …

Well, never mind, Sustainche is at least happy that there is some movement in professionally utilizing the geothermal energy potential of Macedonia in particular for wellness tourism and including the country’s nature and culture heritage.

‘Zivej’ Sustainche was always wondering why state-owned spas/banjas in Macedonia were privatized after independence of Macedonia in 1991 and who earned a fortune of this exercise of ‘real existing market economy’. The fact is that Sustain™ Sustainche never found any place called ‘Spa/Banja’ and felt well. Of course, Skopje beauty studios in the meantime offer various ‘wellness services’, but the tragedy is that international tourists like Sustainche would simply laugh on what is offered to them. There is no feeling for culture, architecture, service, smell, light, colour and music … and not going as far as Feng Shui … AT ALL that Sustainche can accept. And, this is although the Romans and Turks invented the spa and banja culture and there is very little left to invent new …

Sustainche knows the famous map of the ‘Location of the eight Main Geothermal Fields in Macedonia’. However, Sustainche also studied M-Sustain’s™ document that there is an additional potential to utilize the hot water underneath the feet of the citizens of Kosel. Kosel is a small village on the road between Ohrid and Resen, and most travellers will recognize the place of the so-called ‘Duvalo’ just because of the sulphuric smell. So, why not utilizing what the Romans already discovered ?! In 1923 sulfatara ‘Duvalo’ was first described scientifically, and geological borehole inspections during the 1970ies found warm water to originate from a depth of only 500 m below the surface there having a temperature of around 90°C. Using 21^st century technology this sounds like paradise !

By also taking into consideration the overall geotectonical set-up of the Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa Region, Sustainche thinks that this information justifies a Feasibility Study which shall assess the technical, economical, environmental and social feasibility of ‘Banja Kosel’.

Sustainche has a vision !
Sustainche wants to see geothermal energy production that provides district heating during the cold winter from Kosel down to Ohrid town.
Sustainche wants to see electricity production from renewable geothermal energy that will never stop its natural supply.
Sustainche wants to see greenhouses being warmed by renewable geothermal energy to produce tasty, healthy, safe and fair vegetables and fruits.
Sustainche wants to see foreign tourists enjoying Banja Kosel and its geothermal water for recreation and wellness after inspired days of walking in Galicica Mountain and enjoying the cultural richness of the ‘Slavic Jerusalem’.
Sustainche wants to give Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa Region a different direction for tourism; away from short season mass beach tourism in Ohrid, towards Wellness and Spiritual Tourism, which includes Rural Sustainable Tourism and Slow Food™ initiatives that have just started to materialize.

Sustainche wants to enjoy among his Sustains™ family … relaxing in hot sulphuric water which makes his skin soft and nice, receiving massage with locally produced rose oil, sweating a bit in the sauna, resting and sleeping, and taking pleasure in Slow Food™ candle light dinners

Well, if some Skopje ‘Kafana experts’ after their ‘hard and exhausting’ conferences and workshop weekends would also like to enjoy, they are welcome … – no problem for Sustain™ Sustainche if they leave some Government or foreign donors’ moneyski in the region … as long as these people are not drunken and not too loud …

Sustainche™ thinks about The Grapes of Wrath*

Sustainche during the past year carefully followed the developments in neighbouring Greece. When saying ‘developments’, Sustainche in a very neutral manner means ‘creative actions’; these might bring change in general, or – given a certain direction – genesis or decline. Of course, Sustainable Development is far more specific. The Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (better known as the Brundtland Commission) Our Common Future in 1987 defines Sustainable Development as: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Sustainche clearly understands that such an ethical approach of human mammals towards life implies a new quality of life for societies in large. Naturally parents care for the future possibilities of their own children. Pension systems in Europe basically are founded on what is called ‘generation contract’. However, the idea to address all walks of life which includes economical, environmental and social issues at the same time is something really new in human mammals’ history.

In consequence and for the sake of the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, this can mean that present older and established generations might be asked to reduce their needs. Evidently this is not without dispute. When it comes to pollution and subsequent health problems for citizens caused by an industrial complex there is common sense in Europe that this is not acceptable. However, the perception of the CO₂ production foot print and its impact on climatic change is more complicated. “Yes, and why to take care for Polar Bear Sustainche and his friends in far away Polar Regions ?,” Sustainche needs to add.

Interesting enough the ‘Global Financial Crisis’ somehow unified the perception of humans around the world: Primarily hunting for short-term and private profits and leaving behind all well-known ethics of humanity, not caring even for tomorrow morning and yet accepting the collapse of the entire global economy is today understood as to be morally not acceptable at all. The anger on Investment Bankers during 2008 and 2009 became public opinion.

Sustainche is aware that public anger is one thing; creative actions are something different. By following the news Sustainche saw absolutely nothing happening in Germany. Sustainche only heard rumours that Mr. Josef Ackermann, CEO of the famous ‘German Bank’ wants to leave Germany; he feels public resentments against his person. Sustainche doesn’t want to disagree with Mr. Ackermann. Iceland citizens during several weeks peacefully demonstrated against their democratically elected Government which was held responsible for the total collapse of the Icelandic financial system and economy. More spontaneous and revolutionary inspired actions were taken by some French workers who kidnapped their managers. Greek youngsters by far took the most comprehensive actions: During Christmas time 2008 young Greeks not only illuminated the Athens’ Christmas tree, but at the same time and supported by applause of citizens attacked Banks and burned down parts of the town. During these days in December 2008 a 15 year old boy was shot dead by what was called ‘an over motivated policeman’.

Well, Sustain™ Sustainche for sure is among the most peaceful citizens of Planet Earth. However, he can not ignore his sympathy for the young Greeks’ feelings and the European génération précaire in large. What would he feel in such a desperate situation without any hope and future … ? How would Sustainche act in a society that is completely paralysed by a thoroughly corrupt political class and allied criminal financial system … ? Sustainche is deeply impressed by what the Athens youngsters wrote in an open letter, which in essence reads as follows: ‘We are depressed by and complain about a hypocritical society which is only hunting for money. Help us !’

‘Help us !’ used by the Greek youngsters is a phrasing that Sustainche never has read before ! This short sentence touched his big red heart ! However, nobody helped ! When the innocent student Benno Ohnesorg on 2 June 1967 was shot dead by an over motivated Berlin policeman this was the day of birth for an urban guerrilla called ‘Movement of the 2 June’ in Germany. As a consequence of the events of December 2008 in Greece a new urban guerrilla was founded and declared themselves responsible for bomb attacks on Banks, Government institutions and the killing of a policeman. Newspapers and magazines around the world highlighted the latest bomb attacks in Greece as an act of ‘terrorism’ prepared by ‘left-wing anarchists’.

There should be no doubt: Sustainche is against violence ! However, the question MUST be allowed WHO are the most dangerous TERRORISTS in these days: ‘Left-wing anarchists’ who place a bomb in front of a Bank and phone the police to evacuate the place, or Investment Bankers around the globe who without any respect, ethics and honour continue their business as usual and make millions of people unemployed ?

Sustainche has the impression that the ‘wrath account in the public bank’ is still not filled enough and he asks himself what more needs to happen … not only in Greece, but also in Macedonia … and around Europe.

Sustainche wants to finalize his today’s thoughts with the first two lines of Homer’s famous Iliad:

μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος
οὐλομένην, ἣ μυρί’ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄλγε’ ἔθηκεν
Sing, goddess, the wrath of Achilles the son of Peleus,
the destructive rage that sent countless pains on the Achaeans.

*The Grapes of Wrath is a novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqaTv8cCWeg

Sustainche™ thinks about Developing Aid

Sustainche knows from his early days and enjoying together with his mum that Polar Bears are not territorial and rather live solitary lives. From time to time some friends passed by from nowhere in the vast Polar Region, but after playing around a bit soon every Polar Bear took his and her own way. In striking contrast to Polar Bears behaviours humans do like territories – with clear borders, a nice national flag and pathetic anthem – and are supposed to be social mammals. Strange enough, Sustainche enjoys being social as well. He likes to help without preconditions, discuss amongst his Sustains™ family, enjoys good meals, and listen to music, joke, travel and … ‘zivej’ together.

Sometimes, however, Sustainche is not sure whether the social behaviour he sees among humans in general is real or pretended only. Having in mind the story on water resources and hearing the word ‘help’ expressed by some foreign Public Investment Bankers, Sustainche became a bit suspicious about the real meaning of human beings’ intention to ‘help’. “Since human mammals for sure are territorial, their offered help and aid might have the only purpose to increase their territory and influence”, Sustainche assumes.

Sustainche has read that there was a period during the 1960ies and the 1970ies when developing aid was somehow understand in a different manner than today. The basic idea of this time was: ‘We empower people to help themselves’ or the picture was used ‘We do not provide fish, but we rather teach you how to fish’. Two famous German Ministers for Economic Cooperation & Development were the protagonists for such an approach. Today it seems that the first part of the Ministry’s name became more important, and this is although some ‘old fashioned’ consultants who started their careers during the 1970ies persist in ‘teaching how to fish’.

Beyond these ‘exotic people’ the consulting world in general changed at lot. Sustainche followed only a few international projects in full details during his time in Macedonia, but the overall trend is always the same: If there is a pure consultancy contract and the moneyski, let’s say 2 Million Euro, is granted by a foreign Government, you can be sure that it is envisaged that between 80-90% of this money for free will be returned to consulting companies of the foreign Government’s country. In fact, this is a nice way of making favourable propaganda on TV for a foreign country, saying: ‘Look, we help you and we are your friends’, but the truth is that such kinds of projects are mainly done to boost the foreign country’s consulting business and gain influence. Sustainche has heard rumours that some politicians during the late days of their career or being pensioners finally become consultants … and bring the money that they decided about before as politician into their private pocket. 

The game with investment projects is even worse as outlined for the water sector before. Foreign tax payers would be surprised if they would know in full details how their money is utilized and moved around. Sustainche has heard a really funny story when exactly the same investment object was donated twice, by two different donors. There was – of course – no problem to show both donors what they’ve financed …

It is clear for Sustainche that all this can not operate without support from the country where donations arrive. It would be a pleasure for Polar Bear Sustainche to investigate who was receiving how much during the past 18 years in Macedonia, and he wouldn’t be surprised to find names of high rank politicians and project administrators having Switzerland based anonymous bank accounts. But it is also not to forget some rather ‘small fish’ VIPs working in various kinds of Government ‘institucija’ who enjoy some ‘additional’ income. In order to change this unsocial and unacceptable behaviour, Sustainche has learnt something very interesting from Frederick II King of Prussia – called the ‘Old Fritz’: How to establish an efficient bureaucracy ! The Old Fritz gave his civil servants nice privileges but at the same time he heavily punished them if they misused or could not fulfil their position. This system worked until some democratically elected someone forgot the punishment … . 

So far, so bad ! Having this type of ‘Developing Aid’ money making machine established there is no interest from neither side to change anything. International consultants write reports that nobody reads and national experts usually pretend to do something … supported by their ‘Kafana Red Indians’.

You may ask what all this has to do with Developing Aid and in particular with Sustainable Development … ? Sustainche is persuaded: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING !

Sustainche™ thinks about ‘the prison for your mind’ (II)

Concluded

The strange thing with Macedonians in the generation classes of today above 40 years of age is that they grew up in a well organized Tito Yugoslavia with possibilities of travelling all around Europe and this made those who were around 20 years old in the late 1960ies and during the 1970ies part of a world wide movement of freedom, in particular freedom of the mind. It was the time of the ‘love, peace and music hippie generation’ …

Interesting enough Sustainche today can not find old hippies in Macedonia … not even the smallest remainder of the ‘flower power revolution’. Those who experienced Socialistic Yugoslavia can not free their mind that this world has collapsed … for varies internal and external reasons, as Sustainche learnt. However, this has nothing to do with the freedom of the mind and an open way of thinking. Sustainche still cannot fully understand what happened during the past 18 years after Macedonia’s ‘independence’ … which for sure was not an ‘independence of thinking’ … but a fallback in some kind of ‘master and slave relationship’ that Karl Marx described already during the middle of the 19^th century as Feudalism.

Sustainche is surprised … because a transition from Socialism (back to) Feudalism was never foreseen by Karl Marx. Even though Sustainche understands the difficulties that arrived since 1991 from restrictions of travelling and the need to present visas for the majority of countries of Planet Earth, he learnt that at the same time a great variety of TV programmes and the world wide web started opening the eyes for the outside world … even if this is just another Matrix Dream World. “This is really strange … !” Sustainche wonders.

What Sustainche finds here today is not only a ‘Schengen-Visa-Prison called Golden Macedonia’, but – even worse … and tragic in particular for today’s youngsters – a ‘Macedonian Prison for the Mind’. Sustainche knows that there is no possibility for any change in a ‘Prison for the Mind’ and he remembers what Morpheus told Neo about the Matrix:

“Morpheus: Do you want to know what IT is? The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us, even now in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

Neo: What truth?

Morpheus: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind … . Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself. This is your last chance. After this there is no turning back. You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes … . Remember, all I’m offering is the truth, nothing more.” 

Small Polar Bear Sustainche doesn’t like to be a slave. His education offers him everything to make up his own mind. Sustainche wants to know the truth … and the truth is finally – beyond any science – what he can feel with his big red heart ! “And, those who have gained an insight view in the ‘Idea of The Good’ can never act against the best of their knowledge; Plato already knew it more than 2,000 years ago. Therefore, Sustains™ use their brain and heart !”, Sustainche enjoys to conclude …