metikos » Laos

CRWRC Laos Video

James Zwier — Fri, 25 May 2007 03:04:09 +0000

A few months ago I helped make a promotional video for CRWRC Laos. Actually, I only wrote some of the script and accompanied the Lao National TV crew while filming. The primary audience for this video are fellow NGOs and the Lao government. As such, it may be a bit amusing for North American audiences. Also, it is 20 minutes long, so feel free to skip the boring parts. The first 3-5 min introduce CRWRC’s development work; the middle section explores each sector (health, agriculture, education, road building, and leadership); the final 5 minutes shows a village envisioning its future and how that fits with CRWRC’s goals.

How to use a squatty potty

James Zwier — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:56:19 +0000

A few months ago I noticed a poster in a village that depicted in great detail how to use an outhouse toilet in true Lao style. While instructional/motivational/propaganda posters are used commonly in development work in Laos, I thought that one might be a valuable resource for visitors, tourists, and people new to Laos. Recently I found the same poster on top of a cupboard in my office in both boy and girl versions, which I’ve uploaded to flickr for educational purposes only.

The title, translated literally, is “How to use a latrine/outhouse”. These posters were designed for use in schools because both the boy and the girl wear the public school uniform: white shirt and black or blue pants/skirt.

Perhaps the most difficult part of the whole process are steps 3-5, where one must balance carefully without letting clothes or hands touch the (usually) wet, dirty floor. Practice squatting with feet flat on the ground and you’ll begin to get an idea. Those wearing pants would do well to follow this young boy’s example of scrunching pants near the knees to keep them from falling. Finally, note that water is used instead of toilet paper (see #5 for details).

I must note that the toilets I use on a daily basis are rather boring western-style toilets.

tags: howto, squatty potty, asian toilet

Lao government against illegal logging

James Zwier — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:51:30 +0000

As an update to the article on logging that I wrote in my newsletter, I would like to share some encouraging news. Last week the Vientiane Times, the government-sanctioned English-language newspaper of Laos, published an article entitled Illegal logging continues in Laos. Using the example of the Savannakhet province in southern Laos, the article portrays illegal logging as a threat to development:

Illegal logging has become a critical issue in many provinces of Laos, creating obstacles for the country’s efforts to balance its development process with the need to protect the environment.

This is the beginning of what I’ve hoped for: increased awareness at all levels of the government (including the Prime Minister’s office, the highest political authority) of the dangers of excessive logging. Whether that attitude will filter down to provincial officials remains to be seen.

An interesting tidbit that I learned from the article:

The government also agreed to stop giving wood quotas to officials, including retired officials. In the past, some retired officials had sold their quotas to businesspeople, which caused problems in regulating the use of timber.

Policy changes have already made a difference in the Savannakhet province:

The Director of Savannakhet’s Agriculture and Forestry Department, Mr Boun-ay Nounouannavong, announced earlier this year that authorities had confiscated around 1,028 cubic metres of illegal timber belonging to villagers in Atsaphangthong district.

Last year, authorities confiscated around 1,200 cubic metres of illegal timber and arrested 23 offenders.

“People cut trees down illegally from the productive forests owned by villagers and the province, to sell to local businesses, and some of the timber came from protected areas,” he said.

He said business representatives encouraged the villagers to cut down trees by offering higher prices. For example, one cubic metre of a kayong tree was worth up to 1.2 million kip in some areas.

Some government officials also conspired with villagers to cut down trees in local forests, while others misrepresented to authorities the number of trees that had been cut down.

The article is currently available as free content from the Vientiane Times but may not be available in a few weeks. Contact me for the full text.

Google Map – Phonsavan, Laos

James Zwier — Wed, 07 Dec 2005 03:27:05 +0000

Amazing! Google Maps has high-res satellite footage of Phonsavan, Laos. Check it out!

Phonsavan

James Zwier — Sat, 03 Dec 2005 19:15:50 +0000

To give you all a small idea of Phonsavan, Laos, where this CRWRC job is based, I have gathered links to a few online photo galleries from the area. Keep in mind that these are all tourist travelblogs, so they depict a myopic view of the region. Nevertheless, they may be helpful.