I live in South Africa. It's a lovely country at the south of the African continent. (If you're American, see the map!) We have sunny weather most of the year and while winters can be cold in some parts of the country, we have only 3 months of it!
Yes, we have stupid and corrupt government officials and politicians, just like in most other African countries, but there are enough people working towards making this country great that I have no intention of emigrating any time soon. Besides, the grass is only greener on the other side because there is more fertilizer...
#I'mstaying
In Northern Ireland, there is an organisation by the name of Sinn Fein. Their ultimate goal is to unite the two Irelands, independent of British rule. Given the history of Northern Island, their quest makes perfect sense, even though I have personally never considered bombs and armed warfare to be a good solution to any problem.
What intrigues me, though, is the name's literal meaning of "us, by ourselves". Being independent is always a good thing, but being interdependent is better. In South Africa we have the saying of Ubuntu, which comes down to "I am because we are". It is one thing to be self-sufficient, but working together gets more done.
The main reason why I want to be self-reliant is actually pretty simple - I don't want to be dependent on the government or big corporations for my food, income, water, electricity, safety, housing or even Internet connection! I want to wake up when I'm done sleeping, work when and how I need to work to earn whatever bacon I need to bring home to cover what few expenses need to be covered. I want to know what's going into and onto my body. I want to be able to live a sustainable lifestyle that is mostly unaffected by political upheaval and civil unrest and the vagaries that pass for a "world economy".
However, I'd need to be able to sell whatever surplus my lifestyle generates, and I might need help from my neighbor to fix things or to simply get something done quicker and simpler. There will always be the need for some form of trade, whether it be the mutual washing of hands, bartering goods and services or exchanging goods for cash.
Self-sufficiency, by definition, would isolate me from the outside world and that's something I can't afford. It would serve everyone better if I am able to sustain myself independently, and therefore be equipped to handle whatever happens "outside" rather than to be living in seclusion and - when the world shakes too wildly - be ill-prepared or - worse - to be seen as the enemy.
Yes, I still have a job in a big town, working as a public servant, but in the meantime, my vegetable garden is taking root in every sunny corner and window sill that I can find. There is talk of retrenchments in the air, and I have already decided that if I ever get offered a retrenchment deal, I shall make my sums and probably take the package! I have a property in mind that I can utilize as an urban farming space. It would be a small very green corner in a big community.
My ultimate goal is to be the example of what can be done in a relatively small space to generate a livelihood for myself and my immediate family. People in South Africa are forever going on about "land ownership", but the point is that they don't use what they already have. Whether it is because of ignorance or laziness, I don't know. This dependence on government handouts is not only extremely unhealthy, but ultimately also unsustainable. The government cannot provide, nor should it. After all, that's what being an adult is all about - being able to take care of oneself, as well as other dependents.
In the meantime, I can do my part for my community and neighborhood by supporting my neighbor's small business (instead of the chain store down the road). I can grow my vegetables in my kitchen window sill or in the small courtyard behind my apartment.
There is a book that I have read in the past week. It's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. In it, she details her family's adventures in a year of eating locally. In her case, it meant that food had to be produced either on her property or within an hour's drive. She made about 5 exceptions (flour for bread being one of them!), but generally kept to the challenge that she set herself and her family. I think that is an excellent challenge for all of us. Let's support our local producers and not only reduce our carbon footprint, but also boost our local economies, wherever they may be!