Poland
YES have taken part in four international exchanges to Poland. These exchanges set about understanding of the society and culture in Poland. The visits also aimed to set up projects which could take place both in UK and Poland. These visits were made possible largely through my good friend Mike O'Roarke, who was then working for Kirklees Countryside Unit.
This work was mainly in connection with the Kirklees River of Life project. This project worked towards an International Conference in Huddersfield. YES had a key involvement in this conference.
Poland really is a most beautiful country. The hills and forests are quite spectacular. We traveled from Warsaw to Bielsko, a journey of approximately 350 miles, and there were trees for the full length of the journey. The picture on the right shows how trees can grow on hill tops. In the UK we have them carefully removed because it is supposed to look good.
This last photo is of a river system that supplies its water to a brewery. In order to maintain quality water supplies the company has designated the water catchment area as a national park in which no development can take place. Of course this could not happen in the UK, as I don't know of any river system that is this clean to drink. Maybe all river systems need a brewery. We could at last have a clean environment, and be able to drink to celebrate such a success.
Above is a river after a discharge from the local sewage works. I found invertebrates of the highest value, indicating excellent levels of dissolved oxygen. In the UK every river or stream that has a discharge from a sewage works, the water quality is virtually lifeless.My friends Mike O'Rourke and Jacek from Klub Gaja, meeting the local Mayor. Once we began talking the official barriers came down, and all the officials were quite lovely people. If only UK government officials were as accessible.
The Soviet Building Warsaw. This building remains a symbol of a time of oppression. However, we in the west are fooling ourselves to think that at last these people can now do things our way, because our way is best. These are a proud people, well able to find their own way through international economics and politics. It does seem uncomfortable that the only alternative to communism is capitalism, where instead of using tanks, we can enslave populations pieces of paper which reveal our levels of debt. There has to be another way, and these people are best placed and equipped to find that way forward.
Pictured above is Mike, Jacek and the Mayor of Bielsko
Mike is not really asleep, its my pixels honest.
Some work was achieved, but many aspirations remain unfulfilled. The work in Poland was with their Klub Gaja environmental group. However, little has been progressed with the ecological restoration work that YES sought to pursue.