SEKEM

A Light Practice

Planet: lightly digestible processes and products

The processes and outputs of light practices are lightly digestible by the Earth's cycles:

1. All the products of Sekem are grown using a biodynamic way of farming. All the products that come from the farms of Sekem, are organic. Organic, biodynamic farming restores and maintains the vitality of the soil and food, and helps the biodiversity of nature.^[3] 
2. Biodynamic farming reduces wastes. This type of farming is closed and self-sustaining, because it uses own compost for fertilization. Because of this, no waste material remains at the end of the process, hence no waste goes into the ground to effect the Earth.^[4]
3. The use of compost leads to a reduction in CO2 emissions. Because of the increase of organic material in the soil, the need for irrigation water decreases and the fertility of the land rises. Compost also leads to the storage of carbon in the soil, which leads to lesser CO2 in the air – and hence to a smaller influence on climate change.^[5]  
4. Ibrahim Abouleish managed to reduce the use of aeroplanes for the spraying of pesticides. After years of lobbying, Sekem managed to influence the Egyptian policy. According to the FAO, Sekem is responsible for the reduction of the use of pesticides in the production of cotton with 90%. It has done this by introducing the use of biological pheromones to control cotton insects.^[6] 
5. CO2 emissions are reduced in other ways as well. In the coming years, Sekem will try to realize the initiatives to develop hybrid solar dryers for herbs and medical plants, establish wind parks at three different Sekem farms, and replace all electricity-based water heaters with solar water heaters. All these initiatives will lead to a reduction in emissions.^[7] 

People : light-like relationships 

People find that participating in light practices tends to realize and reveal light-like, relational qualities of the good life:

1. Sekem tries to build the sense of pride, beauty and hygiene of communities and individual households. Helmy Abouleish: “We’re now collecting solid waste from all these villages. We are recycling it and using the organic part for the composting site and selling on the plastics and metals. We are collecting their liquid wastewater and purifying their biological waste products. We are cleaning up the villages and we are really trying to build their sense of pride in their villages, their sense of beauty and hygiene.”^[8]  
2. In all its projects, Sekem reasons from the dignity of its members. The dignity of Egyptian people has long been under pressure. Sekem tries to rebuild this important human value.^[9]  
3. The organization works with a ‘social management approach’. Every member of Sekem is seen as an equal part of the employee community of Sekem, and as a individual with specific abilities and character. Development of both is very important for Sekem. Therefore, the organization offers prosperity, family education, health, religion, community membership, and individual artistic development. Through this, every household can develop in the way it wants.^[10]  
4. Sekem stands for Fair Trade. All the economic activities of Sekem are aimed at fairness for everybody that is involved in the production chain. Everybody has his/her own rights, stated in the CSE (Cooperative of Sekem Employees).^[11]   
5. Profit of the organization is being spend on people. The profit Sekem gathers, is spend on social and cultural development programs. These will lead to efficient working, better production, and creativity for the development of the organization. Hence, the development of individuals leads to the development of the company and thus of a part of Egypt.^[12] 
6. Children of poor households receive extra help. The programme ‘Chamomile Children’ is set up for children who were forced to leave their school out of their families’ need for money. Two hours a day, the children collect chamomile flowers and receive money, that can be spend in the household they belong to. The rest of the day, they learn in school.^[13] 

Profit: light-weight living

People find that participating in light practices reliably generates goods and services that support a more light-weight quality of life in their households and communities:

1. Biodynamic farming leads to economic independence. In biodynamic farming, a closed, self-sustaining environment is begun, in which farmers and household members use their own compost. In doing so, less water is being used, and farmers do not have to spend money on other fertilizers, such as herbicides and pesticides.^[14]  
2. Fair trade leads to good working conditions and a possibility for a good life. In the fair trade production of Sekem’s products, “the whole supply chain from the poor farmer to the consumer in London is transparent. Every participant in the chain should know what the next in line is doing and the end result of this transparent chain is the farmer who gets the fair price for his product”.^[15]  Eventually, this will lead to the Economy of Love.
3. In the Sekem program, people are stimulated to develop their own skills. This will eventually lead to the gathering of a more strategic capital.^[16] 
4. All members of the household are offered education. Small children (4-6 yrs) can go to the kindergarten, where special pedagogic emphasis is put on creative development. Children and young adults with physical, mental and learning disabilities can go to special education schools, where they learn practical, everyday life activities and basic skills, or get the opportunity to work in a special place. In the Sekem Vocational Training Center, young people can learn skills that are needed in the local market, giving them a change to find a job on the highly unstable Egyptian labour market. Illiterate people can attend the Sekem’s Literacy Program, which enables them to make more informed choices, take care of their own lives, and participate in social and cultural life. Adults can go to the Adult Training Institute to be trained and contribute to the community and country.^[17]  
5. All members of the household are offered good medical services. Health care and therapy are available at all Sekem centres. In these centres, holistic medicinal approaches are being used.^[18] 
6. Parents of working children are offered extra income. The SDF (Sekem Development Foundation) offers parents of working children micro-loans to establish their own businesses.^[19]