Self-sustaining Colombian community lauded by former Times reporter

Nicholas Valenzuela Arizona Daily Wildcat Alan Weisman spoke to a group of people after his lecture, in which he talked about Gaviotas -a community in Columbia. A contributing editor for the Los Angeles Times Magazine, he talked about his new book titled Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World yesterday afternoon in the Marley Building.

That's the idea behind the Colombian city of Gaviotas, and behind the former contributing editor's new book, Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World.

Located 16 hours from any major city, Gaviotas began as an experimental energy conservation project for college students and faculty, Weisman said. It was recognized by the United Nations in 1973 as a "model community," and has developed into a city that is energy and economically self-sufficient.

Weisman presented a condensed history of Gaviotas and his experiences in Columbia yesterday to a group of about 45 environmental science students in the Marley Building.

"They (the Gaviotans) really believe that the creative process will get them out of crises," Weisman said. "Gaviotas might be a small place, but by remaining peaceful they can avoid the violence of Colombia."

Weisman said his interest in Colombia began in 1988, when he was in the country on a Fulbright scholarship.

"It was like being in Eden," Weisman said. "But Eden was being destroyed."

Through contacts in the Colombian city of Bogot‡, Weisman said he was introduced to the Gaviotas community, which by that time was actively using solar energy, hydroponics and water sterilization.

In recent years, the Gaviotans have planted Caribbean pine trees in the llano's unresponsive soil and have regenerated a portion of the Colombian rainforest, Weisman said.

Founders of the Gaviotas community purposely picked its location - on the Colombian llano's poor soil - in order to simulate what Weisman called "an option we are rapidly approaching."

What began as a research station for university students and faculty is now a fully functioning town with its own school and hospital but no government or constitution, and only two laws - "no dogs and no guns," Weisman said.

Weisman said he feels the Gaviotans are creating a better image for Colombia.

"They are providing the kids and maybe the country with a better future," he said. "We need ... what these people have. The guts and determination to try it."

Gary Woodard, associate director of the Water Resource Center, brought Weisman to the UA for a weekly speaker series.

"The subject is something that (environmental science) students would be interested in," he said. "It's refreshing how this community operates."

Despite its perception as "refreshing," Gaviotas does have its share of skeptics, Weisman said.

"In any political system, there are jealousies," he said, citing the Colombian oil com-panies' adverse attitudes toward the Gaviotas com-munity. "But you have to ask, is it skepticism or is it denial? I'd say there's a difference."

Erin Mahoney can be reached via e-mail at Erin.Mahoney@wildcat.arizona.edu.