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Watch Episode 3 of "Paradise or Bust" 
After the success of the first two screenings – we’re going to be gathering again in central London for the third dramatic episode of ‘Paradise or Bust’ Join us TONIGHT at SWAY BAR near Holborn tube in central London. After this there will be two more screenings of ‘Paradise or Bust’, episode 4 on the 11th February (Stratford-upon-Avon) and the final episode and party on the 18th (SWAY Bar London). Paradise or Bust: 4th February, 9pm BBC2, (repeated 11:20pm 5th Feb) + anytime in the next 7 days on BBC i-player Programme 3. "After a turbulent few months the internet ‘Tribe’ settle in to their 3rd month on Vorovoro, a small Island in the South Pacific. Whilst founder Ben Keene tries to form stronger ties with the Fijian community, his brother Dan is leading the drive towards self sufficiency. But all their eco dreams are put to one side as Fiji is rocked by a full-blown coup d’etat. International governments warn against travel to Fiji and tourism all but dries up. Ben is left with an uncertain future and is forced to leave his brother Dan in charge of the Island and head home to England to try to raise funds and save the business." |
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News From the TribeWanted Dream Foundation 
From TWDF Trustee, Kim Lindsay-Black: Firstly, we apologise for the lack of more personal communication to members regarding the TribeWanted Dream Foundation. Although there is now plenty of information to be found via our link at the bottom of the home page we appreciate that people need to be kept up to date with what is happening. Please be assured that there has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes over the past few months. Setting up a charity takes time, but I know we are all keen to get moving and raising funds to achieve our goals. As it stands now, we are constituted and are going for Company Ltd by guarantee in the short term, with the ongoing process of registering as a charity. In August 2007, we successfully raised $4000 for the electrical wiring of the local Mali Elementary School. This was especially meaningful to many Tribewanted members, as since the start of the project we have developed a close bond with the school. We have been in discussion with the people of Mali to find out what would benefit the community most, with a view to long term sustainability. More details can be found on the link above. To outline our goals here, we now face the exciting task of raising $30,000 to proceed with our next projects, as outlined below: • To provide professional advice to look at the potential to construct seawalls for three villages. • Rising sea levels mean that many of these communities are at much higher risk of flooding – a seawall would provide a way to preserve livelihoods. • Provide water tanks for two villages. • Provide composting toilets for three villages. • Construct a community hall. It is a lot to ask, but we have already received a number of enquiries on how to make a donation. Tribewanted are a generous bunch and I know that we all want to continue to support the area be it online, or on the island. We should have the option to donate using Paypal set up very shortly and will inform you as soon as it is available. You can also find bank details and alternative methods of payment for the charity on the Dream Foundation link. Pictured: The tribe plays touch rugby during a reef trip (photo by Mikko Jarvenpaa) |
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Why Tribewanted: The Mataqali (Fijian landowners) Perpsective 
Some concern have been raised about the interests of Tui Mali’s landowning unit and his people, possible cultural affectation and other related issues arising from recent publicity created by Paradise or Bust. As expected, ancillary questions such as: “What are the Mali people going to gain from it” and “Aren’t the Mali people happy to continue on with their lives without intervention” naturally follow. The beginning. It is important to understand that serious consultations occurred within the Tui Mali’s landowning unit (mataqali) before the final consent was granted for the lease. Similarly the Mali people were informed throughout every stage of the discussions about the venture through the Tikina (district) council and even at provincial level. The NLTB (native land statutory body) machinery also did their utmost best.The intention was always about the paramountcy of the interests of the Mali People. Any proposal therefore must be one that the Mali People will approve of. One they can gradually get involve with and feel part of rather than be rushed by a big bang venture with limited say and participation. Read the full article by Ulai (Tui Mali's nephew) on Tribewanted.com! Pictured: Kesa and Raijelli from the family on Vorovoro |
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Be a part of the team on Vorovoro! 
The deadline for May 2008 Chief applications is approaching fast - Tuesday 5th February! "Being chief on Vorovoro is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you get a free stay on the island" - what more could you want? For everything you need to know about being a Chief on Vorovoro, visit Tribewanted.com If you have any questions about the role of chief send an email to adam@tribewanted.com
SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER - Application deadline 9th February 2008 TRIBE MANAGER - Application deadline 9th February 2008
Pictured: This is what you could be waking up to every morning on Vorovoro |
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Behind the Scenes of 'Paradise or Bust': The Fire 
Here’s an extract from the book of how the day of the fire on Vorovoro (featured in Episode 2 of 'Paradise or Bust') unfolded in Ben's eyes: Dan and I had changed and were about to walk down the hill to the sea-view bar for food and some cold beer. It was Saturday lunchtime, when my phone rang. ‘It’s the island. It’s on fire!’ ‘Hang on, Sara Jane, what do you mean it’s on fire? Calm down a second, tell me exactly what’s going on.’ Dan stopped and looked at me as I listened. ‘I’m on the boat, we can’t get onto the beach because the tide is too low, and I’m looking at the middle peak of the island and it’s on fire, the whole thing is smoking. I can see a lot of flames on the far ridge.’ Crap. Crap. Double crap. I wasn’t going to get a cold beer after all. And the island was on fire. And Dan and I weren’t there. We were a long taxi ride and boat journey away ... Tribewanted Chief of September 06, Warren Wright (Poques), has also shared his account of events: Me and JW spotted a small fire from the head land we where alone. It was burning about 2 or 3 trees and a bit of grass land. We knew we had to get to it a.s.a.p. and access the situation and do what was best, the wind could so easy spend it over the island. We run on down and when we got there both of us thought it was small enough that we both could deal with it. We looked around and found many plastic bottles lying on the beach, we run up an down to the beach which was only yards away filling these bottles and dowsing the flames, which where small and located in coconuts and tree stumps and fallen coconut trunks. Over about an hour we had put out all the flames, only one tree stump was still smouldering a little. We both thought at this time that we could then return to the village and inform the tribe and the Fijians about it and would then return with all the tribe and check all was out using the buckets that we had on the island. So we returned. Shortly after our return we all could see that the fire had re lit and had grown. I called for everyone to grab the buckets and anything that could carry water and to follow us down to where it is. We could make a bucket chain to the hot spots, I and Doug where at the head of the fire and the bucket chain fed us the buckets of sea water with I and Doug was dowsing the flames in the bush. Yes it was dangerous but only to me and Doug the other members in the chain where all safe, down wind and on the sea side of the fire. Only I and Doug who where placing the water direct on the fire and flames was at risk. I was chief , so I had a responsibility to the tribe members and the Fijian’s as a whole. If I had thought I was putting any of the tribe members at any risk I would have evacuated them. But there was no risk. But Becky and Sara had been told from Ben to get everyone onto the main beach and do a head count. All of the tribe had a chain going and we where dealing with the fire in the source location, the chain was working well and then Becky and Sara started to insist that everyone stop doing what there where doing and many under pressure from them broke the chain and did as they where asked. Yes I was upset, as I could see how the fire would spread and I gave up finally too, I could not deal with it alone. I returned to the beach, I was then and still feel annoyed about it. Becky and Sara where organizing the members on the beach, I looked down the beach and see the Fijian family members running up and down to the beach collecting buckets of water to protect and wetting the fire brake around there homes. I told Becky that I would not leave the island whilst they where here fighting to save there home, God, if Ben had actually been there he would have done the same, he told me that after too. She keep on asking me to go , I told her NO, many, many time she asked and after being asked so many time , yes I did end up swearing at her ... Read the full article and add your comments at Tribewanted.com! |
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From Carol on Vorovoro: The last couple of weeks have seen us bounce between high seas and stormy weather (the wind was so strong I almost toppled over when I went for a sneaky middle of the night beach wee) and glorious sunshine. We also had few nights of full moon so brilliant we had outdoor kava on the beach and it didn’t matter half of us had forgotten our head lamps. It is the rainy season, so the weather is really unpredictable. Planned building projects and excursions sometimes have to be put on hold when the skies open to shower us with tropical, super-strength, rain. It doesn’t last forever though, and the mornings we wake up with sun beaming down from a cloudless sky, everyone hauls the mats out to air, washes and hangs laundry and gets on with anything they left a day or two before.
Last week we settled on the warm grass to weave palm frond roofing, less than an hour later we were laughing and scurrying into the Grand Bure, palm fronds in tow, to escape a downpour. We also started clearing and plotting the pig pen expansion for our ever expanding pregnant pig’s expected progeny, but we took cues from our snorting friends to take shelter when they did. As for the biogas, the livestock manure we’ve requested from neighbouring villages has been washed away into the mud before it could be collected. Truly, who’d ask anyone to go out into the driving rain to bag up pig poo? Here in Fiji, the outdoor events of any day – construction, gardening, fishing, snorkeling, hikes, reef trips, firewood collection, watching for shooting stars etc – all happen within the rhythms of the tides and the weather. We could plan until we turned purple, but it would only make us purple, it wouldn’t change nature. |
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Chief's Blog #5 Bula, Flash Update!!!
Let me interject here. The blog did not get out due to another cyclone that prevented us from going to Labasa. The winds were horrendous. The rain was torrential. The vale was soaked and everyone moved to the great bure and slept. I was huddled to the far side of my bure in case the roof went. It creaked and groaned with each gust but was very strong. Everyone rushed to build better protection for the piglets. Ropes were tied around roofs. Shutters were made for Tui Mali’s house and other windows were boarded up. Then we just listened to the storm. Apparently Labasa is without power and the schools are closed. The river flooded like before. Again there is a lot of clean-up to do. Read the full article and add your comments at Tribewanted.com!
Chief's Blog #4 Bula Sia everyone! Well, exciting times. Word of a cyclone forming and is headed for Vorovoro, cyclone Funa. Heavy rains and winds are here and everyone is scurrying around. The wood for the reed bed has been used to cover windows at Tui Mali’s house. We have been told to pack a bag with important items to take and other bags will be put in the Great Bure the strongest structure. Te is walking around with a hard hat because of the falling coconuts. Just like dropping a bowling ball on your head from two stories. Just wind, rain and waiting. Anything started is stopped when the rains come. The boats have been put on shore and tied to trees, the new brothers; Jerome and Kevin were very helpful, rolling the boats like the great Egyptians on logs and planks across the sand. Now, we wait. This picture is of the chicken free zone after some of the winds had past the entire structure collapsed as well as breaking trees along the way. We had just cleaned up this area before the storm. More work to be done by the tribe to get it back to normal.
Working on a separation of the pigs, the mother they said may be ready to give birth. You can get in on the pool, broken down by day in 4 hour increments. Here we are choosing squares and the number of piglets. Porky and Bess are my names for the new arrivals. Filling in the squares didn’t take long. Now they think it may be later than predicted. We’ll see. Read the full article and add your comments at Tribewanted.com! |
From Duncan, back in the UK: Having left the island a few weeks ago now (and not loving the cold and the wet back in England), I thought I would blog with an update on the small-scale biogas system I completed just before my departure. The project was plagued with difficulties in sourcing the proper parts right from the beginning. Although on the surface they seem to be fairly basic, its getting them in good enough condition which was the problem, as well as sourcing a 220Ltr drum with a screw-top lid, common pretty much everywhere BUT Fiji. Once all the parts were assembled, the system was constructed in a matter of a couple of weeks. Many tribe members got involved, and our thanks have to go out to Cedric, Rob and Tom, Helen, Kate and Ruan as well as young Adam Potts (who can be credited with the beautiful biogas sign alongside fellow team member Julia). Although completely tested, the hiccup came a few days before my departure as we were lacking the initial quantity of pig manure to catalyse the system, so in keeping with Fijian tradition I visited Pupu’s village with several bunches of yaqona to present as keri keris for the pig farmers there. We are now only a matter of weeks away from hopefully having our first 100% pig powered meal on Vorovoro and I am sure we will hear from them when the happy day comes round. |
From Giles on Vorovoro: Ok, so a new thing we will be doing this year is to sit down with all tribe members on the island each Thursday afternoon, to hear their thoughts, opinions, criticisms, ideas of the place. Here’s what came up in the first one:
Over to you guys…... Comment on this at Tribewanted.com! Pictured: The tribe puts their wits to the test (photo by Mikko Jarvenpaa) |
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Help Needed for Zaishu Project - coming to Vorovoro in April! 
From April 2008 Chief, Kaz Brecher: Please send donations to me through PayPal at: kaz@stanfordalumni.org So, what is Zaishu? The Zaishu is a portable, simplified Zen structure for generic, low to the ground use. Its construction is indebted to Japanese traditions of respecting the texture of natural materials and using no nails or glue. Its subtle visual detail of combining straight lines and broad curves has been translated from a Kimono that was placed flat on the floor. Based on a program of participation, creativity, responsibility and evolution the Zaishu Project is an international collaborative event, recording patterns, designs and cultural texture from around the world on sheets of plantation grown veneer. This visual information artwork is then cut by laser into smaller components that slot together without nails, screws or glue to create a small portable seat / table / box called a Zaishu. The smaller edition for children is called the Baby Zaishu. As April Chief, I want to help Tribewanted produce, with the assistance of the community, a limited edition of 50 Baby Zaishu chairs, the proceeds of which will go to benefit the Mali District School. In order to capture a broad swatch of the artwork and patterns in Fiji today, I want to include patterns from the oldest tradition of masi, or stencilling, onto tapa, which is bark cloth; incorporate the woven mat patterns, which are more specific to the north of Fiji and we have used on Vorovoro; and lastly, a symbol of what modern Fiji has come to embrace, the ubiquitous flower patterns seen on bula shirts everywhere. By using silk screens of the patterns, we can include everyone in the production. And, along the way, we can stimulate more discussions about traditional and modern arts in Fiji. The catch is that the materials require initial up-front costs, in addition to the monthly chief budget. So, donations of any amount can help us get to our goal. Vinaka!! And stay tuned for updates! The following previous entries have more information on the Zaishu Project and its founders, the art itself, and a video of how to assemble a Baby Zaishu:
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