Author Phyllis Davies has traveled extensively throughout
the world to places such as Peru, Haiti, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabawae,
Botswana, South Africa, Isreal, Palestine, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil,
Guatemala, Mexico, Taiwan, Indonesia and Brazil. Her fascination
peaks when she finds "two-thirds world" (what is often called
"third world"), remote region examples of people learning
to identify and solve their own village problems using resources
already available in the local area. Particular areas of interest
are village leadership and dignity development, agriculture, maternal
and child health care, family planning, erosion control and
reforestation.
Davies is a 1966 California Polytechnic State University
graduate in Agriculture. She was the university's Honored
Alumnus for Poly Royal in 1990 and has served on the interdisciplinary
International Food and Agriculture Committee. She has co-taught a course in World Food Politics. With a specific focus on the roles of women in remote area agriculture. Her lifetime
interest in solving hunger and health problems with sustainable and dignity building
methods has taken her into many "two-thirds world" countries.
She has led international development -- remote area study
tours to Southeast Asia, Central America and South America.
Part of her motivation on global issues is related to
the experience of having two of her three children die.
People often ask her why she is so concerned about solving
the world hunger problem.
"I see potentially positive change can be made within
our lifetime. World hunger is largely solvable, if we are
willing to address it with even a small portion of the commitment
that we have given to war. We live in a global community
and children need not be dying of hunger."
"A hopeful life for children everywhere has immediate benefits
for humans all over the world. Parents who have nourished,
happy children and know they will likely survive, choose
smaller families."
"After my lifetime of interest in global problems, I see
World Neighbors, and a few other Organizations, doing an
amazingly efficient job of creating
model community solutions for not only hunger but other
environmental and health problems. I have seen their methods
replicated in many remote communities. I appreciate the
leadership they give to development efforts across the world
and with other organizations."
She also has a particular interest in the decision making process and the
bio-diversity management practices promoted by the Allan Savory Institute
(www.holisticmanagement.com).
Holistic Management is a decision making framework that helps individuals,
families and businesses identify what they want in the long run and then
ensure that their major decisions achieve both what they need to in the
short-term while still moving them toward their long-term goals. It
includes helping people think about the natural resources they will need in
the future to have healthy prosperous lives and how they can regenerate
those resources while they go about their day to day lives.
While attending the United Nations Summit Forum in Rio
de Janeiro in 1992, she was on the negotiating teams for
the Food Security and the Sustainable Agriculture Treaties
adopted by the United Nations.
Her daughter Dawna says, "My mother has her ear to the
heartbeat of the world."
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