Pout, return to earth & economic experience
Every spiritual tradition must have its own headquarters, often in the form of a centre which symbolises the essence of the teachings and accomplishments of the spiritual tradition. With the presence of such a centre, the teachings of the spiritual tradition are brought to life and are more likely to bring positive change to society.
The International Sufi School’s headquarters are based in ten hectares of land in the village of Pout in Senegal, which has been named the Pout Peace Village. The land is a space where the followers of its philosophy of non-violence are able to experience the conditions for the making of a global peace village in the 21st century, based on the teachings of non-violence and service of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba.
A prerequisite for the making of a ‘peace village’ is the making of the ‘peace citizen’. The work being conducted in Pout provides the real conditions for the transformation of the adherents of this path into peace citizens. In Pout, the foundations are being laid for an economy and society geared towards peace and service to humanity through the active participation of all those committed to this ideal.
At the International Sufi School, we believe that to restore peace in society it is imperative to go back to the origin of conflicts and wars in order to address the root causes of violence and hatred and find true solutions towards lasting peace.
All conflicts and wars have an economic causative factor; greed and selfishness are often the cause of conflicts and violence, a cause that finds its origin at the level of the earth. The richness of the earth’s resources triggers in man the desire to acquire and hoard resources, often at the expense of others. This gives rise to an inequitable distribution of the earth’s resources among individuals, communities and nations.
And so, in Pout, we return to the earth through EcoPeace – our global peace and community building project of agriculture and farming – inspired by the teachings of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba who said:
“Be like the earth – it absorbs all the unwanted waste of mankind but in return, it only gives back good: plants, flowers and fruits”.
The Pout Peace Village is the base of the physical manifestation of the School’s service to humanity. Take a tour of the the luxurious land of Pout where the love of service becomes a reality :
EcoPeace – Ecopaix
The current socio-economic system is based on unlimited profit by any means, with little or no consideration for the well-being and health of the human being and his environment. This has led to the creation of a system that is very much violent on all levels with greed constituting the basis of this violence.
EcoPeace is an alternative to this system, based on kindness and quality for all.
Founded in Senegal in 2006 by the latest leader of the International Sufi School of Peace and Service, Sheikh Aly N’Daw, EcoPeace repositions the human being, and not profit, at the centre of all its initiatives. This project promotes peacebuilding, socio-economic justice, sustainable farming and environmental protection and aims through its actions to awaken human consciousness to all these pressing issues.
The EcoPeace Mango Campaign was EcoPeace’s first major project, which has been exporting its 100% natural mangoes (now EU certified organic) to France and the UK since 2012. These mangoes are grown completely naturally on the farm in Senegal, are vine-ripened and as well as being sold locally, are flown to the UK and France to ensure freshness and quality, and through a network of volunteers are sold directly to consumers.
The project also promotes a selection of 100% natural herbal teas, dietary supplements, syrups, jams and preserves, which are also produced on the farm in Senegal and sold locally and abroad.
With all produce grown completely naturally, the project ensures quality for all – which is the motto of EcoPeace. And with produce going directly from the producer to the consumer, the middle-man is removed from the equation which ensures that all proceeds from the project go directly back to the farm in Senegal.
Other Ecopeace – Ecopaix projects include the ‘O Peace’ Water Project currently led locally in the regions of Tambacounda and Kedougou.