A-Infos (en) US, Tennessee: Food Not Bombs* National Gathering report back

Anarchist EventsThe Food Not Bombs gathering in Nashville, TN was a grea 
success. Over 30 chapters were represented. There was a critical mass bicycle 
ride, a no pants dance party, an impromptu parade, workshops all day with skill 
shares and presentations from groups such as the Roadblock Earth First! fighting 
the construction of I-69, Unconventional Action, and two workshops by movement 
co-founder Keith McHenry. Everyone made friends, learned a lot, and had a great 
time in the process. Below is the agenda of our directional meeting and 
anti-authoritarian people of color caucus statement as it appeared in the 
agenda. ---- We encourage you all to have regional gatherings, world gatherings, 
and your own national gatherings to help solidify the movement and build trust 
and community in the movement. For further information on how we organized the 
Nashville gathering, contact natethewriter@gmail.com.

MINUTES FROM FNB DIRECTIONAL MEETING

Notes from FnB discussion, National Gathering
29 march 2008, Nashville

Agenda:
Introduction of all Chapters
Road Block Earth First (RBEF): Food Not Roads
Tribute – Detroit
Orlando FnB – Ordinance
DNC / RNC Cooking
Anti-Authoritarian People of Color Caucus (AAPCC) Statement
White Allies Response
Veganism, POC, Privilege
Networking
Urban Agriculture
Cops and Control Groups
Dumpster Confrontation
Building Community with Non Activists

Chapters or affiliates Present:
Nashville, TN
Taos, NM
Huntsville, AL
Kalamazoo, MI
Santa Cruz, CA
Omaha, NE
Cincinnati, OH
Portland, OR
Detroit, MI
Murray, KY
Orlando, FL
St. Augustine, FL
Santa Barbara, CA
Memphis, TN
Tuscaloosa, AL
Minneapolis, MN
Long Island, NY
Worcester, MA
Athens, GA
Chicago, IL
Indiana
Hollywood, CA

Road Block Earth First: Food Not Roads

Background:
-I-69 = Nafta superhighway, Mexico to Canada
-Earth First setting up protests along demolition route in southern Indiana 
(near Evansville)
-call to set up autonomous encampments along the protests

Have FnB affinity group establish one or several autonomous encampments along route
Utilize FnB specific skillset:
-dumpster runs
-cooking for large groups
-supply chains
-eco-defense / legal support

Also call for long-termers
Don’t yet have logistical support for protesting demolitions – aiming for May
Materials acquisition is a big thing

Autonomous encampments in path of demolition – autonomous but coordinated; have 
logistical and decision-making framework independent

Spokescouncil – April 11-13

Aim is to start dialog within community
Details and much literature on website: stopI69.wordpress.com

Detroit Tribute
Loss of friend recently
Lots of turmoil in Detroit
Good to see everyone – “keep your heads up”

Orlando

Backround: large group feeding ordinance – more than 25 people can’t be fed by 
one group without permit
Orlando has over 9000 people who are homeless
Two year struggle against ordinance – Eric arrested, tried by jury, acquitted in 
October 2007
FnB has persisted, established second sharings; other groups have started sharings
FnB has commenced federal law suit against constitutionality of ordinance; 
partner-in-sharing fighting on religious rounds; STOP (Stop the Ordinance 
Partnership) is a coalition
At hearing on Wednesday, judge said that stopping the sharing of food with 
people in need served no positive purpose

Q: Why couldn’t FnB just get a permit?
A: 1) legislation states that no one group can get permit more than 2 times a year
2) the permit costs money
3) group gets around ordinance by setting up four different tables, have signs 
of each group in STOP

Movement for ten seconds of silence for person who died in Detroit

Also important to not get permit because we are just leading autonomous lives, 
don’t need to legitimize state control

There is selective enforcement of laws essentially intended to curb 
homelessness; city hired “homeless coordinator”, Orlando FnB will meet with them

In confrontations with authority – contact other FnB groups in region; pack 
sharings with regional support
Opportunities like this – good venues to realize other ways to resist, creative 
ways of supporting other ways of helping people stay where they want to stay – 
forming new, horizontal organizations – taking skills that people being 
marginalized already have

DNC / RNC cooking:

Looking for more groups to be active in cooking for resistance
Meet and talk in breakout groups; gauge interest; report back
Request for breakout session on organizing around using specific skill sets
Suggestion: for big actions, make dumpster map for out-of-towners
Anti-Authoritarian People of Color Caucus (AAPCC) Statement
During an anti-authoritarian people of color caucus today, anti-authoritarian 
people of color at this gathering decided that we want to challenge Food Not 
Bombs as a movement to critically analyze patterns of white dominance, white 
supremacy and racial exclusivity within Food Not Bombs groups.

In starting out it's necessary to emphasize that although we demand recognition 
of the unpleasant realities of white domination within our movement, it is not 
the intention of anti-authoritarian people of color to stir up more feelings of 
white guilt. Guilt is NEVER proactive. Instead, people of color in Food Not 
Bombs hope to further conversation around developing meaningful cross-racial 
solidarity in our movement and encourage our white allies to take action on 
these issues.

Nor is it people of color's intention to establish the fight against white 
supremacy against other forms of oppression. Distinct forms of oppression such 
as sexism and homophobia must ALL be recognized in both their individual and 
interconnected roles in a larger system of hierarchy and domination.

Though we are all the inheritors of a long racist past, we've also inherited 
generations of hard won progress of breaking free of that past. We can't bring 
that progress to a halt - especially within our movement - by acting like we've 
already won by pretending that race is now a relatively negligible issue, or 
claiming to be "color blind."

Here are just some things that have been experienced by people of color in this 
movement:

Constantly Dealing with Unchecked White Privilege:

-The absurd assertions that we are all "colored" or "tribal" or "from Africa" 
that lack a fundamental understanding of the racial dynamics that uphold the 
racial divisions supporting the capitalist system in North America.

-The equally ridiculous claim that people of color can just as easily "drop out" 
by squatting and dumpster-diving, which many people of color do anyway purely as 
a matter of necessity rather than ability. White activists who live in 
"marginalized" subcultures still have white skin privilege and the ability to 
choose whether to remain marginalized, a luxury that many people of color do not 
have.

Rampant Cultural Appropriation:

Dreadlocks, tribal earth rituals, mohawks - practicing traditions of 
marginalized cultures without having come from that culture makes the original 
meanings behind those symbols invisible. It perpetuates the growing invisibility 
of indigenous and other POC cultures. White folks have their own cultures and 
ethnic roots that date back over a millenia; research and embrace that instead 
of stealing others' cultures.

Tokenization:

-Asking for our "unique" opinion on something, as if we could speak for people 
of color in general.

-Expecting us to do the necessary outreach to communities of color.

-Expecting us to bottomline anti-racist and environmental justice organizing 
within our movement.

These phenomena are offensive, annoying, and contribute to people of color not 
feeling welcome in this movement, or not feeling okay calling out fucked up shit.

With these difficulties in sight, and a shared understanding of the long-term 
nature of this discussion, POC and white folks have a lot of work to do in 
confronting white cultural domination in the movement. While many POC want to 
work on anti-racist organizing and are often more aware of patterns of white 
supremacy, exclusivity, and racism in the movement, white allies must be aware 
of these issues and use their privilege to challenge them and to ensure that 
these patterns are continuously being dismantled.

FNB specifically seeks to achieve, through horizontally structured and consensus 
based organizing: community, equality, and a rejection of capitalism and all 
systematic forms of oppression that assist in its perpetuation. FNB strives to 
reach these goals and sustain the movement through solidarity, not charity in 
many ways.


Community is viewed and upheld as necessary for liberation and for maintaining 
positivity of the movement as a whole. Without the alternative of a network 
based on love rather than abuse, on understanding rather than control, we all 
suffer. FNB has taken huge strides towards creating this necessary community, 
however there is still work to do!

We’ve discussed and hope to convey positive ways to further incorporate 
marginalized and oppressed groups in FNB as a community and a movement.

For example,
-carpooling from people of color neighborhoods to the cooking and sharing sites 
so as to actively engage marginalized groups and to allow them the space to be 
involved in those processes.

-Opening up public versus private kitchens so that the inviting nature of FNB is 
established and sustained.

Going beyond once a week or once a month meetings in oppressed communities to 
create dialogues and unity with the folks we share food with.

Other things, from small to big acts of solidarity, not charity!, will help this 
movement sustain its momentum and worthiness.
We have a long way to go, let’s get there together and keep it posi.


Therefore, as proud liberal minorities we are formally asking all Food Not Bombs 
comrades to join us in getting Obama into office in 2008 and changing our world 
forever. Indeed there will still be much work to be done. After overcoming 
racism by getting a black into office, we will need to work to get a woman 
president too. No to division! No to caucusing! Yes to realizing we are all 
colored! If this doesn’t work of course, Ron Paul is always a backup option. But 
he’s republican and we are proud of our party and proud to be Democrats!
*twinkle*

NO BORDERS! NO STATE! OBAMA OH ATE

"If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time; but if you've come 
because your liberation is bound up with mine then let us work together."

Addendum: thinking of creative ways to create space necessary for POC, 
low-income and marginalized to step in, part of community; doing solidarity with 
groups already doing work within own communities

Address question: “why are people who are coming to eat just eating?”

Comment: expressing gratitude for putting together statement
Thanks for conversations that express anger; was easier to sit in room and write 
statement than have face-to-face conservations – but these are essential
Thanks for helping set up space for discussion in community

Possible to discuss

White Allies Response to AAPCC statement
-can be painful to be called out on privilege

Possible actions:
-community involvement beyond weekly/monthly sharing
-reaching out to existing groups
-call each other out on privilege, tokenization
-kitchen swap with POC groups
-neighborhood outreach through fliers, canvassing
-cooking together
-workshops on everyday skillsets
-seek not to trivialize POC’s experience

Stand in solidarity with POC to fight racism on their terms

Responses:
-not necessarily fully developed statement; good to discuss and develop over 
longer period
-emphasize points – primarily white activism that we see; go back to community 
and continue these discussions / self-critique
-both agenda items representative of two specific workshop groups and 
individuals attending; it is long-term work (that may not ever be finished, but 
is essential)

============================
Veganism, POC, Privilege

“Feeding Folks” – another food sharing group in Memphis, PoC-based, often 
locally-grown, vegan options, sensitive to allergies

 From FnB book: In addition to using reclaimed food FnB encourages 
vegetarianism, local production – easier to encourage decentralization of food 
production, localization.

-reduced food spoilage
-healthier diets as people learn about diet
-teaching people about health benefits

Folks of Color and Food Allergies
High rates of lactose intolerance among people of African, Asian, and Native 
American descent

-consensus based movement; reclamation of veganism as part of movement
In Memphis – FnB do work on charity basis, do not consider people’s lactose 
intolerance; choose not to offer food that it is not vegan
Get consensus of groups – what is stance towards veganism?
Comment: LI FnB gets grocery donations; most food they serve is vegan, but some 
of the prepared food they distribute is not vegan
Comment: Isolate these foods so that people are aware of them; personal opinion 
that this food is not worthwhile
Comment: FnB started as vegan organization (though that term not used);
Food unmade by us could be non-vegan
Comment: doesn’t necessarily have to be either / or – food could be composted; 
also if food is necessary for keeping people alive
Comment: food is being used as a weapon; should be conscious of food we are serving;

Response: under mantle of FnB, have seen distribution of meat; prepare food that 
contained meat; Very decentralized right now – is it possible
Proposal: talk in break-out or tomorrow;
Will FnB take stance on autonomy – groups can decide based on needs / wishes of 
community? Or centralized stance on veganism?
Comment: encourage conversation; feeding food just because it’s there isn’t helping
Comment: we’re not making people vegetarian; the food just doesn’t have meat in it

Marie Mason case – being tried for arson in Michigan; more info upstairs or talk

In Detroit there will be a lot of benefit shows for people involved

==================================================
Networking

With economy downturning – more people need food; harder to find food?
Talk more to find avenues of collaboration
Coordination with people involved in sustainable agriculture movement – people 
involved in growing food in community
Is there general wiki about FnB – not a direct form of networking communication 
but could be resource; some concern about changes to FnB wiki; FnB wiki currently
Ways to set up wiki pages with administrative privileges
Discussion about web resources could start in regions, then move into 
interregional / national
Infoshop.org has a good wiki that they take care of
Foodnotbombs.net website – press release about what happened this weekend;

Sidenote: “all of you totally fuckin rock my world” - james
===============================================================
Urban Agriculture
Background:
-many people we share with are homeless; peripheral area close to downtown – 
“second city”; many of these areas are food deserts -- no grocery stores; 
convenience stores with predominance of prepared foods
Also many open lots; open lands adjacent to industrial areas

Talk about growing own food; open up discussion about this

Question: how to bring more people on board to work with community garden / food 
growing?
Response: Bring on community groups;
Response: Consideration of people with 2nd/ 3rd shifts; giving away food / gift 
economy
Response: Using urban gardening as tool to develop skills / self-worth among 
homeless population; sign-up sheet for people at sharings;
Response: another line of thought – doing everything on site
Kalamazoo – preparation / process on site
Response: bulletin board at space – have individual planting boxes
Community supported agriculture
Plant giveaways; preserving existing knowledge of growing things; theft of 
certain items in community gardens – certain foods desirable but not readily 
available
Creating a gift economy but not creating culture of dependency
If you have non-profit status, affiliation – going to farmers’ markets, 
purchasing food directly from local farmers for distribution
501(c)3 status process and maintenance can be inherently hierarchical; there are 
ways around it, such as “borrowing” other organization’s certificates, 
organizing as collective with 501(c)3 status with board ceding all 
decision-making to collective
Serving food to kids in school
Nutritional food will become scarce – “stone soup collective” so people can grow 
certain foods; networking with farms within and outside locations

Proposal for breakout groups:
Roadblock group meeting back in basement by 9:30 am – to answer questions
===============================================================Cops and Control 
Groups:
Discussion of specific issues facing groups
-Urban civil patrols – hired by businesses
-FnB about reclaiming public space
*Orlando – “ambassadors” on Segways; individually don’t have problem with 
talking with cops, relating as individuals;
*Nashville – used to serve down by river, got a lot of harassment from police 
and law was on police’s side (no more than 6 people in public part) ; wound up 
in Legislative Plaza because law was on their side there; research on FnB’s end 
to contact people too – cops are symbol of state power, doing their job; deal 
with humanly but systematically; be ware of law
-if particular law is worth picking a battle over, get lawyers on side
-getting involved in local government
-Nashville recently got lawyer who agreed to work with for free!
Nlc.org – national lawyer’s council
Computer freeze 
Dumpster confrontation:
-interest in starting effort to make all dumpsters lock free
- there is legal precedence for treating dumpsters themselves as public 
property, but they are sometimes on private property so there is some (limited) 
trespassing issues
-liability issue is real
-Modesto, CA – city council made dumpster diving gross misdemeanor; punishable 
by max year in jail / $500 fine – being used as test case, watched by cities 
across countries
-waste vegetable bins state that they are private property of companies who are 
collecting waste for revenue
-can get in direct contact with shops and be straightforward about requesting waste
Building community with non-activists
Large communities of people with steady jobs, large families who don’t do FnB – 
up to 99.5% of cities! How to reach out to this minority?
-working with faith based organizations
-finding out what is already going on in city; challenging selves to be 
non-exclusive; doing research and trying to bring groups together; consideration 
of language we use
-have a really fucking good time! Bring a boombox!
-at sharing, have a skillshare, movie – make community space there
-problem with name of discussion topic – activists have problems enough creating 
community among themselves, no need to create further divisions “us vs. them”; 
thinking about making it fun and filled with love and joy, rather than remedial 
bullshit
-internet – put it on youtube; you never know who is going to see (we already 
know nsa is watching – why not have others watch too?)
Hyperlocal journalism – small local news outlet looking for stories
-working with wobblies in Detroit; positive reception
-where people get information makes a huge difference – bring people into new 
sources of information as a sharing gesture – meeting the neighbors
-Greensboro – load up bikes with food once a week, get to know neighbors and 
distribute food too
-go to schools
-drop off food on people’s porches
-npr piece – shouldn’t be propaganda, but working with big media has a risk
-mainstream media – not a dialogue

===============================================================
Impromptu parade at noon around sharing
Breakout groups – will write time and place on chart

LOVE & SOLIDARITY
Nate Freewheel & Nashville Food Not Bombs
--------------------
Copied from infoshop.org
==================================
* An antiauthoritarian anticapitalist initiative network
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