Food Not Bombs
Food Not Bombs (FNB) is an international, volunteer
organization attempting to provide free hot vegetarian meals to those in need
while drawing attention to the state's vast, wasted investment in military
expenditures and war. First World states spend billions upon billions of
dollars on arms and warfare while they refuse to provide their population (and
others in need around the world) with proper nourishment. FNB is a loose-knit
group of independent collectives dedicated to nonviolence. With no formal
leaders, FNB strives to include everyone in its decision-making process.
Each group recovers food that would otherwise be thrown out and makes fresh hot
vegetarian meals that are served in public spaces to anyone without restriction.
The groups also serve free vegetarian meals at protests and other events.
History
Antinuclear activists formed the first FNB group in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1980. FNB is now one of the fastest-growing
movements for social justice in North America and it is gaining momentum all
over the world. There are over 175 autonomous chapters sharing vegetarian
food with hungry people and protesting war and poverty throughout the Americas,
Europe and Australia.
The San Francisco chapter has seen its members arrested over
1,000 times in an effort to silence its protest against the Mayor's
anti-homeless policies. Amnesty International has considered working for
the unconditional release of imprisoned FNB volunteers as "prisoners of
conscience."
Unifying Principles
Food Recycling
Enough food is wasted each day to feed everyone who is hungry. FNB
collects food from produce warehouses and grocery stores that might be
unsaleable because of its appearance.
Nonviolence
Our society is dominated by violence. The threat of
crime, domestic and police violence and the ongoing possibility of nuclear war
affect our daily lives. The authority and power of our government is based
on the threat and use of violence at home and abroad.
FNB is committed to a vision of society that is motivated by
justice and diversity, not violence and greed. Poverty is also violence.
While our society pursues the massive accumulation of wealth for the few, it
relegates millions to hunger and homelessness. The commercial food
industry is also predicated on violence. It involves the slaughtering of
millions of animals and the poisoning of our planet with chemical pesticides and
fertilizers. It also allows tons of usable food to go to waste to insure
profits. FNB serves only vegetarian food and makes every effort to use
organic produce. FNB challenges the violence of society by the free
sharing of food and non-violent actions that highlight the injustices of
militarism and poverty.
Consensus Decision Making
FNB believes that every member of the group should have
a full opportunity to participate in shaping all the group's decisions.
The consensus process ensures that the will of the majority doesn't dismiss the
values and contributions of everyone else. The consensus process forces us
to resolve conflicts through open communication rather than overruling and
censoring.
The result is a decision that the whole group has had a part
in formulating and is comfortable with.
Source: Food not Bombs/Kitchener-Waterloo web site: watserv1.uwaterloo.ca/~wpirg/fnb.html
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Canadian contacts:
ALBERTA
Calgary
Hugh Baker Tel.: 403-217-1292
Edmonton
Edmonton, AB Canada
Tel.: 780-988-FOXY; Email: fettucini@powersurfr.com
Website: foodnotbombs.isCool.net
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Comox Valley
Amber Dunstan, Tel.: 250-339-5713
Maple Ridge
Shaun Thompson, Tel.: 604-467-9600
Vancouver
Tel.: 604-254-4152 or 604-215-1981; Email: blackcat@vcn.bc.ca
Victoria:
Email: viclets@Islandnet.com (put
"for lets office" in Subject line)
MANITOBA
Winnipeg
Tel.: (204)783-5175
email: navelgazing@hotmail.com
NOVA SCOTIA
Cape Breton
Tel.: 902-828 3103; Email: paul.black@ns.sympatico.ca
Halifax
Tel.: 902-422-1721
ONTARIO
Hamilton
Tel.: 572-8694; Email: hamilton_fnb@yahoo.com
London
Tel.: 519-433-2933; Email: fnblondon@yahoo.com
Sudbury
Email: sudburyfnb@yahoo.com
Toronto
Tel.: 416-812-6765; Email: fnbtor@tao.ca;
Web site: www.tao.ca/~hermes3/fnb.htm
OTTAWA
Nepean
Tel.: 613-828-7518
Waterloo
Tel.: 519-888-4882; Fax: 519-725-3093 Email: wpirg@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca
Web site: watserv1.uwaterloo.ca/~wpirg/fnb.html
QUEBEC
Montreal
Tel.: 514-844-3207 or 514-519-6502
Quebec City
Tel.: 418-529-2867
Sherbrooke
Email: lappart@hotmail.com
Source: Food Not Bombs - Seattle web site: www.scn.org/activism/foodnotbombs/contacts.html