CAGJ Monthly E-Newsletter | JANUARY 31, 2023
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CAGJ Monthly E-Newsletter | JANUARY 31, 2023
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FEBRUARY E-News
FEB 1: Report-back from Cameroon & Africa Food Systems Conference
CAGJ STAFF PROFILE
CAGJ HAPPENINGS
TAKE ACTION
CAGJ NEWS &
ANALYSIS
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Get Involved! Upcoming CAGJ Meetings:
Food Justice Project: 3rd Tues/month, 6:30 - 8:30; for more info email us.
AGRA Watch: time varies, for more info email us
Social Media
Blogs CAGJ's blog Listservs |
WED FEB. 1st, 12-1 PM PST/3-4 PM EST
Report-back from Cameroon & Africa Food Systems Conference
Register here to receive Zoom link: tinyurl.com/CameroonReportBack Presenters: At the end of November 2022, Malik and Heather joined Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) as it hosted its 4th biennial Africa Food Systems Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon. AFSA represents over 200 million small-scale farmers, fisherfolk, pastoralists, and indigenous peoples. The conference participants came from 30 African countries, and shared experiences over three days, including visits to the Cameroonian hst organization's farm, market and training center. AFSA launched its Pan-African campaign during the conference, "My Food is African/Je Mange Africain" which aims to inspire people in Africa to desire and demand traditional foods, dishes, diets and cuisines. Malik and Heather will share highlights and photos from the trip, and share their reflections on how the US and African food sovereignty movements can continue to work in solidarity with each other. Malik brings his perspective as a lifelong Pan-Africanist, and Heather as a campaigner against philanthrocapitalism through AGRA Watch, a program of Community Alliance for Global Justice that counters the Gates Foundation's funding of a so-called "green revolution" for Africa. Building Africa-US Food Sovereignty Movement Solidarity
This event is part 1 of a 2-part series, Building Africa-US Food Sovereignty Movement Solidarity. Part 2, in March (exact date TBA), will feature leaders of the Seed Working Group of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa in coversation with US movement allies, about how to strengthen trasnational solidarity. Speakers will include Frances Davies, Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity, and Famara Diédhiou, Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa.
Register to receive event details ASAP: tinyurl.com/SeedSov CAGJ Staff Profile: Lisa Colligan
CAGJ HAPPENINGS Monthly Organizing Meeting: Art & Activism with David Solnit
Orientation for new Members at 6pm: RSVP
Join us on Tues, Feb 21 to hear from artist-activist David Solnit! David was a key organizer in the shutdowns of the WTO in Seattle in 1999, and is now an arts organizer, creating collective experiences integrating art and direct action. David’s guest talk is the first in a series of artist sessions that will be held during our Monthly Organizing Meetings for this first quarter of the year, structured around the theme Art & Activism! The short speaker series will lead into our Spring art workshops, in April and May. Members are encouraged to help organize this series during our monthly meetings! The workshops will include silk screening and printmaking. As always, partner updates will be shared during this meeting, and we will request member feedback on CAGJ activities and art workshop planning. New members are welcome to join at 6:00 pm for a CAGJ orientation led by director Heather Day. Please RSVP for orientation by emailing us at [email protected]. Thanks! SAT March 25, 7-9PM AGRA Watch Film Launch: Rich Appetites: How Big Philanthropy is Shaping the Future of Food in Africa
Guest Speaker: Daniel Maingi, Kenya Food Rights Alliance
Location: In-person at Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave Seattle 98101. Virtual option forthcoming. Suggested donation: $5 AGRA Watch is thrilled to publicly launch our short film series, Rich Appetites, which explores how billionaire philanthropists are pushing US-style industrial agriculture around the globe—including in Africa. This model of agriculture is the single largest cause of biodiversity loss worldwide, fails to solve hunger, and hurts small-scale farmers and the planet. The five films—The Foundation, Seeds, Money, Science, and Agroecology in Action—cover different aspects of the struggle over the future of African and global agriculture, and highlight grassroots movements in support of agroecology and food sovereignty. Watch the trailer. We will be joined by Daniel Maingi, a Kenyan scientist, farmer, and activist who is featured in the films. Maingi will share his expertise on sustainable agriculture and agribusiness in Africa, including the detrimental role of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Daniel is an outspoken leader in the struggle for biodiversity and against corporate-controlled GMOs in Kenya. He practices agroecology on his family's land in Nairobi. Maingi is currently a fellow at the Digital Civil Society Lab of Stanford’s Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society. He will be joined by the films’ producer, AGRA Watch Research Coordinator, Ashley Fent, to answer questions and lead discussion after the film screening. AGRA Watch co-produced the series with the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa and a South African animation studio, Greenhouse Cartoons. TAKE ACTION Sign the UFCW 3000 Petition: Add your name!
Stop the Kroger Albertsons Merger and Cash Grab
On November 3, 26 organizations, including UFCW 3000, wrote a formal letter to the Federal Trade Commission raising serious concerns regarding the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons. That letter concluded, “The bottom line is that this proposed merger is bad for workers, bad for consumers, bad for communities, bad for the economy—indeed, bad for everyone not associated with Cerberus Capital Management or owning shares in these two companies. We urge you to take immediate action to stop the special dividend payment and block this merger altogether.” Learn more:
Take Action
CAGJ NEWS & ANALYSIS Seattle Times Covers Gates CEO Annual Letter: Does The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have too much power and influence?
CAGJ/AGRA Watch Response
CAGJ & AGRA Watch were glad to see more critical coverage of The Seattle Times in an article published last week by AP writer Thalia Beaty, Does The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have too much power and influence? Not surprisingly, when Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman considered this question in his annual letter, he answered No (read Stacy Malkan tweet on his circular logic). He claims the Foundation made strides towards diversifying its decision-making by expanding the board. Last year AGRA Watch called out the contradictions of adding billionaire Zimbabwean businessman Strive Masiyiwa. While he represents African entrepreneurs, he doesn't represent or serve the hundreds of millions of small-scale farmers who produce most of the continent's food. Suzman claims they are helping smallholder farmers thrive despite the effects of climate change. Zimbabwean peasant leader Elizabeth Mpofu and AGRA Watch researcher Ashley Fent disagree: “Programs guided by a singular focus on making agriculture function like a business cause immense violence to the individual small-scale farmers who are forced to keep up with the costs and competition involved in industrial (and increasingly digital) farming.” Read the full AGRA Watch Op-Ed, published last April, New Zimbabwean Board Member Will Not Diversify Gates Foundation's Approach to African Agriculture. January 10, 2023 - David Bacon, The Nation
The Farm Workforce Modernization Act’s failure to become law reveals critical divisions within the immigrant rights movement. Read more.
Earlier this month, we celebrated the defeat of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act in Congress. Familias Unidas por la Justicia and Community to Community Development have been opposed to it since its inception. While other groups heralded the Act as a route to permanent citizenship for farmworkers, FUJ and C2C argued this process would not be comprehensive. It would also increase vulnerability for farmworkers by expanding surveillance programs like e-verify. FUJ made this the platform for their statewide tour in 2022, where they connected with dozens of farmworker groups who shared their concerns. The Act’s demise opens up opportunities for renewing conversations about fair immigration and farmworker policies. David Bacon’s article in The Nation brilliantly sums up the problems of the past decades of immigration policy, and the hopes moving forward.
January 26, 2023 - Dr Stephen Greenberg, African Centre for Biodiversity Blog
Across Africa, smallholder farmers produce most of their own seed requirements from season to season. Despite this, farmer seed systems receive scant recognition, with limited support for the diverse farmer practices of reproduction, adaptation and use that underpin agricultural biodiversity. Policies tend to favour commercialisation, economies of scale, and integration into global markets. However, amidst generalised ecological and social crises, there is growing recognition and a renewed appreciation of the multiple roles of smallholder producers in landscape and biodiversity maintenance and use, and in ecologically diverse and sustainable food production systems. Read more and view beautiful photos from October 2022 farmer exchange in Zimbabwe.
WED February 1, 6:30pm PST
Legislative Lobbying & Advocacy Fair
Are you interested in learning about different ways to advocate for environmental and climate issues this legislative session? Join Washington Conservation Action, 350 Washington, Futurewise, and others for a brief workshop breaking down barriers in the legislative process. Plus get connected to campaigns and action with our organizations! We’ll train you on how to lobby virtually and provide virtual testimony, and get you all prepared for 2023 Environmental Lobby Days on February 14th-16th. This event is open to anyone regardless of previous lobbying and advocacy experience. Register here.
SAT February 4, 9:30am - 12pm PST
Fixing Food – Film Screening & Hybrid Panel Discussion
Written, Produced and Directed by by Sue Williams. FIXING FOOD tells stories of people who are working to lower our carbon footprint with impactful new ways to gather and prepare the food we need, looking at five important areas where we can make changes—farming in the ocean and the air, finding new food sources, learning from Indigenous agriculture, and rescuing the food we already have. Please join Temple B’nai Torah & Kirkland Meaningful Movies for this film screening and hybrid panel discussion featuring: Author Julia L.F. Goldstein who will speak about ways to reduce food waste at home. *More panel speakers coming soon! More info and registration.
SAT February 11, 7pm PST
Black History Month 2023: Words into Action Featured author & speaker: Christina López. Growing up poor and Chicana in segregated Phoenix, López was inspired to activism by the Black liberation struggle. Her involvement with the two waves of Black Lives Matter and the never-ending battle against police brutality fuels her determination to find lasting solutions to discrimination and bigotry. Featuring Sarah Scott, Black sailor, marine electrician, and reproductive justice activist. More info.
FRI February 24, 6:30pm PST
Film: NASRIN, A portrait of Iranian Attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh Secretly filmed in Iran by women and men who risked arrest to make this film. An immersive portrait of the world’s most honored human rights activist and political prisoner, attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh, and of Iran’s remarkably resilient women’s rights movement. In the courts and on the streets, Nasrin has long fought for the rights of women, children, religious minorities, journalists and artists, and those facing the death penalty. In the midst of filming, Nasrin was arrested in June 2018 for representing women who were protesting Iran’s mandatory hijab law. She was sentenced to 38 years in prison, plus 148 lashes. Featuring acclaimed filmmaker Jafar Panahi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, and journalist Ann Curry. Narrated by Academy Award-winner Olivia Colman. Join us at the UU Church of Spokane or On-line via Zoom on February 24 at 6:30. More info.
MON February 27, 7:30pm PT
Afterglow - Envisioning a Radically Different Climate Future Could the power of story-telling help create a better reality? Afterglow is a stunning collection of original short stories in which writers from many different backgrounds envision a radically different climate future. Published in collaboration with Grist, a nonprofit media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions, these stirring tales expand our ability to imagine a better world. More info and tickets.
SAT March 18, 9am PST
March Edible Plant Sale Is it really time to garden already? Short answer: yes! March is a great month in the Pacific Northwest to begin planting an edible garden to enjoy all year round. We’re excited to bring back Tilth Alliance’s March Edible Plant Sale, where you can stock up on spring plant starts and enjoy the festive event atmosphere. The March Edible Plant Sale is on Saturday, March 18, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands (5513 S Cloverdale St, Seattle 98118). More info.
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This month’s Activist Profile features Lisa Colligan! Lisa lent her organizing and artistic skills to CAGJ in previous years, and recently joined our team of organizers again. Lisa shared what got her involved in CAGJ: “