An opinion about picketing, etc at Bioneers

[Guest guest]

Hi Davy and everyone:

I think keeping up the letter writing and perhaps having a peaceful,

education-oriented presence at the Bioneers conference could be helpful in

bringing them around to including a vegan speaker at next year's event. I would

be happy to write letters myself!

However, the AR/vegetarian movement has had a history of alienating folks who

might otherwise be open to listening, or just eventually coming around to even

thinking about the issue, when activists from the movement approach or confront

them in an in-yer-face, even militant sort of way.

Although this is one of the most important ethical values in my life and surely

many of yours, I don't think that insisting that it always be on the agenda at

every " progressive thinking " event is always going to be productive and actually

get us somewhere. It is a fact that not every environmental or even animal

rights/welfare organization has the same agenda or the same priorities, and they

don't always agree with each other on what's most important or how to get their

messages across. Some of them downright can't stand each other and work against

each other consciously. It's a shame. PETA, for example, has accomplished some

amazing things over the years, with lots of hard work and dedication from people

like Bruce Friedrich, etc. I personally have supported them and looked to them

for information for a good dozen years or more.

But they have also, in the process, created a negative image for themselves

which has turned other organizations against them, as well as individual

citizens, who are also dedicated to changing the world for the better. That has

not been positive for the movement in terms of reaching more people and

educating them about what we believe in and why it's important to take action

based on it - not when the in-your-face aspects turn them off or anger them. My

thinking is that the same could continue to happen if we insist on being part of

every picture. Maybe to a certain extent when we're protesting violence like

wearing fur, but not if you're trying to get people to want to hear you.

To wrap up, my two cents is that we continue to contact folks involved in the

Bioneers conference about why food choice issues are key at this event, even go

there and pass out pamphlets, etc. to people going in and out or inside the

conference, engage people in intelligent, productive conversation about the

issues, but don't press them, be forceful or in any way make a big noise in this

particular case. I really don't think it's necessary or is likely to help us

reach our objectives.

I am hoping to be there myself and will bring my pamphlets with me, so I can

hand them out to people. Thanks for your time in reading this email!

Respectfully, ethically vegan,

Sue

Davy Davidson wrote:Hello Polly, Alka and all friends,

 

I agree it's time to think creatively about how we influence the Bioneers!

I like the postcard idea. We could make a postcard with an image on one

side and our declarations on the other along with key endorsements (John

Robbins, Julia Butterfly Hill, etc). The postcards could be " delivered " in

an outrageous way. For example Kenny and Nina Ausabel are often on the big

stage together. We could have a costumed person, a streaking person, a

musical/theatrical happening, etc. deliver our message in front of the

auditorium and design it so that it's a win (not a humiliation) for all.

There may be a key environmental org (RAN comes to mind) with an official

vegan policy who may like to work with us.

 

That said, my time is limited and so I can only take a small role. Are

there others who want to take the lead?

 

In concert with you,

Davy

 

9/13/02 1:43 PM, Chandna, Alka at alka.chandna wrote:

 

> Dear Polly, Davy & other friends ~

>

> This absurdity at the Bioneers has gone on for far too long, and we have been

> far too patient in waiting for them to wake up and smell the slaughterhouse.

> In addition to Davy's wonderful letter, I recall that Simone Spearman also

> engaged the folks at the Bioneers in attempting to gently persuade

> them to address the elephant - I mean, the cows, pigs, chickens & turkeys - in

> the living room. Our amazing friends at Satya magazine have also attempted to

> push the Bioneers in a direction more consistent with the purported spirit of

> Bioneers.

>

> I think we need to do something big, colorful, positive, and fun - and

> something media-savvy. Here are some quick ideas:

>

> * We can design a postcard featuring a graphic of the earth going to hell in a

> hand basket (something that represents that) while a person representing

> Bioneers has his/her back turned to that image while getting ready to carve a

> huge platter of meat. It's relatively inexpensive to print 500

> postcards (if memory serves, it's about $190), and we can print enough so that

> we can give a postcard to every person that goes to Bioneers.

>

> * I think something like a manure dump is not positive enough to ensure that

> we get what we want in the end. I don't think we want to alienate these people

> entirely; we want to engage them and we want to realize that we have the

> numbers and media audience (let's hope!) to be able to challenge their

> position publicly. But, I like the idea of the manure dump (getting the

> statistic out that farmed animals - according to a senate report - produce 130

> times the manure of the human population in the U.S., and this s**t is dumped,

> untreated, into our nation's waterways. If we could think of something

> positive that could highlight this statistic, I think that would be great.

> Everyone could carry signs that read, " 130 " and then the media would have to

> report that statistic.

>

> * Something theatrical with costumes and masks and stuff. I dunno.

>

> * Definitely our cheerleaders! And we could work on some enviro cheers.

> Something where they had Go Vegan on one side of their placards and For the

> Earth on the other (would have to work with the lettering, etc.).

>

> Okay, that's a start. We may be able to use some of these ideas in concert.

> Or, we could do something entirely different.

>

> Thanks for initiating this discussion, Polly!!

>

> xo,

> Alka

>

>

> Polly [pstrand]

> Friday, September 13, 2002 12:04 PM

> ; Davy Davidson

> [sFBAVeg] Bioneers and Meat? Pickets?

>

>

> Bioneers Conference - Oct 18 to 20 - Marin Center San Rafael

>

> " VISIONARY AND PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR RESTORING THE EARTH??? "

>

> Last year we picketed and distributed food-choice/environmental

> literature at the bioneers meeting in Marin because there was no speaker

> addressing PERSONAL FOOD CHOICES as one " PRACTICAL SOLUTION for

> RESTORING THE EARTH. "

>

> We reminded them that the Union of Concerned Scientists indicated that

> the production of meat and dairy was the second-most consumer cause of

> environmental pollution after cars.

>

> Last year Davy Davdison wrote the Bioneers organizers and very cogent

> and respectful letter asking that they address the issue of personal

> food choices (not her words - I lost her letter when my computer was

> recently stolen). She suggested John Robbins as a speaker.

>

> I looked on the 2002 conference website http://www.bioneers.org and

> could find NO speakers addressing personal food choices.

>

> Julia Butterfly Hill, who is a vegan, is listed as a speaker but her

> subject is " Honoring and Empowering Youth. "

>

> There are several speakers addressing " sustainable agriculture " which

> can, it appears in their views, include meat and dairy.

>

> The vegan community has MANY compelling and articulate speakers to

> address the issue of " personal food choices and the environment. "

>

> There will also be a bioneers banquet. I asked for the menu and whether

> or not it was vegetarian.

>

> The person said that there would be a " vegetarian choice. "

>

> I asked if the main menu included meat. She had to ask.

>

> She came back and said " We don't know, we are leaving that to the chef. "

>

> You might want to look at the bioneers site and write them a letter.

> http://www.bioneers.org

>

> Any suggestions for our presence at Oct 18 to 20 at the Marin Center???

>

> Polly Strand

>

>

>

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