FOOD, FARMS, and DEMOCRACY: Some 2016 events and resources
For those interested in real democracy.....
A. SMALL PLANET INSTITUTE
I have attached part of a recent post by Frances Moore Lappe, whose organization is sponsoring two events in the next two months on what she calls "living" democracy:
1. Retreat in western Massachusetts: The Thrill of Democracy. (March 11-13)
2. March from Philadelphia to Washington, DC.: Democracy Spring (April 2-11)
I have no way of knowing how much food-and-farm discussion will take place at these events, but Lappe certainly connects food and democracy. Plus this post originally appeared on COMFOOD (Feb. 12, 2016) and can be viewed on-line in its entirety at:
B. FRONTIERS of DEMOCRACY 2016 (Boston, June).
Of interest is another conference on democracy, co-sponsored by one of the leading organizations working on participatory democracy, Deliberative Democracy Consortium. This is not a food-and-farm conference per se, but I'm pretty sure that there will be some great learning that can be applied to food-and-farm issues and councils. Note that Joe Hoereth, Director of UIC's Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement, is a speaker at this conference.
C. COLLECTIVE IMPACT
Collective Impact is a proprietary name for a specific kind of group decision-making (developed at Stanford University I believe). Many food-and-farm projects are starting to use this model. It is democracy per se, but it is a step in the right direction. Here is a fleshed out version of the Collective Impact model (from Erica Campbell, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, as recently sent to the Food Policy Networks list-serv).
Common Agenda – Vermont Farm to Plate Strategic Plan
Shared Measurements – We use Results-based Accountability (population level indicators and performance measures) to track our 25 goals in a crowdsourced platform.
Mutually Reinforcing Activities – There are currently 23 groups in the Network. Group members coordinate, collaborate, and differentiate activity. Each group has an elected (and paid) leader, and there is an elected Steering Committee to oversee the Network.
Continuous Communication – The website acts as a communication platform with listservs for each group, documents, activity updates, etc. There is a monthly e-newsletter. Groups also meet in person on a regular basis.
Backbone organization – Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund currently plays this role in service to the Network. Our biggest job is “holding the whole,” cross-pollinating ideas, tracking measurements, administering the website, and raising money for shared leadership and activities. And perhaps most importantly, facilitating relationships and trust.
Sent by
Erica Campbell | Farm to Plate Network Director
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Small Planet Institute (Frances Moore Lappe, Feb. 12, 2016)
http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=8eec5cd5151a8346637209ddf&id=2c0cfa51ad&e=8db1450a70
Dear Friend,
Thirty-five years ago I began saying “hunger is not caused by a scarcity of food but by a scarcity of democracy.” I liked my soundbite a lot! But then I had to ask myself:
Okay, how do I address this root scarcity in my own country?
For decades I’ve tried to figure it out: through my 2006 book Democracy’s Edge and Getting a Grip2 in 2010, and earlier, too, in The Quickening of Americaand Rediscovering America’s Values.
Now, though, for the first time in my life I feel an answer bursting forth. It’s a diverse, energized democracy movement that I want to be part of, and its first big moment of unity and courage could be Democracy Spring. April 2-11 we will march from Philly to the Capitol steps, where 2,000 have already pledged to risk arrest—including me—if legislation for tough campaign finance reform and voting rights protection isn’t passed. Democracy Awakening then picks up the torch with a march and human chain encircling the Capitol, plus a concert, prayer vigil, and visits to legislators: All moving together to confront the big-money takeover of our country.
I hope food activists will show up in great force!
Will you join me, the Small Planet Institute, Real Food Media, and at least 100 other organizations and thousands of individuals who’ve already pledged to participate…with many more to come?
To help build this movement, I also welcome you to join me March 11-13thfor The Thrill of Democracy weekend retreat: a highly interactive, radical rethink of power, fear and hope enabling us to “show up” in full strength in this critical moment.
I am so proud to be part of a food movement that understands that the solution to hunger is democracy strong enough to unlock the grip of Big Food. (The food industry’s influence on our national Dietary Guidelines is just the most recent example of the industry's undemocratic power.)
If we’re serious about changing the food system, we have to transform our political system, and that means creating a movement of movements. April offers the food movement to take a leading role, a chance to act on what we’ve known for so long—that only democracy by, for, and, of the people can end hunger.
Jump now to www.democracyspring.org, and jump in.
Thank you, my allies and friends.
Frankie
